This was at the beginning of the Pandemic in March of 2020
Chinese New Year in 2021:
I returned to Chinatown for Chinese New Year 2021 and what a change to the neighborhood in just a year. I have never seen so many “For Rent” signs in the core of Chinatown. This pandemic has destroyed so many well-known businesses. Not just restaurants and snack shops that could not adjust to the take out business that many places have had to adopt to now. It was well known gift shops, hair and nail salons, body massage businesses and several well-known bakeries.
When I saw a sign on the Lung Moon Bakery 83 Mulberry Street (visit my reviews on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com and TripAdvisor) that the bakery closed its doors after 53 years in business that is telling you there are problems here. Sun Sai Gai at 220 Canal Street (visit my reviews as well on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com and TripAdvisor as well), which has been there for over 30 years has been closed as well and I am not sure if it is going to be reopened. This is heart breaking because these were my go-to places for years.
The weird part was it was not just on Mott Street, the heart of Chinatown, but on the side streets off Mott and outer parts of the neighborhood reaching out to East Broadway and into parts of the Lower East Side like Hester and Henry Streets. It is not just in Chinatown because at the end of the evening I walked up to Little Moony at 230 Mulberry Street (visit my review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com and TripAdvisor) to see if that store was still open and walked through the heart of Little Italy Mulberry Street.
Three well known restaurants had closed for business including Angelo’s and Luna which has been mainstays of the neighborhood for over 40 years. A lot store fronts were dark here as well and slowly but surely NoLiTa (North of Little Italy) is creeping further and further into Little Italy. Even the two well known Chinese restaurants on Mulberry Street are now closed for business.
My journey on this gloomy Saturday morning started when I took the C train down to Canal Street and started to walk around Lower Manhattan to see what was open and not. The City had lifted its ban on indoor dining, I think too little to late, for Chinese New Year and Valentines Day. Still even with the 25% indoor dining allowed, people choose to eat outside or else some of the restaurants were not ready to open indoor dining. On a 30 degree day I could not believe that people wanted to eat outside. Even bundling under heat lamps does not make pleasant dining. The mood was festive but people were cold.
It was the second day of Chinese New Year and there were not that many people out in the streets as I thought there would be. In the early morning, there were small groups of people walking around but not the throngs of people on parade day. Last year, the Chinese New Year Parade was very subdued and there were not that many people around the route. The parade was cancelled this year and even though there were lights and decorations all over Mott Street there was not a lot of people walking around.
Chinese New Year 2021-Mott Street
When I visited the provision and grocery stores in the neighborhood, they were mobbed with people doing their grocery shopping telling me that people were opting to stay home and have small intimate dinners with their families. This is where I saw no social distancing.
My project today was to see not just what was happening for the New Year but to visit many of the stores and restaurants I had mentioned on my blogs to see if they were still open. Thankfully many of the establishments that were already take-out were surviving the storm. Plus I came with an appetite.
My first stop was Fried Dumpling on 106 Moscoe Street, a little hole in the wall for fried pork and chive dumplings. The owner/chef is a real hoot. I am figuring she changed her prices and serving sizes to increase sales because I ordered 17 dumplings for $5.00 which I thought was too much to eat but ended up devouring all the them in record time while sitting next to the bathrooms in Columbus Park just off Mott Street. In the summer months this park is packed with people but with the two feet snow piles and over flowing garbage cans, it was not the best place to eat. Even with the cold weather, these delicious little pan-fried pork and chive dumplings can warm any heart in the New Year.
Fried Dumpling at 106 Moscoe Street
After this snack that warmed me up I walked all over the neighborhood, walking the side streets and the Bowery which is the northern border of the traditional neighborhood. Again many of the well known restaurants and stores were either empty or closed for the New Year celebrations.
I walked up and down the side streets of Chinatown that border with Mott Street along Bayard, Pell, Henry, Division and East Broadway to look at the status of restaurants that I enjoy and have written about and to see what is still open there as well. It has not been pretty.
