Category Archives: Interesting Bakeries

Day Two Hundred and Fourteen: Walking the Streets of the Garment District from West 41st to 35th from Fifth to Ninth Avenues January 18th and 22nd, 2022 (Revisited December 11th, 2022 and February 24th, 2024 and August 21st, 2025 and June 16, 2026)

The Garment District is an unusual neighborhood. It is a mixture of manufacturing, tourism from all the hotels that have opened in the last twenty years and office lofts of former manufacturing and showrooms. The Advertising, Marketing and Tech companies that are now quiet due to the pandemic. During the weekends, it is especially quiet in the area due to the lack of tourists after the holiday season. The most amount of people on a warmish day are concentrated around Bryant Park.

It has also been so cold lately that it has been no fun walking around Manhattan. When you have those rare days when there is no wind and it is around 40 to 50 degrees it makes it bearable. I am not much of a winter person but it is only two more months. The weather finally broke one afternoon and I was able to start the lower part of the neighborhood on a 45-degree day that was sunny with no wind. It made for nice walking weather.

I started my walk on a late sunny afternoon. I had tickets for a movie at the MoMA that evening and wanted to walk a few blocks before I left for the museum. I now understand what pandemic has done for small businesses all over Manhattan. It is getting spooky how the domino effect of closed offices has had on restaurants and shops not just in this area of the City. There were so many empty store fronts and, in some cases, open restaurants with staff sitting around on their cellphones. It reminded me of Chinatown in March of 2020.

Walking West 35th Street was like seeing where magic is created as most of the buildings are the backs of hotels and current and former department stores. On the corner of Eighth Avenue and West 35th Street is the most unglamorous part of the Hotel New Yorker with the loading dock and the employee entrance, the loading docks of Macy’s that stretch from Seventh Avenue to Broadway and the loading docks of the former Ohrbach’s department store that are now part of the office building that stretch from Broadway to Fifth Avenue. There are lots of delivery trucks going back and forth.

Macy’s facing Broadway and West 35th Street and Herald Square ay 151 West 34th Street hides it loading dock.

https://www.macys.com/stores/ny/newyork/herald-square_3.html

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d208847-Reviews-Macy_s_Herald_Square-New_York_City_New_York.html

Here and there small hotels have been created in the spaces between the office buildings and these have changed the character and the foot traffic of the neighborhood. They have brought some life to a quiet block. What impressed me was that there are still a lot of fabric and clothing wholesalers left in the neighborhood. Between rezoning and the pandemic, so many of the fabric, button and zipper businesses have closed their doors.

What stands out is the restaurants that dot the street. There are so many reasonable restaurants that are surviving on the garment and the office workers that are still in the area and the shoppers at Macy’s. Some are also really popular on TripAdvisor and Yelp so that helps them as well.

Stick to My Pot Potstickers at 224 West 35th Street has been catering to both the garment and office workers since it opened two years ago. I love coming here for reasonable meals and snacks when I am in the area. The Fried Pork and Chive dumplings and the Roast Pork Bao Buns are just excellent (see my reviews on TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com).

Stick to my Pot Potstickers is at 224 West 35th Street

https://sticktomypot.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d16882048-Reviews-Stick_To_My_Pot-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

The slow cooked pork is tucked into a rice bun.

Their dumplings are delicious

A few doors down another reasonable take-out place just opened 99 Cent Delicious Pizza at 460 Seventh Avenue. They have the most amazing cheese pizza at $1.00 a slice.

99cent Pizza at 460 Seventh Avenue has been popular since it opened (it is also now $1.50)

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4415181-Reviews-or30-99_Cent_Fresh_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

I cannot believe how popular this place has become with both the tourists and local office workers.

99 Cent Delicious Pizza makes an excellent slice

Crossing the street, you will see how the innerworkings of Macy’s loading docks with the street loaded with trucks unloading all sorts of treasures that will be on display in the store in the coming days.

Herald Square was busy the afternoon I was there with shoppers and tourists relaxing on the chairs in the plaza outside the store and in the park. The park has dramatically improved since I worked at Macy’s. When I worked at Macy’s in the early 1990’s, Herald and Greeley Squares were places to avoid until about 1994 when the parks were renovated and new plantings and French metal café tables were added. Now it is hard at lunch time to find a table.

In the process of the renovations, the City also restored the statues dedicated to James Gordon Bennett and Horace Greeley.

James Gordon Bennett statue

The statue dedicated to James Gordon Bennett and his son James Gordon Bennett II

Herald Square Park during lunch

The statue is to Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom and Invention and two blacksmiths who flank a bell that once topped the Herald Building where the New York Herald, which was founded by James Gordon Bennett in 1835. The statue was dedicated in the park in 1895 (NYCParks.org).

James Gorden Bennett

James Gordon Bennett

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Gordon_Bennett_Sr.

The statue was designed by Antonin Jean Carles

antonin Carles

Artist Antonin Jean Carles

http://www.artnet.com/artists/jean-antonin-carles/

Antonin Jean Carles was born in France and was a student of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Toulouse. He was known for his monument sculptures.

Across the park is an impressive mural at the corner of West 35th Street and Sixth Avenue on a building that once housed the Desigual flagship store. The work is by Spanish artist Okuda San Miguel and entitled “Multicultural Freedom Statue” and was created in 2019. It is a tribute to multiculturalism in New York City (Artist Bio). The store has since closed.

The painting at Sixth Avenue at West 35th Street by artist Okuda San Miguel (now painted over in 2023)

Artist Okuda San Miguel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okuda_San_Miguel

Artist Okuda San Miguel was born in Spain and known for his colorful geometric styles in painting. He graduated from the Complutense University of Madrid with a BFA and has shown his work all over the world (Wiki).

The rest of the block is the northern most edge of Koreatown and has some interesting restaurants that have been here for over thirty years. In between the restaurants there are more small hotels that have been part of the neighborhood for years. Then you reach the border of the neighborhood at Fifth Avenue and you are facing the formerly grand B. Altman & Company on the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 35th Street.

The B. Altman Building at 361 Fifth Avenue was built by Benjamin Altman for the new location for his ‘carriage trade’ store. The store was designed by architects Trowbridge & Livingston in the “Italian Renaissance Style” in 1906. The palatial store was home to couture clothing, fine furniture and expensive art work.

The former B. Altman Department Store at 361 Fifth Avenue

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._Altman_and_Company

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-b-atlman-co-bldg-no-361-fifth-avenue.html

I walked back down West 35th Street towards Ninth Avenue and the only really section of the street that was busy was in front of the Midtown Precinct South. It was going through their shift change in the afternoon. I rounded the corner and made my way down West 36th Street. Again as I was walking down the street it amazed me to see so many clothing and fabric businesses still in business. Here and there are traces of the old neighborhood mixing into what is developing since the rezoning.

West 36th Street is again a mix of the old and the new. Loft office buildings mix in with the new smaller hotels that line the street which surprisingly are all open. On a recent trip down Lexington Avenue in Midtown East, many of the larger grand hotels that line the avenue are still closed but these smaller commuter hotels are still filled with tourists and industry people. It is showing the resilience of the area.

Architecture wise, it is extremely bland with mostly buildings from the post WWII era that catered to the growing Garment industry. There are some conversions to new hotels and office buildings and some residential as well. Still there are some surprises along the walk.

488 Seventh Avenue was built as the Hotel York in 1903 by brothers James and David Todd, who had an interest in building luxury hotels. They commissioned architect Harry B. Mulliken, who had designed the Hotel Aberdeen on West 32nd Street for the brothers, with his new partner, Edger J. Moeller, who formed the firm of Mulliken & Moeller. The York Hotel was their first commission together. The hotel was designed in the Beaux-Arts style with elaborate carved decorations (Daytonian in Manhattan).

488 Seventh Avenue-The York Hotel (Daytonian)

The beautiful detail work of 488 Seventh Avenue.

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-1903-hotel-york-no-488-7th-avenue.html

The Hotel York was a residential and transient for most of its existence attracting the theater crowd when 34th Street was the Theater District of the time. As this moved uptown, the hotel was bought in 1986 and was renovated for residential and commercial use (Daytonian in Manhattan). The Tokian Group now owns the building and it is luxury apartments.

Walking towards Broadway most of the buildings are relatively new but one does stand out that being the Haier Building at 1356 Broadway. The Haier Building was built by architects from York & Sawyer in the Neo-Classical Revival style. The building was completed in 1924 and was the headquarters for Greenwich Savings Bank. The building is built with limestone and polished granite and features Roman Corinthian Columns (Wiki).

1352 Broadway-The Haier Building (Former Greenwich Savings Bank-Wiki)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_Savings_Bank_Building

The Haier Building is especially beautiful at night.

The Haier Building stretches from Broadway to Sixth Avenue and is impressive on both sides of the building. The building was used by Greenwich Savings Bank from 1924 until 1981 when the bank went out of business (Wiki).

In front of the Executive Hotel Le Soleil New York at 38 West 36th Street, there is an interesting sculpture on the front terrace by artist Marie Khouri that looks like a tear drop. The sculpture. “Histoire d’O”, was created in 2016 and there are many different versions of it all over the world, this one prominently sitting in front of the hotel. Its beauty is in its curvature.

The Executive Hotel Le Soleil New York at 38 West 36th Street

https://www.hotellesoleil.com/new-york/

Review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60763-d7816364-Reviews-Executive_Hotel_Le_Soleil_New_York-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Artist Marie Khouri was born in Egypt and raised in Lebanon and through a series of moves around the world is now based in Vancouver. She was classically trained in sculpture at L’Ecole du Louvre in Paris and has developed a vast range of cultural and historical influences within her practice. Her sculptures blend and extend metaphors of language, form and the body to propose an inextricable link to a life deeply affected by the complex history of the Middle East (Artist’s Bio).

Artist Marie Khouri’s “Histoire d’O”

Artist Marie Khouri

https://www.mariekhouri.com/

https://www.facebook.com/marie.khouri.sculpture/

When I reached the edge of West 36th Street, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 36th Street is 390 Fifth Avenue that was designed by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White for the Gorham Manufacturing Company of fine silver products in 1903. It was designed in the “Italian Renaissance Style” and was used for manufacturing and their showroom. It later became Russeks Department store and has now found other uses.

390 Fifth Avenue-The Gorham Manufacturing Building

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/390_Fifth_Avenue

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/390-5th-Ave-New-York-NY/17368347/

It was getting dark when I arrived back at Ninth Avenue and I decided to call it a night. Before I left for the MoMA to see my film, I went to Stone Bridge Pizza at 16 East 41st Street for dinner. I have to say that their personal Cheese Pizza ($10.95) is excellent and very simple. The sauce is fresh tomatoes, garlic and olive oil topped with fresh mozzarella and baked until crisp (See review on TripAdvisor). With an unlimited soda fountain dispenser of Boylan’s sodas, it makes for the perfect meal on a cool night.

Stone Bridge Pizza & Salad at 16 East 41st Street (now closed 2022)

https://www.stonebridgepizzaandsalad.com/

I made a second trip into Manhattan that Saturday. My plan was to walk the rest of the neighborhood, then go to the Met for the afternoon to see the Surrealist exhibition and then visit a few of the stores and restaurants that the internet had said had closed.

Walking the Garment District took longer than I thought walking back and forth between West 37th to West 41st Streets from Ninth to Fifth Avenues. It did not help that it was 28 degrees outside. Still, it was sunny with no wind and I found the crisp winter day the perfect time to walk the empty streets of the Garment District.

While buying my ticket for the return trip home, I passed a sculpture of passengers getting on a bus that before I had never given a second thought to and took a moment to look it over. It is the sculpture “The Commuters” by artist George Segal.

It really does depict what it is like to wait for a bus at the Port Authority after a long day at work. You are exhausted and worn out from work and then have to wait in a long line of other tired people while traffic backs up in the Lincoln Tunnel to leave Manhattan. The sculpture is true to form.

“The Commuters” by Artist George Segal (Wiki) in the Port Authority Bus Terminal

George Segal is an American born Native New Yorker who was raised in New Jersey and lived his whole life. He attended the Pratt Institute, Cooper-Union and graduated with a degree in teaching from New York University. Known mostly for being a painter, the artist gained fame with his realistic sculptures. “The Commuters” was installed in 1982 (Wiki).

Artist George Segal (Wiki)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Segal_(artist)

The upstairs of the Port Authority has some interesting artworks as well. You have to look to the corners to see them tucked in here and there.

This interesting piece of art is on the second floor of the Port Authority by artist Shantell Martin.

This sister piece is just a few steps down from the other one. This is called “Lines from Mars”.

Artist Shantell Martin

https://shantellmartin.art

Artist Shantell Martin is a British born artist now working out of Los Angeles, CA. She holds a BA from Central St. Martins, University of Arts out of London. She is best known for her art that explores themes like intersectionality, identity, and play (Artist Bio).

This unique work was by artist Jennifer West

Artist Jennifer West

https://www.jweststudio.com/

Artist Jennifer West is a American born artist who works in California. She had a BA from Evergreen State College and a MFA from Art Center in California. Her works in film, installation, sculpture, film quilts, photo, performance and artist books are based in the archaeology of media, memory, place and recuperation (Artist bio).

This work was by artist Takeshi Murata

Artist Takeshi Murata

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeshi_Murata

https://salon94.com/artists/takeshi-murata#biography

Artist Takeshi Murata is an American born artist. The artist graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1997 with a B.F.A. in Film/Video/Animation. He is an American contemporary artist who creates digital media artworks using video and computer animation techniques (Artist bio). 

One morning before I left for my walk around the area and to Coney Island for the afternoon, I stopped at Villa Pizza on the main level of the Port Authority for breakfast.

Villa Italian Kitchen in the Port Authority first floor wing at 625 8th Avenue

https://locations.villaitaliankitchen.com/en-us/ny/new-york/625-8th-ave/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d21590987-Reviews-Villa_Fresh_Italian_Kitchen-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

I know that they served breakfast and I passed by here many times and never stopped. I had a slice of pizza here once years ago and it was good but I had not eaten here in over a decade. I needed a quick breakfast and stopped in for one of their breakfast strombolis.

The inside of the line of breakfast and lunch items. Scrambled eggs next to Spaghetti

The combination of breakfast and lunch items

The Breakfast Stromboli’s were pretty good. They were made of pizza dough and had a combination of bacon, scrambled eggs and cheese inside and then baked golden brown. It made a nice breakfast. It just seemed strange eating breakfast in the Port Authority.

