With three locations in and around Seattle, Glassybaby opens its first East Coast store in the West Village, selling owner and founder Lee Rhodes’s brightly colored handmade glass votives. A team of 30 people in Seattle handblow small votives ($42) and slightly wider glasses ($55)—in more than 70 basic colors (though each is one of a kind)—and these are arranged in rainbow-color order at the store. “I think the Glassybaby is the perfect New York item,” Rhodes says. “Just lighting a candle at the end of a long day can be magical.” At the boutique, you can watch a video of the glassblowing process on a flat-screen TV or use the light boxes (which simulate darkness so you can see how Rhodes’s lit candle would look at night). What’s more, 10% of the annual profits will go to the Police Athletic League NYC, a nonprofit that offers afterschool care for city kids. Now that’s magical.
