AreaWare’s Launch of ‘Design to Go’ Shop in Port Authority

We were invited to the opening of AreaWare’s ‘Design To Go‘ store in NYC Tuesday night so we braved the heatwave and traveled on over to the one place New Yorkers really don’t care to go. Located in Port Authority, ‘Design To Go‘ is a cross between a travel supply and souvenir shop. What started as a hot and humid evening of wine drinking, design seeking fun, ended in violent thunderstorms and a red hot mess of an opening. Overall, the designs featured were impressive, we definitely had an appreciation for some of the simpler designs (Finnish chalk, anyone?) but we were a bit disappointed at the lack of travel-focused design products. The store, it seemed was a mish-mash of current AreaWare designers and a spattering of travel/souvenir essentials.

Featuring product lines from American Design Club (loved the city scape bracelet!), The Future Perfect, Jack Spade, Retro Super Future, In God We Trust, KIOSK, Paper + Cup and many, many others.  The shop is open for a limited time and is an effort by AreaWare to showcase the talent of young designers while bringing awareness to alternative means of transportation.

Plenty of products were on display. We found the orange plastic flask (upper left hand corner) and the bicycle basket net, to be a true value to travelers. However some items just confused us. What globetrotter needs a broom and dust pan?

Despite the weather, attendees seemed to have a good time. Some fresh designs, head-thumping tunes from DJ Chad Phillips Toy Baron and wine glasses running over, bartenders at the event were literally screaming on top of tables, directing people to ‘get the f*ck out’ by the end. Classy.

Check out Design to Go now open in NYC at The Port Authority 42nd street and 8th Avenue.