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Location
142 West 18th Street
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For nearly fifty years, in a spacious, bright second floor dojo, Aikido master and chairman of the US Aikido Federation, Yoshimitsu Yamada, has been teaching his art. Yamada Shihan trained under the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, and in 1964 was sent overseas to instruct a small New York-based Aikido club. It is from this location that he built the United States organization. Today, he continues to be highly sought after the world over as a visiting instructor. Mike, the manager and one of Yamada Shihan's students, described the dojo as "old school," a place that sticks to the "bare bones basics" of Aikido. They teach a sense of hierarchy, a respect of elders, common courtesy, and simple etiquette. "Sensei is the embodiment of this place and vice versa," Mike told us. Visitors come from all over the world to train under Yamada Shihan. Any day of the week one can hear a half a dozen different languages being spoken. "If we had a class at two o'clock in the morning, it would be packed," Mike confided.

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Lost Gem
Rothman's 1 Videos Mens Clothing Founded Before 1930 undefined

Rothman's

Ken Giddon likes to say that he went “from riches to rags” by leaving a career as a bond trader to reopen his grandfather’s men’s clothing store. Harry Rothman used to peddle his wares from a pushcart on Delancey Street in the 1920s before moving into a retail space. “He kind of created the concept of a discount clothing store, ” Ken remarked. Rothman's closed for a time after Harry’s death in 1985, but Ken revived the business a year later in a stunning, 11, 000-square-foot storefront on the corner of 18th Street in Union Square. “I love being on a side street. It gives us the ability to afford a bigger space while watching the movable feast that is New York walk by every day. ” Five years after the shop’s reopening, Ken invited his brother, Jim, to join him. “This is one of the true family businesses in Manhattan. ” The store, which carries both casual and formal attire from top designers, aims to make the shopping experience for men “as efficient and rewarding as possible. ” To this end, Ken and Jim scour the market, travel abroad, and attend numerous trade shows to find the best brands. “We try to provide our customers with that personal, small-town feel in the middle of the city, ” Jim said. Despite Rothman's more modern look and merchandise, the brothers strive to keep some core elements of their grandfather’s business alive, particularly by preserving his humble approach to owning a men’s retail store. As Harry used to say, “It’s not so serious what we do. We just sell pants for a living. ”