In New York there are still a few department stores that can afford to revel in the glory of their past, having remained superficially unchanged since the 1960s. One is Bergdorf Goodman at which, I’ve read, the cost of clothes from a shopping spree might exceed your market-rate rent.
The ‘museum’ experience can be had with a breezy walk-through to the escalator stack, then up to the Seventh Floor where there is, on the uptown side of the building, the catchily named Seventh Floor Restaurant with its Madeline (Bemelmans) and Eloise (Thompson and Knight) charm, further rent gouging prices and spectacular view through wood sash windows over Sherman Square (recently restored), Pulitzer Fountain (now undergoing restoration) and the corner of Central Park usually used for major art installations. It's also almost within view of the ‘time capsule’ zoo---yes, there is a fine zoo in New York City, and it’s right there, slightly farther uptown within easy walking distance.
I sometimes bring visiting friends to either this café or the one at the Park’s other downtown corner at Columbus Circle --- ‘Robert’ in the Museum of Arts & Design.
I was once walking by Paris’ Le Printemps when I remembered reading about the 1920s Brasserie Printemps café on its sixth floor; I popped inside to take a look. Never had I seen such indulgent glory! This is not that, but it is similar, being also a time capsule, and very much a refuge from its chaotic surround.
Find your way with 301 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
When you step into "Rainey Park" in New York City, it feels like you have been welcomed into the shared backyard of Astoria residents. Compact & sunny!
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"Queens Bakehouse" in NYC was an instant hit with me. Their inventive twists on classics are what really stole my heart - the croissant loaf, for example.
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"Utopia" is my neighborhood go-to breakfast joint. It's a real old-school kind of place; I go with my newspaper and am always served well and fast.
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"Malachy's Donegal Inn" is an Irish bar in New York city that's a survivor. There's an ingrained (or ingrown) sense of comfort, 'cares abandoned'...
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"Central Park Benches" in NYC (apart from their comfort) are known for their commemorative plaques. One of them is dedicated by the citizens of Liverpool...
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You can find "BANKSY in New York" in the Upper West Side. 'Boy With a Hammer' is the only one of his pieces that hasn't been 'repurposed'...
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"Silvana" is a large cafe, boutique, shawarma and falafel bar in NYC that also offers live music performances on their downstairs stage. Great acts!
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The menu is simple: hamburgers, French fries & toppings. No over-the-top ingredients, no superfluous adjectives, and high-value food at rock-bottom prices.
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"Elizabeth Street Garden" New York: formerly the site of a large, important school house, it was reclaimed in the '90s and turned into a sculpture garden.
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One block away from a 21st century LinkNYC WiFi tower on Broadway sits one of three West End Avenue working telephone 'booths', the last in NYC...
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After, "Anthony & Son" Panini Shoppe's Italian-style super-sandwiches, no regular New York sandwich will ever taste as good again...
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"Dutch Kills" in New York isn't hiding it's one of the best bars in the city, but it isn't publicizing the fact, either. No password to enter, however!
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301 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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