The delicious Breakfast Stromboli’s

My Bacon, Egg and Cheese Stromboli that morning

Yum!

On the way down to Coney Island after breakfast, I noticed this piece of art that sits just outside the entrance to the subway in the Port Authority by Artist Lisa Dinhofer “Losing My Marbles”, which I had passed dozens of times but never really stopped to look at closely.

The sign for artist Lisa Dinhofer’s Losing My Marbles

Artist Lisa Dinhofer

https://www.facebook.com/lisadinhoferart/

https://www.artstudentsleague.org/instructors/lisa-dinhofer

Artist Lisa Dinhofer is an American born artist whose background is in painting, draftswomanship, and printmaking. She earned her BA with honors from Brandeis University and an MFA from the University of Pennsylvania (Artist bio).

“Losing my Marbles” located at the entrance to the subway at West 42nd Street

“Losing my Marbles” in the subway station at West 42nd Street

To see this magnificent piece of art in the Garment District, you have to travel by subway so try not to miss it at the entrance.

This piece of art spreads all around the entrance to the subway from the Port Authority

I rewalked West 36th Street to be sure that I had not missed anything as the other day it started to get dark early, and I rushed walking the street. I thought the side streets of the Garment District were quiet during the week. Try walking in the neighborhood on a weekend day when most of the businesses are closed. Most of the streets with the exception of around Herald Square and Bryant Park were desolate. I saw mostly bored shop keepers in the fabric stores and empty hotel lobbies.

One piece of art I missed on my first part of the walk down West 36th Street was just outside Vito’s Pizzeria at 464 Ninth Avenue. Just around the corner is an interesting painting on the wall on the side of the business by artist Chem Dogg Millionaire. The creative geometrics on the mural brighten up the side of the building.

Painting by artist Chem Dogg Millionaire (no bio on artist)

It was so quiet when I walked down West 37th Street from Ninth Avenue. The cold was keeping people inside but there were still the adventurous ones walking their dogs and just wanting some fresh air.

I passed M & T Pretzels at 349 West 37th Street which distributes vending and concession products all over the City and you can see all their carts that are the fabric of the food service industry. Their pretzels are a New York institution.

West 37th Street in not known for its architectural creativity or street art but where it lacks in these it makes up in reasonable places to eat and some great restaurants. The Garment District has some of the best places to eat when you are on a budget.

9th Avenue Gourmet Deli at West 37th Street

https://menupages.com/9th-ave-gourmet-deli/480-9th-ave-new-york

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d27777842-Reviews-9th_Avenue_Royal_Deli-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

On the corner of Ninth Avenue and West 37th Street is 9th Avenue Deli (the former AM-PM Deli), which I think is one of the best delis in Manhattan. I have stopped by for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the food has always been consistently delicious.

I have mentioned this deli many times on my walks. It is where I have had breakfast to fill up with carbs before my thirteen-mile Broadway walks and have stopped here when walking the “Great Saunter Walk” around the perimeter of the island. Their ‘Meat Lovers” breakfast sandwich with bacon, sausage, and ham with three eggs helps carry me through one side of the island and their bacon cheeseburgers are the best.

The Cheeseburgers at 9th Avenue Deli are wonderful.

There has been some interesting graffiti work showing up on the walls of this area as well.

This popped up on West 37th Street.

This was right next to it.

Very clever and a nice way to cover it.

At West 26th Street is the FDNY Firehouse called the “Batcave” which is Engine 26. This firehouse has been active in the system since 1865 and had originally been part of an extensive volunteer network before the FDNY was established. It is the oldest active firehouse in the FDNY system (Foursquare and Manhattan Sideways).

Engine 26 in Midtown “The Batcave” at 222 West 37th Street.

https://foursquare.com/v/fdny-engine-26/4dfab8ebd4c01451df569185

Engine 26 “The Batcave” at 222 West 37th Street

“The Batcave” emblem.

Non Solo Piada at 302 West 37th Street just off Eighth Avenue is another wonderful place to dine. This tiny store front specializes in Roman street food with dishes such as Piadizze, which is a crispy thin pizza with multiple toppings and Cassoni, which is a smaller version of a Calzone, which is filled with cheeses and meats. They have wonderful desserts and when the weather is warmer, they have tables and a counter outside the store and it is nice to eat outside on this quiet block.

Non Solo Piada at 302 West 37th Street off Eighth Avenue (Closed in January 2025)

Home

Amongst all the large office buildings and manufacturing companies is a tiny church tucked in the middle of all this commerce. The Shrine and Parish Church of Holy Innocents is at 128 West 37th Street and stands out for its beauty in design and the fact that it was still decorated for Christmas.

The Shrine and Parish of Holy Innocents at 128 West 37th Street

https://shrineofholyinnocents.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Innocents_Church_(New_York_City)

The church was built in 1870 when the area around Herald Square was still rural and the church was designed by architect Patrick C. Keely in the Gothic-Revival style. The fresco inside the church was designed by noted artist Constantino Brumidi, who later painted the rotunda at the U.S. Capital (Wiki).

As the area has changed over the last hundred and fifty years, the congregation has changed with it from the rural farmers then to the tenement dwellers, the theater and hotel crowd and now to office workers and shoppers who dominate the area during the week. The church still has its challenges with the poor but is optimistic in serving the community (Church history).

Just off West 37th Street on Broadway is an interesting little pizzeria Encore Pizza at 1369 Broadway. I have eaten here many times on my walk down Broadway and they make a nice pizza.

Encore Pizza at 1369 Broadway (Closed in June 2024-now a Little Italy Pizza)

https://www.encorepizzamenu.com/

My review on TripAdvisor”

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d23859697-Reviews-Encore_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

The pizza case

Try to get there though when a fresh pie comes out of the oven.

Encore Pizza at 1369 Broadway

A new and very impressive addition to the neighborhood, Marvelous by Fred (Aux Merveilleux de Fred), opened a gluten free meringue bakery at the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 37th Street at 1001 Sixth Avenue. Not only are the pastries mind-blowingly good but the just watching the bakers prepare them in the open kitchen window make you want to walk inside (especially with how cold it has been).

Marvelous by Fred at 1001 Sixth Avenue

https://www.marvelousbyfred.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d7612405-Reviews-Aux_Merveilleux_de_Fred-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

I have to admit that the bakery is not cheap especially for this section of the City and during COVID but it is a welcome addition in high quality pastries and when you need a guilty pleasure, trust me it is helpful and so enjoyable.

The sugary Brioche with a sweet crunchiness

I had a Brioche with a sugary filling that was still warm when I bought it and each bite was a treat with a rich buttery. The sugary filling bursting in my mouth and on a cool afternoon, really warmed me up.

The Brioche and the Merveilleux

I also ordered a mini Merveilleux, called a ‘L’Exentrique’, which is two small meringues filled with a creamy mixture and then rolled in cherry crunchies.

The ‘L’Exdntrique’

This sweet creamy pastry melts in your mouth when you bite into it and you have to eat it quickly when walking or otherwise it is a gooey mess. Both pastries were well worth the money and put a big smile on my face.

The inside of the bakery at Christmas

The marvelous pastries and sandwiches at the bakery

I was a very happy traveler when I reached Fifth Avenue to see the warm sunshine covering the block. Fifth Avenue has changed since my walk around Murray Hill in 2020. A lot of the buildings are either being renovated or have ‘For Rent’ signs in the windows as small businesses in the area have suffered from lack of office workers and tourists.

Across the street is 401 Fifth Avenue, the former home to Tiffany & Company before the operations moved to East 59th Street. The impressive building stands guard still on lower Fifth Avenue as a testament to when the shopping district was below 42nd Street.

401 Fifth Avenue-The former Tiffany & Company building (Wiki)

The building was designed by Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White and was completed in 1905 as the company headquarters and stayed here until the move uptown in 1940. The design was based on the Palazzo Grimani de San Luca in Venice, Italy (Wiki).

On the way back down West 37th Street, I passed another restaurant on the other side of the street that I really had not noticed and crossed to take a look at it. Tengri Tagh Uyghur Restaurant is at 144 West 37th Street. The cuisine was Uyghur, which is an interior section of China that most of the residents were being interred by the Chinese. I remember reading that the food has more Turkish and Indian influences and the smells coming out the restaurant were amazing. You could almost taste the spices in the air. I knew where I was eating dinner that night.

One of the architectural gems of the neighborhood is covered with demon-looking faces. It sits at 301 West 37th Street, which has the most unusual carvings of gargoyles all over the sides and inside the window ledges. It gives the building almost a creepy, demonist look to it. The building was built in 1915 and is currently going under a gut renovation.

301 West 37th Street can give you the creeps

The creepy carved demons cover the building

https://www.renthop.com/building/301-west-37th-street-new-york-ny-10018

As I walked around to West 38th Street, I was greeted by an old friend in the family business of Esposito Meats at the corner of West 38th and Ninth Avenue at 500 Ninth Avenue. Esposito Meat Market has been in business since 1932. You can see the selection of meats and different cuts from the window. The one time I walked in you could smell the aroma of the freshly cut meats. The store prides itself on always delivering quality (Esposito Meat Market website).

Esposito Meat Market at 500 Ninth Avenue

http://espositomeatmarket.com/

West 38th Street to me is the Garment District’s ‘Restaurant Row’.

Just off the corner of Ninth Avenue and West 38th Street is the now closed (and hopefully to be opened soon again) Fu Xing at 273 West 38th Street (Closed in 2021). The restaurant was my go-to place for Roast Pork, Custard, Pineapple and Cream buns ($1.25) when I volunteered at the Soup Kitchen or when I needed a quick lunch and was in the area (see my reviews on TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com).

The roast pork buns here were the best

This little hole in the wall catered to the Asian garment workers but somehow found its way to tourists and office workers all over the area.

Fu Xing at 273 West 38th Street (Closed in 2020)

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/149

On the corner of Eighth Avenue and West 38th is another building beautiful in detail but has been sadly neglected over the years is 557 Eighth Avenue. The Beaux-arts’ designed building was built in 1903 by architect Emery Roth who was part of Stein, Cohen & Roth. It was run as a residential hotel for most of its history and now houses commercial space in the upper floors and fast-food restaurants on the bottom (Daytonian in Manhattan.blogspot/Loopnet.com).

557 Eighth Avenue

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/557-8th-Ave-New-York-NY/21625348/

You have to really look up or you will miss the beauty of the building with its detailed carvings around the windows and the portraits of women carved between the windows.

The details at 557 Eighth Avenue are spectacular

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2011/07/emery-roths-art-nouveau-no-557-8th.html

The side entrance of the building at 302 West 38th Street

Further down the street towards Seventh Avenue is Lazzara’s Pizza Cafe at 221 West 38th Street #2, which is known for their lasagna pizza (see my review on TripAdvisor) which was lunch for us many an afternoon when I was a in the Buying line at Macy’s. These deep-dish pizzas are wonderful and the service has always been so friendly over the years.

Lazzara’s Pizza Cafe at 221 West 38th Street #2

https://lazzaraspizza.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d424527-Reviews-Lazzara_s_Pizza_Cafe-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

A few doors down is Ben’s Kosher Restaurant, the former Lou G. Siegel’s, that is known throughout the Garment industry as the place for piled high pastrami sandwiches and matzo ball soup. The original restaurant had been in business for over 79 years before being bought out by Ben’s in 1996 (Ben’s Kosher History).

Ben’s Kosher Restaurant Manhattan at 209 West 38th Street (now called Mr. Broadway in 2024)

https://www.facebook.com/benskosherdelifanpage/

My review on TripAdvisor:

The interesting family fact is that both myself and my grandfather both ate at Lou G. Siegel’s when it was open thirty years apart. My grandfather had worked as an officer in the Ladies Garment Union and this is where they used to have lunch back in the 1950’s. I still love to dine there, always ordering the Double Dip ($16.99), a Pastrami on Rye with a side of Matzo Ball soup and a Potato pancake. There is nothing like it (see my review on TripAdvisor).

Don’t miss the Double Dip at Ben’s Kosher Restaurant

Ben’s Kosher Historical Marker as the original Lou Siegel Restaurant (his father’s) and is now called “Mr. Broadway Restaurant”.

The new restaurant “Mr. Broadway Restaurant”.

https://www.mrbroadwaykosher.com

Review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d524863-Reviews-Mr_Broadway_Kosher_Restaurant-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Unless I had missed this before but there was a new mural at the top of the building. This was very unusual how this got up so fast but it was really interesting.

The work at the top of the Mr. Broadway Restaurant building by artist M. Schorr.

Artist Mitchell Schorr

https://mschorr.info

Artist Mitchell Schorr is an American born artist from New York City and is best known for his urban mural paintings. This is one of many in New York City and around the world (Artist bio).

During the week, there is a tiny cart right off Broadway, Empanada Suprema, with the little empanada with a cape as its symbol. This little cart makes the freshest empanadas in Mid-Town with cheese, chicken and beef fillings made right in front of you and fried fresh at the cart. With a little hot sauce, two of these make the perfect lunch and I love munching on them on a cold day.

The Empanada Suprema cart at West 38th Street. Look for the capped empanada

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/926

The fun sign disappeared in 2024.

This sculpture stands outside the Archer Hotel at 45 West 38th Street was created by artist Thea Lanzisero

https://archerhotel.com/new-york

Artist Thea Lanzisero

https://www.thealanzisero.com

Artist Thea Lanzisero Thea is an American born artist and has a MFA in Visual Arts, is an adjunct professor and has taught art at CUNY Brooklyn & CUNY BMCC & SUNY Farmingdale in NY. As a polymedia artist from Huntington, NY, Thea Lanzisero creates public art, community engagement through interactive sculptural installations and placemaking structures at art museums, art parks, art fairs, galleries and art in unusual spaces in the US and Abroad (Artist Bio).

The piece pays tribute to the historic garment district where the hotel is located in the center of the former Garment District.

Walking towards Fifth Avenue, the architecture starts getting interesting and at 63 West 38th Street is the Refinery Hotel. This beautiful and interesting looking hotel was built in 1912 and was the former Colony Arcade Building. It had been home to a 19-century milliner and a tearoom (Refinery Hotel history). The hotel has two excellent restaurants one being on the roof top looking over the Bryant Park neighborhood.

