Ariston Floral Boutique

When Inna Lipovsky arrived in America from the Soviet Union, she had an abundance of design concepts swirling in her head. Having worked as an architect and interior designer in Europe, she had a reputation for her unique floral arrangements and was eager to use her creativity in her own shop. Her passion for flowers allowed her company to flourish beyond its beginnings on Battery Place, and she was able to start providing flowers to a wide range of corporate clients and weddings throughout the city. City Blossoms was first started in 1987, and is now co-run by Inna and her daughter, Karina Granin. After working in finance for several years, Karina was drawn into the family business. Her mom's passion was passed down to her, and today she is the co-owner of the company. When the Manhattan Sideways team stopped by one day, we met Shannon, the operations manager, who told us that she joined the City Blossoms team in 2016. An artist herself, Shannon was drawn to flowers because they allowed her to be “extremely creative." According to her, "They’re a form of personalized artistry."

I can attest to the immediate success of Carmine's on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in the early nineties as my family and friends stood on the lines to get in on a number of occasions. Owner Artie Cutler's concept of serving large, family-style portions to guests, in a warm, friendly atmosphere connected with diners immediately. It did not take Mr. Cutler long to realize that he had a success on his hands and that it was time for expansion. In 1992, the theater district had another hit in Times Square, in the form of a grand, traditional Italian restaurant.

Teddy Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, and Charles Lindberg are among the noteworthy clients that E.B. Meyorwitz & Dell has been crafting “made-to-measure” frames for since 1875. Today, be it in their New York, London or Paris shops, one can still be fitted for a pair of the same classy, high quality spectacles.