LAAMS

We love the delicious chaos of Dimes Square, and its groovy bars and restaurants. But, sometimes we yearn for the time when the area was skateboarding’s epicenter, and skaters huddled and hatched ideas in the shadow of the Manhattan Bridge.

LAAMS is part store, part gallery, and part creative club in the middle of Orchard Street’s busiest section. Its mission is to bring back a slice of that time, serving up a hybrid of skate, streetwear, art, and community.

DJs spin records, books on LES culture line the shelves, and art by local artists featuring icons of funk, hip-hop, and classic movies adorn the walls. Vintage clothing is on sale upstairs. Keep an eye out for occasional tattoo pop-ups.

We’ve been noticing their partnerships with the big brands lately. Think Tommy Hilfiger and Nike. Which, if you ask us, only makes things more exciting. In short, it means the place has a better chance of survival. And we can’t imagine the neighborhood without it.

LAAMS is put together by three friends who grew up hanging out in the neighborhood when shops like Supreme, Alife, and Prohibit were the places everybody gathered. Scott Selvin is the founder. He works with store/artist relations manager Stevie Baker, along with creative director Joe Ro, whose black-and-white, hand-stitched photography books are collector's items in their own right. Their collaboration is a living, breathing example of how this community flourished in the first place.