They say that you have to live in the city for at least ten years to be considered a ‘true’ New Yorker. I don’t know if that’s the case but being here for that long does allow you to see the nooks and crannies in the city that newcomers may just be uncovering. Somehow, impossibly, I’ve almost been here for twenty. It doesn’t feel that long, it’s all gone in a blink. Being here a decade, or two, allows you time to say ‘that used to be my favorite (blank)’ when your beloved — insert bodega, bar, hangout spot, park, art gallery — inevitably disappears.
The one thing that’s constant in this city is change — and change is one thing we have to accept about life in general. When I think about my favorite parts of this city, most of them don’t cost a lot of money to experience. One great aspect of living in New York is discovery. I was thinking about this last week when we attended a puppet show for Cy’s birthday. The theater was in a place I’d never been but it has existed in the city forever. Sometimes the city itself needs to unfold for you. I always thought if you ask the city it gives you what you are looking for. Here are some of those things.
The steps of the courthouse where people get married, I always love shouting ‘Congratulations!’ when I’m walking by
The kale salad and fish and chips at Eastwood Bar
The art at Frances Irv Gallery, see if you can find this hide-away new gallery
The puppet show in the community room at Westbeth, for feeling like the kind of old New York I’d like to inhabit
Rudolph de Harak’s Digital Clock at 200 water street, for clicking down the time endlessly
Story time at Seward Park Library and especially the librarians that do such a good job with puppets and singing to the children in the neighborhood
The Picture Collection now moved to New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building Room 119, 476 5th Ave
The Canal Street Post Office and especially it’s been-there-forever art
Portal to the Sky, James Turell’s Skyscape at MoMA PS1
The Dream House, La Monte Young’s permanent installation and pink carpets
Donald Judd's studio and building at 101 Spring street for being an unchanged monument to a different time
Ann Gillen’s studio on Grand street, for being a living monument to an artist still surviving after 40 years
The Morgan Library’s endless and fascinating exhibitions, can’t wait to browse the latest on Beatrix Potter
Greenwich House Pottery community and classes where you can learn ceramics your own way, apparently lure has it that Jasper Johns was the janitor at some point
Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop another welcoming community where printmaking is king and anyone can learn to be a master printer, and Blackburn printed Rauchenberg’s work
As a bonus Take the 6 train to 116th street and see ‘In Everything There is A Season’ by Blackburn on the subway platform
Printed Matter’s stacks and stacks of Artists Books, Photo magazines, Zines, editions and inspiration
And of course the NYABF which has only gotten bigger and more interesting over the years, thanks to Shannon & Sonel
Columbia University’s WKCR radio station especially Jazz Alternatives, Amazing Grace, the Tennessee Border Show, the Moonshine Show and Raag Aur Taal
Banh Mi Saigon for the freshest sandwiches—just take a number
Black Seed Bagels and I agree, they were better when they were Montreal Style but they are still good
Punjabi Deli’s Chai Tea (2 sugars) feels like the way to drink it especially in the winter
Il Laboratorio Del Gelato strolling on hot summer nights, my favorite is apple and lemon
Nom Wah Tea Parlor's dim sum on Doyers street, the stuffed eggplant is ‘chef’s kiss’
Ting’s Gift Shop for tiny finds you didn’t know you needed
KK Discount Store that is jam packed with useful household objects
Kerry Schuss’ Gallery on 73 Leonard street seeing art that’s meaningful and part of a community
Petee’s Pie go for a slice, I like key lime or pre order for Thanksgiving and be a dessert hero
Derosia on 197 Grand Street, tucked two floors up overlooking little Italy you’d never know you’re seeing the next generation of artists share their best work
The smell of dirt in Walter De Maria, The New York Earth Room at 141 Wooster Street
The swim lessons at Manhattan Youth with Miss Jade’s songs for being super fun for babies to be in the water
The Steiner Winter Fair with special crafts like candle, jump rope and star making
Sol Lewitt’s drawings at the Federal Building on Broadway
