Sokol Brothers Profiled

Sad as we were to see her go, Sylvie Morgan Flatow has taken her series over to Carroll Gardens Patch. The debut shop that gets profiled is Sokol Brothers, the long-time furniture retailer (and only one left) in the neighborhood.

"Drafty like an old barn or an unfinished basement, neighborhood folks have been weaving through the three long rooms that make up Sokol's for 60 years. Couches, tables, chairs, mirrors, desks, beds, rugs, armoires -- it's a pretty solid selection. There are no salespeople. No one is tending a register. There is one man and one man only who is greeting you when you walk through the door.  

Grandma was right. That Michael Sokol is a very nice man. He is by no means a flashy man, but neither is his store. Instead, he is one of the nicest storekeepers in the neighborhood. He dresses comfortably in blue jeans and sweaters, sneakers and old sweatshirts.

At a table that may or may not be for sale, we sat down one chilly night to chat."

Michael Sokol, and the Sokol Brothers before him, have provided my family with furniture for four generations now. I'm glad to see him out there, on Patch and also this week in the Red Hook Star-Revue.