My NYC side trips

A

AriesOpusX

The Wheel Man
So me and the wife headed out this morning to go do a little Christmas shopping in NYC. I promised her I'd behave myself and not go into EVERY B&M I passed since we had stuff to do but we know how that goes.

Managed to avoid most but I popped into the following and I'll give my little mini review.

1. JR Cigars - 5th Ave

Decent size shop. When I walked in I was attacked by a few sales guys that kept following me around the store. After being asked if I needed help 3-5 times I said no, I'll let you know if I do. One older gentleman in a suit decided to stalk me every time I tried to look at the smokes. Ever get the feeling you're being watched as a shop lifter? That was my main problem with this place.

I wasn't exactly dressed like a hobo in a Versace shirt and a lamb skin leather coat but these guys were acting like I was a 15 year old hoodlum scoping out the joint. There was a big table full of 5 packs with decent prices so I figured I'd look around but if I walked from one side to the other, I ended up with a shadow following me.

Ended up getting a 5 pack of Camacho's a few Monte's and a new ashtray but they didn't make me feel comfortable enough to really look around.

2. Davidoff

They had a decent walk in humidor but pushy sales people too. The guy kept telling me about his "favorite smokes" which included anything with a price tag over $28 and than offering to get me a box of them to buy since they were "THAT GOOD". Another gentleman came in asking for a mild smoke that was decently priced, sales guy went straight for the tatuaje and started handing him sticks. I decided to bail out of there while he was distracted.

3. Nat Sherman

I walked in, while being stared at by the entire staff puffing away on their cigarettes. Lounge appeared to be under construction. Everything is behind glass. One of the guys approached me and asked "Can I help you" in a kind of rude manor while blowing his cigarette smoke in my face. I said not today and headed for the door. Weird joint.

After my experiences there I think I'll save my business for my local guys. Much friendlier environments.
 
Welcome to New York.

Actually, I like the two NYC Davidoff stores I've been to. The prices are reasonable considering the location and the swanky digs.
 
Prices were all decent. As for the weirdo's I wasn't really shocked I'm from Long Island but living in CT now. I'm sure theres a lot better places in NYC though, these are just a few I was curious about that we were passing.
 
Strange, the couple times Ive been to the NYC JR's I've been dressed like a bum and everyone seems to ignore me.

Davidoff does indeed have pushy salesman, although I find the employees at the Davidoff shop in the Time Warner Center location to be much less so then the Madison location.

Nat Sherman is a waste of time IMO. Overpriced, the selection is bad, and the employees seem to be pissed off about something or other.

Best B&M in NYC hands down is Barclay Rex. They have a guy in the Humidor but he leaves you alone unless you directly ask questions. Also, their selection is the best. I'd suggest checking out one of their three locations next time you come to town.
 
adsantos13 said:
Best B&M in NYC hands down is Barclay Rex. They have a guy in the Humidor but he leaves you alone unless you directly ask questions. Also, their selection is the best. I'd suggest checking out one of their three locations next time you come to town.
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Agree wholeheartedly. They are knowledgeable and they let you nose around the humidor - there if you need them for any questions.
 
adsantos13 said:
Best B&M in NYC hands down is Barclay Rex. They have a guy in the Humidor but he leaves you alone unless you directly ask questions. Also, their selection is the best. I'd suggest checking out one of their three locations next time you come to town.
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:tpd: I'd give them my business any time
 
I've been to all the places mentioned.

I like JR. They've got pretty good prices(for NYC), and a pretty nice selection, with some good specials. That being said, the customer service is pretty bad. It seems like they are supposed to be following you so they can wait on you. But they don't want to, so it feels creepy. Also, at least for me, the guys downstairs don't even talk/look at me. Every time I've been there, they just stand there talking.

Nat Sherman SUCKS. The only time I ever went in there, I couldn't get the salespeople to help me. At least 3 people came in and were helped while I was waiting, so I left, and I'll never go back.


I really like Davidoff. The staff there doesn't usually talk down to me because I'm in my 20's like at some of the others. They answer any questions, and the prices are fair. As for being badgered by the help, it's never happened to me. When I've gone, there has always been a nice young(and quiet) woman with a silver platter(literally) ready to whisk my chosen smokes off to the register, and then cut them if I wish.

None of these hold a candle to BR though. Awesome service, a lounge, and good prices. The salesmen aren't pushy, but let you know if they think you're getting hosed. They're always willing to recommend favorites, but if you're tastes differ, they don't get pushy.
 
Geez....talk about a weird experience. Are these guys working on commission and used-car tactics?!?! :D
 
Sorry to here the shops you stopped by were not up to snuff. JR's was not too bad though it was probably due the store being busy. They left me alone while I browsed and I even bought a Don Carlo to smoke there. I'm surprised you didn't check out De La Concha, very nice guys there. Here is the link to my post about my NYC trip:

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=116830
 
Thanks for the recommendations, I haven't visited De La Concha yet. We take trips in about 3 times a year so next time I'll be sure to stop in.

Barclay will definitely be on my stops list next trip also. :tu
 
AriesOpusX said:
So me and the wife headed out this morning to go do a little Christmas shopping in NYC. I promised her I'd behave myself and not go into EVERY B&M I passed since we had stuff to do but we know how that goes.

Managed to avoid most but I popped into the following and I'll give my little mini review.

1. JR Cigars - 5th Ave

Decent size shop. When I walked in I was attacked by a few sales guys that kept following me around the store. After being asked if I needed help 3-5 times I said no, I'll let you know if I do. One older gentleman in a suit decided to stalk me every time I tried to look at the smokes. Ever get the feeling you're being watched as a shop lifter? That was my main problem with this place.

