NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE

Having spent eight years on Washington St. overseeing visionary fashion designer Takahiro Miyashita’s Number (N)ine store, Al Abayan breaks new ground-this time on Franklin St. with Patron of the New. It’s no surprise that he chose to stay in TriBeCa; as a decade-long resident, he is part of the strong community of forward thinking fashion designers and boutique owners. Among these are Issey Miyake, Atelier, and Thom Browne, all of whose offerings mark a certain sophistication not readily found in lower Broadway or 5th Avenue.

His stock list speaks more to the underground set than to the garden variety fashion ‘insider’: designers include Nicolas Andreas Taralis, Siki Im, and No Editions. However, the selection as well offers a varied landscape in which one can also find approachable gift items.