Flight Attendant Shopping: ABC Carpets & Home

I love patronizing family businesses.  There’s something appealing to me in knowing that generations have struggled and prospered to stake out a little part of the American Dream.

Even though ABC Carpets & Home is not your typical small family business, it still resonates with a rich, family tradition.

It began in 1897, with Sam Weinrib, an Austrian immigrant, selling carpets and fabrics from a pushcart on the lower east side.  His son, Max, turned the pushcart into a discount carpet store.  Max’s son, Jerome (now the chairman), moved the store into its current location.  Jerome’s daughter, Paulette, joined her father in the business in the early 1980’s.  Were you counting?  That’s four generations!

ABC is located in Manhattan’s Flat Iron District, and occupies two buildings.  At 888 Broadway, you’ll find six floors of rugs, furniture, antiques, fabric, and accessories.  It is a diverse grouping of items, beautifully displayed.  Across the street, at 881 Broadway, is the majority of the rug and carpet business.  ABC also has a location at Harrods in London, and outlets in the Bronx, Hackensack (New Jersey), and Delray Beach (Florida).

ABC is also home to Beauty Parlour, (a salon overlooking the first floor), three restaurants (Lucy Latin Kitchen, Pipa, and Le Pain Quotidien), and a chocolate store (Michel Cluizel).

Location:  888 and 881 Broadway in Manhattan.

Hours:  Monday-Thursday 10 am-8 pm, Friday 10 am-6:30 pm, Saturday 11 am-7 pm, Sunday noon-6:30 pm.