BROOKLYN'S OLD STYLE HIDDEN GEM NYC PET DIRECT

****

BROOKLYN'S BEST NYC PET STORE

Story By: G. H. HARDING

****

NYC Pet Direct Mascot

If you're a pet person or animal lover like me, you've no doubt noticed that many of the original mom-and-pop stores have suddenly and quietly become mimi-conglomerates. Chains like Pet Co are vast warehouses of product and puppies (sometimes!) run by people who don't seem to know a lot or even love pets.

Seems to me, if you wanted to work at a Pet Store, you'd love pets!

I recall years ago wanting to set up a fish tank and I had to visit several stores before I got a start-up knowledge of what I needed and what I had to do ... and, it was a lot to learn.

At 122 Graham Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-963-4030), lies a gem of a pet emporium, NYC Pet Direct, run by Claudia for 19 years. A community mainstay, Claudia possesses a working knowledge of everything from puppies to fish and lizards. You can have your pet groomed and there are Vet services by appointment.

In fact, when we spoke, she sold a puppy while being interviewed. Claudia says that a big part of her job is to listen to customers and their queries; whether it's what ailing their turtle, to what type of puppy would work the best for your household. Claudia delivers the slowly-fading personal touch. The fact that she’s lasted for 19 years, speaks volumes about her trust and dedication.



Our Times Square Gossip editor James Edstrom is a regular visitor with his son John Brand. Said Edstrom, " I go there with my son because I love to talk to Claudia. She's someone who you fall in love with right away. She knows just about everything about any kind of pet. We stay there for hours sometimes just playing with the puppies, the parrots and laughing with Claudia as we follow her around the store helping endless amounts of customers. It's like you are in a good friends living room."

A gem for sure!

 Photo By: James Edstrom