This Week: B4 It Was Cool (Soho, NYC)

I stumbled upon the Soho salvage store B4 It Was Cool last May, but because the showroom’s unassuming entrance lacks display windows and signage, I very nearly passed it by.  Luckily, my curiosity was piqued by the bald, tattooed, rather tough looking but smiley gentleman who sat in front of the store, enjoying the near-perfect sunny late summer afternoon while he, as I later found out, cut deals with Soho bobos whose apartments were about to get much more interesting.

Although during my B4 It Was Cool visit, right-wing shock jock Michael Savage’s voice blared from the store’s stereo system, the showroom’s two levels of salvaged lights, furniture and charts was so hypnotic I could have stayed for hours.  In fact, the only reason it’s taken me so long to blog about this is because, frankly, I wanted to buy that astronomy chart (above (and below)), and I was afraid you might call the store and snatch it out from under me.  And the reason I didn’t call to buy the chart (and which is also the even bigger reason I haven’t written about it before now) is because I’d somehow lost the tattooed man’s business card, and no matter who I asked, nobody in the know seemed to know what I wanted to know, namely the incredible store’s name.  Embarrassingly, I didn’t even remember that B4 It Was Cool was on Houston Street (I’d like to see you admit something that ignorant about yourself publicly).

Continued . . .

Here's another look. Gorgeous, isn't it?

Of course, over time B4 It Was Cool slipped my mind, and it wasn’t until last week when, feeling a bit depressed about the upcoming winter, I started looking through my summer photos and realized it was past time I wrote a post about this amazing store.  Channeling my inner Holmes*, I deduced that the neighbors might know something, so I rang up Soho’s John Derian & Co., which is located just a couple blocks away.  Bingo.  The lovely woman who answered the phone knew straightaway I’d likely visited B4 It Was Cool.  Thank you miss.

Which is why I can finally write this post.  Of course, I promptly called about the chart, and let’s just say I wish I’d have called b4 it was gone.  Please e-mail me if you have one.  Or just snail mail the actual chart to me, which works even better.  And regarding B4 It Was Cool, I highly recommend you add it to your next New York itinerary.

B4 It Was Cool.  89 E. Houston St., New York, NY.  212-219-0939

* Sherlock, that is.