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Cambridge Chronicle •

Cobbling a Life Together

If business owners charged for honesty and generosity of spirit, Christos Soillis — the owner of Harvard Square’s Felix Shoe Repair at 1304 Massachusetts Ave. — would be on par with Elon Musk as a wealthy man.

“I have money in my pocket. I own my home,” he said. “That’s all I need.”

Soillis, 87, has been cobble-ing locally for almost 60 years, starting as an assistant in the shop’s basement in 1963. The square was bustling then with young men in coats, ties, pressed button-downs, and fedoras, the uniform of Harvard’s then all-male student body.
West Side Rag •

Toscana Shoes Saves Soles

Elena Torres has been saving Upper West Side soles since 1998, the year she became a newly minted 30-year-old business owner. To judge from the many cards that decorate Toscana, her small shoe repair shop on Broadway and 85th Street, she has captured more than a few souls during that time too.

“Thank you for staying with us on the UWS!” writes one neighbor in tidy print. Nobel Prize winner James E. Rothman offers his thanks from a photo on the side wall, along with appreciative pictures from famous neighbors and Upper West Side residents Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. More holiday cards with personalized seasons greeting adorn a small shelf near the register.
West Side Rag •

A Slipper Boom and a Remarkable Knack for Shoe Sizes

Some people remember birthdays, some, notable dates in history. Robert Goldberg, 59, remembers shoe sizes. Lots of them. “It’s just one of those obscure things…shoe sizes stick in my head.”

Little wonder. Goldberg (size 11 ½) is the third-generation owner of the venerable Upper West Side destination for sensible, quality footwear, Harry’s Shoes at 83rd and Broadway, and its more recent sibling, Harry’s Shoes for Kids just up the block. He has been at the helm of the operation since he and his second-in-command and sister, Randi Goldberg Wasserman (size 10 ½, narrow), took over from their father, Joe, son of the eponymous Harry, in 1987. Joe died in 2012.
West Side Rag •

‘You Have To Be Awake 24/7 To Survive’

Dany Ghatan knew nothing about sneakers when he and his brother-in-law and business partner opened Sprint Sports, an athletic shoe and apparel store on Broadway between 93rd and 94th Streets, in 1986. He was an architect by training, whose first job upon arriving in New York City from Iran a year before was with an architecture and design firm. Still, the pair saw opportunity when they noticed that people all over the city were wearing sneakers, for any function. “I notice that the sneaker is a hot item in America,” Dany recalls. “In New York at least. All people, they wearing sneakers.”
West Side Rag •

Keeping the Shine on the Upper West Side

The store’s name – “Shine” – is a reference to a psalm that Daniel found inspiring when he first took the helm of the repair shop almost 30 years ago. It’s also an apt description of the man himself and the cheerful countenance he wears as he greets customers from behind his new high-top counter. But don’t mistake his gentle ways for lack of drive. As one of his loyal customers, Lloyd, says, “Daniel is gutsy…[and] very resourceful. He takes on things that he may not know a lot about and gets them done. [He’s] the ultimate American immigrant success story.”
Cambridge Day •

Honing Knives to Their Finest

Harper Keehn, owner of Sharper Harper, swears it’s pure coincidence her first name rhymes with her chosen profession. “No, my parents didn’t know that I would end up doing this for a living,” she said, referring to her knife-sharpening business.

For that, she credits her grandmother, who gave her a penknife when she was 4. “The salesperson almost didn’t sell it to her when she found out who it was for,” Keehn added. But grandma prevailed and the young carver was soon whittling away.
Cambridge Day •

Mindful Munching at the Kendall Square Farmers Market

Serendipity would be a good brand name for Pushpir Bhetia’s life if not his line of high-quality Indian food products, better known by the label Depth N Green.

