A half-dozen people were gathered around the tasting bar at the Henley Vaporium in SoHo on a recent Friday evening. Behind the bar, two vapologists in white lab coats stood before a selection of dozens of tiny bottles, each containing liquid nicotine. The customers, all students or young professionals, leisurely inhaled on their so-called vape pens. Clouds of mist curled upward and vanished. A slightly sweet smell lingered in the air.

Check out the full story at NYTimes.com: E-Cigarette Shops Open Even as City Cracks Down