Dumplings at 25B Henry Street, one of the few places left in Chinatown where you can get five dumplings for $1.00 is closed except for takeout (visit my reviews on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com and TripAdvisor). That was always the fun of this place was squeezing in and having their delicious pork and chive dumplings. I was always sharing soy sauce with the kids from the local school that would come here for a snack and I would listen in on their very adult sounding conversations.
Dumplings at 25B Henry Street
Walking up the side streets until I got to the Manhattan Bridge was just as upsetting, There were so many closed businesses on all of these streets that I wondered where the locals were eating and shopping. What really surprised me was how many art galleries had opened in the places where provision stores and small restaurants had once been. When I started to see white twenty year olds walking out of the tenements in the neighborhood, I knew that it would not be long until this whole area started to gentrify.
The walk took me further into the Lower East Side then I had ever been. I walked down the length of Catherine Street to the river and then turned around and walked down Market to the park under the Manhattan Bridge to watch the skate boarders. Those kids were really talented. They were performing some amazing tricks.
I stopped at this little deli, the K & K Food Deli at 57 Market Street just to take a peek inside. The cook was so friendly to me that I felt I should get something. Even after the 17 dumplings I was still hungry and I ordered a Bacon, Egg and Cheese on a roll ($3.25). It was mind-blowingly good. The roll was fresh chewy and soft and the perfect combination of scrambled eggs with the cheese melted just perfect and crisp bacon. On this cool now afternoon it really warmed me up and I devoured it while I walked along Cherry Street.
K & K Food Deli at 57 Market Street
This area of the City is all housing projects and even in the small park in between them all it was really quiet. The one thing I find when I visit the areas around the projects is the assortment of restaurants are so creative with their menus and they are so reasonable. I just popped in and out and looked at their menus.
I walked around Little Flower Park at Madison and Jefferson Street, which lines all the housing complexes and was watching as kids were using the swings in snow drifts. I thought that was dedication of wanting to get outside as the weather grew colder that day.
I walked back down Madison Street and around Monroe Street and back up Market Street to get to the foot of the Manhattan Bridge entrance and then walked around that to Chrystie Street. Then I made the turn to see if my favorite group of restaurants were still open Chi Dumpling House at 77 Chrystie Street , Wah Fung Number One at 79 Chrystie Street and Tao Hong Bakery at 81 Chrystie Street. I called this stretch of Chrystie Street the ‘triple threat’ as these three restaurants are mind blowing and the best part reasonable (visit my reviews on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com and TripAdvisor).
Chi Dumpling House at 77 Chrystie Street
Even after 17 dumplings and a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich I was still hungry so I stopped in at Chi Dumpling House for steamed dumplings and scallion pancakes. This little hole in the wall has the most amazing food and for $5.00 I got an order of steamed dumplings ($3.00) and an order of scallion pancakes ($2.00). Both were just excellent.
Because there was no indoor dining in the restaurant yet, I had to eat them in the park across the street. In between the snow piles and the pigeons, I found a place to sit down. The dumplings and the scallion pancake let off so much steam you could see it in the air. The scallion pancake was loaded with freshly chopped scallions and was pan-fried to be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The dumplings were plump and bursting with juice when I topped them with soy and hot chili sauce. They warmed me up at the day grew colder.
I walked back through Mott Street and saw many people twisting poppers and letting streamers into the air. About a dozen people got into it and were having a good time blocking traffic. It was nice to see a little celebrating that day.
Sweets Bakery at 135 Walker Street
My last stop on the agenda was Sweets bakery, one of my favorites in Chinatown at 135 Walker Street, which is right across the street from Sun Sai Gai. The pastries here are just excellent and I have never had a bad baked item from here. I treated myself to an Egg Custard tart ($1.50) and a Pineapple Bun ($1.25). Both had just been baked and were still warm. I started eating them as soon as I left the store to explore Little Italy.
The Egg Custard Tarts at Sweets Bakery are amazing
I devoured them before I crossed the street. The egg custard had a rich creamy texture and was still warm when I made each bite. The taste of the butter in the tart and the eggs was so good. The Pineapple Bun was made of a rich dough and topped with a sweet crumb topping that crackled when I bit into it. It was a nice way to end this ongoing meal.
