Dusk, on Carmine Street

Photo by myself on Carmine Street, in the West Village.

There was a blue-ish cast to the light, Sunday evening. As on most Sundays, the sidewalks in the Village were nearly empty of foot traffic.

It is cold, cold, cold here, with no end in sight. Er, did I mention...cold?

People are trudging about wrapped up in hats, scarves, gloves, and high boots. Under the clothing, long johns and/or other long underwear are a must. Every bit of skin needs protection from the wind. Yipes!!!

Related posts: The Freedom Tower, at Dusk, All Aglow, on 57th Street, and The Ghostly Glow, at Times Square.

Read more...

Outside Cafe Cluny, in the West Village

Photo by myself on West 4th Street in the West Village.

A quaint view outside Cafe Cluny, in the Village.

All you need are a couple of wooden benches, an old-fashioned bicycle, and a flowering tree and there you have it.

Usually I don't like to include parked cars in my photos...or the ghostly blur of someone walking by. But this image fits my concept of living in the Village. Little streets. Little cafes and restaurants with awnings.

I was walking around there the other day and I've finally mastered the art of 'not getting lost' in that neighborhood. After more than 10 years of living here. There are random diagonal streets and having been brainwashed by the grid, you wind up going in circles.

I've never dined at Cafe Cluny, though I've heard of it. It's gotten good reviews online.

For the Cafe Cluny website, click here.

Related posts: Cozy Interior on Perry Street, in the West Village, Streetside, in the Village, and Outside a Smoke Shop, in the Village.

Read more...

The Florence Prime Meat Market, in the West Village

Photo by myself on Jones and West 4th Streets, in the West Village.

The Florence Meat Market on Jones Street in the West Village has been around since the 1930s.

Articles about being among the best butcheries in New York adorn the front window. When I dropped by, perfect little fillet mignons were being trimmed on the carving block inside.

The Owner was kind enough to allow me to take a photo. A tin ceiling loomed above the modestly-sized, spotless space inside. All the equipment looked like it had been there forever.
 

Though New Yorkers have given the Florence Meat Market very good reviews online, this was the first time I'd heard of it. For reviews on Yelp, click here. 

Related posts: Outside O. Ottomanelli's Meat Market, in the Village, Russ & Daughters, the Lower East Side, and Esposito & Sons, in Hell's Kitchen.

Read more...

The Peace Bike Ride, in the West Village

Photo by myself around West 4th and 12th Streets, in the West Village.

A bike chained up against a pole was decorated with tinsel and plastic flowers.

On the basket, a sign advertised the Peace Bike Ride that occurs on the third Sunday of every month. Its starting point is the Gandhi statue in the southwest corner of Union Square. The bike rides tour through historical peaceful sites in New York, including the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial and the Labyrinth for Contemplation, in Battery Park.

I must confess that never heard of the Peace Bike Ride before. Of course not, because the organizers are peaceful and quiet about it! It seems like a nice idea.

-- I was in the West Village a couple weeks ago because I committed the most basic mistake a New Yorker could make.

I was looking for the Chinese Consulate, which is located at 520 12th Avenue. Only I thought I was looking for 520 12th Street. 520 12th Avenue is in a completely different neighborhood, way north near 42nd Street. D'oh.

Very few people mention 12th Avenue, since technically, the West Side Highway is the same thing. Everyone mentions the West Side Highway, but I guess 520 West Side Highway is a bizarre address. 

Anyway, when looking for a particular place in the city, save yourself some grief. Do get the address right.

Related posts: Summer Streets, on Park Avenue South, On NY Bike Tours and Real Housewives, and On the West Side Highway.

Read more...

Outside the Music Inn, in the West Village

Photo by myself on West 4th and Jones Streets, in the West Village.

For those with an interest for esoteric instruments from all over the world, the Music Inn would be heaven for you. For those with a touch of claustrophobia, on the other hand...

If you're on the market for a semsemia (an Egyptian harp with metal strings), mridangam (a South Indian drum made from a jackfruit tree) or a ransingha (a curved copper trumpet from India), this is the place for you.

The store opened some 40 years ago. They repair instruments too, and have a collection of records and comics in the basement. Unfortunately, I didn't get to step inside, since I was on my way to an appointment.

You can check out the huge assortment of instruments on the Music Inn website, here.

Related posts: Living in Style, in Williamsburg, Shopping on St. Mark's Place, and Shopping til Dropping, on Canal Street.

Read more...

On Tenement Life, in the West Village

Photo by myself on West 10th Street, in the West Village.

In older walk-up buildings in New York, there are typically two sets of doors.

The first set of doors, just off the sidewalk, stays unlocked. Just inside is a small vestibule, where the mailboxes are located. The mailman drops off mail for each apartment without having to have a door key. All he or she needs is a one key that unlocks all the mailboxes.

