Business of the Month: The Sock Man, 99 St. Mark’s Place

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For centuries, socks were a hand-knitted luxury available only to the wealthy. The invention of the knitting machine democratized access during the industrial revolution. And no sooner were their cozy comforts available to all, that socks went from hallmark of exclusivity to maligned Christmas gift, without passing go. But along the way, they passed through the East Village, and there, our March Business of the Month,The Sock Man (99 St. Mark’s Place, btw 1st Avenue and Avenue A) made them rock ‘n’ roll!

It was the 1970s when a young, short-on-cash Bronxite by the name of Marty Rosen asked himself, “what does everyone need?” and arrived at the correct answer: Socks. In short order, Rosen got himself a street vending license and became an itinerant hosiery seller. He peddled socks for seven years throughout Manhattan, before deciding that he wanted to settle his operation at a fixed location. And that location was never really in doubt. He had grown up coming down St. Mark’s Place, then known as “Haircutters’ Row,” to get shag haircuts from Paul McGregor himself. And now, he came down for the music scene. St. Mark’s Place was by this time one of the premier rock fashion destinations in town and a perfect spot for the specialty store Rosen envisioned. The Sock Man launched at 27 St. Mark’s Place in 1983, down the street from Trash & Vaudeville, and soon became a fixture on this iconic corridor.

Rosen was the first storekeeper along St. Mark’s Place to realize that the residual space between the sidewalk and his recessed building’s frontage was private and available for his use. So he began installing outside his shop a display that offered passersby a taste of the sock cornucopia that lay within. The store carried all manner of socks for men, women, and children: athletic socks, crew socks, novelty socks, dress socks, over-the-knee socks, leg warmers, slipper socks, and tights, in a range of colors and materials. Feet fortunate enough to wander in were bound to find a proper attire (or gift), be their destination a hiking trail, a nightclub, a birthday party, an executive session, or a bedroom meeting.

Many of the sock lines were made in the U.S.A., and that remains the case even today, despite the stark decline in the number of domestic hosiery manufacturers. Notable among those are The Sock Man’s own line, which includes items that are cheaper and nicer than their equivalent on Amazon, as well as the woman-owned Gumball Poodle novelty sock line (which you wouldn’t even find on Amazon, because the owner will pull the line from any retailer that sells it there).

The Sock Man remained at its original address for over 30 years. Its tenure came to an end when Rosen’s longtime landlord became ill. The landlord’s children decided to sell the building and, shortly after, the new owner announced his intention to double the rent for The Sock Man’s space. This forced Rosen to close shop—a move mourned throughout the East Village and beyond.

But he wasn’t ready to pack it in. Ten months later, Rosen found a space just a couple of blocks east. The new address does not get as much foot traffic as the old one; but it’s three times as big, offering that much more space for expanding the store’s selection. Noteworthy additions include a wider range of apparel, including local-artist-designed t-shirts that evoke the neighborhood’s rock ‘n’ roll roots.

After 40 years in business, The Sock Man remains a quintessential St. Mark’s Place institution, marrying a no-nonsense focus on the essentials with an idiosyncratic vision, a political conscience, and touch of that East Village attitude that says, if you don’t like it, you know what you can do.

For its forty-plus years keeping our tootsies snuggly and rockin’, we are thrilled to name The Sock Man the March 2026 Village Preservation Business of the Month.

What special small business would you like to see featured next? Just click here to nominate our next one. Thank you! #shoplocalnyc

Here is a map of all our Businesses of the in Month: