Monday, October 29, 2001


for those still interested in pitching in with some patriotic shopping downtown, let me turn your attention to an old standby. . .

you can't say the prices are discount, but they're not at uptown levels yet. the neighborhood is under pressure from an ever-expanding chinatown on one side and a revitalized lower east side on the other, with the shopping hordes of nolita closing in. and the 9-11 horror has pushed it to the brink of economic death.

that's right, i'm talking about little italy here; for decades derided by new yorkers as a hopeless tourist trap. however, there are some amusing moments to be had there for us coffee fanatics.

by which i mean not the cafes or restaurants, but the dubious "import" stores. despite everything, one does deserve some attention: forzano italian imports, which specializes in la pavoni equipment and other general coffee paraphenalia. they have almost as much pavoni as the most complete pavoni online retailer.

check it out. it's a fun hour's browse. yes, it can be tacky -- especially in the section that sells italian 8-track music! but hey, live a little.

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