The floor of the vestibule is usually littered with flyers, take out menus, business cards for locksmiths and phone books. I remember phone books sitting the vestibule when I lived in on the Upper West Side, for months on end. The last thing anyone wanted to do was lug a phone book up to their apartment along with groceries, gym clothes, their mail, perhaps a child in a stroller, and themselves.

The second door stays locked. You'd stumble home at night, get into the vestibule, and dig around for your keys. If you were street smart, you had your key out well before getting home. The vestibule was not a good place to linger, with your back turned to the street.

The stoop is usually up a few steps up from the sidewalk. It's the perfect place to sit and hang out during the summer. You can just barely see the drop-down ladder of the fire escape, to the upper left of the door.

Related posts: On Tenement Life and Cable TV, The Apthorp, the Upper West Side, and The Low-Down on Walk-Ups.

Read more...

Eat Here Now, Now Eat Here, in the West Village

Photo by myself around Jane and Greenwich Streets, in the West Village.

Talk about subliminal advertising.

Mark and I had just been fantasizing about opening a food truck serving hot chocolate. Lo and behold, we encountered one on our walk last weekend in the West Village.

This truck also served breakfast burritos, enchiladas and grass-fed beef burgers. Yup. The hot chocolates were going for $3 a cup.

I will try to put this blog on a diet and post about non-food-related things for a bit. We'll see how long that lasts!

Related posts: Eating on the Cheap, Restaurant Week, On the Mud Truck and Hotel Grammercy Park, and Hot Off the Grille, in the East Village.

Read more...

En Route to a Peaceful Protest, Downtown

Photo by myself, around Hudson and West 10th Street, in the West Village.

Peaceful protesters were on their way to a rally for Occupy Wall Street. They were accompanied by members of the NYPD.

Ironically, people carried signs against police violence. Later that afternoon, protesters formed a drum circle outside Mayor Bloomberg's mansion on the Upper East Side.

--
We had a beautiful sunny day, Sunday. Temperatures were in the 60's and it felt like Spring. Some folks walked around in t-shirts.

The sidewalks were filled with people eating brunch outdoors.

Related posts: It's a Free Country, After All, Tibetans of the World, Unite, and Occupying Wall Street, One Day at a Time.

Read more...

Checking it out, on Leroy Street

Photo by myself on Leroy and Bleecker Streets, in the West Village.

A few visitors seemed overwhelmed with the choices in postcards, the other day.

--
By the way, we're having a sort of heat wave here. It's been hot and very humid, in the mid-80's. Down below in the subway stations, it's been much more unbearable than usual.

When you are standing outside, all you can hear is the whirr of air conditioning. Eek.

Related posts: At a Crossroads, in Times Square, On Fashion Sense and the West Village and On Looking Like a Tourist on Holiday.

Read more...

Under Candelabra at One if by Land, in the West Village

Photo by myself at One if By Land, a restaurant on Barrow Street in the West Village.

Mark and I dined at One if by Land, Two if by Sea, a well-known restaurant, Saturday night.

One if by Land is touted for being one of the most romantic restaurants in the city. It is also very expensive. Mark received a gift certificate from a business contact over a year ago, and we finally got around to eating there.

There is a piano player in the front of the house, as well as a well-stocked bar. A double height space is lit with candelabra. The vibe is Old New York, with exposed brick walls and very low lighting.

We opted for the six-course chef tasting menu but should have gone with the four-course prix fixe menu instead (there are only these two options on weekends). We were absolutely stuffed by the fifth course. And then there was dessert!!


The bar and seating, in the front room. A fireplace is out of frame, to the left.

I had pate, a beautiful summer salad and steak, among other dishes. Mark had lobster, pan seared scallops and halibut. Some of the courses were just okay, some were divine. Overall, our food experience was a good one.

I don't have any photos of our food, unfortunately. We were sitting between to two other tables and I felt strangely embarrassed to take photos with such limited space.

There are mixed reviews to One if by Land online. Frankly, Mark and I prefer down-to-earth ramen places and Ethiopian food to fancy places.

For a review in New York Magazine, click here.
For the restaurant website, which includes current menus, click here.

Related posts: The Flatiron Building, in Detail, On the Market and Details, Details.

Read more...

In a State of Fusion, at Sushi Samba

Photo by myself on Seventh Avenue South and Barrow Street.

People will dine anywhere outside, even if there are barricades up and trucks going by.

These folks were dining at SushiSamba, a Japanese restaurant in the West Village. Their take on food is a bit less traditional than some places.

Their menu offers a blend of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian food. Chilean Sea Bass, Peruvian roasted corn and crispy tacquitos are offered alongside shrimp tempura, chicken teriyaki and sushi.

I haven't dined at SushiSamba, so please check out reviews online before going.

Related posts: Enjoying Pugs and Drinks, Outside, Serving up Sushi, at 15 East 15th Street and What's in a Name, at Tavern on the Green.

Read more...

Celebrating Gay Pride, in the West Village

Photo by myself at Christopher Street and Seventh Avenue South.

Marriage for same sex couples was legalized in New York, last Friday.

New Yorkers are progressive in many respects, but the legalization was surprising to me, since the city has a mix of many different viewpoints. I have many gay friends, and it's great to know their unions can be recognized.

Above, the site of the Stonewall riot in 1969 is now synonymous with Gay and Lesbian Rights. The news comes just in time for the Gay Pride parade, which takes place today at noon.

The parade starts at 33rd Street and Lexington and goes down to Christopher Street in front of Stonewall. I was in the neighborhood Saturday by chance and the barricades were up. Rainbow flags were visible and tons of people were walking around, enjoying the weather.

There were only a few obvious signs of celebration. I'm sure when the news broke, people were running around and dancing disco in the streets, lol.

For more about the Stonewall riots, see the wiki entry, here.


A sandwich board on Christopher Street says it all.

Related posts: Browsing Around in the Village, Crazy Fantasy, Anyone? and The Lower Half of the Pants, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Read more...

Cozy Interior on Perry Street, in the West Village

Photo by myself at Perry and Greenwich Streets, in the West Village.

It's a cold and rainy weekend here, in New York.

As an antidote, I'm posting a photo from a walk about the West Village, earlier this month. At Aria Wine Bar, small plates such as salad, prosciutto and meatballs are served alongside tumblers of wine.

Exposed brick, wood rafters and subway tile make the interior rustic and charming. This looks like the perfect place for a romantic date.

This bar does not have a website. As with any restaurant, please check out reviews before visiting.

For reviews on Yelp, click here.
For a review on UrbanDaddy, click here.

--
Note to photographers: since I took this photo a few weeks ago, I could not remember the name of this restaurant. All I knew was that it was on the north side of the street, near Magnolia Bakery.

The word 'cucina' is printed behind the bar, which means 'Kitchen'. So, yeah, I did about 20 searches for 'cucinas' in the West Village. Going through restaurants one-by-one on Google maps solved the mystery...and sent me to the loony bin.

Moral of the story?

Take notes on where you take photos, or at least a shot of a sign as a reminder for later on. Avoid the crazy.

Related posts: Riding in Style, in the Village, Before a Tour, Pedicab Style and Pedaling in Style, on Central Park South.

Read more...

Unoppressive, Non-Imperialist and a Bargain, in the West Village

Photo by myself at Carmine and Bleecker Streets, in the West Village.

All the online reviews of the Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books store are really good. It is inexpensive, down-to-earth and eclectic, just as its name conveys.

New York used to be filled with such one-of-a-kind, funky shops. No longer. The vibe nowadays is much more polished.

This store is too cool to have a website, and its blog hasn't been updated in ages. Based on the awesome reviews on yelp, I will have to go in next time.

The store has a Facebook page with a few updates, here and there. You can get the book Subways: The Tracks that Built NYC in hardcover for a mere six bucks, for instance. Or a paperback copy of William Blake's illustrations to The Divine Comedy for ten bucks. That kind of thing.

But I think the best experience would be to go in and browse for an hour or three. ;-)

For the Facebook page, click here.

Related posts: Outside Biography Books, the Village, Searching for a Bargain, at the Strand and Still Life, Antique Store.

Read more...

Brunch at Barbuto, in the West Village

Photo by myself at Barbuto, on Washington and West 12th Streets in the West Village.

Brunch service was a busy blur, Saturday. Mark and I dined at Barbuto, Jonathan Waxman's restaurant in the West Village, after hearing rave reviews from a friend.

We arrived around 1pm, when the neighborhood was just waking up. By the time we left at 2, the place was completely packed. Many guests were young and fashionably dressed. The restaurant has a large, airy seen-and-be-seen atmosphere.

The interiors are not pretentious, though. There are roll-down garage doors on all walls, so in the warmer months, the interior space becomes exterior. Sunlight was streaming in and there was additional seating on the sidewalk.

Oh, and let's get to the food.

Brunch consisted of a rustic mortadella sandwich (background), crispy potatoes and oven-baked eggs.

Mark had a beautiful sandwich with mortadella, grain mustard and carmelized onions on crusty bread. Salad on the side had a lemony vinaigrette. I had tasty oven baked eggs with creamed spinach and parmesan.

We shared a side order of potatoes sprinkled with romano cheese and rosemary. Our meal was hearty and good.

From our seats, we could look right into the open kitchen, where it was non-stop action. A gorgeous plate of roasted chicken was sunning itself near a window. Mark and I enjoyed watching the guys work with quiet intensity.

One of the owners, Jonathan Waxman, is noted restauranteur from the West Coast. He appeared on the TV show Top Chef Masters, where established chefs compete against each other for charity.

