Glassybaby - CLOSED

Upon entering 555 Hudson Street in New York City’s West Village, city-goers will find themselves drawn to the unique décor and vibrant colors shining through the windows. Whatever the reason, their experience will continue to surprise them. Glassybaby, a shop that sells original handcrafted candleholders and drinking glasses, produced in their Seattle headquarters. The store is lined with glasses, each holding it’s own individual color and translucency, created by channeling different color rods while heating and molding the glass. Even though it is obvious that no two glasses are the same, Glassybaby ensures originality by stamping the bottom of each product created. What makes Glassybaby so unique however, goes beyond the stamp and into the store’s motivation. As a small business owner, Lee Rhodes created a place where customers who invest in her products have their own reasons for purchasing all Glassybaby has to offer. The walls of this quaint shop are long accustomed witnesses of strong women making change. Jane Jacobs, a previous resident of 555 Hudson Street, fought to keep the spirit of her community alive by protesting the Lower Manhattan Expressway’s plans to cut directly through it in 1968. Since 2003, Lee Rhodes has used this location in a different sort of battle. Creating Glassybaby has not only helped her fight cancer by bringing peace back into her life, but by giving her customers the opportunity to join the cause. A percentage of Glassybaby profits are directly contributed to the basic needs of cancer patients, such as bus-fare and groceries.