Pipe Shops in New York City

[ssjones]

Back in September, I smoked in Chelsea, around a park, with a policeman who was smoking a cigarette. He said they weren't much interested in giving folks a hassle who smoke, they had plenty else to do.

Definitely drop by the lounge at Florios if you want an interesting smoke, even if the pipe club isn't holding their meeting. If you don't buy a cigar, it is $10 to use the lounge. They have a bartender and some reasonably priced beers/drinks ($6/Heinekens). My bet is there are probably some interesting NYC folks in their nightly. The restaurant downstairs isn't bad either. It is on Grand Street, just on the edge of Chinatown.

 

[briarfriar]

Just an update on the New York City outdoor smoking situation:
Thanks to some resistance put up by a NYC advocacy group named Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment, the State of New York suspended its parks/beaches ban about six months ago, and the City of New York supposedly did likewise until the correct parliamentary trick could be discovered to foist this needless law down our throats. No smoking signs still abound, but the police, again supposedly, will not issue summonses.
About De La Concha: I've been shopping there since 1996, and never had a disagreeable moment. I was there last Thursday, dressed kind of overly casual, and was welcomed and served as courteously as can be. Just a modest purchase of one Winston Churchill cigar and a couple of two ounce pouches of house blends, and the sales help couldn't have been more accommodating.
Believe it or not, there is a Dunhill shop on Madison Avenue that ... no longer sells cigars, pipes, tobacco, etc. You still can get a fancy lighter though. The old Dunhill store, about thirty blocks south of this current one, did have a humidor with a great selection of cigars and tobacco.
Barclay Rex: They have three locations, one of which probably was wiped out by the flooding two weeks ago. It was on Broad Street in the Financial District. This was the store the City's minions harassed for the crime of serving coffee to its customers at no charge. The City made the shop get rid of its coffee-espresso maker because it didn't have a license to provide food/beverages to the public.
Anyway, they still have two stores, one near Grand Central, and the other on Lexington in the 50s.
The mighty JR Cigar empire, where I was employed for a long time, seems to have left NYC. Or maybe only changed its name to Montecristo, which is one of the major brands owned by the firm which controls JR. That's on Fifth Avenue. No mention of pipes on the website.
Of course there is Davidoff. I can't bring myself to walk in there. Either of the stores.
On your way to the NY Public Library's main branch, you also can duck into Nat Sherman. I've never tried their pipe tobaccos though.
And the NY Pipe Club will meet tonight, Nov. 13, at Circa Tabac, located just outside the Holland Tunnel.
I think that's about it. Unfortunately, in NYC the notion of pipe shops or smoke shops refers to drug paraphernalia.

 

[ssjones]

I missed the meeting last night at Circa Tabac, but will try again in December. It's always fun to go into Manhattan when it is ready for Christmas.

 

[baronsamedi]

I smoke Nat Sherman's Riverside Whiskey blend all the time. It's a nice "not so aro" aromatic and very mild. Their Empire English and City Island Dawn blends are pretty famous, too. If you smoke nails, they have all natural cigarettes and even aromatic cigs with clove and mint that are great. Their cigars are famous, too. It's basically a PAD/TAD/CAD death trap.

 

[seanavan]

Hey, Baron, is their Empire English a very mild english? My local B&M carries a mild english called 'Empire' and I've wondered if it was rebranded or actually carried by someone.

 

[lestrout]

sean - I think the Empire English used to be tinned as #536, which I find more Latakia forward than mild. Does your B&M carry other Nat Sherman products, such as the natural cigarettes or cigars? If not, it's unlikely they would just stock NS pipe tobacco.
hp

les

 

[allan]

De la concha on 7th between 56 and 57th street nyc is a great place to take a load off your feet and smoke a cigar or light up a bowl with no purchase necessary. Yes it's true that they cater to upscale clientele and speak to their patrons with the utmost respect but I must admit I enjoy being treated that way.

The fact that there is a place in midtown manhattan where you are actually welcomed to smoke is absolutely priceless In the current anti smoking mayor Bloomberg environment .
Mike is the pipe and tobacco expert and he has an enormous wealth of knowledge which he willingly shares each week or two when I can get down there
In early December dunhill ran a pipe show at de la comcha with about four hundred of their pipes for sale - I'm so sorry to have missed seeing all of them at once!
I highly recommend a visit there
Allan

 

[foggymountain]

I worked at the 42nd st and Madison Ave Barclay Rex stores in the 1950s when they were called Petersons. Nice pipe shops. I was in the 42nd st Rex a few years ago and it wasn't changed much. Back then Nat Sherman was a custom cigarette dealer with a little store on 7th ave and the upper 30s. I must check out their new 5th ave store when I am in the mood for an uptown excursion.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I second De la concha - I travel to NY frequently and have been to all the stores mentioned. This one is by far my favourite. Was there in early December for the Dunhill trunk show and made away with 4 dunnies. Guys there are very knowledgeable. Only sell a few brands of pipes (including dunhills), but still the best I have found in NYC. Good selection of tobacco and a great ambience.

