district: SoHo
159 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
In a nutshell
A 'clubhouse' store for the high-end cycling brand, offering a full range of cycling products alongside a cafe and an active cycling club.
In their words
"New York is not an immediately obvious place to enjoy the pleasures of cycling, with its traffic-choked streets. But the cycling scene is booming here and the city has a deep connection to the sport.
You’ll find Rapha New York at the intersection of Prince and West Broadway, in the bustling Soho area of Manhattan and you’ll always find something happening when you pay a visit. We host regular viewing parties during the race season and show the biggest races live on the big screens. We also run a full calendar of events, from workshops to talks, which all are welcome to attend.
We have a full café menu to keep you fuelled whether you’re riding or just dropping in on foot. The Clubhouse is the home of the New York chapter of the Rapha Cycling Club (RCC) and provides the setting off point for rides which head out of the city towards the rolling hills near Piermont. Rides out of the city start early when the rest of the city is waking up - a rare quiet time on the Manhattan roads."
Visit Field notes
Rapha, driven by its charismatic founder, Simon Mottram, was at the forefront of the urban high-end road cycling movement back in 2004. The brand is simultaneously nostalgic (with peans to the hard cobbled streets of Belgian classic races and triple-espressos) and forward-looking (with an emphasis upon technical innovations and quality). The heartland of the brand is the urban cyclist, buoyed by caffeine, adrenaline and grit and so this has translated well into a store/cafe that also acts as the focal point for chapters of its road racing club and social rides. Termed 'clubhoses', the stores are filled with cyclists, bikes and cameraderie. If you are a Rapha Cycling Club member you get to buy club-only kit, join their Strava group and go on rides, not to mention getting high-end bike hire in the cities with clubhouses. This store has matured nicely and shown that the concept has longevity. Joining its sister stores in London, Berlin, San Franciso, Hong Kong, Amsterdam and more, the approach clearly resonates with the urban, high-spending cyclist.
Other Reading
The store's page: https://content.rapha.cc/us/en/clubhouses/new-york
Video of the club's favourite local rides: https://content.rapha.cc/us/en/a/story/rapha-rides-new-york
LAST VISITED
19/22/2024
Added
2019
COMPARE WITH
A hip-homage streetwear brand from the former brand director at Supreme, Angelo Baque.
Bold, brutalist remake of a Soho flagship building showcases the brand's "Raw Architecture" aesthetic. Sparse, sustainable fittings in a generous space, evoke 'art gallery' and luxury at the same time
British architect Sophie Hick's minimalist take on Alaia's move from wholesale to D2C.
Louis Vuitton ramps up our understanding of "Landmark" with two buildings on 5th Ave (one, a gastro-theatrical brand experience, and the other a near-art homage to their luggage). "Bold" is one word!
Similar shops
A dedicated womenswear store in a walnut and pink corner plot, extending 'Kith village' (Lafayette, Bleecker, now Broadway), and adding flower shop and cafe.
Casually expensive clothing, with a cool-girl vibe (American Womenswear Designer of the Year 2022, the brand has a direct confidence that is mirrored in the robust, stark yet luxurious flagship store.
Streetwear store that pays homage to its sneaker heritage with a first floor display dedicated to footwear.
Upon opening this was one of the best men's department store ranges and experiences, but over time it's become more normal than 'wow'
Samsung goes one further than the Apple Store
Eyewear brand whose stores are like art popups. Consistently collaborative (on projects, co-brands, celebrities and artists), the brand produced prescription and sunglass styles that are not repeated.
