Upper East Side Thrift Shop Expands With New Location On First Avenue

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A family-run thrift shop business with roots on the Upper East Side has expanded again, opening its fourth location at 1199 First Ave., between East 64th and East 65th streets.

Owner George Khodzhayev, who said he has operated businesses on the Upper East Side for about 16 years, told Patch the newest shop opened Friday and has already gotten off to a strong start.

“Actually, it’s doing very well from the first day,” Khodzhayev said.

The new location primarily sells secondhand clothing for both men and women, with affordable prices that Khodzhayev believes have helped draw customers.

But Khodzhayev’s path to the thrift business began with a different Upper East Side staple: a barbershop.

He operated a barbershop in the neighborhood before getting into thrifting nearly four years ago. The idea for the new venture came after the COVID-19 quarantine ended, when Khodzhayev, his wife, Anastasia Akodis, and their children began traveling and visiting thrift stores.

His wife particularly enjoyed the shops, Khodzhayev said, and the couple began thinking about opening one of their own.

Around the same time, the lease on Khodzhayev’s barbershop was ending. He moved the barbershop to a larger space nearby, while his landlord offered him a deal to remain in his old storefront.

“We took the deal, and that’s the way the first thrift shop was born,” Khodzhayev told Patch.

The idea quickly grew. About a year after opening the first shop, the family opened a second location on Second Avenue, in a space Khodzhayev said was roughly twice as large. They later expanded downtown with a store on Houston Street.

The new First Avenue shop marks their fourth location.

Khodzhayev said the stores have received a warm response from the neighborhood, both from people looking to shop and those looking to clear out their closets.

“We’re getting a lot of donations, and people like shopping in our stores,” he said.

The business also has a charitable mission with a personal connection for the family.

Khodzhayev said that after covering expenses such as rent, employee wages and utilities, the business sends its remaining proceeds directly to an orphanage and families in need in Ukraine, where his wife is from.

"That’s what makes us keep going," Khodzhayev said.

Know of a business opening or closing on the Upper East Side? Email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.