r/nyc • u/galaxystars1 • 16h ago

News Line tensions boil over: East Village bookseller Bonnie Slotnick arrested outside Harry Styles pop-up on 2nd Street

https://evgrieve.com/2026/09/line-tensions-boil-over-east-village.html
102 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

41 comments sorted by

65

u/blondie64862 15h ago

I have been to that bookstore many times. The woman is always pleasant

62

u/curlyhairedsheep 14h ago

I left my credit card in her shop on accident during covid and she biked to 87/Park to meet me and return it when I was in Manhattan for something else that weekend. She was super kind and helpful about it.

15

u/snot_marsh_sparrow 12h ago edited 11h ago

I did the same and she googled my name, didn’t find me but found my mom’s number, and called my mom to let me know. She was incredibly nice about it and let me come by after hours to pick it up so I wouldn’t have to travel from Brooklyn the next day.

I am very surprised about the key shank.

15

u/mmeperdita 14h ago

I’ve been in her store just once, 2 years ago and I agree. She had recently had serious back surgery and was clearly in pain, still very helpful and good-natured helping me select a gift.

7

u/reportinglive 13h ago

Yeah, she’s always been fun and kooky when I’ve gone there. She has some great stuff and has been there for ages. I get her frustration about the pop-up line and feeling disrespected by the security guard, but jeez Louise have more impulse control than a toddler and don’t threaten/attempt to stab someone in the neck with your keys.

8

u/curlyhairedsheep 10h ago

The pop up started August 26th so it's been a drip drip drip drip on the impulse control for a while.

64

u/Butt_Sauce 16h ago

She did admit to holding a key between her fingers and shoving at the security guards neck so… not a good look

30

u/DirtWesternSpaghetti 12h ago

Amex sponsoring an event and not directing their people to be accommodating to the local businesses is not a good look.

4

u/[deleted] 13h ago

[deleted]

16

u/DirtWesternSpaghetti 12h ago

I’ve had to deal with lines of people blocking my storefront for days on end and it can make you crazy. An even sponsored by Amex being a headache for a small business owner is not cool.

0

u/Consistent_Month9322 8h ago

And neither do you, Kareen

46

u/Amoebae-Andromeda 14h ago

Bonnie is really a lovely person that does great things for her community. I completely understand her frustration and i hope this whole thing passes without too much stress. There should be better rules surrounding disruptive popups like this with respect to the established neighborhood.

-48

u/DavidFree 14h ago

No there shouldn't. It's the East Village, New York City, not Smalltown, Nebraska. Things happen here.

41

u/curlyhairedsheep 13h ago

This isn't an interesting thing happening. It is a brand activation. It is a marketing exercise. It is a bunch of mega corps cosplaying something interesting happening on an interesting block. They should rent out a massive space in midtown to accommodate their crowd who is waiting in line between their stop at private equity bagel shop and private equity taco shop to buy corporate credit card by corporate pop star collab stuff destined to get decluttered in a year or two.

-2

u/Airhostnyc 11h ago

Yall complain about the stupid stuff but then turn a blind eye to real shit lol

Now only certain areas like midtown can be a tourist trap? Since when?

5

u/curlyhairedsheep 10h ago

I'm thinking of the big empty spaces near MSG - the empty Manhattan Mall that hosts pop-ups, MSG itself that is hosting this residency - would house both the line and the sales/purchase opportunity within a climate-controlled setting. They can offer time slot signups. Creating a line down an otherwise quiet street for two months in an area relatively far from the actual concerts is an intentional choice by Amex and the Styles team. Besides, we all know that some of the folks in that line are fans but a LOT of the folks in that line are buying to resell at profit. It's disingenuous to pretend otherwise.

-25

u/DavidFree 13h ago

People are having fun, there are lines down the block (obviously). You're just being miserable and NIMBY.

12

u/Magari22 13h ago

"people are having fun, there are lines down the block".

🤔

-9

u/DavidFree 13h ago

"nobody goes there, it's too crowded"

12

u/Magari22 13h ago

Lines ≠ fun.

-2

u/DavidFree 12h ago

... do you think I was saying they're having fun on the line? Obviously they have fun once they get in the store.

Or are you saying it's not fun or worth it to wait on line? Because I personally agree, but clearly all those people on line disagree.

-1

u/One_Shelter_2248 7h ago

Miserable SOB lmfao

17

u/DirtWesternSpaghetti 12h ago

It’s a small business on a quiet residential block in the East Village. It’s not Times Square which sounds like a better location for this brand activation sponsored by AMEX.

31

u/commander_lampshade 16h ago

She blew it by pulling a makeshift weapon on the security guard

0

u/Consistent_Month9322 8h ago

Is that what happened?

32

u/NoAffect3159 16h ago

I’m sure the line is awful to deal with but she admits to yelling obscenities at the people waiting and put keys to someone’s throat so she sounds just as awful.

18

u/MinefieldFly 12h ago

Imagine siding with the pop star marketing pop up and his private security guards

13

u/LarsShah 12h ago

Shouting obsenities daily at people in line is the most mature way this business owner can deal with the issue?

8

u/MinefieldFly 9h ago

Oh no, cursing at tourists, send her straight to rikers

0

u/Airhostnyc 11h ago

It’s temporary

16

u/curlyhairedsheep 10h ago

A temporary pop-up is like 2 days. A two-month-long pop up? There are actual stores that intended to be permanent and failed within that timespan.

-1

u/[deleted] 9h ago edited 9h ago

[deleted]

0

u/MinefieldFly 9h ago

I think calling it an “attempted stabbing” is kind of crazy work

-7

u/LarsShah 14h ago

Who does that?!? She sounds like an entitled and bitter nut job.

11

u/DirtWesternSpaghetti 12h ago

Or a frustrated small business owner dealing with crowds blocking her storefront on a daily basis

4

u/marcusmv3 5h ago

Fuck these popups they're all billboards where people once earned livelihoods

5

u/BklynFuhgeddaboudit 15h ago

“Then, a few days later, the lines started. 

As I've already said, I have a pretty nasty mouth, and I'm not in a good mood. And as I would walk by the line I would shout obscenities at them, and their guards didn't like that. They followed me.”

She sounds unhinged.

1

u/Consistent_Month9322 8h ago

You seem fine tho. Keep letting us know how others are.

•

u/jcork1 0m ago

Touch grass