Walking through Little Italy was just as bad as Chinatown. The main thoroughfare, Mulberry Street was like looking at Mott Street. Some of the most famous restaurants closed like Luna and Angelo’s. I could not believe how many empty store fronts were open. Even for a Saturday night it was really quiet. There were a few people eating inside.
What I did notice just like in Chinatown was that NoLiTa (North of Little Italy) was creeping further and further down Mulberry Street and the surrounding blocks. All of a sudden all these little trendy stores and restaurants started opening up where the Italian restaurants once lined the streets.
I reached my destination, Little Moony at 230 Mulberry Street (visit my review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com), one of the nicest children’s stores in Manhattan and one of the most creative. I was so happy to see that they were still open. I felt a little over-whelmed because the owner was showering attention on me as I was here only customer. She looked determined to sell me something. I guess I looked like a high spender. I was polite and looked around. As a store it is so visually appealing with the greatest window displays.
Little Moony at 230 Mulberry Street
The owner showed me all the new clothing that had come in, the artisan toys she was carrying and some new books carried. If I had someone to buy something for I would have bought something. The merchandise is that nice. I was just afraid that she had closed.
I walked back down Mulberry Street again surprised by the number of people in the restaurants and the number of new buildings opening up on the lower part of Mulberry Street. I do not even give it five years before the entire core of Little Italy is just a block if that.
I walked back to the A train up Canal Street and looked at the buildings in various stages of renovations. I have to say one thing that the City is still progressing as COVID still goes on. It is like walking through NoMAD (North of Madison Square Park), the neighborhood just keeps getting sandblasted and going through another stage of its life.
Maybe this is what the New Year is about, new beginnings and new life to something. Even though there was no formal parade, there was still the feeling that the New Year was here and let’s hope it is a better New Year!
Happy Chinese New Year! (2018) & Happy New Year Again (2020)
After a long day in the Soup Kitchen (I have to stop doubling up events on days), instead of finishing the walk of the Upper East Side, I decided to head downtown to Chinatown for the first day of Chinese New Year. What a madhouse!
First off, it was a gloomy day. The clouds kept threatening rain which finally came around 4:00 pm but it did not damper everyone’s spirits. The city closed off the main streets of Chinatown, so people were able to walk around Mott, Mulberry, Bayard, Elizabeth Streets and all the side streets around the core of Chinatown.
It was a very festive afternoon of Lion Dances in front of businesses and a non-stop of silly string and firecrackers going off all over the neighborhood. It was fun watching all the kids…
I finally entered the core of the tourist area of Manhattan with Central Park South, some of the most expensive real estate in the world and some of the most spectacular views of Central Park. It is also one of the most iconic neighborhoods and most photographed in New York City. It is the neighborhood that is anchored by The Plaza Hotel in one corner, the Time-Warner Building Complex in another, the New York Hilton in another and the newly reopened Museum of Modern Art in the last corner. This are some of the most famous modern landmarks in Manhattan.
The Plaza Hotel in front of the Fifth Avenue Plaza
This neighborhood is also one of the smaller I have walked but packed with famous landmarks, lots of street art, many beautifully designed buildings and here and there remainders of the ‘old’ New York of the 70’s and 80’s that is being ushered aside by new buildings with new ideas.
The Pulitzer Fountain graces the small park.
This busy little park is a refuge for people shopping on Fifth Avenue, tourists wanting to take pictures of the Plaza Hotel and the pigeons so watch out. The park is of the Grand Army Plaza that extends to the other side West 59th Street.
The fountain was designed by sculptor Karl Bitter and the park by architect Thomas Hastings of the firm Carrere & Hastings. The statue is of the Pomona, the Goddess of Abundance who is holding a basket of fruit.
When Mr. Bitter died in a car accident, the statue was finished by his assistant, Karl Gruppe with the help of Isidore Konti. The fountain was dedicated in 1916 (Wiki).
It was a rather gloomy day when I started the walk and after a busy day working the Bread station at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen. With the weather getting cooler, the Soup Kitchens’ needs begin to change, and we are starting to see the effects of the Fall upon us with people needing warm weather outfits and more places to sleep than ever. It looks like it is going to be a very cold winter!
I started my walk in front of one of the most famous hotels in the world, The Plaza Hotel at 768 Fifth Avenue. This iconic masterpiece is more cult figure than a hotel. The 20 story hotel opened in 1907, replacing a smaller version of the hotel and was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh in the ‘French Renaissance inspired chateau style’ design (Wiki). The hotel is famous for its restaurants, The Oak Room and the Palm Court for Afternoon Tea and has been used in countless TV shows and movies.
The problem with walking around the hotel these days is that hotel security is really tight and since the recent renovation of the hotel, most the hotel is now closed off. You can still visit the Plaza Hotel Food Hall (which is wildly expensive) and the Palm Court for meals. Since the renovation that turned most of the hotel into condos, the hotel just does not have the same zing it once did. Everything now seemed so overpriced. The famous Afternoon Tea is now $86.00 (US) and even the burger which I enjoyed as a teenager is now $32.00 (US). I thought that was a bit much.
The Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel is a New York Institution
Entering the lobby of the Plaza Hotel in July of 2025
The hallway in front of the Palm Court
Afternoon Tea in the last seating in the afternoon
The Palm Court at the beginning of the last seating
I recently had Afternoon Tea in Palm Court with my best friend and her nephew. It really brought back a lot of memories for me when I used to come here in the 1990’s in my Macy years. It was a thrill to come back but it just didn’t seem the same. Still it was a lot of fun to come back for Afternoon Tea at the Plaza.
The hallway Chandelier’s from the film still shine
Don’t miss this fun scene of The Plaza Hotel in Home Alone 2 with former President Trump
Afternoon Tea at the Palm Court is iconic and we really enjoyed it. Maricel works at the Plaza and had arranged for the afternoon out. It was a lot of fun.
Maricel’s little cousin enjoying tea that afternoon
The tea sandwiches and cakes and sweets
The sandwiches on the tea stand
The cakes and sweets on the tea stand
Enjoying Afternoon Tea at the Plaza
Enjoying the tea sandwiches
Maricel out of uniform and on the other side of the kitchen enjoying Afternoon Tea with us
Another iconic hotel and once part of the Helmsley Hotel Empire is the Park Lane Hotel at 36 Central Park South. The hotel was constructed in 1971 and designed by Emery Roth and Sons for financier Harry Helmsley. The hotel was designed in the post-modernism design. The hotel was once noted when run by Hotelier Leona Helmsley for ‘Harry’s Bar’ named after her husband. It was noted for its drinks and complimentary appetizers. The hotel itself may be replaced by a super tall building in the near future.
Columbus Circle itself was part of the great plan of Central Park in 1857 by Fredrick Law Olmsted, the designer of many parks in New York City as having four rotary entrances to the park. The other rotary in the neighborhood is Grand Army Plaza by The Plaza Hotel.
I then walked across that street to the Time Warner Building right off the subway station under Columbus Circle (it is amazing where they put this stuff) to the food court in the subway station. The Turnstyle Underground Market is located at the West 59th Street entrance at the Time-Warner Building. Just take the escalator down.
The Turnstyle Underground is in the subway station at the Time Warner Building at 59 Columbus Circle
The food court market had just reopened a few months ago and the place was more than half empty. All the great little restaurants that were independently owned were gone. VIctims to the COVID pandemic and the lack of tourists and office workers. I had read that my favorite, Daa Dumplings had closed about four or five months ago due to lack of traffic (See Day One Hundred and Fifty-Walking the Borders of Central Park South):
If I saw four people sitting down there, it was a lot. Most of the restaurants were empty and almost all the small stores were gone as well. Even the bar that was so popular at the end of the food court and the small independent pizzeria were shut down. It was really spooky because just a year and a half earlier your could not get a seat here.
While walking down West 59th Street, look across the street into Central Park as the leaves are starting to change colors and the signs of autumn are in the air. They don’t call this Central Park South for no reason as you will see some the best and safest views of the Park here.
On the Park side of West 59th Street, you will notice the Monument to General Jose de San Martin, the liberator of Peru just past the entrance to Sixth Avenue. This statue which sits at the entrance to Central Park South, makes a pretty bold statement. General Jose de San Martin helped liberate Argentina, Chile and Peru from Spain in the early part of the 19th century.
