Exploring the City of Easton, Pennsylvania, with Majestic Athletic

 Wearing - Detroit Tigers Cool Base Jersey by Majestic Athletic | Uniqlo Shorts | Vans Anaheim Authentics | 

Universal Works Tote Bag | Moscot Sunglasses | Percival Cap

  Getting to know the film crew on wanders around old town Easton

This blog post is in partnership with Majestic Athletic + MLB.

After an exhausting first day of filming at the Majestic Athletic factory in the small town of Easton, Pennsylvania, we got to doing what we crew were craving – sitting down with an ice cold beer.

Just a quick recap of part one; myself, Jordan Bunker + a film crew were visiting Easton to work on documenting the cultural importance of this small city – the home of the US-made cool base jerseys, worn by MLB players + fans all over the world. My first blog post was all about our day at the Majestic Athletic factory, and for part two we're sticking to the city.

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At 10pm the evening before, the cameras stopped rolling. Full up on pizza, burgers, pasta from one of the city's many old school bars, we headed back to the hotel to get some rest. Truth be told it felt like one of those 2-second sleeps the likes of Salvador Dali championed in the surrealist movement.

Our next day was all planned out; up at 7am for a quick breakfast before heading back to the factory to make sure we hadn't missed anything, followed by a couple of hours of exploring the city before driving back to New York to catch a game at the Yankees stadium. A dream day!

Visiting Key City Diner for cherry pie + coffee, and what the locals call a "hoogie". It felt like I'd just stepped into the original Twin Peaks film set - clashing colours, a mixture of food smells and families just being families

 Wearing - Philadelphia Phillies Cool Base Jersey by Majestic Athletic | Banana Republic Shorts | Converse 70s Sneakers 

In several way Easton felt like many small towns I've visited across America. Welcoming and warm, sleepy yet full of life, slightly unpolished but reassuringly organised. In a round about way this city is what I think of when I picture working class America.

A visit to Key City Diner – just across the river where Pennsylvania meets New Jersey – was an experience to remember. I've been visiting America all of my life, but the countless trips to Universal Studios couldn't prepare me for stepping into what felt like a real-life film set."Dya want curly fries with that?" hollered the waitress as she took our order – the answer is always yes. I'm yet to have a better strawberry milkshake.

Our group probably stood out like a sore thumb, but after the food arrived we settled in and became a part of the furniture. No trip to an American diner would be complete without an order of homemade cherry pie and a cup of coffee – this one came directly from David Lynch's well-referenced playbook.

It felt great to be wearing these Majestic Athletic jerseys all day, especially knowing how much worth the factory and its workers brings to the local economy. The locals know it too, I received a bunch of nods + compliments as we wandered the city. True, my limited baseball knowledge has all been acquired through Seinfeld, but at least I looked the part.

 Exploring the city's craft beer scene - the beautiful interior at The Separatist taproom + the raw authentic feel of Weyerbacher Brewery

Saying goodbye to our three days in Easton, PA, with Majestic Athletic. Long days, short nights, but one of the most rewarding projects to date.

For me, researching before you've got to a new place is all a part of the fun, and food, coffee, local stores and beer are always high on my list. Easton is a true 9-5 city, so I should have expected no less than the evenings being driven by American cooking and the craft beer scene. Visits to two local beer spots made for the perfect ending to Part Two of our trip. 

The beautiful interior of The Separatist taproom contrasting against the grassroots set-up at Weyerbacher Brewery felt similar to how I now see baseball. On one hand you have the polished side of MLB, with players looking perfect as they hit the stadiums, ready to entertain all, and then you've got the Majestic Athletic factory workers with 40+ years experience, just quietly getting on with their jobs. Both contrasts, but both parties working towards the same goal – to champion a wider movement.

Our time in Easton had come to an end, but our journey wasn't quite finished yet. Next stop three days in New York - I'll can't wait to share more with you soon!

The Majestic Athletic Cool Base Jerseys which feature in this post are all available here.

Photography by Jordan Bunker.

This blog post is a part of a wider documentary project in paid partnership with with Majestic Athletic + MLB.

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