The Refinery Hotel at 63 West 38th Street (The Refinery Hotel)

https://www.refineryhotelnewyork.com/

Arriving finally at Fifth Avenue is the famous former department store Lord & Taylor, once a New York institution in women’s high fashion. The former Lord & Taylor headquarters store that opened in 1914 just recently closed with a sale to the now imploded WeWorks company and was just sold to Amazon for 985 million dollars.

This former ‘grand carriage trade’ store replaced the former headquarters store at Broadway and 20th Street by Union Square and opened at this location at 424-434 Fifth Avenue. The 11-story building was designed by architects Starrett & Van Vleck in the ‘Italian Renaissance Revival’. The store closed for business in January of 2019 after over one hundred years in the location (and a recent store renovation).

424-434 Fifth Avenue The Lord & Taylor Building

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_%26_Taylor_Building

Lord & Taylor Department Store

Lord & Taylor was founded in New York City in 1826 and has moved around the City several times in its long history. I will miss walking around the store and wondering through the store at Christmas time which was always magical in the store’s heyday. I like everyone in the City will miss their Christmas windows.

Lord & Taylor Christmas Windows

I’m not sure if Amazon will continue this tradition at the holidays

As I made my way back down West 38th Street, I finally saw a bit more foot traffic off Fifth and Sixth Avenues as the afternoon crowds went to lunch or were heading in the direction of Macy’s. There was another one of their big sales and it was attracting late shoppers.

On the corner of West 39th Street is one of the best places for deep-dish pizza in Manhattan at the ever-growing Upside Pizza (which now

The Detroit deep dish Pepperoni is the best

has two more locations) at 598 Eighth Avenue. The pizzeria makes delicious deep-dish cheese and pepperoni pizza and their regular cheese pies are terrific too. The Sicilian pies are a cross between traditional Sicilian and Detroit deep-dish.

Upside Pizza at 598 Eighth Avenue

https://www.upsidepizza.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d15662360-Reviews-Upside_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

The pizza here is excellent

I recently visited late night and had a slice of their Detroit Cheese pizza and it is amazing. The crispy cheese was baked right into the crust. The pizza slices here are delicious.

The front of Upside Pizza

The Detroit Cheese pizza

The Detroit Cheese Pizza

As I made my way down West 39th Street, I passed more fabric and small wholesale stores proving that the Garment District businesses are alive and well, maybe not in the numbers as in the past but still going strong. Tucked in between buildings are more national chain hotels and restaurants that keep opening and closing with the traffic of the area. There are a lot of empty store fronts as you get to Seventh Avenue. Business from the surrounding office buildings has indeed slowed down.

When arriving at the corner of West 39th Street and Seventh Avenue in front of the Chase Bank at 551 Seventh Avenue is the very iconic sculpture of the Needle Threading the Button that is part of the Welcome Booth on Seventh Avenue.

The Button and Needle Sculpture is actually part of the information booth (NYPL.org)

The Needle and Thread has now been replaced by a new sculpture in 2023

According to the New York Public Library, the sculpture of the needle and button is actually part of the Fashion Center Information Kiosk that has been closed for a few years. The sculpture was designed by Pentagram Architectural Services in 1996 and was inspired by artist Claes Oldenburg’s sculptures. The district is currently looking into replacing this kiosk (New York Public Library Research Department).

Artist Claes Oldenburg (Wiki)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claes_Oldenburg

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Claes-Oldenburg

Artist Claes Oldenburg was a Swedish born American artist. He was born in Stockholm and moved to the United States with his parents. His father was a Swedish Diplomat who was stationed in Chicago and he studied art at Yale University and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He was known for his large art installments. Even though this was not designed by him, the work was inspired by his sculptures (Wiki).

In front of the Chase Bank at 1411 Broadway is Golda Meir Square with an open plaza. Tucked into a garden almost hidden from view by the plants is a bust of Golda Meir by artist Beatrice Goldfine. It looked like from old pictures the original pedestal is now beneath the planter. It was unveiled in 1984 (Wiki).

The bust of Golda Meir by artist Beatrice Goldfine in Golda Meir Square is now hidden in a garden.

Artist Beatrice Goldfine is an American artist born in Philadelphia and studied at the Barnes Foundation and the Pennsylvania Institute of Fine Arts.

https://prabook.com/web/beatrice.goldfine/772652

Golda Meir, the former Prime Minister of Israel (1969-1974)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golda_Meir

When walking back down West 39th Street, I noticed another small Chinese restaurant named Bao Bao Cafe at 214 West 39th Street that has an interesting menu. This is one to check out in the future.

On West 40th Street is where you really start to see interesting architecture on the fringe of the old shopping district. The buildings on the southern edge of Bryant Park, which had once a upon a time had been just ‘old buildings’, now have become the symbol of the park and some of the most classic examples of Beaux Arts and Art Deco architecture.

The walk from the Port Authority on Ninth Avenue is remnants of the ‘bad old days’ of Times Square that have not been torn down yet. This area was in the process change before COVID and is still being developed.

As you cross Sixth Avenue with Bryant Park on one side, there is a line of beautiful buildings between Broadway and Fifth Avenue that make it quite an impression. The enormous detail to these structures is evident along the sides and top of the buildings.

The details on 119 West 40th Street (the other side of the building is 114 West 41st Street) are unique. The building was built in 1913 by Philip Lewisohn with the architectural firm of Manike & Franke with the purpose of designing a loft type building. What makes the building so unique is the Gothic figures above the curved windows (Daytonian in Manhattan/Emporis).

114 West 40th Street

The details are quite striking

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2011/11/1913-lewisohn-building-119-west-40th.html

The second is 110 West 40th Street. The building was designed by architect Edward S. Browning of the firm of Buchman & Fox and was built in 1914. It was known as the World Building. Browning has designed the building so that all four sides were equally detailed (MetroManhattan.com).

110 West 40th Street

https://www.metro-manhattan.com/buildings/110-west-40th-street/

The detail work on the building.

On the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 40th Street I saw the green and red lights still blinking of the new Bank of China building at 1045 Sixth Avenue (or 7 Bryant Park). This building is interesting for its shape and its ongoing light show. The second day of visiting the neighborhood, the lights of the holidays were gone.

The building was completed in 2016 and was designed by architects Henry N. Cobb and Yvonne Szeto from the firm of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and it was interesting on why they designed the building in an ‘hourglass’ design. The firm stated that “they wanted to enrich the experience of the park while at the same time make its relationship to the park a clear expression of its identity (Pei Cobb Freed & Partners). The building is the New York home of the Bank of China.

Bank of China Building at 1045 Sixth Avenue (7 Bryant Park)

The Bank of China Building dazzles at night

https://www.pcf-p.com/

https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/bank-of-china-at-7-bryant-park

Across from Bryant Park to its south are a grouping of beautifully designed buildings. On the corner of West 40th Street and Sixth Avenue is 80 West 40th Street, ‘The Bryant Park Studios’. The building was built in 1910 as showrooms for artists. The building was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by architect Charles A. Rich (Daytonian in Manhattan).

80 West 40th Street

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/80-W-40th-St-New-York-NY/18070725/

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-1901-beaux-arts-studios-80-west.html

The Bryant Park Hotel at 40 West 40th Street is another standout that sits on the edge of the park. The hotel was built in 1924 for the American Radiator Company and known as the American Radiator Building (it was renamed the American Standard Building).

It was designed by architects John Howells and Raymond Hood who designed it in a Gothic Modern style with black and gold bricks, the black bricks symbolizing coal and the gold bricks symbolizing fire. The style of the building is a combination of Neo-Gothic and Art Deco. In 1988, the building was sold and the Bryant Park Hotel was born (Bryant Park Hotel History).

The Bryant Park Hotel at 40 West 40th Street (Bryant Park Hotel)

http://www.bryantparkhotel.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Radiator_Building

A few doors down from the hotel is 32 West 40th Street, the former Engineers Club Building. The building was designed by architects Henry D. Whitfield and Beverly S. King of the firm of Whitfield & King and was built in 1907. The building was designed in the neo-Renaissance style with Corinthian style capitals. The building was partially funded by Andrew Carnegie for a new club house for the Engineers Society that had been founded in 1888 (Wiki).

32 West 40th Street-The Engineers Building (Wiki)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineers%27_Club_Building

https://streeteasy.com/building/bryant-park-place

Making my way back to the border of Garment District at Fifth Avenue sit two impressive buildings of the bygone era from this was a major shopping district, the Knox Building and the Arnold Constable Building.

The building at 452 Fifth Avenue, the former home to Knox Hat Company, was incorporated into the HSBC Tower in 1984. The glass tower was built around the Beaux Arts building for the HSBC and it was considered an architectural marvel when it opened. The Knox Building was built in 1902 and is considered one of the finest examples of ‘Beaux Arts style’ in Manhattan.

452 Fifth Avenue-The Knox Hat Company Building part of the HSBC Building

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/452_Fifth_Avenue

The detail work of the Knox Building at 452 Fifth Avenue.

The Knox Hat Company was considered one of the finest hat companies for men when it was founded in 1838. It once had 62 retail stores and was sold in all the finest stores. It did not survive the Great Depression and was merged with three other companies in 1932 to form Hat Corporation of American (Hat Co) (Bernard Hats history).

The last interesting building I saw before returning to Bryant Park to relax by the fountains was 454 Fifth Avenue at 40th Street, the old Arnold Constable & Company department store.

Fifth Avenue at 40th Street-Arnold Constable & Company Department store

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Constable_%26_Company

http://www.thedepartmentstoremuseum.org/2011/08/arnold-constable-co-new-york-city-new.html

The building opened in 1915 and closed when the company went out of business in 1975. It is now part of the New York Public Library. Arnold Constable & Company was founded in 1825 and was considered one of the oldest stores in New York City. The building was created as the shopping district moved further uptown. The company closed for business in the 1990’s.

As I finished the edge of the neighborhood walking West 41st Street, most of the buildings were either the front or back of old theaters or large new office buildings that were the result of the final demolishment of the blocks around Times Square (which was much needed at the time).

As a result of these large buildings compacted into one area, there needed to be setbacks for the public in the way of small parks and one of them is just behind the new Whole Foods at 1095 Sixth Avenue (Three Bryant Park). Inside the park near the stone benches, I admired a rather strange statue entitled “The Guardian-Superhero” by artist Antonia Pio Saracino.

Guardian-Superhero at Three Bryant Park (Antonio Pio Saracino)

The statute was created by the artist in mirrored stainless steel. The artist uses a digitally generated architectural composition (Frameweb.com).

https://www.frameweb.com/article/the-guardians-hero-and-superhero-by-antonio-pio-saracino

Artist and Architect Antonio Pio Saracino

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Pio_Saracino

Home

The park plaza at night.

Artist Antonio Pio Saracino is an Italian born artist based in New York City. He is a graduate of the La Sapienza University of Architecture with a master’s degree. The artist is multi-talented in sculpture, building and furniture design (Wiki).

I finally was able to relax in Bryant Park for a bit before I continued the walk to Kips Bay. I had read online that DiDi Dumpling in Kips Bay had closed, and I wanted to check it out for my blog. I walked through the side of Bryant Park that faced West 40th Street and admired some of the statuary and the tiny Merry go Round that was closed for the season.

The first statue that I admired was Goethe Monument inside the path. The Gothe statue is of author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and is a replica of a copy by artist Karl Fisher. It was presented to the park by The Goethe Society of America in 1876 and it was moved to Bryant Park in 1932 (NYCParks.org).

The Goethe statue

The Goethe statue

The Goethe Monument in Bryant Park (NYCParks.org)

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bryant-park/monuments/592

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Wolfgang_von_Goethe

Artist Karl Fischer

There was no information on the artist that I can find. I found this very interesting blog documenting the same thing.

http://goethetc.blogspot.com/2009/10/goethe-in-bryant-park.html

I passed the tiny French Merry go Round, Le Carrousel, that brought into the park after the renovation to give the park the Parisian feel that it had. It was created for the park by the Fabricon Carousel Company of Brooklyn, NY and many interesting creatures for children and adults (I did ride it once when it first came to the park. I am too big for this thing).

The Bryant Park Carrousel on the south side of the park (NYCParks.org)

https://bryantpark.org/amenities/le-carrousel

The last statue that I admired in the park was of the park’s namesake, William Cullen Bryant, from artist Herbert Adams and designed by Thomas Hastings of the architectural firm of Carrere & Hastings in 1911 (The firm that designed the New York Public Library). The statue was of poet, journalist and editor of The New York Evening Post Willaim Cullen Bryant (NYCParks.org).

The statute of William Cullen Bryant (NYCParks.org)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cullen_Bryant_Memorial

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bryant-park/monuments/189

The statue sits in the middle of the park just behind the New York Public Library and next to Bryant Park Grille. It guards the park from a distance.

William Cullen Bryant

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cullen_Bryant

Artist Herbert Adams (Wiki)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Adams_(sculptor)

Herbert Adams was an American born artist. Born in Vermont, he was raised in Massachusetts, He studied art at the Massachusetts Normal Art School. He opened a studio in New York City and in his time, he created over 200 public works of art and is considered one of America’s best sculpturers (Wiki).

As the last traces of the Winter Villages Christmas decorations have disappeared, I walked all around the skating rink and the open restaurants. I could not believe how busy the park was at this time of day and was not sure if it was all tourists or just locals having a good time. With all the gloom and doom in the news lately, these people deserved it!

On the way back towards Broadway I came across an interesting set of artwork by artist Santi Flores that lined the Broadway Mall. These interesting works reached for the sky. These interesting little sculptures looked like they were raising their hands for attention (“Here” ended October 22nd, 2022).

The Broadway pop-up of Artist Santi Flores display “Here”

Inicio

Artist Santi Flores “Here”

Artist Santi Flores “Here”

Artist Santi Flores “Here”

Artist Santi Flores at the street exhibition “Here”

Artist Santi Flores is a Spanish artist who is also a musician and visual artist. His creativity shows no limits (Artist Bio).

As I walked back down West 41st Street towards the Port Authority, I walked in between the terminals on my way back and forth from Ninth to Eighth Avenues and rediscovered the Robert Wyland paintings that had been done in the 1990’s. It was ironic that he had painted them because I had just visited his galleries in both Waikiki and in Maui.

The Robert Wyland mural “Inner City Whales” on the side of the Port Authority wall at Eighth Avenue and West 41st Street in 1993 (Part of his “Whaling Walls” series across the United States)

The Robert Wyland Mural on the inside wall of the Port Authority at West 41st Street is easy to miss with all the traffic and noise. I was not sure why he would place this wonderful piece of art in such an odd place that most people miss.