The statute was created by French Sculptor Louis Joseph Daumas and the statue was given to New York City by the City of Buenos Aires in exchange for a statue of General George Washington that we sent to their country. The statue was dedicated in 1951 (NYCParks.org).
General Jose de San Martin Statue on West 59th Street
The other statue further in the park
Down further was a statue of Simon Bolivar. The Simon Bolivar statue commemorates a military general and advocate of Pan-Americanism. Bolivar (1783-1830) is credited with the liberation from Spanish domination of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Panama (NYCParks.com).
Mrs. Sally James Farnham was an American born self taught sculpture artist who was influenced and trained by several sculpturer friends of hers. She was known for her large public works statues (Wiki).
In 1916, the Venezuelan government sponsored a worldwide competition to select a sculptor to render Bolivar. From 20 entrants, the committee selected Sally James Farnham (1876-1943), a relatively unknown sculptor. Farnham’s statue depicts Bolivar in full military dress upon his steed, which has its hoofs in the air. The sculpture was dedicated at Bolivar Hill on April 19, 1921. United States President Warren G. Harding (1865-1923), who spoke at the event, used the occasion to deliver a major policy address in which he urged greater cooperation between North and South America (NYCParks.com).
Continuing the walk down West 59th Street, you will next pass the JW Marriott Essex House New York Hotel at 160 Central Park West. This iconic hotel was designed to be a condominium hotel complex and construction started on the hotel one day after the Stock Market Crash of 1929.
The JW Marriott Essex House Hotel at 160 Central Park West
The hotel opened during the Depression in 1931. In 1969, it was acquired by Marriott hotels and since then has has several owners and management groups. Take a good look at the hotel as its details are an excellent example of Art Deco style architecture.
The Essex House sign is a fine example of Art Deco style art.
The hotel’s historical plaque
Walking further down West 59th Street, you will pass the famous NY Athletic Club at 180 Central Park South. This private club was founded in 1868 and has some of the best sporting facilities in New York City. This interesting building was designed by architect Charles W. Clinton and was built in the early twentieth century. Really look up to see the interesting details of the building.
The New York Athletic Club at 180 Central Park South
The details on the entrance of the New York Athletic Club
The details on the front of the New York Athletic Club
As I continued walking down West 59th Street towards Columbus Circle I saw the familiar sites of that statue of Christopher Columbus and the Time-Warner Complex in the background. It has been a long time since I finished the Upper West Side of Manhattan and even as I walk those streets again I always feel like I missed something.
Columbus Circle has changed over the last twenty years
The Christopher Columbus Statue at Columbus Circle
The detail work on the statue
Columbus Circle is always busy day and night with street vendors, bicyclists, performers and just people sitting and reading or enjoying the weather and people watching on a warm day.
The 76 foot statue was designed by Italian sculptor Gaetano Russo as part of a plan to honor Columbus’s discovery of the Americas as part of the 1892 commemoration of the 400 year anniversary of the event. If you look closely at the pillar, you will see the reliefs of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria ships on the memorial (Columbus Memorial and Wiki).
Columbus Circle itself was part of the great plan of Central Park in 1857 by Fredrick Law Olmsted, the designer of many parks in New York City as having four rotary entrances to the park. The other rotary in the neighborhood is Grand Army Plaza by The Plaza Hotel.
The Time Warner Center on the other side of the circle represents the massive change in the Upper West Side from a liberal working class area to the new luxury of Manhattan. The Time Warner Center is a mixed use building containing office space, the Mandarin Hotel, many exclusive restaurants and shops and entertainment. The building was designed by David Childs and Mustafa Kemel Abadan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. This modern palace of luxury replaced the old New York Coliseum and opened in 2003 (Wiki). Don’t miss just wondering around the building.
On the other side of the Circle is the new Museum of Art & Design that opened in 2008. The building was the former home of the Gallery of Modern Art designed by Edward Durell Stone in 1969. The building was modernized by architect Brad Cloepfil (Wiki) and the museum shows interesting aspects of art from media, video, painting and photography. I just recently saw the “Post Punk New Wave” exhibition at the museum.