The Roosevelt Island Tramway, for getting up high for the price of a subway ride especially on New Years day
Lee Krasner’s Murals if you peek through the lobby at 2 Broadway
Levain Cookies as a treat after you’ve done something really hard, like giving birth
Tomo21’s sushi clock and if you’re hankering for some great sushi
Estela dinner for all the reasons to celebrate
King Restaurant for all the other reasons to celebrate
The Five guys on Bleeker street where me and Jason Polan saw Sarah Jessica Parker eating a burger alone and told her how much we loved her work
Roy Lichtenstein’s mural at Times Square 42nd street station for matching the energy of the city
The top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s day circa ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ (Yes it’s touristy, but also romantic)
The Governor’s island Jazz Age festival, buy tickets early and make sure bring your own picnic and find a tree to eat under before going in to dance
Ghostbuster’s Firehouse in Tribeca that actually, still, really does exist
The best tacos and guacamole at El Tenampa Deli and Grocery 22nd street & 4th Ave, Brooklyn, note it’s closed on Wednesdays
Picture Room for an accessible way to buy some beautiful art for your walls including my own work
Tom’s Restaurant for being just okay food but to see the exterior on TV in Seinfeld made it feel like you were also on TV in New York
Fanelli’s Cafe where you can get a Quiche Lorraine or a burger and a beer and feel like you’ve stepped back in time
The Metropolitan Opera for the romance and beauty, seen as high up as family circle, also an excellent place to get engaged
Bust of Sylvette by Picasso, 1968 near NYU’s silver towers is a meeting point, a beacon, that stands still even if things are changing note: it is also impossible to get a release to film there, I’ve tried
Film Forum’s niche films for film lovers of all ages
The Folk Art Museum’s discovery and will to carry on attitude, especially after MoMA swallowed it’s old building
30 years of outdoor summer movies at Bryant Park, the perfect date if you can get there early to snag a good spot
Masstransiscope on the B or Q train from Dekalb heading Manhattan bound, just look out the window and you’ll see it’s magic, blink and you’ll miss it
Washington Market Park and Rockefeller Park’s free summer concerts for kids
Strand Bookstore, for the grouchy staff but magical books and always something to discover, even in the $1 stacks
(And No longer ✨)
The best stationary store in Chinatown Good Field Trading Company at 74 Mott Street, that just closed—they had the best deadstock greeting cards and trinkets
City Bakery’s cookies + marshmallows were some of the absolute best
The now demolished amphitheater in East River Park where G. William Webb and Carlos Reyes held their annual egg drop
Winnie’s Karaoke Bar on Bayard Street which has now become Dr. Clark
Mel’s Bakery (sadly they moved upstate) but just discovered Michaeli Bakery right next to it
Burger Joint when it was a secret in Le Parker Meridian, still exists now in Industry city
Four Season’s restaurant with Richard Lippold’s sculpture
99 cents store on Elizabeth Street in Chinatown, for endless tiny things that I always needed
The Whitney when it was in the Breuer Building, and the stairs
Eli Ping Frances Perkins Gallery for starting out small and going out big
Zuccotti Park circa 2011 when I was in grad school and Liam Gillick told us we would be witnessing history if we went there, which we were but didn’t realize at the time
The apothecary store in the West Village where I saw Sean Lennon and Yoko Ono Sandra Barnhardt speaking to a young child and the child asked Sean Lennon about his dad and he said ‘He was in a band’
247365 Gallery before it closed and the gates surrounding the doors
The Chrysler Series by Summer Guthrey in the Chrysler Building and going on to the balcony
The two giant ‘eyes’ by Louise Bourgeois installed at Wagner Park (sadly moved since it’s now under construction)
Related are the great lawn at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park before it closed, still miss sitting there thinking and staring at the water and the Statue of Liberty
🗽
I’m sure inevitably as soon as I send this newsletter I’ll think ugh that was a really great one to add to this list but that’s the nice thing it’s always changing. I could do an addendum at a later point. Think of this as a snapshot of a city at this particular moment. If there’s something glaring that I missed, please, send me a note: