![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
NEW YORK — Standing directly inside the Highline entrance of Chelsea Market, Posman Books opens its doors to customers. With vibrant walls and matching LED lights, the store offers books and fun knick knacks to explore.
Walking into the store, customers are first greeted by an array of books. The range is immense, from American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis to A Sloth’s Guide to Mindfulness by Ton Mak, all laid out across several tables. The books are all reasonably priced for their new condition and laid out in a manner that facilitates easy customer perusal.
Further in, customers can browse through the selection of stuffed animals, candles, mugs and more. With columns of magnets boasting lines such as “Not A Morning Purrson” and a bucket of pins to sift through, the trinket selection is also diverse. Macy, a customer, was browsing through the take-apart erasers and commented on the ambience of the store.
“I don’t read enough to be honest, but [Posman] has a lot of really cute knick knacks — all the stuffed animals lining the walls,” Macy said. “We were just fixating over the take apart erasers. We flew in for a show tonight, but it was canceled. We’re just trying to make ourselves feel better by walking around Chelsea Market, and this store is very cute.”
The welcoming employees, who are always willing to help a customer find a book or otherwise what they may be looking for, form a key part of the Posman experience. Alex, a customer-turned-employee at Posman books, loved the experience so much they submitted a resume.
“The customers can feel that the staff love each other and love our job, which in turn helps the customers feel welcome,” Alex said. “We all hang out on the weekends, we all go to each other’s houses for sleepovers, we watch Cars and SpongeBob together. We’re truly family, and that helps bring the store up.”
The fun atmosphere of the store makes it worth revisiting. Customer Dayanara and her boyfriend’s first date was at the bookshop, and the couple returned twice to reminisce over the nostalgic memories.
“This was the first place me and my boyfriend ever came to,” Dayanara said. “Every time we come to [Chelsea Market], this is the place I always look forward to visiting. I’m always like, ‘Oh, it’s like the first time we came here.’”
At the end of the day, a combination of the location, the customer base, and the workers allows Posman Books to find success as a business. In addition, with a selection of unique party games, a variety of washi tape and cards with catchy slogans, the supplies at Posman Books fits any niche.
“Everyone’s able to find something that they love, whether they’re one year old or 90 years old,” Alex said. “There’s something for everyone. What makes this place special is the overall vibes, the happiness that I felt back when I was a customer coming in here.”
