Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Photos: REI SoHo Opens Its Doors in the Puck Building
By
tien mao
Published Dec 2, 2011
Modified Dec 5, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 14
By
tien mao
Published Dec 2, 2011
Modified Dec 5, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A year and a half in the making, REI finally opened its SoHo store today in the Puck Building and we dropped by to check the space out. The 35,000 square foot, three-level store is the company's first in New York City. The new location has a ground-level service center for quick fixes for bikes and skis, areas that showcase the history of the Puck Building and items recovered/restored during the renovation, and a gear rental shop. There's also a community room for classes, and a meeting space for the store's non-profit partners. One major thing missing, however, is the climbing wall that is a fixture at many REI locations.
Since signing a lease at the historic location, REI and Callison, its architecture firm, have transformed the space, restoring and recovering items where possible. Restored items include the original ceiling on the ground floor, two steam engine flywheels — remnants of the printing presses housed in the building — and several lithographic stones found behind cellar walls during the demolition phase. REI also refurbished two chandeliers, used the original floor joists for stair treads and created merchandise displays out of other recovered items.
SoHo store manager Les Hatton told us that REI will cater to its 77,000 members in tri-state area and other New Yorkers by offering home delivery and the quick service for bikes and skis. Hatton also said that they're actively involved in the community with things like pulling weeds in parks around the city. The store and its 150 employees are already working with several organizations like Friends of the High Line, New York Restoration Project, the Prospect Park Alliance and the Bronx River Alliance, to name a few.
Tagged
puck building
REI
REI Soho
soho
tien mao
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026 at 11:10 a.m. ET
Is the NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is the NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .