WHAT’S IN STORE

Uptown Auto owner Paul Cosma at his new shop. PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER

BY SARAH RAVITS THIRTY-THREE YEARS AGO, PAUL COSMA OPENED UPTOWN AUTO SPECIALIST (501

River Road, Jefferson, 504-866-8392; www.myuptownauto.com) in the Riverbend section of New Orleans behind Cooter Brown’s bar. Recently, he relocated to a larger space at the intersection of Industrial Avenue and River Road in Jefferson. He says the new place is easier for customers to navigate, has more parking spaces and allows Cosma and his staff to work on more cars. The shop owner says he fell in love with auto mechanics while riding motorcycles as a teenager and turned that passion into a career. His busy shop specializes in imported cars, especially German makes such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. He also works on a lot of Japanese cars. Uptown Auto Specialist’s services include routine maintenance, like oil changes and tire alignment, air conditioning repair and maintenance, automotive computer systems and major repair jobs such as reinstalling turbo chargers. The shop also offers body repairs and vehicle inspections, and addresses common problems shared by New Orleans drivers, such as shock repairs necessitated by driving over potholes and restoring flood-damaged automobiles. The new location has enough space to work on about 15 cars at a time, he says. To meet customer demands for the latest technology, Cosma and his staff stay abreast of the newest systems by attending education and training workshops with suppliers and specialists. “We work really hard at keeping up with current technology because it changes so fast,” he says. Cosma, who has been a vehicle mechanic his entire adult life, says he is dedicated to providing high-quality service and satisfying his customers. Often he is able to

tackle automotive problems within a day, but he recommends calling for an appointment. The hours are long, he says, often starting at 7 a.m. and extending a couple of hours beyond the shop’s

closing time of 5 p.m. “The main focus of our business is to provide good service,” says Cosma, who adds that the strategy has worked to secure him lots of repeat customers.

SHOPPING NEWS BY KANDACE POWER GRAVES

The Barre Code (787 Harrison Ave., 504-900-1770; www.thebarrecode. com) is on a mission to help women become their most fit selves with classes centered on cardio, strength training and restorative stretching. For a limited time, customers who sign up online will be funding a $5 per class donation to Children’s Hospital through LCMC Health. Use promo code “LCMC” when registering. Gallery Arlo (837 Chartres St., 504-330-0803; www.galleryarlo.com) opened recently in the French Quarter. The gallery is owned by Mary Bonney, who operated William & Joseph Gallery in New Orleans before moving the operation to Santa Fe, New Mexico after Hurricane Katrina. The new gallery is named for Bonney’s dog Arlo, a Chihuahua-boxer mix. Bonney says the gallery will focus on one-of-a-kind paintings and sculpture. The gallery is open Thursday through Tuesday. Jared, the Galleria of Jewelry (3400 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 504-885-2221; www.jared.com), is holding a one-day showcase of Le Vian’s top product trends, including chocolate diamonds and peach morganite, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11. The event is free and refreshments will be served. Kitchen Witch Cookbooks (1452 N. Broad St., (504) 528-8382; www. kwcookbooks.com) hosts a neighborhood shop-and-stroll event 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13 features free wine and beer.

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > J A N UA R Y 1 0 > 2 0 1 7

The mechanics of driving

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