Author: ap3929

On the nondescript street of 9^th between 3^rd avenue and 2^nd there exists a shop advertised as a wholesome sanctuary for the domestic animals living in the East Village. The outside of the shop is adorned with a mural of cats, dogs, and birds happily coexisting within a green background that primes passersby to think about the natural and unrefined.

Whiskers Holisitic Pet Care is, however, more than an eccentric pet store. Randi and Phil Klein, the owners of the shop, opened Whiskers in 1988 with the mission to educate pet owners about alternatives to mainstream pet care practices. Although primarily focused on canines and felines, the shop also provides resources and information about the care of other small animals, such as birds.

Holistic pet care stresses homeopathy and herbal solutions over processed and pharmaceutical options. Inside, the East Village shop’s inventory includes everything needed to care for the animal’s people consider their best friend: fresh and frozen raw food, collars made from soy, biodegradable beds, and collars made from soy. Rows of nutritional supplements and vitamins cover much of the wall. Words like “natural calmatives,” “slippery elm, and “cystitis mix” can be found all around the shop. The atmosphere mirrors that of the health food store for humans.

At checkout, cashiers will present new customers with a pamphlet attempting to educate them, including an article written by Klein on holistic pet food since that’s “where everything starts,” said Sarah Whit, an employee at Whiskers.

Neither Phil nor Randi are veterinarians, but their practices are often based off the consultation of people like Dr. Marty Goldstein, a well-known veterinary who has written “The Nature of Animal Healing,” a book dedicated to guiding pet owners natural ways to prevent and treat disease.

As for the customers who frequent this shop, many say cite the helpful staff and the results of the products for why they keep coming back. “It’s really an educational center that happens to sell things,” said Ruth Tabatchnick, who discovered the shop 5 months prior when she was looking to change the diet of her cat.

Although the shop is quirky, there’s more to that story. The business has been popular enough that over the years, that the shop annexed the much larger space next in 1998 and opened another store in Astoria in 2008.

“People are concerned about their own health and wellness and using natural products and remedies. People also love their pets, so the shop’s popularity makes a lot of sense,” said Whit.

To find Sunrise Mart in New York City’s East Village you must either be observant, or knowledgeable about Japanese grocery stores in the area. From the street level there’s a neon sign that reads “Sunrise Mart” along with 3  banners that advertise the Japanese Specialty Market in both English and Japanese. When you walk under the neon sign through a glass door, you end up in a tiny room with nothing more than an elevator, stacks of  Japanese newspapers, and a bulletin board where people have pinned homemade ads for jobs and events in countless languages. A timeworn elevator slowly takes you up to the second level, where an emporium of foreign delights awaits.
I meandered around the store and spoke to customers about what they buy, how often they frequent, and what their favorite products are.

Chiawen

Nationality: Taiwanese
How often she frequents the market: 2 times a week
Favorite Product: Mr. Green Tea’s green tea flavored ice cream (sadly for Chiawen, they were sold out that day)

I found her buying ingredients to make sushi bowls. What she gets at Sunrise that is hard to find  elsewhere: Uni, which is sea urchin. “It tastes like tongue,” she said, “human tongue.” Acquired taste? Or fishy comfort food? I’ll leave it to Chiawen to decide.

Laz

Nationality: Japanese
How often he frequents the market: once every two weeks
What he goes to Sunrise for: Beer, bento boxes, and small sweets

His basket was mostly empty as he gazed at row of microwaveable Udon bowls. In his basket he had Sapporo beers, although he told me that he goes for any Japanese-brand beer.

Tiffany

Nationality: Chinese
How often she frequents the market: once a week
Her favorite product: Japanese seasoning, soy sauce, and dashi, a Japanese soup base made from kelp and fish products

She was buying rice, vegetables, and different meats to cook throughout the week.

Tom Wasu and Khomkrit

Nationality: Thai
How often they frequent the market: once a month
What they were buying: Pocky (sticks of biscuit dipped in chocolate) and a crispy crab snack

They mostly go to Sunrise for the snacks. I caught them excitedly inspecting a container of tiny, dried-up crab and a box of special-edition Brazilian orange flavored Pocky. They had never tried either, but were looking for something adventurous to munch on.

Masa

Nationality: Japanese
How often he frequents the market: once a week
What he was buying: snacks for his 5-year-old son and ingredients for dinner

He does most of  his  shopping at Trader Joes but goes to Sunrise for  things  like  fermented soybean, fish eggs, mushrooms and  certain vegetables.

Sven and Mila

Nationality: Chinese
How often they frequent the market: 1-2 times a week
What they bought: Iced Tea and Lemon juice

They were having dinner next door and stopped-in for some post-meal beverages. Usually, they’re there to buy snacks  like  potato chips and sweets. Like Tom Wasu, Sven loves Pocky but can’t buy it.,“because I eat it too much,” he said.