Artist Robert Wyland

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Wyland

https://www.wyland.com/the-artist/

Mr. Wyland is an American born from Detroit. His works have been inspired by nature when he visited the ocean for his first and his love of diving. In 1993, he started his foundation, and started to paint murals in major cities. He is known for his conservation as well as his art(Artist bio).

I finished the streets of the Garment District in the early afternoon, and it was still light out, so it was time to travel to other parts of Manhattan to check other businesses from my blogs to see if they were still opened. This meant a trip down Lexington Avenue to DiDi Dumplings at 38 Lexington Avenue.

DiDi Dumpling is one of my go-to places on my blog, DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com for delicious meals of steamed dumplings and fried potstickers. Google had posted that they closed but I had to check this out for myself. Not only were they still open but really busy. So, I stayed for some Steamed Shrimp Dumplings ($5.75) with a Coke. After all that walking, I felt I earned it.

DiDi Dumpling at 38 Lexington Avenue (closed in January 2024)

https://www.dididumplingny.com/menu

Now it is called EA Dumpling

https://eadumpling.com

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d27760207-Reviews-Ea_Dumplings-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

The new interior of EA Dumpling

The Fried Potstickers were a bit overcooked but still good

The Soup Dumplings here are pretty good but not the same when it was DiDi Dumpling

Now that I was rested and well fed (God those dumplings hit the spot on a cold day), I walked to my next location, La Crosta Pizza on East 72nd Street and First Avenue. I took Lexington Avenue and walked up a combination of that and Madison Avenue. On my way up to the Upper East Side, it was shocking to see how many businesses were shut and all the empty storefronts. These being victim to the economy and COVID.

I made it to 436 East 72nd Street and indeed La Crosta Pizza is now closed. I was really bummed in that they had wonderful lunch specials, excellent food (their pizza and calzones were the best) and the guys that worked there could not have been nicer. It was a big place to eat with the people at the hospital. The sign says that it is being replaced by York Pizzeria. I will have to revisit when they open but I could see by the inside menu that the prices have doubled.

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d25442209-Reviews-York_Ave_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/552 (Closed in 2022)

The pizzeria is now names York Avenue Pizza but the prices are much higher.

The delicious items at York Pizza made by the same cooks as La Crosta

The pizza at both versions of the restaurant were excellent

As I walked back down from the Upper East Side to the Garment District again, I crisscrossed the avenues going from First to Second then walking down Lexington to Park Avenues looking at store fronts and dark apartment buildings and hotels and wondered how many of these people have come back to the City. It still seemed quiet after the holidays.

I ended the walk that evening back at the Uyghur Restaurant Tengri Tagh at 144 West 37th Street. I kept watching from the window all the interesting dishes coming to the tables and it fascinated me that this tiny hole in the wall restaurant was so busy.

I later found out when I got home that they just had three back-to-back excellent reviews on the internet. The food really warms you up on a cool night.

Uyghur Restaurant Tengri Tagh at 144 West 37th Street

https://tengritaguyghurcuisinenyc天山美食.net/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d28026237-Reviews-Uyghur_Lagman_House-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

When I got there at 6:30pm, it was quiet. There were only two other tables full. By the time my dinner started to arrive at the table, the place was packed. I could not believe this small restaurant on a side street and a gloomy one at that was so busy.

The inside dining room and decorations

I kept it simple and ordered a dish of dumplings, a baked bun and an opened faced meat and vegetable bun. When it all came out, it was more than enough food. The baked bun was filled with a spicy lamb and cumin mixture that with each bite brought warmthinside my body. The food is really spicy here.

The buns here are really good

The open-faced Lamb and Cumin Bun was filled with a combination of ground lamb and vegetables and a very hot sauce. It really had some kick to it and it did not need any additional sauces. The order of dumplings was almost a double order from the usual Chinese restaurants I go to and are perfect for sharing.

The Dumplings are amazing

They were also filled with a spicy lamb mixture and an extra kick was added with the hot oil that they brought to the table. It was more than enough food for one person. The hot tea that the waiter brought to the table helped cool my stomach down. The waiter could not have been nicer.

The Baked Buns are excellent

After a relaxing dinner and some much needed sitting it was back to the sidewalks and the walk back up Eighth Avenue to Port Authority. Talk about a walk. I must have covered at least five miles. When I finally got on the bus that evening, I could not believe all the changes in the neighborhood since I worked there twenty-seven years ago. It has gotten so much nicer than what it had been even with COVID.

Bryant Park at night when all the buildings are lit.

This area may be down a bit, but it is not out!

Bryant Park in the summer of 2023.

Please visit my other blogs on the Garment District:

Day Two Hundred and Three: Walking the Borders of the Garment District:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/19670

Day Two Hundred and Twelve: Walking the Avenues of the Garment District:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/20968

Places to Visit:

Bryant Park

Fifth Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Avenues at 42nd Street

New York, NY 10018

(212) 768-4242

https://bryantpark.org/

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bryant-park

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d136347-Reviews-Bryant_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html

My review on VistitingaMuseum.com:

Places to Eat:

Stone Bridge Pizza & Salad

16 East 41st Street

New York, NY 10017

(646) 791-5690

https://www.stonebridgepizzaandsalad.com/

Open: Sunday Closed/Monday-Wednesday 11:30am-7:30pm/Thursday-Friday 11:30am-8:30pm/Saturday Closed

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12705923-Reviews-Stone_Bridge_Pizza_Salad-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

9th Avenue Deli Corp.

480 Ninth Avenue

New York, NY 10018

(212) 695-6204

Open: 24 Hours

https://menupages.com/9th-ave-gourmet-deli/480-9th-ave-new-york

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4758581-Reviews-9th_Ave_Deli_Corp-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=2039&action=edit&calypsoify=1

Non Solo Piada

302 West 37th Street

New York, NY 10018

(212) 216-0616

Home

Open: Sunday-Thursday 8:00am-3:00pm/Friday 8:00am-4:00pm/Saturday 8:00am-3:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d11916965-Reviews-Non_Solo_Piada-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

Encore Pizza (Closed in 2024-Replaced with Little Italy Pizza)

1369 Broadway

New York, NY 10018

(646) 370-5226

Encore A La Carte Menu

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d23859697-Reviews-Encore_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Marvelous by Fred

1001 Sixth Avenue

New York, NY 10018

(646) 590-0263

https://auxmerveilleux.com/en/pastries?city=new-york

Open Sunday 9:00am-6:00pm/Monday-Friday 8:00am-7:00pm/Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d23759815-r825633264-Aux_Merveilleux_De_Fred-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Fu Xing (formerly New Li Yuan)(Closed March 2021)

273 West 38th Street

NYC, NY  10018

(212) 575-6978

http://www.fuxingnyc.com/

Hours: 7:00am-5:30pm

My reviews on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d14037661-Reviews-Fu_Xing-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12562531-Reviews-New_Li_Yuan-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/149

Lazzara’s Pizza Cafe

221 West 38th Street #2

New York, NY 10018

(212) 944-7792

https://lazzaraspizza.com/

Open: Sunday Closed/Monday-Friday 11:30am-9:00pm/Saturday Closed

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d424527-Reviews-Lazzara_s_Pizza_Cafe-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant & Caterers

209 West 38th Street

New York, NY 10018

(212) 398-2367

Welcome to Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant & Caterers

Open: Sunday Closed/Monday-Saturday 11:00am-8:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d493676-Reviews-Ben_s_Kosher_Delicatessen_Restaurant_Caterers-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Empanada Sumprema Cart

On the corner of Broadway & West 38th Street

New York, NY 10011

Open: From Monday-Friday only

My review on TripAdvisor review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d3617697-Reviews-Empanada_Stand-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/926

Upside Pizza

598 Eighth Avenue

New York, NY 10018

(646) 484-5244

https://www.upsidepizza.com/

Open: Sunday-Wednesday 11:00am-11:00pm/Thursday 11:00am-2:00am/Friday-Saturday 11:00am-3:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d15662360-Reviews-Upside_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Bao Bao Cafe

214 West 39th Street

New York, NY 10018

(917) 965-2214

https://baobaocafe39thstreet.square.site/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-8:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

DiDi Dumpling

38 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10010

(212) 466-6618

https://www.dididumplingny.com/menu

Open: Sunday Closed/ Monday-Saturday 11:00am-8:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4460001-Reviews-Di_Di_Dumpling-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/2461

Uyghur Restaurant Tengri Tagh

144 West 37th Street

New York, NY 10018

(646) 964-5418

https://tengritaguyghurcuisinenyc天山美食.net/

Open: Sunday-Thursday 11:00am-8:00pm/Friday Closed/Saturday 11:00am-8:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d23857736-r825810454-Uyghur_Restaurant-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Villa Italian Kitchen in the Port Authority first floor wing at 625 8th Avenue

New York, NY 10018

(212) 643-1954

https://locations.villaitaliankitchen.com/en-us/ny/new-york/625-8th-ave/

Open: Sunday 7:00am-10:00pm/Monday-Thursday 6:00am-10:00pm/Friday-Saturday 7:00am-11:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d21590987-Reviews-Villa_Fresh_Italian_Kitchen-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

Day Two Hundred and Twelve: Walking the Avenues of the Garment District: Eighth, Seventh, Broadway and Sixth Avenues from West 42nd to 34th Streets January 4th and 5th, 2022

After all the running around of the holiday season (and I ran from one part of the state to another), I finally got back into New York City to resume my walk of the Garment District. With a new variant spreading around the City, you would think the Manhattan would be quiet but that did not stop the tourists from coming to the museums and seeing the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree that was still up into the first week of January. It was business as usual just more people wearing masks outside.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was still packing them in after Christmas was over

Manhattan is resilient when it comes time for the pandemic. More restaurants, stores and businesses have opened up and like everyone else, you wear your mask to stay safe. I don’t mind showing my ID and my vaccination card if it means I can still enjoy doing the things I want to do, stay safe and support New York City businesses that desperately need the money.

I have to say one thing, everyone from stores to streets took down their Christmas decorations in record time. When I was in the City at the MoMA for a “The Contender’s Night” movie, I saw department store display windows being changed, the decorations outside Cartier being taken down on Fifth Avenue and most outdoor decorations gone even before the Epiphany. I thought that was strange but I guess it is time to move to Valentine’s Day and to Chinese New Year. Hope fully things will get better as it gets warmer in three months.

When I started my walk of the Avenues of the Garment District, some streets were busier than others. The core of the Garment District is still so quiet with most of the manufacturing that still goes on in the area shut down and even some of the hotels that have now been built in the area had a lack of guests. When I moved to the side streets in the afternoon, talk about no people and this is in the afternoon.

The thing about this part of Manhattan is that these buildings were built in post-war years and replaced most of the turn of the century buildings that I saw when you walk below 34th Street. These were built for the growing clothing businesses for manufacturing and showrooms which are now being refitted for offices of Tech and Advertising firms with most of the manufacturing being zoned out of the area during the Bloomberg Administration.

Even so some of these buildings have been torn down for new office and apartment buildings that are changing the whole Times Square/Garment District area. It is more of an extension of Midtown stretching down to 34th Street and then the historic older Midtown section begins with NoMAD (North of Madison Square Park) and the Flatiron District. Still here and there tucked into corner of the streets and avenues, there are architectural gems and interesting artwork.

Another thing that the Garment District is known for is the bevy of reasonable restaurants that cater to the garment and office workers in the area. This has really been affected by COVID and several have closed for business, while others have finally reopened from their months of slumber. It is nice to see these businesses reopen and bring vibrance back to the area again.

I started my walk on Eighth Avenue exiting the Port Authority onto a crowded street with cars and cabs all over the place. For all the problems with COVID, New York City still seems very alive to me. From walking down Broadway to visiting the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center, there are tourists all over the place.

The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main artery for people from New Jersey and Pennsylvania at 625 Eighth Avenue

https://www.panynj.gov/bus-terminals/en/port-authority.html

As I was exiting the building to West 40th Street, I took a long look at the Ralph Kramden statute that sits just outside the Port Authority. I passed this sculpture many times over the years but when you really stop and admire it, you can see the detail work of the statute. The statue was dedicated in August of 2000 and was a gift from TV Land to the City of New York. It was thought at the time this would be the perfect spot as the character was a bus driver (CBS News 2000).

The “TV Land” sculpture of Jackie Gleason as ‘Ralph Kramden’ by artist Lawrence Nowland

Jackie Gleason

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Gleason

Lawrence Nowland is an American born artist from Philadelphia, PA and was a graduate of Millersville University in Pennsylvania and did his graduate work at the New York Academy of Art School of Figurative Art and was known as a Figurative artist.

Artist Lawrence Nowland

http://www.ljnsculpture.com/about

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Nowlan#:~:text=Lawrence%20Joseph%20Nowlan%20Jr.,Harry%20Kalas%20and%20Jackie%20Gleason.

Walking down the block from the Port Authority, you will find one of the only branches of the Philippine based Jollibee fast food restaurant at 609 Eighth Avenue, one of five in the tri-state area. You can hooked on their Fried Chicken sandwiches and their peach/mango pie. The place has been crowded since its opening and made one of the quickest comebacks after everything opened up last June. I try to stop in every once in a while for lunch or a snack.

Jollibee is at 609 Eighth Avenue

https://www.jollibeefoods.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d15421001-r1045208402-Jollibee-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The chicken sandwiches are excellent here and the peach/mango pie are excellent

The food is very high quality and the service is very nice

Walking down Eighth Avenue is a little gloomy during the week since COVID hit. This used to be such a bustling area with the manufacturers and showrooms in full swing. Now most of the streets are quiet from the offices being closed down. I can see how it is affecting the small clothing and fabric shops that still dot the side streets. Even with Fashion Institute of Technology reopening, it is still quiet.

Although not architecturally exciting, there are still a few gems located in the corners of the block. There are many small buildings in the neighborhood that I have passed for years on my way to work at Macy’s and I never really looked at them closely. You might miss them if you don’t look up and look at the details.

The first one is 301 West 37th Street which has the most unusual carvings of gargoyles all over the sides and inside the window ledges. It gives the building almost a creepy, demonist look to it. The building was built in 1915 and is currently going under a gut renovation.