Waxman was at the restaurant on Saturday and kept a low profile. Mark and I saw him walking around the Kitchen and chatting with the staff. He was one of our favorites on Top Chef, because of his laid back, jovial personality.

Menus change daily, but some typical menus are listed on the Barbuto website here. You can even make reservations online.


The view of Barbuto, from the entrance. Garage doors are located along all sides.


The spacious kitchen is open to the dining room.

Related posts: Chez Bouley, Tribeca, Cold Noodles and Hot Shows and A Bit More on Celebrity, Past and Present.

Read more...

A Peek into Grove Court, in the West Village

Photo by myself into Grove Court, located on Grove Street in the West Village.

A view into Grove Court, a tiny alley in the Village. A gate bars strangers from entering a courtyard decorated with pumpkins for Halloween.

These buildings were built in 1901 and each townhouse is relatively small, about 1,200 square feet of space. One of these was bought recently for two million dollars, or about $1,600 per square foot(!!!).

This is an expensive location, even by Manhattan standards. The costliest neighborhood has long been the Upper West Side, where the median real estate cost was about $1,475 per square foot at the height of the market in 2008.

I hope living in Grove Court is as nice as it looks.

Related posts: What's in a Name, at Tavern on the Green, Outside Three Lives, in the Village and On Lost Icons and The Dakota.

Read more...

On Fashion Sense and the West Village

Photo by myself, somewhere (lost) in the West Village.

One of many tidy townhouses in the West Village. This one probably had lights alongside the doorway which were removed, and the areas patched. Hence the red dots on the wall.

I liked how the fellow walking by matched the building.

--
The other day, Blogging in PA asked why I thought this photo depicted non-New Yorkers.

Well, the photo was taken on a weekday afternoon at 50th St. and Fifth Avenue, which is a very touristy area. Logic would say that there's a slim chance these two are New Yorkers.

But it was more than just that. The couple looked just a little bit too well-dressed and well-coiffed. Not to say that all New Yorkers are slobs, but we tend to have a more 'thrown-together' look of relaxed fashion.

For a very different look at New Yorkers and their fashion sense, check out this article in New York Magazine. Five New Yorkers are shown who each only wear one color, every single day.

Psst! We are not all crazy!

Related posts: Christmas Greetings from New York, Outside Vanderbilt Hall, in the Village and Browsing Around, in the Village.

Read more...

Scooby Doo, in the West Village

Photo by myself in the West Village, around Charles Street and Waverly Place.

Poor Scooby Doo was held hostage by a moving van in the West Village.

Usually you will see captive stuffed animals like pink bunnies or Elmos on the grills of grimy garbage trucks. This moving van decided to follow suit.

As you can see, the streets are relatively narrow in this neighborhood. Good luck to anyone on the other side of this truck!

--
I was tempted to post a photo of someone sleeping on a front stoop, but then stopped myself.

Sometimes gritty reality can be a bit too much. The New York Jets failed to make it to the Superbowl, I had to zap another mouse in our apartment, a big one this time, which probably left some baby mice orphaned....yadda, yadda, yadda.

I'll take Scooby Doo anytime.

For more about my urban mouse zapping, click here.

Related posts: Tied Up, Smile, It's Happy Hour and The Jazzman, 34th Street.

Read more...

Village People, in Sheridan Square

Photo by myself in Sheridan Square, in the West Village.

'The Bus Stop', by American artist George Segal, was installed in 1980. The figures were cast from life, created in bronze and patinated white, to resemble plaster.

For some embarrassing reason, I never noticed this sculpture before, perhaps because they are treated like neighborhood fixtures.

--
I don't often post photos from the Village, and here's why: first, we often visit the East Village because there are more parking spaces. Second, Rupert loves the big dog run in Tompkins Square Park.

But really, I am directionally impaired, and a directionally impaired person in a neighborhood of diagonal streets is a sad sight. Within an hour I am a disoriented, dehydrated, grumbly person with sore feet.

I keep telling myself that all I need is to get lost more, and I'll know the neighborhood. Ha, fat chance!

Related posts: Art, for Public's Sake, On Public Art and Other Freebies and Public Art at the Lever House.

Read more...

Backstage in the West Village

Photo by myself backstage before a photoshoot in the West Village.

I had the chance to go backstage of a photoshoot recently, for a magazine. My time entailed a lot of sitting around and noshing on foods, while clothes were ironed and people were primped.

There are slews of photography studios around, many housed in the large warehouses on the fringes of the city.

--
I would have loved to watch the photographer during the shoot, but I only had a sidelong view. Instead, I hung out backstage and watched the make-up artist.

I wonder whether photographer asked the sitters to say cheese?

Related posts: On Photography - Before and After and Now on Center Stage.

Read more...