Hey there! My name is Erika, and I am the Wreath Manager and Managing Partner of Tree Riders NYC. If you haven’t heard of us, I am thrilled to make your e-quaintence and tell you a little about myself and what makes the Tree Riders so special.
If you would have asked me when I was in my early 20’s (diligently getting my acting degree at UCSB) if I wanted to make wreaths and sell Christmas Trees on the streets of NYC’s East Village… Well, I might have said yes because my spirit craves adventure, but I certainly wouldn’t have considered it likely. Lo and behold, here I am, walking (leaping) into my 8th year as an enthusiastic member of the Tree Riders NYC team.
This company, these people and the fragrance of fresh Fraser firs had me at ‘hello’, and while I am still an actress at heart, I am proud and overwhelmingly grateful to call the Tree Riders my family.
Who are the Tree Riders? In my opinion, we are many things. We are young(ish), energetic entrepreneurs. We are artists and performers. We are advocates for community and small-business. We care about the environment. We support the arts (this year, we are sponsoring multiple nonprofit performing arts organizations!). We work our butts off. We withstand the blustering wind tunnels of 2nd avenue. We eat Insomnia Cookies (@insomniacookies) and drink Mud Coffee (@mudcoffeenyc) like it’s a part of the job description. But most of all, we love each other and we have fun. Ice storms and 14-hour days aside, there is nowhere else I would rather be for the holiday season. After a hard day’s work at the tree stand, I can say with confidence I feel filled with pride and purpose.
A little over 10 years ago, the vision was born out of the minds of two young, adventurous spirits as they bicycled to Philadelphia… A little over 10 years later, we continue to splash holiday cheer all over the corner of 2nd Avenue and 11th Street, with the iconic St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery (@stmarksbowery) as our backdrop.
SO come and see us! Like clockwork, you’ll find us hustlin’, singin’ and deliverin’ trees (via bicycle!) all over the City. Yes, we’re a business, so yes, we are here to sell you trees. But more importantly, we take pride in creating an experience. We value our customers deeply and sincerely. We listen, we learn, we grow. Ultimately, we are more than a tree stand. We are a team of thinkers, doers and seekers in active pursuit of ways to make the world a better place, one farm-fresh tree at a time…