301 West 37th Street can give you the creeps

https://www.renthop.com/building/301-west-37th-street-new-york-ny-10018

The detailed look of 301 West 37th Street

Just off Eighth Avenue is Non Solo Piada, a wonderful little Italian restaurant that specializes in Roman street food. Every time I have eaten here the food is terrific. The restaurant specializes in a type of calzone/turnover called a “Cassoni” and crisp pizzas called a “Piadizze”. I have tried the Cassoni Napolento filled with sausage and potatoes in a pastry crust and the Piadizze Margherita with fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella. The food and service are excellent and so reasonable.

Non Solo Piada at 302 West 37th Street (Closed June 2025)

Home

https://www.facebook.com/nonsolopiadanyc/

The Piadizze here is amazing and so light

The other building that is grand in detail but has been sadly neglected over the years is 557 Eighth Avenue. The Beaux-arts’ designed building was built in 1903 by architect Emery Roth who was part of Stein, Cohen & Roth. It was run as a residential hotel for most of its history and now houses commercial space in the upper floors and fast-food restaurants on the bottom (DaytonianinManhattan.blogspot/Loopnet.com).

557 Eighth Avenue

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/557-8th-Ave-New-York-NY/21625348/

You have to really look up or you will miss the beauty of the building with its detailed carvings around the windows and the portraits of women carved between the windows.

The details at 557 Eighth Avenue are spectacular

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2011/07/emery-roths-art-nouveau-no-557-8th.html

The entrance at 302 West 38th Street

At the end of the block stands the Hotel New Yorker like a Grande Dame guarding the Garment District. The Hotel New Yorker on the corner of Eighth Avenue and West 34th Street at 481 Eighth Avenue. The hotel was designed by architects Sugarman and Berger and designed in the Art Deco style. The hotel was constructed in 1928 and opened in 1930. The hotel now managed by Wyndam Hotels put the hotel through a full renovation in 2006 to bring it back to its glory years now reflected the resurgence of the neighborhood (Hotel New Yorker History website/Wiki).

The Hotel New Yorker at 481 Eighth Avenue

https://www.newyorkerhotel.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyndham_New_Yorker_Hotel

This is where I am noticing that the neighborhood is changing during COVID. They are knocking down a lot of the West 34th corridor and rebuilding it especially around Madison Square Garden. This area really needed it. When I was working at Macy’s, this was not the safest area to walk around in. This was an area of cut-rate stores and depressing office buildings. It still amazes me how the City reinvents itself and the area is now a desirable for office workers and residential living. Being right near the subways, LIRR and shopping, it is showing the changes in the old Midtown district.

Walking back up Eighth Avenue, the architecture is mostly older loft buildings that are still used for light manufacturing and showrooms but on this avenue is a stretch of great restaurants that cater to the workers that are so reasonable.

Grilled Chicken at 230 West 36th Street is a great little hole in the wall that caters to many of the Garment workers and the delivery guys speeding all over the City with other restaurants orders. The food is plentiful and reasonable. They make the best Fried Shrimp and rice and their Banh Ma sandwiches with Fried Shrimp and Grilled Pork are just excellent. This places really surprises you when you dine here.

Grilled Chicken House at 230 West 36th Street (Closed December 2022)

https://www.allmenus.com/ny/new-york/358002-chicken-house/menu/

Another great place to eat is the original Upside Pizza at 598 Eighth Avenue. On many a cold night I have been warmed up by their Pepperoni Detroit pan pizza and their regular cheese slices are so rich and flavorful. They really loaded on the cheese and the pepperoni on to their slices and then bake them to a gooey delight.

Upside Pizza at 598 Eighth Avenue

https://www.upsidepizza.com/

The deep dish Upside Pepperoni is really good

The slices here are delicious

Yum!

COVID has really changed this part of Eighth Avenue around where the New York Times building is located and Times Square since the shutdown. Many restaurants and stores have closed but slowly new ones are opening or reopening. Traffic in this area is pretty consistent so businesses change hands a lot now.

As the movie theaters slowly open again and Broadway is opened on a limited basis show by show, the area is beginning to get busy again but not to the levels pre-Pandemic. During the week when I am walking these blocks, I see a difference in the number of tourists and residents walking around the Port Authority area.

Seventh Avenue is still always busy. This area has changed a lot in the twenty-five years since I worked in the area. When I worked on 34th Street, the buildings were filled with showrooms and designer headquarters. It is a more diverse group of businesses today and I swear much better restaurants and stores. It has gotten more upscale.

Sitting at the top of Seventh Avenue like a guardian is the Times Square Building at 1 Times Square or 1475 Broadway. This building is known to many New Year’s Eve revelers as where the ball drops.

One building that stands tall in Times Square is One Times Square known as 1475 Broadway. Once the home headquarters for the New York Times was opened in 1904. The building was designed by architect Cyrus L.W. Eidlitz. The original façade was of stone and terra cotta but this has been mostly stripped and is now home for mostly advertising. The ball still drops from the top of the building every New Year (Wiki).

One Times Square

One Times Square at night with the ball lit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Times_Square

https://www.jamestownlp.com/properties/one-times-square

It is amazing to see the radical changes in this area of Manhattan since I started to work there in 1988. It is almost night and day in its appearance of not just the buildings but the parks and businesses that line Seventh Avenue. When I had worked there twenty-five years ago, you really did not choose to walk on Seventh Avenue after 8:00pm when most office workers went home. It was not the safest or well-lit avenue especially below Times Square. How thirty years and a whole development of the area change things.

When I walked down Seventh Avenue today, it is like walking through a haunted house that is less scary. I remember my years as a young executive in the City trying to maneuver around the area and sometimes feeling safer walking down the old 42nd Street with the porn theaters and head shops. At least I knew there were police milling around. Today, there has been such an improvement in the cleanliness of the area and the more expensive stores and restaurants that has spread to Broadway as well but even this is being upended by COVID. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Again, most of the buildings in this area were built after the WWII for the Garment industry and have that loft-box look to them but like Eighth Avenue, there are still a few standouts that have survived the wrecking ball or renovation. One being the elegant 488 Seventh Avenue.

488 Seventh Avenue was built as the Hotel York in 1903 by brothers James and David Todd, who had an interest in building luxury hotels. They commissioned architect Harry B. Mulliken, who had designed the Hotel Aberdeen on West 32nd Street for the brothers, with his new partner, Edger J. Moeller, who formed the firm of Mulliken & Moeller. The York Hotel was their first commission together. The hotel was designed in the Beaux-Arts style with elaborate carved decorations (Daytonian in Manhattan).

488 Seventh Avenue-The York Hotel (Daytonian)

The magnificent detail work on 488 Seventh Avenue

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-1903-hotel-york-no-488-7th-avenue.html

The Hotel York was a residential and transient for most of its existence attracting the theater crowd when 34th Street was the Theater District of the time. As this moved uptown, the hotel was bought in 1986 and was renovated for residential and commercial use (Dayton in Manhattan). The Tokian Group now owns the building and it is luxury apartments.

Towards the edge of the neighborhood is one of my favorite deli’s and known to thousands of Macy’s Alumni, Al’s Deli at 458 Seventh Avenue. I have been eating at Al’s Deli since 1988 and only recently in the last two years since exploring this section of Manhattan again have come back.

Al’s Deli at 458 Seventh Avenue is a Macy’s favorite

https://www.alsdelinyc.com/

It still makes some of the best hamburgers and cheeseburgers in the City and their breakfast sandwiches are still oversized and delicious. Their Bacon, Egg and Cheese on a hoagie is still something that warms and fills me up in the mornings. Don’t miss their Chicken Parmesan Sandwich as well.

Across the street from Al’s Deli on the corner of Seventh Avenue and West 34th Street is the Grande Dame of the department store industry and my home away from home for seven years in the beginning of my career, R.H. Macy at 151 West 34th Street. When I started working at the store in 1988 it was funny but the locker rooms and cafeteria featured in the movie “Miracle on 34th Street” had not changed one bit, at least as I remembered it.

Macy’s New York on the Seventh Avenue side of the store in Art Deco Style (Wiki)

https://l.macys.com/new-york-ny

The Seventh Avenue side of the building was added in 1931 making Macy’s the world’s largest store. The building was designed by architect Robert D. Kohn in the Art Deco style that was popular in the day (Wiki). The entrance is still iconic to shopping enthusiasts who are looking for the perfect gift.

Walking up Seventh Avenue, also known as the Fashion Mile to many in the retail industry, is the Fashion Walk of Fame plaques that line the avenue from 35th Street above Macy’s up to 42nd Street. You have to look at the sidewalk to see some 30 plaques honoring some America’s most celebrated designers including Halston, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.

The Fashion Walk of Fame started in 2000

https://garmentdistrict.nyc/

The honor was started by the Fashion Center Business Improvement District and these are chosen by a group of fashion panelist each year since 2000 (The Vintage Traveler.Wordpress.com).

I stopped at Zeppola Bakery at 499 Seventh Avenue for a quick snack. Everything looks so inviting from the fluffy doughnuts to the stuffed sandwiches. The bakery for all its visuals is on the expensive side and a small heart doughnut filled with raspberry jelly cost $3.95. Delicious but a little pricey.

Zeppola Bakery at 499 Seventh Avenue

The delicious pastries

Their beautiful cakes

Home light

When arriving at the corner of West 39th Street and Seventh Avenue in front of the Chase Bank at 551 Seventh Avenue is the very iconic sculpture of the Needle Threading the Button that is part of the Welcome Booth on Seventh Avenue.

The Button and Needle Sculpture is actually part of the information booth (NYPL.org)-the old one

The new Garment District sculpture in 2023-the new one

According to the New York Public Library, the sculpture of the needle and button is actually part of the Fashion Center Information Kiosk that has been closed for a few years. The sculpture was designed by Pentagram Architectural Services in 1996 and was inspired by artist Claes Oldenburg’s sculptures. The district is currently looking into replacing this kiosk (New York Public Library Research Department).

Artist Claes Oldenburg (Wiki)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claes_Oldenburg

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Claes-Oldenburg

Artist Claes Oldenburg was a Swedish born American artist. He was born in Stockholm and moved to the United States with his parents. His father was a Swedish Diplomat who was stationed in Chicago and he studied art at Yale University and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He was known for his large art installments. Even though this was not designed by him, the work was inspired by his sculptures (Wiki).

The other sculpture next to the kiosk is of a garment employee working on a sewing machine. This sculpture by artist Judith Weller was of her father who worked in the Garment Industry entitled “Garment Worker”. The sculpture was created by the artist in honor of her father, a machinist in the garment trade and to Jewish garment workers who were the backbone of the community. It was created in 1984-85 for the Public Art Fund (Public Art Fund).

The “Garment Worker” by artist Judith Weller

The Mission of the Public Art fund that was funded in 1977, is to bring dynamic contemporary art to a broad audience in New York City and offer powerful public experiences in art (Public Art Fund).

https://www.publicartfund.org/exhibitions/view/garment-worker/

https://www.askart.com/artist/Judith_Weller/130231/Judith_Weller.aspx

Artist Judith Weller is an Israel born New York artist who is known for her genre of work dedicated to the laboring people all over the United States (Ask Art.com).

Crossing over to Broadway from the busy 42nd Street Mall I was greeted by the recently reopened Knickerbocker Hotel at 6 Times Square. For most of the recent history of this property it had been falling apart and was offices in the times I worked in Manhattan.

The Knickerbocker Hotel was built by John Jacob Astor IV and it opened in 1906. The hotel was designed by the firm of Marvin & Davis in the Beaux-Arts style. The outside of the hotel was built in red brick with terra cotta details. The hotel was fully renovated in 2015 (Wiki).

The Knickerbocker Hotel at 6 Times Square

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Knickerbocker_Hotel

In front of the Chase Bank at 1411 Broadway is Golda Meir Square with an open plaza. Tucked into a garden almost hidden from view by the plants is a bust of Golda Meir by artist Beatrice Goldfine. It looked like from old pictures the original pedestal is now beneath the planter. It was unveiled in 1984 (Wiki).

The bust of Golda Meir by artist Beatrice Goldfine in Golda Meir Square is now hidden in a garden.

Artist Beatrice Goldfine is an American artist born in Philadelphia and studied at the Barnes Foundation and the Pennsylvania Institute of Fine Arts.

https://prabook.com/web/beatrice.goldfine/772652

Golda Meir, the former Prime Minister of Israel (1969-1974)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golda_Meir

On the way back towards Broadway I came across an interesting set of artwork by artist Santi Flores that lined the Broadway Mall. These interesting works reached for the sky. These interesting little sculptures looked like they were raising their hands for attention (“Here” ended October 22nd, 2022).

The Broadway pop-up of Artist Santi Flores display “Here”

Inicio

Artist Santi Flores “Here”

Artist Santi Flores “Here”

Artist Santi Flores “Here”

Artist Santi Flores at the street exhibition “Here”

Artist Santi Flores is a Spanish artist who is also a musician and visual artist. His creativity shows no limits (Artist Bio).

In 2024, the new exhibition was called “Cracked Ice” by

“Cracked Ice” by artist Del Geist

Del Geist has integrated art into the public realm for more than 40 years. As an artist, using the natural sciences as a palette, he has developed major site-specific artworks worldwide (Del Geist website)

Artist Del Geist

https://delgeist.com

https://cracked-ice-nyc2019.com/cracked-ice-llc

Cracked Ice Sculpture One

Cracked Ice Sculpture Two.

Cracked Ice Sculpture Three

Walking down Broadway most of the buildings are relatively new or been built after WWII but two really do stand out. One being the Haier Building at 1356 Broadway. The Haier Building was built by architects from York & Sawyer in the Neo-Classical Revival style. The building was completed in 1924 and was the headquarters for Greenwich Savings Bank. The building is built with limestone and polished granite and features Roman Corinthian Columns (Wiki).

1352 Broadway-The Haier Building (Former Greenwich Savings Bank-Wiki)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_Savings_Bank_Building

The Haier Building stretches from Broadway to Sixth Avenue and is impressive on both sides of the building. The building was used by Greenwich Savings Bank from 1924 until 1981 when the bank went out of business (Wiki).

The other impressive building on this side of Broadway is the Macy’s New York Broadway building facing Herald Square. The store was built between 1901-1902 by architects Theodore de Lemos and A. W. Cordes of the firm of De Lemos & Cordes in the Palladian style a form of classic Roman and Greek temple style (Wiki).

Macy’s New York at 151 West 34th Street on the Broadway side of the building

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macy%27s_Herald_Square

https://l.macys.com/new-york-ny

Herald Square has dramatically improved since I worked at Macy’s. When I worked at Macy’s in the early 1990’s, Herald and Greeley Squares were places to avoid until about 1994 when the parks were renovated and new plantings and French metal café tables were added. Now it is hard at lunch time to find a table.