It was seemingly by chance, after all, that the then 26-year-old native of New Delhi landed in New York City in 1997 and moved quickly from doing odd jobs to owning a line of cellphone stores to finding himself in Boston, serving food as Guru the Caterer and now staffing a new business’ table at this summer’s Kendall Square farmers market.
Cambridge Day •

Stories along with Goods Like seafood

The Kendall Square Farmers Market, in the area’s canal district, has colorful characters and captivating tales accompanying its locally sourced products.

Jason Tucker, owner of Bow Market’s Bluefin Rawbar in Somerville and head of market operations for seafood distributor Red’s Best, is one of the characters – and confirms it’s, in part, the stories that keep his customers coming back. “They want to meet the farmer,” or in his case, the fisher, he said.
Cambridge Day •

Dirty Water Fitness Makes Resolutions Happen

“Dirty Water” doesn’t sound like the most alluring name for a new business, much less a good come-on for people looking to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions.

But to Josh Fox and his fellow entrepreneurs, the appeal was clear. “We considered many options for a name – some more scientific sounding, some around inclusivity and fitness and so on – before deciding we wanted something that represented not only Cambridge, but Greater Boston,” Fox said.
Cambridge Day •

Kitchen Witching

Jill Forney doesn’t consider herself a wizard in the kitchen. In fact, she said her West Cambridge home counter looks more like a science lab with a permanent experiment going on: Various colored liquids over here, small pieces of herbs and other greenery shredded, torn and picked at over there.

Yet in talking about Urban Pharm, the “shrub” company she started this year with Cambridgeport pal Anne Bunn, and their product development process in particular, she called it “kitchen witching.”
Cambridge Day •

A Cannabis Lifestyle Brand for the ‘Left Out’

It may seem like a sign of changing times when the Yamba Boutique cannabis shop opens in what is often referred to as Harvard Square’s “Carriage House.” It is to the store’s owner, Leah Samura.

“The fact that it was a police station before it was a carriage house, you know for me just brings it full circle,” said Samura, delighted that the historic home of local law enforcement charged with prohibiting marijuana possession would turn into a site for cannabis education and sales.
West Side Rag •

An Enticing Introduction to Secondhand and Sustainable Shopping

Tanya Young Williams, sole proprietor of the recently opened Central Park Resale at 22 West 66th Street, has been doing well by doing good all her life. It’s in her blood.
“That’s how I grew up, you know, understanding the importance of following your passion, being creative, helping other people and being proud of who we are.”
It’s no wonder she named her two daughters Whizdom and Tryumph.
West Side Rag •

The Eye Man Cometh Back

For more than 40 years, near-sighted and far-sighted Upper West Siders — and those with astigmatisms — have found their way to The Eye Man on Broadway at 81st Street, hoping to clear up their vision and, sometimes, their minds, too.

Co-owner and licensed ophthalmic dispenser Lloyd Chautin, 71, has been there to help, manning the store almost daily since it opened, putting in the hours — up to 55 a week sometimes — and patiently working with customers to build loyalty...
West Side Rag •

Kathe Hair Is Still Standing

By Susanne Beck
Kathe Davridge is no shrinking violet.
She was one of the first female bike messengers in New York City in the 1970’s. She braved the skeptics and the haters to become one of the first lesbians to get married in the city on July 24, 2011.
“I am a fighter,” she declares.
Multiple times the 66-year-old hair stylist and colorist has been knocked down in her efforts to keep her single-practitioner salon — Kathe Hair, at 171 West 80th Street — alive. She’s had to bear not only the pan...
Cambridge Chronicle •

Broadway Market's Bakery Manager Steals the Hearts of Students

It’s as predictable as the sunrise, sunset and taxes. On any given weekday morning during the school year, a swarm of teenagers streams out of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, shuffles across Broadway, and erupts through the doors of Broadway Marketplace. The noise level skyrockets as they beeline for the bakery department in the back.

For Laura Garcia, the market’s bakery manager, it’s the best time of day. Her “kids” have arrived.
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