Have a magical experience at Enchanted Florist

Enchanted Florist has been a Fifth Avenue fixture for nearly two decades.

Nestor Andrianos bought the store in August, 1993 and opened it in November of that year. He said that he has been in the floral business since he was 18, but it happened accidentally.

“I got a job through a family friend who owned a florist. They needed extra help with some deliveries during the Rosh Hashanah holiday,” Andrianos recalled. “After the holiday, I stayed and that was it.”

Enchanted Florist handles all types of events, including weddings, communions, engagements, funerals and “all kinds of parties.” They also carry silk arrangements, fresh plants, balloons, fruit and gourmet baskets, and all types of decorations to make your event the best it can be.

Andrianos immigrated to the states from Greece when he was five and has lived in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights his whole life, attending P.S. 170, McKinley Junior High School and Fort Hamilton High School – until he moved to Staten Island recently.

“It’s great, I feel comfortable being here. I am very proud of it,” Andrianos said of the neighborhood. “I have seen a lot of changes, but it’s great.”

Andrianos has participated in the Fifth Avenue Storefront Art Walk since its inception and likes to stay on top of community events.

“I have seen a lot of stores come and go. This is my biggest achievement right now,” he said.

But what Andrianos loves most about his job is the relationship he has with his customers and the neighborhood.

“All my customers are not just customers, they are like friends,” he said, adding that he has been working with multiple generations of customers.

“You are just seeing life go by,” he said, noting that he did a client’s wedding years ago and is now doing their children’s proms and graduations. “I feel very connected to my customers.

“I really appreciate all the people who supported me,” he went on. “They will come in and hang out for 10-15 minutes to talk. It’s not just a business thing. We are very close. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Enchanted Florist is located at 7515 Fifth Avenue. You can reach them at 718-748-1773, 800-456-4316 or at www.EnchantmentFlorist.com.