In the process of the renovations, the City also restored the statues dedicated to James Gordon Bennett and Horace Greeley.

The statue dedicated to James Gordon Bennett and his son James Gordon Bennett II

Herald Square Park

The statue is to Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom and Invention and two blacksmiths who flank a bell that once topped the Herald Building where the New York Herald, which was founded by James Gordon Bennett in 1835. The statue was dedicated in the park in 1895 (NYCParks.org).

James Gorden Bennett

James Gordon Bennett

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Gordon_Bennett_Sr.

The statue was designed by Antonin Jean Carles

antonin Carles

Artist Antonin Jean Carles

http://www.artnet.com/artists/jean-antonin-carles/

Antonin Jean Carles was born in France and was a student of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Toulouse. He was known for his monument sculptures.

Walking back up Broadway, it started to get colder as the afternoon went on but I came across an unusual sculpture that had just been put up entitled “Passage” by artist Serge Maheu. This interesting piece of street art you could actually walk through and as you walked through it, the colors changed.

“Passages” by Artist Serge Maheu (Artist’s bio)

It was like walking through a tunnel of hula hoops. The artist was going for a “transformative, playful experience” during an otherwise gloomy time in winter (Patch.com).

According to the artist, “Passage” explores the emotional connections between light and sound (Serge Maheu bio).

Artist Serge Maheu

Artist Serge Maheu is from Quebec, Canada and graduated with a degree in Computer Engineer, he has taken a path down the creative route to become a multimedia director. He specializes in film, animation, photography, sound and music (Serge Maheu bio).

By the time I reached Bryant Park, the sun started to come out again and it cleared up slightly. The park was filled with people ice skating or eating. The tables were mostly filled on this cool day which I was surprised at considering the weather. It does not take long to see how the changes in the park have led to change in the building here.

Standing guard at the edge of the neighborhood is the new Bank of America building. This innovative building was designed by architect Rick Cook from the firm of Cookfox Adamson Associates. The building was designed with a clear ‘Curtin wall’ and several diagonal planes for wind resistance. The building was also awarded a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for sustainable ‘green’ architecture (Wiki/Durst website).

The Bank of America Building

Bank of America Building at 1111 Sixth Avenue

The Bank of America Building at night

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_America_Tower_(Manhattan)

https://www.durst.org/properties/one-bryant-park

Bryant Park is another interesting park. In 1988, you would never go into this park unless you wanted drugs or wanted to get mugged. The park was surrounded by bushes and it was in extremely bad shape. When the New York Public Library was going through a renovation, money was allocated to fix the park. It is night and day from when I passed the park in the early 1990’s. Talk about a difference that twenty-five years makes.

Bryant Park in all its glory

The original park opened in 1870 as Reservoir Square after the Croton Distributing Reservoir that was once located on the eastern side of the park. In 1884, the park was renamed for New York Evening Post Editor William Cullan Bryant (Wiki).

The park has suffered from neglect in the past including times in the 1930’s and the 1960’s and 70’s and had been through past renovations but in 1980 the Bryant Park Restoration Group was founded and took over park services. Since then, the park was fully renovated in 1992 and continues to improve with continued maintenance. Now there are events like ‘Movies in the Park’ and ‘Winter Village’ with a skating rink, rows of boutiques and the Christmas tree (Wiki).

Bryant Park in Christmas past

Lining the park on Sixth Avenue side of the park is a series of interesting statuary that I think most people miss when walking by the park. The first one is the statue called the “Andrada Monument” or also known as the statue of Jose Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva, the Brazilian statesman. Every September, the Consulate General of Brazil commemorates Andrada and Brazilian Independence Day by hosting a small ceremony at the monument (Wiki).

Jose Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva statue

Artist Jose Otavio Correia Lima

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Ot%C3%A1vio_Correia_Lima

The statue was created by artist Jose Otavio Correia Lima. The artist was born in Brazil and attended the National School of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro. He taught and ran the college until 1930 (Wiki).

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bryant-park/monuments/37

Brazilian Statesman Jose Bonifacio de Andrada

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Bonif%C3%A1cio_de_Andrada

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jose-Bonifacio-de-Andrada-e-Silva

Jose Bonifacio de Andrada was a Brazilian Statesman who was also a college professor and naturalist who was one of the most important mentors of Brazilian independence (Wiki/Britannica).

The other statue on the opposite side of the park is of Benito Juarez, the former President of Mexico and its first indigenous President serving twice. The statue was created by artist Moises Cabrea Orozco and is the first Mexican to be commemorated in the park system.

The Benito Juarez Statue in Bryant Park

Artist Moises Cabrea Orozco

https://es-la.facebook.com/escultormoises.cabreraorozco

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bryant-park/monuments/1969

Artist Moises Cabrea Orozco was born in Mexico and studied at the La Esmeralda School of Painting and Sculpture and San Carlos Academy. He is related to social realist painter Jose Clemente Orozco.

Statesman and President of Mexico Benito Juarez

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_Ju%C3%A1rez

Benito Juarez was a lawyer and statesman who served as the President of Mexico twice. He also served on the Mexican Supreme Court.

In between these two statues at the western side of the park as you walk up the steps to enter the park is the Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial Fountain, one of the most beautiful pieces of art in Bryant Park. This fountain is one of the nicest places to sit by on a sunny warm day and there is not a time that I do not make a wish in the fountain.

Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial Fountain (Wiki)

The detail work on the fountain

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bryant-park/monuments/944

Artist Charles A. Platt (Wiki)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_A._Platt

https://library.columbia.edu/libraries/avery/da/collections/platt.html

Artist Charles A. Platt was born in New York City and studied at the National Academy of Design and the Students Art League. He was known as a landscape designer, artist and architect of the American Renaissance Movement (Wiki).

The fountain was designed by architect Charles A. Platt in granite and bronze and has the most interesting details to it. It is the first major memorial dedicated to a woman in New York City. The fountain was dedicated to activist Josephine Shaw Lowell (Wiki).

Josephine Shaw Lowell

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Shaw_Lowell

Josephine Shaw Lowell was born in Massachusetts and moved to New York with her family in the 1840’s. She was committed to social charities and was named the Commissioner of New York State Board of Charities, the first woman to hold the position. She also founded many charities (Wiki).

This time of the year Bryant Park is taken up by the skating rink and the restaurants that surround it. Most of the Christmas Village was closed and it looked they were going to take it down. The Christmas tree was surprisingly still up and lit and at night makes the park festive.

Across from Bryant Park to its south are a grouping of beautifully designed buildings. On the corner of West 40th Street and Sixth Avenue is 80 West 40th Street, ‘The Bryant Park Studios’. The building was built in 1910 as showrooms for artists. The building was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by architect Charles A. Rich (Daytonian in Manhattan).

80 West 40th Street

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/80-W-40th-St-New-York-NY/18070725/

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-1901-beaux-arts-studios-80-west.html

Further down Sixth Avenue is where one of the first Chick-fil-A in Manhattan opened at 1000 Sixth Avenue in 2015. I remember the lines and the mob scene when this first came to New York. It was crazy for almost a year.

It was also their largest outlet at the time with three floors. The place had lines wrapped around the block during its first several months until more outlets opened around the City. I hate to say it but for all the controversy about the restaurant, I really do love their chicken sandwiches.

Chick-fil-A at 1000 Sixth Avenue (the first in Manhattan)

https://www.chick-fil-a.com/

https://www.facebook.com/cfa37thand6th/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d10244362-Reviews-Chick_fil_A-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

The Chick Fil A is really good and the chicken sandwiches are delicious

Their chicken sandwiches are outstanding

Another interesting building that stands out is an old home at 966 Sixth Avenue which is the former J. E. Winterbottom Funeral Home. The business moved in 1885. Before that the post-Civil War house was constructed in the Second Empire style with a Mansard roof. It was once a private home before the business moved in (Daytonian in Manhattan). According to current records, it is going to be Manhattan’s first Sonic restaurant. It will be the first urban Sonic to open outside the one on Staten Island (Patch.com).

966 Sixth Avenue

https://www.loopnet.com/property/966-6th-ave-new-york-ny-10018/36061-08370004/

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-j-e-winterbottom-funeral-parlor-966.html

At the very edge of the neighborhood on the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 35th Street is the most interesting piece of artwork on a building that once housed the Desigual flagship store. The work is by Spanish artist Okuda San Miguel and entitled “Multicultural Freedom Statue” and was created in 2019. It is a tribute to multiculturalism in New York City (Artist Bio). The store has since closed.

The painting at Sixth Avenue at West 35th Street by artist Okuda San Miguel (painted over December 2022)

Artist Okuda San Miguel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okuda_San_Miguel

Artist Okuda San Miguel was born in Spain and known for his colorful geometric styles in painting. He graduated from the Complutense University of Madrid with a BFA and has shown his work all over the world (Wiki).

The last building I noticed for its beauty was on the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 34th Street, 47 West 34th Street (1378 Broadway or 2 Herald Square) the Marbridge Building. The Marbridge Building was by architects Townsend, Steinle & Haskell in 1909 in the Classical Beaux Arts style and has been used as an office building since its opening (Wiki/Photo/Street).

47 West 34th Street-The Marbridge Building

https://streeteasy.com/building/28_47-34-street-astoria

For dinner on the way back up Sixth Avenue, I ate at the Kyoto Spot Mochinut at 1011 Sixth Avenue. They had the most unusual combination of a Potato Half and Half ($7.95), which was half a hot dog and half a mozzarella stick rolled in rice flour and chopped potatoes and then deep fried and they served it with a spicy type of duck sauce. I also had one of their Ume Mochinut doughnuts which were made out of rice flour but tasted like a funnel cake. It was utterly amazing.

The hot dogs at Mochinut are amazing

https://www.mochinut.com/

The hot dogs here are delicious.

On my second trip exploring the avenues, I had dinner at Main Noodle House at 1011 Sixth Avenue. The food and the service were excellent. I had a traditional eggroll and it was one of the best I have had in a long time. For the entree, I had the Cantonese Wonton Soup ($10.95) with roast pork, wontons and lo mien noodles. It was the perfect meal on a cool winter night. It was a meal within itself.

Main Noodle House at 1011 Sixth Avenue

https://mainnoodlehouse.com/

The dinner was wonderful and it was nice to just relax. I had the window seat so I got to see the world pass by.

The inside of Main Noodle House.

Looking over their extensive menu.

Their Cantonese Roast Meat Wonton Soup with Roast Pork, Wontons and Noodles is a full meal.

The wontons are amazing.

It was late when I finally arrived back at Bryant Park in time to see the Christmas tree in full blaze and hear the music and laughter of the skating rink. Across the street I saw the green and red lights blinking of the new Bank of China building at 1045 Sixth Avenue (or 7 Bryant Park). This building is interesting for its shape and its ongoing light show.

The building was completed in 2016 and was designed by architects Henry N. Cobb and Yvonne Szeto from the firm of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and it was interesting on why they designed the building in an ‘hourglass’ design. The firm stated that “they wanted to enrich the experience of the park while at the same time make its relationship to the park a clear expression of its identity (Pei Cobb Freed & Partners). The building is the New York home of the Bank of China.

Bank of China Building at 1045 Sixth Avenue (7 Bryant Park)

https://www.pcf-p.com/

https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/bank-of-china-at-7-bryant-park

Being right across the street from the Bryant Park Studios at 80 West 40th Street shows the contrast that this neighborhood is going through now with a combination of the old and the new and showcasing its beauty. These buildings are adding character to an area of Manhattan that was not so nice just twenty years ago.

This part of the Garment District is the reason why we are seeing less of a Garment District but more of a commercial core that surrounds Times Square and promotes how a City can change for the better with a game plan. All around the core of a park that you would not dare set foot in for almost thirty years.

Talk about transformation!

Bryant Park at nighty

This is not the Bryant Park of the past.

Check out my other blogs on the Garment District:

Day Two Hundred and Three: Walking the Borders of the Garment District:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/19670

Day Two Hundred and Fourteen: Walking the Streets of the Garment District:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/21352

Places to visit:

Bryant Park

Between Fifth & Sixth Avenues and West 42nd and 40th Streets

New York, NY 10018

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bryant-park

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-11:30pm

https://bryantpark.org/

https://www.facebook.com/bryantparknyc/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d136347-Reviews-Bryant_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

Places to Eat:

Jollibee

609 Eighth Avenue

New York, NY 10018

(212) 994-2711

https://www.jollibeefoods.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 9:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d15421001-Reviews-Jollibee-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Non Solo Piada (Closed in 2025)

302 West 37th Street

New York, NY 10018

(212) 216-0616

Open: Sunday 8:00am-3:00pm/Monday-Friday 8:00am-6:00pm/Saturday 8:00am-3:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d11916965-Reviews-Non_Solo_Piada-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/668

Grilled Chicken House (Closed 2021)

270 West 36th Street

New York, NY 10018

(212) 695-3493

https://www.allmenus.com/ny/new-york/358002-chicken-house/menu/

Open: Sunday Closed/Monday-Friday 8:30am-6:00pm/Saturday 10:00am-3:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d3601233-Reviews-Grilled_Chicken_House-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/736

Upside Pizza

598 Eighth Avenue

New York, NY 10018

(646) 484-5244

https://www.upsidepizza.com/

Open: Sunday-Wednesday 11:00am-11:00pm/Thursday 11:00am-2:00am/Friday-Saturday 11:00am-3:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d15662360-Reviews-Upside_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Zeppola Bakery

499 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10018

(464) 734-0303

Home light

Open: Sunday 8:30am-7:30pm/Monday-Friday 7:30am-7:00pm/Saturday 9:30am-7:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d20267391-Reviews-Zeppola_Bakery-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Al’s Deli

458 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10018

(212) 594-5682

https://www.alsdelinyc.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 6:00am-11:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d2256292-Reviews-Al_s_Deli-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/2039

Chick-fil-A

1000 Sixth Avenue

New York, NY 10018

https://www.chick-fil-a.com/locations/ny/37th-6th-inline

Open: Sunday Closed/Monday-Saturday 8:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d8728336-Reviews-Chick_fil_A-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Mochinut/Kyoto Soto

1011 Sixth Avenue

New York, NY 10018

https://www.mochinut.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 12:00pm-10:00pm (please check their website)

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d23837573-Reviews-Kyoto_Spot-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Main Noodle House

1011 Sixth Avenue

New York, NY 10018

(212) 869-0888

https://mainnoodlehouse.com/

Open: Sunday 11:30-9:00pm/Monday-Saturday 11:00am-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d1172720-Reviews-Main_Noodle_House-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Epices Bakery 104 West 70th Street New York, NY 10023

Don’t miss this wonderful little French Bakery on the Upper West Side.

