The first time I visited Outcasts Resurrectible Goods on 46th Street and 10th Avenue I didn’t know what I was going to find. In retrospect, I think that was the point. Outcasts is a thrifter’s dream, equal parts clutter and curio. You come face to face with decades of Hell’s Kitchen history as soon as you walk through the door.
The shop opened over a decade ago to support the ministries of St. Clement’s Episcopal Church. Katherine Johnson, who has managed the store for a year, told me that most of the wares are donated by local residents. It also stocks a wide selection of plays. Not only does St. Clement’s serve the theater district community, but it is also one of the oldest running Off Broadway theaters in the city.
Though the store’s look has changed over the years, its ideals remain the same. “The mission was just to give back to the community. That was the whole premise for having this kind of business,” says Johnson. “Outcasts is kind of a place where everybody knows your name.”