Museum of Art and Design at 2 Columbus Circle
The Post Punk New Wave Exhibition at the Museum of Art and Design
As I rounded the corner, the neighborhood is full of Post War architecture but one building stands out with its modern twist. The Hearst Tower at 300 West 57th Street.
The first six floors of the original Hearst Tower were built in 1928 by architect Joseph Urban for the headquarters of the Hearst publishing empire. The building was originally supposed to have an office tower on top but the Great Depression put a stop to the construction. Take a look at the statuary, stone work and details of the original building before admiring the new addition (Wiki).
Admire the detail work of the original 1928 building
Architect Norman Foster designed the 46 story addition to the building which was completed in 2006. The addition of glass and steel is designed in the ‘Diagrid’ pattern and was the first ‘green building’ with environmental features in New York City (Wiki).
As I walked the border of the neighborhood on West 54th Street from Eighth Avenue, you can see the traces of Old Residential New York side by side with the new office towers, hotels and the extension of the Museum of Modern Art on the corner of West 54th and Fifth Avenue.
The first building that popped out to me was The Albermarle at 205 West 54th Street. This 12 story Beaux-Arts building was built in 1903 and was once known as the Hotel Harding and then the Alba. Actress Mae West once living in the building. The hotel at one time was home to the notorious “Club Intime” run by Texas Guinan. This was a well-known Speakeasy during Prohibition (City Realty).
Take time to look at the detailed stone work and carvings along the building. It really stands out amongst its more modern neighbors.
Walking further down the street, you will realize that this part of the neighborhood is home to many of the most famous ‘old line’ hotels in Manhattan. At 65 West 54th Street is the luxury Warwick Hotel.
The 36 story hotel was built by William Randolph Hearst in 1926 with the help of architect Emery Roth with the firm of George B. Post & Sons. The outside of the hotel is done with brick, granite and limestone giving it it’s unusual color scheme. Take time to look at the hotel’s detail work and old world charm in the lobby (Wiki).
As you continue to walk the border of West 54th Street closer to Fifth Avenue, you will see the back of the Museum of Modern Art which just reopened after its renovation and expansion. On the northern side of West 54th Street is a series of historical mansions each with its distinctive look.
The James Gordon House at 9-11 West 54th Street really stands out. James J. Gordon was the owner of the Erie Railroad and two insurance companies and was a cousin of JPMorgan, the banker. The house was designed by McKim, Mead & White in the Colonial American style. Mr. Gordon’s family had come to the United States in the 17th century and was from an old line Connecticut family. Look at the classic look of the mansion and its elegant stone and grill work. The house is now on the market for 65 million dollars (Curbed New York).
Another mansion that stands out along West 54th Street is the William Murray House at 13-15 West 54th Street. These twin mansions were built for Larchmont businessman William Murray by architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh in the ‘Renaissance style’. This section of fashionable mansions is what is left of the Gilded Age residences in the neighborhood.
Seed54 Sculpture at the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 54th Street
On the corner is the an unusual sculpture that I first noticed when walking past a hot dog vendor on the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 54th Street in front of 1330 Sixth Avenue building. This strange looking piece of artwork resembles an open air egg is by artist Haresh Lalvani. This unusual sculpture can be interpreted many different ways. The only problem is that the hot dog vendor on the corner distracts from even looking at it and I have passed it without even noticing it over the times I have been in the neighborhood.
Mr. Lalvani is a professional artist and Professor at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. His emphasis in the work is his study of morphology into nature and its affects on art. ‘Seed54′ is part of his HyperSurface’ series. Mr. Lalvani is a graduate of the Pratt Institute of Architecture (Pratt Institute).
Artist Haresh Lalvani in front of one of his “HyperSurface” works
At the very edge of the neighborhood is 254 West 54th Street now the home of a theater but in the late 70’s was home to the famous ‘Studio 54’ nightclub and epicenter of the Disco era. There has never been a club before and after that can compare to it.
The club was opened in 1977 by club owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schlager who had once opened clubs out on Long Island and to much fanfare and the party did not end until the club was raided for tax evasion and closed February of 1980. The party was over! The club continued to open over the years but the original magic was gone as the Disco era faded away in the early 80’s.