Epices Bakery at 104 West 70th Street

The Chalkboard of bakery items

The delicious bakery items

jwatrel's avatarLittle Shop on Main Street

Epices Bakery

104 West 70th Street

New York, NY 10023

(646) 692-3226

https://www.instagram.com/epicesbakery/?hl=en

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d23398811-Reviews-Epices_Bakery-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Epices Bakery at 104 West 70th Street

Sometimes you walk through a neighborhood and you come across a little shop that is just so cute and interesting that you have to stop in to see what they carry. This is the attraction of Epices Bakery on West 70th Street, a small French pastry shop with beautiful and delicious desserts. Not only is the selection nice but the sights and smells when you enter of freshly made coffee and buttery baked goods greet you when you walk in.

There is a nice variety of baked goods in the glass cases to choose from. One side of the store is dedicated to pastries like eclairs, cream puffs and fruit tarts and the other has savory breakfast items like ham and cheese croissants, small quiches…

View original post 219 more words

Domus-Unaffected Living 413 West 44th Street at Ninth Avenue New York, NY 10036 (Closed October 31st, 2024-Online Shop Opening 2024)

Don’t miss this unique little store in the Hell’s Kitchen section of Manhattan for unique one of kind merchandise.

Don’t miss this quirky fun store in the heart of Midtown West/ Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen for fun merchandise and personal service from the owners of the store.

The front door at Domus is very welcoming.

The special handmade ornaments on their display tree inside the store

jwatrel's avatarLittle Shop on Main Street

Domus

413 West 44th Street at Ninth Avenue

New York, NY 100036

(212) 581-8099

https://www.facebook.com/domusnyc/

Open: Closed Sunday-Monday/Tuesday-Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

Even in the era of COVID, it is nice to see stores still hold their creativity and vitality in such a hard time. While I was walking around the Midtown West/Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen section of Midtown Manhattan I came across this wonderful little store, Domus at 413 West 44th Street. Sometimes there are little things that set a store apart from another like the window displays or the sign that directs you in the door. Domus has both. The first time I visited the store it was closed for the day but I would visit it another day.

Domus

Domus at 413 West 44th Street has eclectic window displays

As I finished by Borders and Avenue walk of the Midtown West/ Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood for my blog, “MywalkinManhattan.com”…

View original post 761 more words

Day One Hundred and Ninety-Two Walking the Streets of Koreatown/Midtown South/ NoNaNe between East/West 31st-33rd Streets from Sixth to Lexington Avenues February 28-March 4th, 2021 (NYU Walking Tour September 7th, 2022, and February 20th, 2025 and March 9th, 2026)

I have experienced many cold but sunny days when I finished walking the Streets of Koreatown/Midtown South/NoNaNe. I have never seen so many named neighborhoods overlap one another in Manhattan. The one major thing I did observe is how the whole neighborhood is going through a rebirth and either being gutted, sandblasted or rebuilt. For a City in the throngs of COVID, I have never seen such building activity. The City continues to roll ahead without the businesspeople and will look different when they return.

Koreatown during the day

I returned to the neighborhood a few days after exploring the borders of the neighborhood on a sunny afternoon. On a cool Sunday Koreatown was in full swing a big difference from the downtown streets of Chinatown which seems to have been forgotten by office workers and tourists. It is the proximity to the southern part of Midtown, the shopping district of 34th Street, the location near Penn Station and location next to Macy’s Herald Square that keeps this area of the City vibrant. Plus a lot of Koreans who live and work near the neighborhood keep the restaurants and shops filled at all time of the day.

My day started with organizing notes in Greeley Square and using one of the few decent public bathrooms in the area where you do not have to eat anything (the other being the lower level Men’s Store at Macy’s). Still I want to let readers know that it closes by 4:30pm. Even in Greeley Square in the cold afternoons that I was there every seat was taken and as the restaurants have started to open indoor dining not every restaurant was doing it so people had to take their lunches outside in 43 degree weather.

I started my walk of the Streets of Koreatown at West 31st Street having walked the borders of West 30th Street so many times that I could start naming the buildings. Being on the cusp of Midtown South, the area transitions from the old Beaux Arts style buildings to the newer Art Deco styles that started to come in the 1930’s. This is as businesses started to move uptown.

As I rounded Sixth Avenue onto West 31st on my way to Lexington Avenue, I passed the beauty of 1234 Broadway again. This amazing Victorian building is currently being renovated back to its original glory.

1234 Broadway in all its elegance, the former Grand Hotel

1234 Broadway during the day

https://www.apartments.com/1234-broadway-new-york-ny/7sl8cjy/

https://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2010/07/1868-grand-hotel-broadway-and-31st.html

1234 Broadway on the corner of Broadway and West 31st Street, a elegant Victorian building with a standout mansard roof and elaborate details on the roof and windows. I did not realize that it was the Grand Hotel built in 1868 as a residential hotel. The hotel was commissioned by Elias Higgins, a carpet manufacturer and designed by Henry Engelbert. Currently it is being renovated into apartments (Daytonian). It shows how the City keeps morphing over time as this area has become fashionable again.

Walking west to east down 31st Street revealed a treasure trove on interesting buildings and hotels with graceful architecture and richly embellished features. The first building I passed was 38 West 31st Street which I discovered is the back part of the same building. I had read some horrible reviews on TripAdvisor that this was an operating hotel. The reviews were scary to say the least.

38 East 31st Street

https://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/midtown-west/38-west-31st-street/2564

https://streeteasy.com/building/grand-hotel-1226-broadway-new_york/145

You really have to look at the beauty of 38 West 31st Street that was built in 1890. The interesting details of the building really standout.

The outside details of 38 West 31st Street

Another old hotel with interesting design was at 19 West 31st Street The Luxe Life Hotel New York. This elegant building was originally the Life Magazine Building and was designed by architects Carrere & Hastings in the Beaux Arts style and built in 1895 for the magazine’s offices. The gilded design of the cherub “Winged Life” above the doorway was the symbol of the magazine. The magazine left the building during the Great Depression and was left as a residence hotel. It was renovated in 1988 as the Herald Square Hotel and now serves as the Luxe Life Hotel (Daytonian).

19 West 31st Street-The Luxe Life Hotel New York

The details of the hotel.

The decorations of the Luxe Hotel

https://www.luxehotels.com/hotels/life-new-york

Another hotel stands out down the block with the beautiful and graceful Hotel Wolcott at 4 West 31st Street. This elegant hotel was built in 1904 by architect John H. Duncan in the French Beaux Arts and French Neo-Classical styles and was named after businessman Henry Roger Wolcott. In the beginning of its illustrious history famous guest lived here such a dancer Isadore Duncan and socialite Doris Duke. It also has a reputation of being haunted. Since 2020, it has been turned into a transitory hotel (Wiki).

The Hotel Wolcott at 4 West 31st Street

https://www.wolcott.com/

The detail work on the hotel

The embellishments on the hotel.

Reaching Fifth Avenue I noticed the beauty of 303 Fifth Avenue on the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 31st Street. This interesting building was designed by architect Buchman & Fox in the Beaux Arts style and was built in 1909. Known as the ‘Jewelry Building’, it has been home to many prominent retailers in the past such as FAO Schwarz and now serves as office and retail space (MetroManhattan).

303 Fifth Avenue-The Jewelry Building

https://www.metro-manhattan.com/buildings/303-fifth-avenue/

Another impressive hotel is the Hotel Chandler at 12 East 31st Street. The hotel was built in 1905 by architects Buchman & Fox as the Hotel Le Marquis. The hotel was designed in the Beaux Arts style and served as a high end hotel going through major renovation in 2012. It now serves as a homeless shelter for City families during the pandemic (Hospitality History).

12 East 31st Street-The Chandler Hotel

http://www.hotelchandler.com/

The Chandler Hotel embellishments on the building.

As I walked back towards the border of the neighborhood with Kips Bay at Lexington Avenue, I passed Hotel 31 at 120 East 31st Street. This recently renovated hotel was built in 1902 and was designed in the Beaux Arts style it had opened as The Dunsbro, a resident hotel. The hotel has had an interesting history until its renovation in 2007 to the Hotel 31 (Daytonian). The hotel is an interesting addition to the block of small brownstones on this tree lined block.

120 East 31st Street-The Hotel 31

https://www.hotel31.com

At the end of the block as you head towards Lexington Avenue that shares the border with Kips Bay are all the old brownstones that line this part of East 31st Street. It is a reminder that it is still a residential neighborhood.

As you back down East 31st Street to Greeley Square, you pass two more impressive buildings. At 35 East 31st Street is a beautiful apartment building that was built in 1914. It looked more like it was once an office building but has been sandblasted back to life as a luxury apartment building. Look at the interesting details of this Neo-Classical Beaux Arts building.

31 East 31st Street

https://streeteasy.com/building/31-east-31-street-new_york

The embellishments on the building

The final building that impressed me in their treasure trove of architectural styles was 35 East 31st Street. Built in 1904, this intricate building now houses renovated apartments.

I needed a break after walking back and forth to Kips Bay again and I stopped by my new favorite restaurant in the neighborhood Fresh Pizza and Deli at 826 Sixth Avenue and ordered an vegetable Samosa (see my review on TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com).

Fresh Pizza and Deli at 826 Sixth Avenue

https://www.seamless.com/menu/fresh-pizza–deli-876-6th-ave-new-york/2406485

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d23125364-Reviews-Fresh_Pizza_And_Deli-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

For a dollar, it made an amazing snack that packed with flavors of the well spiced ingredients. I took my snack and relaxed in Greeley Square watching the people snake in and out of the park, heading for the Korean restaurants that line West 32nd Street. It was nice to just relax and soak up the sunshine.

Chicken samosa

The Samosas here are really good

When I revisited the neighborhood during the Spring Break in 2026 (the weather was a balmy 72 degrees), I stopped in for a quick breakfast/lunch before I started my walk. I had a Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich on a roll with a Coke. This was so good and the perfect amount of calories to start the day.

My lunch, a Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich on a hard roll

The Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich here is so good!

I headed down West 32nd Street next following the crowds into the heart of Koreatown. As I walked out of Greeley Square I saw to the left the scaffolding of the old Martinique Hotel. It brought back a floor of memories and not such good ones of the days when this was a welfare hotel and was nothing but problems for the neighborhood. I remember one evening when I was working in Training Squad at Macy’s that there was a line of fire trucks in front of the hotel with people screaming out the windows at them and then all the crime at the store that was talked about. Now it sits idle awaiting it current renovation to be finished.

The former Martinique Hotel is at 49 West 32nd Street (1260-1266 Broadway). This was also built by William R. H. Martin in 1898 with the design by architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh in the French Renaissance style. The hotel had a notorious reputation in the 1970’s and 80’s as a welfare hotel that closed in 1988. It is now a Curio Hotel of Hilton Hotels (Wiki).

1260 Broadway-49 West 32nd Street-The Martinique Hotel

https://www.themartinique.com/

Next to The Martinique Hotel is the Stanford Hotel with its Beaux Arts design and intricate details. The hotel was built in 1896 by architect Ralph S. Townsend and opened as the Hotel Pierrepont. In 1986, the whole received a gut renovation and opened as the Hotel Stanford (Wiki).

43 West 32nd Street-Hotel Stanford

https://www.hotelstanford.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

Once you pass the hotels, you are in the heart of Koreatown with all its interesting restaurants and shops. One of my favorite places to go for a snack is the Food Gallery 32 at 11 West 32nd Street.

Food Gallery 32 at 11 West 32nd Street

https://foodgallery32nyc.com/

Ever since the City reopened indoor dining and the weather has gotten nicer, this food court has been very busy. It is so much fun to walk around and see the sites and smells of all the food vendors. You could spend about two hours just watching everyone cook and then observe what people are ordering making it harder to choose.

Many of the booths offer Korean dishes and barbeque but there is also please to buy simple but amusing looking desserts in the shape of fish and the vendor by the front door offers churro desserts and ice cream in whimsical shapes and colors. They are desserts for the senses. I am slowly eating my way through the food court.

My first visit to the Food Gallery, I made an exploration trip just to see what was available and took some mental notes and then on the second trip I knew where my first stop would be and I chose MaMa K-food, a stall that sells buns, croissants, Matcha Taiyaki a type of fish shaped waffle that is filled with either red bean paste, custard, cream cheese or Nutella chocolate and Delimanjoo which is a smaller version of the fish shaped treat in original or chocolate filled.

I chose the Matcha Taiyaki filled with custard ($6.50-see review on TripAdvisor).The waffle was good but it was not as creamy as I thought it would be. Still it warmed me up on a cool afternoon.

The Cream and Nutella fish

MaMa

MaMa K Food at Food Gallery 32

My third trip to the food court I visited Sweet Churro for their specialty the Churro Dog ($6.50-see review on TripAdvisor). I have never had something so simple and so mind blowingly good. The stall takes a hot dog, cooks it and then wraps it in sweet churro batter and then deep fries it. When it comes out, the churro is crisp and golden brown and the hot dog crackles. Then they dip the churro in cinnamon sugar and tops it with a honey mustard glaze. I took it into Greeley Square to eat and I swear that people were observing me have a good time untangling it and happily chomping it down. It is a great combination of sweet and savory flavors.

Sweet Churros is located to the left as you walk into the Food Gallery 32

The Churros and Korean hot dogs.

I love the food here. I recently came to lunch and had to get my fix of fried food. I had one of the Potato encrusted Mozzarella stuffed Hot Dogs and a Fruitti Pebble Churro. They were both delicious and made for a wonderful lunch. Admittingly I can’t do this everyday but every once in a while it tastes really good and is a treat.

My Lunch at Sweet Churro in Koreatown

The Potato Encrusted Hot Dog

I highly recommend this hot dog for lunch or dinner (but only every once in a while).

The Passion Fruit Lemonade is so refreshing on a hot day.

