D B.
Yelp
I adore stationery, & could happily peruse the selections at any card shop I come across for hours, however, I have had one too many vaguely unpleasant experiences at Greenwich Letterpress, where I felt I was under a magnifying glass, & so even though I really like some of their inventory, this is my last purchase there.
I needed some greeting cards, & decided to stop in on my way home, as this is my neighborhood store. As soon as I walked in, even though I was greeted, I noted the cashier had an unfriendly look on her face. During the course of my shopping experience, another employee suddenly come from the back to arrange stock near me, (subtle behavior that made me immediately suspicious that I was being racially profiled, since it's a very small space).
The incident that caused me to write this review, occurred when the cashier (my receipt says her name is Lindsey), came from around the counter to show me the location of some cards I'd asked for. She then asked me if I wanted her to hold the items I was planning to purchase at the counter. In that instant, my heart sank because that vaguely unpleasant feeling of being hyper scrutinized I always have when I shop at Greenwich Letterpress turned into a full blown alert signal (yes, you are being racially profiled!). I was so aghast that I almost handed her back the cards I was holding, to tell her that I'd changed my mind, & wouldn't be buying anything today. But I didn't tell her that. That auto-polite behavior so many of us are ingrained with, kicked in & I politely declined. However, inside I was a mass of fury, shock, shame, & disappointment. Did she really think that I was planning on running out the door & stealing a bunch of greeting cards?? Because my assumption is that she thinks that all Black people are thieves (?!!) This is how it seemed from my perspective.
I ended up spending quite a bit of money on the cards I chose, but I will never return. I prefer the friendliness of the staff at The Ink Pad on 7th Ave or even Considerosity on W.4th St (an even tinier spot where I don't feel like I'm being watched all the time).