 

[locopony]

NEW YORK CITY..........get a rope.
I wonder if they ever played those commercials up there?

 

[ghost]

NEW YORK CITY..........get a rope.
I wonder if they ever played those commercials up there?

They played them in Canada, I remember them...

 

[briarfriar]

Sad news from Barclay Rex. Click here. It's a common story these days. Rents wildly spiking, and small businesses being squeezed out to be replaced by either a chain store or some exclusive boutique.

 

[ssjones]

That is sad to hear about Barclay Rex. At Cafe Tabac last week, the owner said there were only seven places left in the city where you could smoke inside.
I just saw my original post in the thread. Sadly, Florios cigar bar is also now closed. (owner died)

 

[rmbittner]

Wow, I'm sorry too to hear about the closing of the Lexington Avenue Barclay-Rex. However, it sounds like the one right across from Grand Central is still open. It's a great shop -- though small (it is Manhattan, after all) -- with a really good supply of tinned blends, high-end pipes (they have to pay the rent ), and, of course, cigars.
Bob

 

[chops]

I smoke at Nat Sherman's fairly often. I am working through their blends and I also buy an occasional cigar there. The gentlemen who work there are very helpful and friendly. If any of you are planning to go there let me know and we can meet up.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Too bad. I was at the Barclay Rex that is to be closed just before Christmas. Was stunned to see 2 8 ounce bags of penzance on the shelf and grabbed them both. Cool shop. Hate to see it go.

 

[dragonslayer]

I placed an order for some SGBB today and the odd thing was that the company is located in NY, but ships out of PA. So I get hit with the 6% PA sales tax. BUT onto the subject:
Our rights are getting so trampled on it’s become a joke that will turn into a snowball rolling down a hill. You think it’s bad in NYC which I don’t think will be enforced that much considering the town itself, the back streets and the cops willing to write tickets. BUT in Hawaii our Aloha state you are a target and they want your ass. You can’t smoke on many of the beaches now or within 20’ of the opening of a building. There are no longer smoking rooms in hotels and you can’t go out on the lanai and smoke. If you OWN your own condo or anything that shares another wall (even if there’s no common duct work) you can’t smoke in your own home. You can’t go outside on YOUR lanai and smoke. They are working on cars now.
Here is the problem though. They are going bat crazy writing tickets. It’s not like NYC; they have a ton of cops and almost no crime (except Oahu) other than speeding tickets. People are turning in others even if they don’t live there, you can’t face your accuser. This goes for medical marijuana too; you can grow it, but not smoke it. It’s become the number one crime on Maui.
Fines – $100 + $50 court, second $200 + $50, third on is $500 +$50. If you fail to pay the fine a bench warrant is issued for you arrest.
Craig

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Wow. That is crazy. And we just booked a vacation at the Grand Wailea in Maui for later this year. Have googled it and it looks like I'm going to have to go cold turkey on the pipe all the while I'm there (12 days). What a wonderful vacation this will be.

 

[yadan]

When I was on vacation in Istanbul (Turkey, as you might know, is pretty much a pro-smoking country) a number of years ago, I stayed with the wife at one of the upscale hotels and booked their nightclub one evening. We were seated in a good spot in the center, and most people were puffing away on cigarettes. I whipped out a huge Partagas (Cuban)cigar and lit it up. A few minutes later a middle-aged woman came to our table and politely requested (in English) that I extinguish the cigar (I immediately assumed she was from California). Striving to observe proper smoking ettiquite,I let the cigar die out and produced a briar from one of my jacket pockets. I filled and lit it, but not much time had passed when the same lady approached with the same request.

I informed her that this was Turkey, not California, pointed to a number of cigarette smokers and suggested she book a different hotel on another continent.

She must have complained to the club's manager, since he was the next visitor to our table. He politely explained that the pipe was disturbing this patron. In reply, I politely explained that this woman was disturbing me and my wife, but that I was willing to leave the club, end my stay at the hotel and book somewhere else. He smiled, said that wouldn't be necessary and walked away, enabling me to enjoy the rest of my bowl in peace.

 

[pigpen]

Hello. First time log in but reading from years. Member of site in Poland www.fajka.net.pl. I am from Poland and will be few days in NYC. Can You please tell me where I can buy in NY GLP & C&D tobacco? I've been trying to find place but lost. Any help?