and that's why Jim's Shoe Repair exists. Everyone needs to know about Jim's Shoe Repair. It's the kind of place you want to shout it to the world. It's the best.

Ed Sullivan, James Brown (the Rock ën Roll King), Andy Rooney, Mitch Miller, William O'Shaughnessy and "me" and so many others...What do we all have in common? We're all big fans of Jim Rocco and Jim's Shoe Repair.

Jim Rocco, the proprietor of Jim's Shoe Repair--We love him. He's the greatest. And oh--what he and his shop can do for our shoes. It's magic. Jim and his shop have been lauded by the best, the experts, the severest critics. Jim and his shop have been praised by Ed Sullivan "Daily News 1949," "The Best and the Worst" William O'Shaugnessy, two (mind you) articles by loveable Andy Rooney. Jim and his shop are mentioned in Find It Buy It, Eat It in New York. "New York Magazine." "Time Out." Not to mention the adorable praises given to Jim by his grand-daughter in a grade-school composition "Who do I admire most." Walk in to Jim's Shoe Repair and taped and pinned on the wall are these praises by the famous. Next to the articles are no-nonsense sayings, testimony to Jim's strong immigrant work ethic and his subtle, twinkling eye, inner smile sense of humor.

"Tired of Being
Harassed
by
Your Stupid Parents?"

ACT NOW
Move Out, Get a Job
Pay your own bills

While you Still Know Everything

(Allen Ginsberg, the famous Beat poet, also had this taped on his refrigerator.)

And this--

Poor Planning
On Your Part
does not constitute
an Emergency
on Mine
Have a Nice
Day

Jim's dying breed craftsmanship also includes insight into people, hiring and surrounding himself with people of good character. One of the men in his shop helped to save a wounded man. On the shop's wall is a Certificate of Appreciation by The City of New York Council. Jose Reis, who works in Jim's shop, kept an armed assailant inside a bank's ATM lobby until a transit officer arrived, making sure the assailant was apprehended, helping make New York City after. And Jim's son Guilio, who also works in the shop, was a World War II decorated hero. Excellence. Conscientiousness. Caring. Walk into Jim's shop. Feel the good energy. Feel Jim's big heart, kind spirit. It's an "old-fashioned" kind of establishment. Family. And Jim's customers are part of his "extended" family. Jim has made sure that the unbelievably high quality of craftsmanship is affordable to everyone. It's your "only in New York" kind of place, where people from all walks of life, all rungs of society, mingle, waiting in line, picking up their shoes, dropping off their shoes, shoes of "every" price-range, from Gucci's to Chinatown specials. And you can see on the faces of all of the customers when they pick up their shoes, the happiness, the smiles, eyeing their repaired shoes "just like new...you can't even tell." You know--corporations wouldn't need "human resource departments," "customer service"...if only they could take some tips from Jim and Jim's Shoe Repair.

"If you need your shoes repaired. When you need your shoes repaired." Go there. It's the best. And New Yorkers should know. (And I have yet to meet a native New Yorker who doesn't know and even New Yorkers who aren't natives but consider themselves New Yorkers and want to be adopted as natives know because let's face it we "New Yorkers" do know everything). New Yorkers know. New York City is hard on shoes. The walking we do in New York City. The daily grind. The commuting. The streets. The stairs. The walk-ups. The sidewalks. The subways. The train stations. Rushing. Running. Hailing down a taxi. The push and pull. Grand Central. Port Authority (Amtrack train station or N.J. Transit). The weather. The cold. The rain. The snow. The heat. The humidity. The pollution from the traffic. The dirty air. Hard on shoes. The shoes we love so dearly and have paid such a high price for. We don't need to mention the brand names that adorn our precious feet or the fashionable shoe shops where we drop a pretty penny. We love our sexy shoes. Our Italian shoes. Our hip boots. Leather. Suede. Didn't Imelda Marcos love to shop here for her shoes. I believe she owned some property on Fifth Avenue. We New Yorkers know style and our shoes have traveled round the world. Europe. Singapore. Indonesia. India. The Himilayas. We have our favorite shoes. The ones we love so much. The one's we wear so much. And when it comes time to maintain them, repair them, it's hard to part with them. Whom can we trust? We can get them back to looking as great as when we first eyed them and knew deep down inside--I don't care how much they cost--I have to have them. We remember the compliments. Wow. Those shoes are great. Where did you get them? And now. With the rising costs of fashion. I all know. "They just don't make them like they used to. To last." "I'll never be able to find this style again." "They don't make these shoes anymore." That's when you need to know that Jim's Shoe Repair exists. True Craftsmanship. Excellent Care. Jim's Shoe Repair. A dying breed. Jim knows. His father who started the shop knows. Jim's son Joe knows. The best. They care and they know exactly how to treat and care for your shoes. I had just moved to New York City.

And I am so thankful and grateful--a close friend (who by the way also knows everything and everyone--the rich, the famous, the politicians, the writers, the intelligentsia you know--all the fascinating people that make New York City the center of the world) told me about Jim's Shoe Repair. it's on 59th St. on one of Manhattan's most elegant streets between Park and Madison Ave. I've been going there ever since and that's been since the 1985. Jim's Shoe Repair is an institution. I get anxious just thinking that it might not be around forever. Of course, it's vanity. Where will I be able to take my beloved shoes when they need attention? Even in grade schools, my teachers commented I was the "best dressed" in class I admit. I was spoiled by my father. Designer clothes. Shoes. The best money could buy. In eighth grade, I was in a fashion show. Elsa of European culture. OK it was in Sacramento. But look where I am now--New York City. Fashion Center of the World. And where do people who are in the "know" go when they need their shoes repaired or polished? Jim's Shoe Repair. People come from all over. Often there's a line. But it's worth the wait. I met an elderly wealthy matron from Westchester who was raving once waiting in line about Jim's Shoe Repair and how long she had been coming here to have her shoes repaired. Jim's Shoe Repair even has mail-order. People from all around the world send their shoes there for repairs. It's a no non-sense family-run shop. And even the employees who aren't blood-related are like family. Many have been working there for years. (As long as I've been going there I see the same friendly faces.) It's also the best place to get your shoes shined. Jim Rocco, the owner, is in his early 70's now and does admit that craftsmen like him are a dying breed. His father, Jim was named after his father, was an immigrant from Italy and started the business in 1932. They have been on the same block 59th St. since 1932. It's on one of Manhattan's most elegant streets.

Jim's father first started by shining shoes. He had shoe concession stands in a couple of building in Manhattan. Then he opened his shop on 59th St. As a boy, Jim learned the craft from his father, working after school and on week-ends. Jim passed the business on to his son, Joe, who also learned the craft the same way, as a little boy, helping his dad after school and on week-ends. Jim still comes into the shop on Thursdays and Fridays. The excellent standards of craftsmanship, the care. I hope Jim's Shoe Repair Shop lasts forever. As for the future. Jim's son Joe says he'll see. His boys might want to become engineers when they grow up. Jim wants to pass the shop onto his son Joe and with that passing of the guard, there follows the pride of old-world craftsman's work excellently done with love and care. It's the feel of a neighborhood shop but the neighborhood just happens to be the entire world. Jim's Shoe Repair. The best in the entire world. The last time I was in the shop, Jim was holding in his craftsman hands a pair of delicate antique baby shoes he had just dyed. The "new" mother, who was picking up the baby shoes for her one month old baby, busy now with being a mother, beamed with happiness "I may look like a slob now but for my baby, I want only the best." Jim's Shoe Repair. The best.