One of my favorite aspects of Albany is the sheer number of small businesses that occupy the city. They range from boutiques to bodegas and usually end up embodying the personality of their owners. The walls of Tashi Palden's shop, LittleMoon, are bright yellow and covered with art he's produced (the two images above are his creations) and imported from his homeland of Tibet. His shop also has a modest, but strong, book collection and a meditation center in the back. In close proximity to bars, a gas station and a laundromat, you don't stumble upon the shop so much as you are drawn into it by its bright and welcoming presence.
Tashi has views about knowledge, understanding, and the difference between the two, that would invoke finger snaps if recited at a poetry slam. The influence of Tibet and Buddhism are evident in his product and he's mindful about how his views are expressed in his art. In addition to producing art Tashi teaches language and meditation, providing the community with a positive cultural resource that does not go unnoticed in Albany--he's been holding down the corner of Madison & Lark for the past ten years. The fact that a business like this survived two terms of Bush plus the Great Recession is a testament to Tashi's work and work ethic. If you're ever in Albany check out LittleMoon at 467 Madison Ave.
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