Cleo Ahn's West Village Routine — The Remarkable Explorers Club

The layover

Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Cleo Ahn spent her early career days working in wardrobe for music, film, and TV before moving to New York to attend Parson’s School of Design and FIT for photography. After an informative time on the design teams at Naeem Khan and Zac Posen, she launched the Primary capsule collection in 2010, a wholesale and private-label business which evolved to include leather garments, handbags, hand draped washed silk dresses, caftans, and a jersey range of twist dresses & oversize tees. This year, Primary New York launched its fine jewelry collection and Cleo continues to photograph and creative direct the campaigns for both Primary and other brands.

We grabbed dinner with Cleo at the newly reopened Pastis and learned her tips for navigating the West Village, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

What makes the West Village special?

The jumbled 18th century street pattern, it’s bohemian roots, the culture.

Where should we have:

Breakfast // Cafe Cluny

Weekend Brunch // Jeffrey’s Grocery

Lunch // Lobster Roll at Mary’s Fish Camp

The 5pm Dinner with Kids // Rossopomodoro

Dinner // 4 Charles

*Photos (L-R): Mary’s Fish Camp // Cafe Cluny // 4 Charles*

What is your favorite place to go for a walk?

Hudson River Park.

Where should we shop?

Bleecker Street. The rents and retail environment closed down many of the big names; Burberry, RRL, Bonpoint, Brunello Cucinelli, and for a while it was a ghost town, awful. These stores just weren’t meant for Bleecker. What’s happening now is the coolest assortment of pop-ups - smaller brands with big ideas and focused collections. Every time I walk down there are new stores to check out. Look out for Lingua Franca, Naadam, Bonberi (a healthy, modern version of the bodega), and Edon Manor for shoes. Also - honorable mention, the best kids clothing store is Yoya, across the street from Bleecker Park.

*Photos (L-R): Lingua Franca // Bonberi*

Who has the best cocktails?

The strongest cocktail is definitely at Employees Only, but for an intimate vibe go to Bar Sardine or Orient Express.

Where should we go for a culture fix?

The west village has some legendary jazz and comedy clubs. We love Smalls on west 10th.

*Photos (L-R): Small’s // Orient Express*

What do we bring home?

A chocolate croissant from Aux Merveilleux de Fred.

Top travel tip?

Stay off the main streets, the richness of the Village is in those quaint winding streets. So get off Hudson, head up West 4th, and get lost among the beautiful brownstones - that’s how you’ll stumble into the best shops and restaurants.

What is an absolute must see?

How could I talk about the West Village without mentioning the history and culture of the LGBTQ community?! The month of celebrations and pride parade at the end of June leave sparkles on our streets for weeks.