Sprint Sports

Dany Ghatan knew nothing about sneakers when he and his brother-in-law and business partner opened Sprint Sports, an athletic shoe and apparel store on Broadway between 93rd and 94th Streets, in 1986. He was an architect by training, whose first job upon arriving in New York City from Iran a year before was with an architecture and design firm. Still, the pair saw opportunity when they noticed that people all over the city were wearing sneakers, for any function. “I notice that the sneaker is a hot item in America,” Dany recalls. “In New York at least. All people, they wearing sneakers.”

The business partners toured the city looking for a good neighborhood and quickly settled on the Upper West Side. Dany fell in love with the area, still sounding smitten today. “I love the UWS,” he says. “Is a very unique mix of people, very cultural. It’s amazing this part of the city, and beautiful, all these parks. I don’t know – is beautiful. The buildings – is classic.”

Better yet, Dany found “good people, good customers, good employees, good neighborhood, good location, good landlord. Everything work very well – and everyone help me too.” His prospects seemed bright.