254 West 54th Street The famous former “Studio 54”
The history of the Rise and Fall of Studio 54
So Central Park South keeps morphing. From fashionable residential area to commercial properties and hotels now back to residential properties. The buildings get renovated or gutted, knocked down and then rebuilt or a bit of both. But you can see by the architecture, stores, new hotels and progressive office buildings the area just keeps changing. From the added Nordstrom’s (let’s see how long it lasts in this retail environment) to the converting hotels to condos back to hotels it is a never ending change.
I ended the day eating at the food court below the Time Warner Building right off the subway station under Columbus Circle (it is amazing where they put this stuff). The Turnstyle Underground Market is located at the West 59th Street entrance at the Time-Warner Building. Just take the escalator down.
Among the independent vendors that I passed, one stood out and it was one I had read about in the WestSider newspaper, Daa! Dumpling (See review on TripAdvisor-Now Closed) at 1000 South 8th Avenue.
Daa! Dumpling is so good! (Closed 2021)
This little Russian Dumplings are delicious. Perfectly boiled and seasoned I had the combination chicken and pork dumplings with sour cream and pickles and each bite was a pleasure. The woman even kept it open for me when I ordered and closed as soon I started to devour my dumplings. For $8.00, they were so good and dipping them into the sour cream made them extra rich.
It was the perfect meal to end the day.
When visiting the Underground Market in 2021, the era of COVID, the market has been badly hit and more than half the stores, restaurants and take out places have closed for business. The ones that were remaining the afternoon I had visited were barely busy. It was sad to see from a market that was once elbow to elbow.
To see my write up on the border of Fifth Avenue with Midtown East, see MywalkinManhattan.com below:
Day One Hundred & Forty Six: Walking the Streets of Midtown East:
To see the historic buildings and hotels I provided all the addresses to see them on your own. Just look for the plaques on the outsides of these buildings.
In honor of Small Business Saturday, I am featuring wonderful reasonable restaurants in New York City. Don’t miss the Roast Pork and Cream buns at this Garment District gem.
I discovered New Li Yuan (Fu Xing) one day after passing it a million times on my way up Seventh Avenue. The restaurant caters mostly to the workers from the surrounding ( and what’s left of) the Garment District. It’s a restaurant that is Chinese for the Chinese workers. Over the last couple of months that I have been eating there, I have noticed that the customers have been diversifying. I see a lot of the young workers from the office buildings near by venturing in for take out and are in search of a reasonable meal.
The front counter is made up of a large steam table loaded with all sorts of entrée items with white rice and noodles available. It is diverse amount dishes including chopped pork…
This amazing little hole in the wall restaurant is a the perfect retreat when visiting the Upper East Side shopping district or fighting the crowds at Bloomingdale’s. Like most of the non-descript Chinese restaurants that line the streets and avenues of Manhattan, Asian 59 stands out for its very friendly service, reasonable prices and excellent food.
When I was finishing my blog on walking the Upper East Side for my other blog, “MywalkinManhattan”, I had passed this restaurant several times and saw that it was very busy at lunch time and thought that last day in the neighborhood I would try it. I was very happy with the whole experience.
The first time I ate at Asian 59 was for lunch. Their lunch specials are extremely reasonable…
In honor of Small Business Saturday, I am featuring wonderful reasonable restaurants in New York City. The restaurant’s lunch specials are delicious and plentiful.
The food here is excellent! The Beef and String beans is wonderful.
East Garden Chinese Restaurant at 1685 First Avenue (Closed May 2024)
East Garden Chinese Restaurant is worth the special trip up the Q subway train or if you are going to the Metropolitan Art Museum and want a quick lunch. Their food is wonderful, perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The best part is that they have lunch specials that start at $5.95 that come with fried rice or white rice (you can add for an extra $1.00 Wonton, Egg Drop or Hot & Sour Soup). Their combination plates run between $8.75-$9.25 and include pork fried rice and an egg roll.
My first trip to the restaurant (See TripAdvisor for my review), I…
In honor of Small Business Saturday, I am featuring wonderful reasonable restaurants in New York City. Don’t miss the egg custards and rainbow cakes at this Chinatown bakery.
