A New Motorcycle Garage Is Like Soho House for Brooklyn Bikers

Opening a new business in NYC is never an easy task, but in 2020, the accomplishment seems almost Herculean. The hurdles to overcome this year are manifold—from an economic and tourism standpoint, in particular—but perhaps what no one could have predicted was how this would result in unexpectedly creative ventures.

Take Ronnie Pichson and Stefon Davis, for example. The married couple worked in fashion at ladies’ sportswear companies until the pandemic abruptly laid both of them off this spring. “We found ourselves—like many people—wondering, ‘What do we do?’” says Davis. His idea for their next move was a total pivot from what their decades-long careers had been: To open up a sophisticated, members-only motorcycle garage.

While the two men had never before considered such a venture until their layoffs, the strange world of NYC during COVID-19 made it an especially ripe time to open such a facility. A major impetus for taking the plunge was a worrying uptick in motorcycle theft in the city. Over 1,300 motorcycles and mopeds were stolen between September 2019 and 2020, a whopping 47% increase from that same period a year earlier. Couple that with the fact that motorcycle sales have been up 250% this year and it’s little wonder that riders were clamoring for more safe spaces to stash their choppers. Beyond theft, bikes often end up dinged or worse if they’re parked on the street. “Everyone has a story of their motorcycle being bumped, knocked over, or moved onto the sidewalk,” says Pichson. “One of our newest members, he’s had his bike stolen twice, so he’s literally had enough,” adds Davis.

The duo worked on the concept and buildout for over three months, and eventually their vision became the brick and mortar Gotham Depot Moto Storage. Located at 51 Box Street in Greenpoint in a former fishmonger’s warehouse, the over 3,000 square-foot space has room for 47 bikes as well as a stylish members’ sky lounge, giving it more of a Soho House-feel than, say, Manhattan Mini-Storage. Of course, considering Pichson and Davis’s backgrounds, this shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. “It’s very much like a speakeasy; there’s an exclusiveness here,” says Pichson. The idea is that members will not only use the elegant space to store their bike, but take advantage of the lounge as a place to relax, work, and connect with other members. Before GDM opened, bikers’ only options for storage in NYC were garages primarily designed as spaces to work on bikes; not somewhere you’d want to voluntarily hang out at.

And the men, perhaps contrary to commonly held assumptions about the typical motorcycle rider, know how to appeal to their customer, because they too are avid riders. Pichson was the first to become interested in the sport when he bought a scooter as a way to commute to work. He soon after started NYC Gotham Riders in 2012 as a way to build an inclusive community where anyone—regardless of gender, race, or type of bike—could connect with others who loved the speed and freedom of two wheels. The group now boasts over 2,000 members on Facebook, and organizes rides every few weeks around the city and to upstate New York.

Davis soon caught the bike bug as well, and now both enjoy not only the freedom of whizzing down the highway at top speeds, but the camaraderie of the diverse community. “It’s not people that are stupid, ignorant, or dumb jocks on bikes,” Davis says. “These are some of the most well-educated people that I’ve met: educators, doctors, lawyers, and architects.” And regardless of background, the riders share a common passion, which allows them to perhaps form bonds with people they might otherwise have never met. “You’re all experiencing the same roads. It’s the stockbroker that’s connecting with the student, or the physician that’s talking about the pothole on the Grand Central Parkway. It really is this wonderful, diverse community,” adds Pichson.

GDM was designed to appeal to this broad range of riders. Whether you’re young, old, male, or female, anyone with an affinity for Kawasakis to Duactis, is meant to feel at home here. A commitment to hospitality was incredibly important to the duo: Thoughtful touches include a large-screened computer station on the main floor in case members want to watch repair videos on YouTube, a kitchenette, and oversized skylights for natural light. It is hardly what you envision when you think of a motorcycle garage, but then again, perhaps most of us have an outdated assumption of the culture. “There is a misconception that we are thrill-seekers, speed-masters, troublemakers, and gangs,” says GDM member Jamie Chiang of motorcycle owners. “I love the diversity and inclusiveness of this community. It doesn't matter how small or big your engine is, or what kind of bike you ride; as long as you genuinely care about motorcycles, this is a safe haven for you.” 

It’s also designed to be safe in a more literal sense: there are 18 video cameras on property and members enter the front door using a combination of facial recognition and key card access. And once inside, a third camera picks up the license plate registration on each bike. “It ensures that you are who you say you are and with your motorcycle,” says Pichson. Each member also receives a personal locker to store gear in between visits. During the buildout process, Pichson and Davis actually went undercover to visit some of their competitors. Most garages offered only a rudimentary sheltered area, let alone private lockers and state-of-the-art security, and 24/7 access. It’s accurate to say there’s no other garage quite like it right now in NYC.

And far from being a welcoming hub just for bikers, GDM hopes to become an integral part of the Greenpoint community. Some mornings, it’s not uncommon to see Pichson with a leaf blower clearing off the sidewalk on the whole block. “They’re filling voids we did not even know we had,” says Josh Elstein, who works next door. “They have created safe environments for bikes as well as a social aspect, so it’s more than just a parking space. I’m ecstatic they opened.” The duo was also proactive with integrating into their new area. “We made it our business to canvas the neighborhood and get to know our neighbors; that was very important to us,” Davis says of the garage’s build out period. “Now, it's nice to come into work and people are starting to know our names and faces. Our neighbors come in with their babies or their dogs just to say, ‘Hello, good morning!’ So, it's been outstanding.”

And with so much of the world in flux, the two are even more grateful for their ability to hop on their bike and just ride. “It’s become much more sacred and appreciated,” says Pichson.

More information can be found at Gotham Depot Moto or by emailing info@gothamdepotmoto.com. A full membership is $250 a month, but bikes can be stored during the winter months for $125 a month.

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