By Abigail Ronck
Through the windows of Sammy Elhage’s store on 5th Avenue in Sunset Park, rows and rows of tiny boots—sized for infants and up—in gray, navy and brown faux suede lined the shelves. On a hot pink poster board a sign advertised “botas de mujeres, 2 x $35.” Elhage, who was perched behind a counter flanked by hanging boxer briefs, three for $10, said this pricing is nothing special for the holiday season. In this neighborhood, where everyone sells boots and shoes, there is always a discount.
Originally from Lebanon, with a wide, dark face and sparse beard, Elhage’s Spanish language skills are passable for his largely Latino clientele. His English is, he said, actually even better than his Spanish. “We were open on Thanksgiving,” he said. “Everybody was.”
Before Elhage came to the United States, he had been living in Liberia. “In Africa, if you were a storeowner open on any holiday,” of which he said there were many celebrating presidents, and ex-presidents, “you would get a ticket.”
Not so here in his store, Pink and Blue, just north of 56th Street. As most other clothing vendors in the neighborhood, he is open seven days a week. This morning, over an upbeat staccato Spanish version of Stand by Me, Elhage sold a young man two pair of identical black leather sneakers with a red decal for a combined $35. As the patron left the store, a glance at his feet against the faded green carpet revealed clean, brown athletic shoes already on his feet. Shoes are responsible for most of the shop’s revenue.
While his home country, he said, has its shortcomings when it comes to health, safety and schooling, Elhage misses a simpler lifestyle where he didn’t feel such pressure.
“If you don’t do business, you feel it,” he said. Like any other, his business will experience the patterns of the holidays. Sales should be good during December and dip back down in January.
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