Brooklyn Rock, New Coney Island T-Shirt Shop, Shown Some Love For Its Creativity

Since Superstorm Sandy struck Coney Island, the recovery of the area has been a mixed bag. One the one hand, the boardwalk has never been more popular, inviting a glut of tourists and new businesses to the area. On the flip side, many of these businesses are corporate in nature, sapping authenticity from the historic site in hopes to capitalize on all the increased foot traffic. The Epoch Times is reporting that the folks running the custom t-shirt shop Brooklyn Rock hope to win the hearts of Brooklyn locals and not their disdain.

Brooklyn Rock, which is located along a renovated strip of businesses on Stillwell Avenue, sells used books, records and other homespun items, and features its bright and colorful t-shirts as the main draw. Chris Smith, a designer at the store, told the Epoch Times that all the shirts are made with cotton grown in the United States.

“I’m using American stuff because I know I’m hurting the least amount of people and I’m benefiting the most amount of people in my environment. And they’re good product. They last a long time,” Smith told the Epoch Times.

The shirts, which feature clever messages like, “Brooklyn: Entertaining Manhattan since 1646,” are a bit pricey at $24, which Smith admitted has surprised customers.

“People are so used to buying at discount stores that they’re a little shocked at the price sometimes,” Smith said.

Still, the shirts and the store are a cool place. I recently walked in there and observed the artists in the back crafting the shirts, creating a relaxed and artistic atmosphere. It was a welcome respite from the blaring music and screaming kids found running around the area. My friends and I also had fun browsing the diverse and eclectic selection of cheap books and records. It is worth ducking into and exploring when you have had your fill of roller coasters and hot-dogs.