NYAE
From Namericanpotter
Contents |
[edit] Information
Location: Underneath the Great Lawn of Central Park (79th Street to 85th Street)
Founded: 1780; moved to current location in 1874
History: The New York Artifact Exchange began as a small group of mages who would trade and sell tomes, magical items and other such things to the magically-inclined in New York. It was originally located in a storefront in lower Manhattan, but moved around the boroughs when the need arose. When construction began on Central Park in the 1860's, a Moros who was on the planning committee spoke with the group and they worked out a plan for a marketplace of sorts beneath the park itself. With judicious use of Space and Matter magic, a clear space was created underground that, while exactly to their specifications, caused no problems to the integrity of the park itself.
The marketplace, called simply that, opened to the magical public in 1874. It quickly became a place of great meaning to the wizards of the Big Apple. It sported a speakeasy during Prohibition (with the best alcohol that the Matter mages could make), offered shelter to those who were devastated by the Great Depression, and its buildings served as a general meeting place to the cabals of the city throughout the decades.
Of course, the trading of tomes still went on, albeit on a larger scale. No one really knows how many rare texts and artifacts have changed hands in the coffee shops, libraries and alleyways of the marketplace. In the 1940's, a young mage jokingly referred to the marketplace as the New York Artifact Exchange, and the name stuck.
Today, just as ever, the NYAE is a vibrant place filled with the Awakened of New York and beyond. Londoners may have Diagon Alley, but any New Yorker worth his wand will tell you that they'd prefer their little slice of Awakened heaven to a place stuck behind a bar any day.
[edit] Notable Shops
[edit] The Bookstore
The first building ever constructed in the NYAE, The Bookstore is truly the hub of the operation. The ownership has changed hands a number of times since its founding, but the service is always the same: excellent. Books ranging from the more mundane fiction to the fantastically magical can be purchased here, although some books require special licenses given out by the Department of Magical Activities. The current owner, an Acanthus by the name of Meredith Thompson, has been in charge since 1980.
[edit] Burke and Son
The Burke family has had a wand shop set up in the NYAE ever since its founding in 1874. Oliver Burke, the grandson of the founding magus as well as an Obrimos Master of Prime, is the current owner and primary wandmaker. He is one of the best wandmakers in the United States, although he still states that Olivander does a considerably better job than he. He uses similar woods for his wands as Olivander, although the cores have more of an American flare: Thunderbird feathers, sasquatch hair, that sort of thing. He also makes wands more entrenched in New York's past; one in particular is made with steel left over from the construction of Yankees Stadium, using a solidified piece of the clay on the field as the core.
[edit] The Coffee Cauldron
Despite the somewhat cheesy name, the Cauldron is one of the hotspots for the younger wizards in Manhattan. It was founded in the 1960's by a Costa Rican Thyrsus named Rita Alvarez, who still runs the business today. All of the coffee served is grown, roasted and ground on site (thanks to the judicious use of Life and Space magic), with flavors rarely found in more mundane cafes. It is quite common to see patrons of the NYAE drop by the Cauldron for a quick caffeine boost, and it hosts a number of late-night study groups, thanks to being open 24/7.
[edit] Gringotts
As the highest standard for magical financing in the world, it is only fitting that the NYAE would sport a branch of Gringotts. Located along the left wall of the NYAE, it is staffed by goblins, much like it's parent branch in London. The security is top-notch, and the service is excellent as always. The branch also sports a small office which deals in more mundane currency.
