Urban Oasis for the Beach Minded

Soho
Saturdays
31 Crosby Street
(near Grand Street)
New York, NY 10013

Saturdays, an aptly named Swiss Army Knife of locations, is a café/surfshop/garden-lounge at 31 Crosby Street. Set up railroad-apartment style, the progression of coolness is evident as the storefront flows back into a garden sanctuary.


Part-owner Josh Rosen, a former professional snowboarder, turned fashion wholesaler, turned restaurateur, acquired the space just over a month ago. While it’s certainly a work in progress the coffee’s brewing and Saturdays is open for business.


A surfer in his free time, Rosen has always had an interest in coffee and so opening a café seemed natural. “Essentially the neighborhood needs coffee,” said Rosen. The laidback vibe of Crosby Street is what drew him to this spot, “It’s the fact that there isn’t a lot of stuff,” he said. “We have high fashion, amazing galleries, a few nice restaurants, so it’s an amazing place.” It’s the lack of big brand name stores that lets Crosby Street stand out even as it is surrounded by retail-oriented Soho.


The theme of Saturdays is definitely surfing, which is obvious upon seeing beautiful customized surfboards displayed in the shop. Rosen plans to sell them, along with all the necessary accoutrements that belong in a surf shop.


One of the draws of this location is a bit of a hidden gem, go through the clean, modest coffee shop, through what will be a fully stocked surf shop, and you’ll end up in the garden. In what Rosen describes as a combination of urban and modern design themes, “There will be a ton of different green elements,” he said, “to create a really sharp looking garden. It’s going to be smart, the lines are nice, it will definitely feel welcoming.”


Rosen designed this space for surfers, but he wants it, “not to be so traditional and Southern California,” he said. But rather, “make it a little more thoughtful for the New York customer.” He wants to see New York embrace surfing in a way it hasn’t done so, his desire is for a presentation “that’s sleek,” he said, “a space where people can come and take a Taschen book off the wall, and chat about waves.”