Mriya, the Ukrainian art gallery and weed shop rolled into one, has opened on Reade Street in the former Gotham Bikes/Bell Bates space.

When we popped in last week, one of the owners, Artem Yalanskiy, said he started the concept with his classmates from Ukraine; the business model, he said, is to sell art as well as pot. They are applying soon (the deadline is Dec. 15) for a cannabis license from the state. (That will have to go through CB1.)

The gallery will show Ukrainian artists only and the cannabis will be “high-end.” The weed is currently in glass jars on the ground floor and packaged on the website, but not yet for sale. “We are a destination where sophistication meets serenity in the heart of Tribeca,” their website reads. “Our mission is to curate an unparalleled cannabis experience, embodying the values of quality, exceptional customer service, community engagement, knowledge, expertise, and giving back to society.”

They will also offer merchandise that is being manufactured now in Ukraine, even during war. “Our people risk their lives working in factories to produce quality clothing items that we import to the United States. Every piece of clothing has a story or a meaning behind it,” the website says.

They go on to say they want to promote a positive perception of cannabis and support its responsible use. I still don’t get how they are paying the rent; that said, it’s the first of the pot stores — legal or otherwise — that it not covered with plastic grass on the walls, neon blunts stuck onto the facade or a ridiculous name like Jungle on Mars.

The space has been empty for seven years — Gotham closed in 2016.

Mriya
101 Reade | Church & West Broadway
manager@mriya.nyc
Mon – Fri: 10 am – 9 pm
Sat – Sun: 11 am – 8 pm