I wasn't exactly dressed like a hobo in a Versace shirt and a lamb skin leather coat but these guys were acting like I was a 15 year old hoodlum scoping out the joint. There was a big table full of 5 packs with decent prices so I figured I'd look around but if I walked from one side to the other, I ended up with a shadow following me.

Ended up getting a 5 pack of Camacho's a few Monte's and a new ashtray but they didn't make me feel comfortable enough to really look around.

2. Davidoff

They had a decent walk in humidor but pushy sales people too. The guy kept telling me about his "favorite smokes" which included anything with a price tag over $28 and than offering to get me a box of them to buy since they were "THAT GOOD". Another gentleman came in asking for a mild smoke that was decently priced, sales guy went straight for the tatuaje and started handing him sticks. I decided to bail out of there while he was distracted.

3. Nat Sherman

I walked in, while being stared at by the entire staff puffing away on their cigarettes. Lounge appeared to be under construction. Everything is behind glass. One of the guys approached me and asked "Can I help you" in a kind of rude manor while blowing his cigarette smoke in my face. I said not today and headed for the door. Weird joint.

After my experiences there I think I'll save my business for my local guys. Much friendlier environments.
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I was dismayed to read your recent blog posting and learn about your disappointing visit to our store. I shared your comments – and a few of my own – with our store personnel to provide them with constructive criticism and feedback on how their actions – or inactions – are perceived by our customers. On behalf of our family and staff, I sincerely apologize for your recent experience in our store and hope you will give us a chance to replace this memory with a more memorable one. We expect to have our smoking lounge – The Johnson Club Room – open in early January and would welcome the opportunity to entertain you there on a future visit.

Thank you,
Joel Sherman, President and CEO of Nat Sherman
 
Nat Sherman said:
I was dismayed to read your recent blog posting and learn about your disappointing visit to our store. I shared your comments – and a few of my own – with our store personnel to provide them with constructive criticism and feedback on how their actions – or inactions – are perceived by our customers. On behalf of our family and staff, I sincerely apologize for your recent experience in our store and hope you will give us a chance to replace this memory with a more memorable one. We expect to have our smoking lounge – The Johnson Club Room – open in early January and would welcome the opportunity to entertain you there on a future visit. Thank you, Joel Sherman, President and CEO of Nat Sherman
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I must say I'm impressed you browse the internet to learn more about your operations and personally address such issues. There are plenty of other retailers on ClubStogie you should stick around. If you want constructive criticism you've got the right bunch of people.

I'm glad you can learn more about our experiences from our postings here. The main "turn off" of your NYC location I visited was just an uncomfortable atmosphere, hopefully the opening of the lounge in January will change that.

 
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I'm sorry to hear about your experiences at the above mentioned B&Ms in the City.

When I still lived in NYC, VirtualSmitty and I would go to Nat Shermans on an almost bi-weekly basis and we never seemed to have any real issues. In fact, probably the most helpful person there was a younger guy named Ali (I think that was his name; he had a slicked back ponytail). True, there was a certain other staff member there who was routinely less than cordial for some odd reason (maybe she had a bad day everytime we were there, lol), but for the most part we always had a pleasant experience. The best part for us was the humidor/seating area; I look forward to trying out the new lounge when I get back there (hopefully this year).

JR's on 5th never presented us with any real problems either but then again we always made it a point to converse at length with Luis (the manager at that time). On the busier days, I agree; it always did seem like you were on a really bad Ride-Along.

My experience with De La Concha has always been favorable as well. Really friendly staff for the most part; very knowledgeable too. I was actually with VirtualSmitty when he bought his first pipe (at De La Concha) and the guy behind the counter was like our best friend. I guess that's because it was like a $350 pipe. Anyway, we went back there & I figured he'd be happy to hear of Joe's progress but the guy couldn't be bothered with us. Oh well.

Davidoff was always my favorite (especially when we could actually find a seat). The staff was always cordial & helpful and they never seemed too pushy. Again, it could be that we were regulars and we were treated accordingly. I dunno.

One of the places we really liked (but that no longer has a smoking lounge) was Dunhill. Fairly swanky place -- but that's history now....
 
Nat Sherman said:
I was dismayed to read your recent blog posting and learn about your disappointing visit to our store. I shared your comments – and a few of my own – with our store personnel to provide them with constructive criticism and feedback on how their actions – or inactions – are perceived by our customers. On behalf of our family and staff, I sincerely apologize for your recent experience in our store and hope you will give us a chance to replace this memory with a more memorable one. We expect to have our smoking lounge – The Johnson Club Room – open in early January and would welcome the opportunity to entertain you there on a future visit.

Thank you,
Joel Sherman, President and CEO of Nat Sherman
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I stopped by the Nat Sherman store on my trip to nyc and found the one salesperson I spoke to very nice and helpful. I didn't catch his name but it was a tall black gentleman, the rest seemed a little less approachable. Figured I would at least post a positive experience considering alot of the others haven't had one there. Hope I can check the lounge the next time I'm in nyc. Oh yes, you might want to expand your selection a bit (add some Pepin's to the mix :D)
 
I am in New York for the weekend, I tagged along with my wife on one of her business trips. As luck would have it, I am directly across the street from Barclay-Rex on Lexington. By the time we got here tonight, they were closed, but I am going to try to check them out tommorrow, hopefully I'll be able to sit down and have a smoke. I also want to check out Nat Sherman, which looks like is about 9 blocks away.
 
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