When visiting Chinatown in New York City there are many places to get a reasonable snack. This traditional bakery has been around since the 1970’s and before and has been serving Chinese-American sweets to customers for years.
The family that owns the bakery I have found to be very friendly and engaging with their customers as I am sure that they are used to tourists coming in and out of the store. The bakery has seen a lot of competition over the years with a mass opening of Hong Kong style bakeries and bubble tea shops that litter the entire neighborhood with more opening every day selling pretty much the same food items.
What separates Lung Moon Bakery from the other bakeries is their quality and their prices. I have been…
Tao Hong Bakery is a tiny hole in the wall bakery across the street from Sara Delano Roosevelt Park and next to both Chi Dumpling House (79 Chrystie Street) and Wah Fung Number One Fast Food Restaurant (81 Chrystie Street), which makes a nice place for a progressive restaurant experience. You can go to the first two for your appetizer and main dish and then enter Tao Hong Bakery for your dessert. The best part of the experience is that all the desserts are fresh and I watch them bring them out a little at a time (See reviews on TripAdvisor).
The cases are stocked with all sorts of sweet and savory baked items including Hot Dog Buns ($1.00), Pineapple Buns ($1.00) and Raisin Buns ($1.00). All have a distinct sweetness…
In honor of Small Business Saturday, I am featuring wonderful reasonable restaurants in New York City. I highly recommend the Dumplings and soups here.
*Bloggers Note: Chi Dumpling House closed at the end of January of 2023 and is being replaced by a new restaurant).
I have been to Chi Dumpling House (formerly the C & L Dumpling-sign still stands out front) several times for meals and have enjoyed the food at the restaurant.
It is truly ‘bare’ bones in its appearance. There are a few small tables in the restaurant but it is not most attractive place to eat at in Chinatown. It is a ‘workers’ type of restaurant where the employees from other restaurants come for a meal after work. The inside is more for take-out and the tables are for a quick meal. Many people taking the bus a few doors down from the restaurant came here the days I visited for a quick snack or take out food for the ride.
What the restaurant lacks in appearance it makes up in food and in the prices…
In honor of Small Business Saturday, I am featuring all the small individually owned restaurants on my blog, DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com. These reasonable places won’t ‘break the bank’ when visiting New York City.
Barcelona’s in Garfield, NJ.
G’s Coffee Shop in Inwood, NY
Since the site has been created, the prices of food have gone ‘through the roof’ since COVID. So, I changed the price to $20.00. I have continued to look for quality restaurants and take out places that meet those standards. There are a lot of them out there.
My name is Justin Watrel and I created ‘Dining on a Shoe String in New York City’ (DiningonShoeStringinNYC.wordpress.com) as an extension to the blogs: ‘MywalkinManhattan’ (MywalkinManhattan.com) along with ‘VisitingaMuseum’ (VisitingaMuseum.com) and “LittleShoponMainStreet” (“LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com), in search of a delicious meal for $10.00 and under. It is difficult in an area as expensive as Metropolitan New York but many restaurant owners are paving the way with small, innovative menus at a fair price.
Lung Moon Bakery in Chinatown, NY
I created this blog when I discovered all these wonderful small restaurants, bodegas and bakeries that were fantastic both in that the quality of their food and the prices that they cost. I also looked at atmosphere and cleanliness of the establishment. Most cost under $10.00 (USA) for their main food items and provide small places to sit down and eat.
With everyone on a budget, I thought this would cater nicely to…
While I was walking for my project, ‘MywalkinManhattan.com”, I came across the Shanghai Chinese Restaurant at 1388 2nd Avenue. It is a non-descriptive restaurant that sits behind some fencing on the road (they are fixing this part of 2nd Avenue) and when you walk in, there is a counter and three small tables to sit and enjoy your lunch. The place is no different from the dozens of other Chinese take out places all over the City. In fact, I almost bypassed it for another restaurant but it always seemed so busy with the hospital around the corner. So I decided to try it (See reviews on TripAdvisor).
The food and service are both wonderful. I could not believe the portion sizes as well. They were huge! I could not believe how large the lunch specials are…
mywalkinmanhattan 