The Point of everything

The Point NYC (now closed)
37a Bedford Street
Bedford St at Carmine St

The point at The Point on Bedford is enjoyment. They're a bakery and yarn store, with lots of tables and not much space. I am rather picky when it comes to retail staff. They should be attentive without being intrusive, as well as helpful and knowledgeable without being pedantic or condescending. With a full room of knitters (not shoppers), The Point's staff nailed my requirements.

I went during their birthday sale (03/31 - 04/01/2009). (See their website post titled The Point is Turning 4). There was an enormous group there, meeting for the first time. Lots of chatter and laughter, and everyone wearing name tags, made for a very informal, comfortable atmosphere. The delicious looking baked goods didn't hurt either.

The yarn and tools covers the longest wall, opposite the bakery counter. On the same wall as the counter are the tools and books space and, of course, more yarn. Being a rather vertically challenged individual, I tend to dislike environments where most of the products are above my head, especially shopping. Shopping is a tactile experience, I wanna feel the goods. I patted and played with what I could reach; little if anything was acrylic in part, and nothing was 100% acrylic. I was pleased that the woman staffing the yarn side of the house was helpful. I wanted to feel some yarn that was on the top shelf (invariably when a short person shops she will want something from the top shelf) and she got it down for me. Quickly, no fuss, no dismissive comments. What she got down wasn't the color I wanted; reaching that was a bit of a hassle. But it was enough for me to feel the yarn and make a decision (of course I bought it). She then got me down the color I wanted. After I paid for it, she balled it for me. In other yarn shops I've been in, if there was a balling machine, the customer had to ball her own; the staff wouldn't help even when asked.

The crowd made getting around a little difficult; there was no darting back and forth across the shop (there was no darting anywhere; too many bodies). There were seats for most if not everyone in there, myself included. Plenty of tables. My friends and I wandered around a bit, obviously shopping. We met another friend of mine there. No one (read: none of the staff) bothered us to spend, spend, spend; my friend who was there when I arrived had comfortably sat and knit and chatted with various patrons for about an hour before I got there. She made a purchase early on. I'll have to try hanging out there one day without buying anything other than a coffee and see how the staff respond.

Yes, I'm already planning my next trip there.