BY BRIA SCHIRRIPA

Tucked neatly on the East side of Seventh Avenue is Greenwich Letterpress - a convivial, sister-owned letterpress studio and gift shop.

BSB spoke to Beth Salvini, co-owner of Greenwich Letterpress about the West Village staple. 

Greenwich Letterpress has only been at 15 Christopher Street since 2006 but the Salvini sisters have stationery in their DNA...three generations worth. Beginning with their grandfather, Al, who started a letterpress printing company in New Jersey in the early 1960’s, and later their father, Emil, who took over the family business, Beth and Amy have spent a lifetime immersed in the language and process of printing.

The sisters always loved exploring the interesting shops of the West Village on their frequent forays into the city in the ‘90s — and not only because they were within walking distance of the PATH train station. “We would visit the record stores and sneaker stores on 8th Street and would often joke that maybe one day we’d open a store of our own.”  So it was no surprise when, in 2005, they gave up careers in fine arts and graphic design and joined forces to honor their family’s history of letterpress printing.

Perched one flight up, the pink walls of Greenwich Letterpress are lined with greetings cards for every occasion. Step further inside and you’ll find a treasure trove of vintage 80’s postcards, maps of Manhattan and quirky gifts. The store’s contents, artisanal by nature, are a reflection of shared interests and past obsessions between the sisters - think vibrant mushroom lamps, Gilmore Girls keychains, Dawson’s Creek paraphernalia and reusable bags with quotes from “You’ve Got Mail”.

Each item on the shelves is thoughtfully selected and meant to invoke feelings of nostalgia. However, if Beth and Amy aren't hardcore fans, don't expect to find it in store. “Customers have come in and asked ‘Do you have any Buffy the Vampire stuff?’ to which we’ll reply ‘no, we didn't watch that’” Salvini says. “It feels really phony to profit off of something that we have no knowledge or love of. We try to be as authentic as possible.”  Their philosophy is why Greenwich Letterpress has remained a one-of-a-kind fixture in the Village for over fifteen years. 

An opposite means of communicating in an era that favors Zoom, Salvini has noticed an uptick in card consumption specifically, cards of the “I miss you”, “I’m hugging you right now” nature. “That’s obviously the sentiment of how everybody feels right now” Beth says. “I just hope the card writing continues after COVID-19 as well.”

Since the pandemic hit, Beth and Amy have been quick to adapt to new ways of operating a small business. Eager to reach customers new and old, Greenwich Letterpress became an online shop, leaning into the e-commerce model for the first time in the shop’s history. “This was never our goal. We weren’t trying to be retail giants on Instagram or paper influencers, but everyone has to be because that’s how the world is living.”

Another trend in cards, are the “congrats on your new home” or “you’re moving” messages. “Sadly because we’re in New York, we’re seeing a lot of farewells”. Beth adds, speaking of the present reality.

While many have fled the city, Beth remains hopeful for the future even if it’s somewhat uncertain.

“Many of the big chain stores in the city have gone away for one reason or another” she notes. “Maybe there will be a big door open for small business again, which would be incredible. I hope the pandemic resets New York”.

Stop by the shop located at 15 Christopher Street, NYC or shop online.