The Frutti Pebble Churro

The Fruitti Pebble Churro that you have to try when you are in Koreatown.

https://www.sweetchurros.com

My first week at New York University for Graduate School on September 7th, 2022, I took a food walking tour of Koreatown, and returned to the area for lunch but this time with classmates (who were all thirty years younger than me). I ordered my lunch from BBQ Chicken at 25 West 32nd Street.

https://bbqktownnyc.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d14990480-Reviews-BB_Q-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

This was a group shot of all of us at the tour ordering lunch at the Food Gallery.

Group shot of us from NYU for the Koreatown walking tour on September 7th, 2022

We joined each other for lunch in the Broadway sitting area that borders West 33rd and 32nd Streets. This is next to Greeley Square Park. It was a nice way to introduce myself to other students in the SPS Program. I felt less nervous about school. Martin, our tour guide was really nice and really took us around Koreatown and learning about the restaurants in the neighborhood.

Us from NYU at lunch during the Koreatown walking tour

It was nice to visit the neighborhood again that afternoon. It brought back good memories of visiting the area a few years earlier for lunch.

The Fried Chicken here is excellent

The Fried Chicken dishes here are so good. I had the Honey Garlic Chicken both times I came here, and it is just excellent. The portion sizes here are very generous and I was stuffed after lunch.

The Honey Garlic Chicken

The chicken here is the best!

For dessert, I stopped at Paris Baguette at 6 West 32nd Street. I never knew that Paris Baguette was a Korean chain. The pastries were much different from the other branches they have. I had the most interesting apple doughnut there. You need to check them out here.

Paris Baguette at 6 West 32nd Street

Paris Baguette’s cases of baked goods

Paris Baguette’s selection of pastries

https://parisbaguette.com/locations/ny/new-york/6-west-32nd-street

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d2460381-Reviews-Paris_Baguette_Bakery_Cafe-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

After eating my lunch that warmed me up, I continued walking down West 32nd Street past all the busy restaurants and people happily eating both outside and inside on this cool day. It was nice to spend the afternoon with my future classmates.

As I made my way to Fifth Avenue that splits the neighborhood from west to east, I passed the elegant 315 Fifth Avenue.

315 Fifth Avenue-The Rock Building

https://streeteasy.com/building/315-5-avenue-new_york

The building is known as “The Rock Building” and was built in 1907 for owner Mathias Rock, a local merchant and tailor who made a fortune in his trade and had this building built for his business. The architects for the building were Maynicke & Franke and the building was a hybrid of French Classical and Beaux Arts trim with cast iron show windows and heavy decoration are the room and around the top windows (Daytonian). The beauty of this building is that it is tall and narrow and the way it fits into its space on Fifth Avenue.

Located in the bottom level of 315 Fifth Avenue is the museum/cafe Ginseng Museum Cafe by CheongKwanJang. This unique little museum/retail store has the most beautifully wrapped merchandise and tells the history, production and trade of Ginseng Tea (Closed August 2025).

Ginseng Museum Cafe by CheongKwanJang at 315 Fifth Avenue (closed August 2025)

https://www.kedglobal.com/newsView/ked202109170005

Sitting at the end of the block between East 32st and East 33nd is the Design Building on Lexington Avenue at 200 Lexington Avenue on the border with Kips Bay. You have to walk the width of this building to appreciate its beauty.

The New York Design Center Building at 200 Lexington Avenue stands out for its detailed beauty and its embellishments that accent the outside of the building. It was built in 1926 and designed by architect Ely Jacques Khan as the New York Furniture Exchange. The building was to cater to furniture and department store buyers. It now caters to the full interior design experience with furniture, lighting and textiles.

200 Lexington Avenue-The New York Design Center

What I love about this building is the beautiful merchandise you can see in its windows and the displays of furniture. The upper part of this neighborhood has a lot of design and home furnishings stores on the side streets.

The embellishment on the Design Building.

On the way back down the block I passed the the HG Hotel at 34 East 32nd Street, one of the Small Luxury Hotels in the World. The hotel was built in 1920 as the St. Louis Hotel and was designed in the Beaux Arts style (HGU Hotel History and StreetEasy).

34 East 32nd Street-The HG Hotel

https://www.hgunyc.com/

As I walked further down the street, I peeked over some of the scaffolding to see another interesting building being renovated at 29 East 32nd Street, The Grolier Club building. This was the second home of this private club now located at 87 East 60th Street. This building was the second home for the club and was built in 1890 and designed by architect Charles W Romeyn in the Romanesque Revival design. The club left this building in 1917 for its new home uptown (Wiki and Daytonian).

The historic plaque for The Old Grolier Club at 32 East 32nd street

29 East 32nd Street-The old Grolier Club buildings

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/29_East_32nd_Street

Two other hotel buildings stood out on the walk back down to the west side of 32nd Street. The first one being at 15 West 32nd Street, The Hotel at Fifth Avenue. This was the former Aberdeen Hotel. This beautiful hotel was designed by architect Harry B. Mulliken in the Beaux Arts style with immense detail and opened in 1904 as an ‘apartment hotel’ (Daytonian).

15 West 32nd Street-The Hotel at Fifth Avenue

https://www.hotelatfifthavenuenyc.com/

The entrance to the hotel in all its glory.

Crossing the street, I took a detour back to Keki Modern Cakes (now a Hokkaido Bakery) at 315 Fifth Avenue, a small Korean bakery that sells cream puffs and fluffy cheese cakes. I had to try one of their Milk flavored cream puffs.

At $4.00, these were a little pricey but the quality is excellent. The outside is crisp and sweet and the inside is a silky creamy filling. I was so impressed that I came back at second time to try the Ube version of the cream puff and was told that it is a type of sweet potato. This version had a sweet purple cream inside.

Keki Modern Cakes

Keki Modern Cakes at 315 Fifth Avenue (Closed December 2025)

https://www.kekimoderncakes.com/menu

Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart at 315 Fifth Avenue

https://www.hokkaidobakedcheesetart.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d28127187-r1052560468-Hokkaido_Baked_Cheese_Tart-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The inside of Hokkaido

Ube cream puff

Inside the cream puff

Having a little sugar inside me gave me that extra boost of energy and turned the corner to walk down West 33rd Street. Here’s where the architecture starts to change from the beautiful Beaux Arts buildings of the lower 30’s to the more Art Deco style and contemporary designs of the progress of the neighborhood.

There were still the holdouts with the Herald Towers, the old Hotel McAlpin, 1282-1300 Broadway once the largest hotel in the world. The hotel was built in 1912 by architect Frank Mills Andrews for hotelier General Edwin A. Alpin. The hotel had the most modern touches of its era and remained a hotel until it was converted into apartments in the 1980’s (Wiki).

1282-1300 Broadway-The Herald Towers/McAlpin Hotel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_McAlpin

Across the street is 1270 Broadway

1270 Broadway

https://www.squarefoot.com/building/ny/new-york/1270-broadway

1270 Broadway, known once as the Wilson Building, was built between 1912 and 1913 in the class Beaux Arts style. It now serves as an office building. You have to look up from the square to admire its beauty.

Still the most amazing building in the neighborhood is the Empire State Building on the corner of Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets. It’s the most impressive and well known building in the neighborhood is the former tallest building in the world at 102 floors, the Empire State Building at 2-20 West 34th Street.

The Empire State Building is probably the most famous building in New York City outside of maybe Rockefeller Center and one of the most prominent. The building sits on the side of the former Astor Mansion and the first Waldorf-Astoria Hotel before the current one was built in the 1930’s on Park Avenue.

The Empire State Building was inspired during the “Race to the Sky” movement in New York City during the 1920’s prosperity with builders vying for the “World’s Tallest Building” title. This was going on in cities all over the US at a time of great innovation in building. The building was conceived in 1929 long before the Stock Market Crash of 1929 as 40 Wall Street and the Chrysler Building were being constructed (Wiki).

The Empire State building at 20 West 34th Street

https://www.esbnyc.com/

The building is known just by its appearance and is probably best known for the movie “King Kong” back in the 1930’s and most recently “Sleepless in Seattle” in the 1990’s. The movies don’t do the building justice from its sky decks with views of Manhattan and beautiful Art Deco details on the elevators and in the lobby. The 102 story building is one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Modern World’ and was the tallest building in the world until the World Trade Center opened in 1970 (Wiki). It is now the second tallest building in New York City.

The famous clip of the original “King Kong”

The security has gotten tighter around the building lately so you have to move quickly if you are going to take pictures. The Skydeck and the Museum at the Empire State Building just reopened and is opened with timed tickets.

I ended back at Lexington Avenue on the other side of the Design Building and then turned around as it started to get dark that evening. This is where the neighborhood starts to modernize with newer buildings along Park and Madison Avenue and the parts in between East 33rd Street.

I got back to Greeley Square as the sun started to go down. On my first night in the neighborhood before indoor dining opened, I stopped at BBQ Chicken Ktown at 25 West 32nd Street for dinner.

BBQ Chicken Ktown at 25 West 32nd Street

https://bbqktownnyc.com/

They have a nice assortment of to go dinners, and I grabbed a box of their Honey Garlic Glazed Chicken. It was delicious and on a cold night was the perfect dinner. The only problem was I had to eat it on stone barrier in Greeley Square and it must have been 32 degrees and windy that night. Still the sticky sweetness of the chicken pieces warmed me up as the wind whipped by.

The Honey Garlic Glazed Chicken is delicious. It is a real treat!

On another trip to finish the neighborhood, I stopped at Teso Life at 1265 Broadway just off Greeley Square. This small but unique Japanese department store carries all sorts of cosmetic and care products on the first and second floor. On the second floor, it has a snack and small grocery department where they have the best assortment of unusual bagged snacks.

I grabbed two bags of snacks, Wagaya Corn Hot & Salty puffs ($1.39) and Sanko Karikari Twist Cheese Swirls ($1.99). They were salty and savory and I devoured both bags in record time. I love it when you find such unique places to shop.

The Snack department at Teso Life Department store. The different flavors of chips.

Teso at 1265 Broadway

https://www.tesolife.com/en/stores

Snacks at the store.

When visiting Koreatown/Midtown South it offers such a distinct amount of experiences. You are seeing the old mix with the new in this ever changing neighborhood. Koreatown has expanded its original borders from West 32nd and 33rd Streets from Sixth to Fifth Avenues to almost Park Avenue with some new restaurants bordering Lexington Avenue.

NoMAD (North of Madison Square Park) is expanding as well to what was once called Herald Square and Greeley Square with the ongoing renovation of the older buildings for newer businesses. The neighborhood is coming full circle again as the center for the Tech and Media industries and the expansion of the City’s colleges.

The old is becoming new again!

Koreatown at night

Koreatown is still expanding across Fifth Avenue towards Lexington Avenue. There are more shops and restaurants opening along Fifth Avenue and the side streets from East 34th to East 32nd Streets. The popularity of the neighborhood during lunch and dinner time has gotten a lot busier since the pandemic ended and people want to enjoy the neighborhood.

Read my other blogs on Exploring Koreatown/Midtown South/NoNaNe:

The Borders of the Koreatown:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/16912

The Avenues of the Koreatown:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/17304

Places to visit:

Greeley Square

Between 33rd and 32nd Streets/Broadway to Sixth Avenue

New York , NY 10001

(212) 639-9675

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/greeley-square-park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/greeley-square-park/history

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d3529407-Reviews-Greeley_Square_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The Empire State Building/Skydeck and Museum

20 West 34th Street

New York, NY 10001

(212) 736-3100

https://www.esbnyc.com/

https://www.esbnyc.com/buy-tickets

Open: Sunday-Saturday 1:00pm-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d104365-Reviews-Empire_State_Building-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Teso Life Department Store

1265 Broadway

New York, NY 10001

https://www.tesolife.com/en/local-stores

(917)409-0462

Open: Sunday-Saturday 12:00pm-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

Places to Eat:

Fresh Pizza & Deli

876 Sixth Avenue

New York, NY 10001

(212) 779-7498

https://99centsfreshpizzaanddelinewyork.mybistro.online/

Open: Sunday-Friday 6:00am-12:00am/Saturday 24 hours

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d23125364-Reviews-Fresh_Pizza_And_Deli-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/2000

Food Gallery 32

11 West 32nd Street

New York, NY 10001

(718) 210-6577

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-9:00pm

https://foodgallery32nyc.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d2306797-r783758087-Food_Gallery_32-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Sweet Churro

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d15173948-r784500382-Sweet_Churros-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

MaMa K Food

My review on TripAdvisor:

Keki Modern Cakes (Closed December 2025)

315 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(212) 889-0251

https://www.kekimoderncakes.com/locations

Open: Sunday-Thursday 12:00pm-7:00pm/Friday and Saturday 12:00pm-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d14208455-Reviews-Keki_Modern_Cakes-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tarts

315 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(917) 261-5820

https://www.hokkaidobakedcheesetart.com/

Open: Sunday 9:00am-9:00pm/Monday-Thursday 8:00am-9:00pm/Friday 8:00am-10:00pm/Saturday 9:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d28127187-r1052560468-Hokkaido_Baked_Cheese_Tart-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

BBQ Chicken KTown

25 West 32nd Street

New York, NY 10001

https://bbqktownnyc.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d14990480-r782553557-BB_Q-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Paris Baguette

6 West 32nd Street

New York, NY 10001

(212) 244-0404

Home

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d2460381-Reviews-Paris_Baguette_Bakery_Cafe-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Ginseng Museum Cafe by CheongKwanJang

315 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(212) 685-1003

https://kgcus.com/

Open Sunday 12:00pm-6:00pm/Monday-Saturday 11:00am-7:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d6809267-Reviews-Korean_Ginseng_Corp-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Day One Hundred and Eighty-Six: Visiting the Farms in Bergen County, NJ during the Spring, Summer and Fall and during the Christmas & Halloween holidays-A Local Journey December 18th-31st, 2020 (Again in April & October 2021 and October 2022, June 5th, 2025 and June 11th and 28th, 2026)

When you think of the words ‘rural’ and ‘farmland’ these are not terms you hear a lot in Bergen County, NJ, one of the heaviest populated counties to surround New York City. Yet the county has a rich history in farming and agriculture from the late 1600’s up into the 1970’s when development pressures got too strong and most of what was left of the farms of the area got plowed over for development.

Early in our county’s history, the Dutch and then the English supplied much of the fruits and vegetables for the New York City markets. Much did not change until the suburban expansion after WWII and many strawberry, celery and potato farms were plowed under for shopping malls and housing developments. Since that time and with the help of the Right to Farm Act, The Open Space Act and Farmland Preservation of the State of New Jersey, it is helping many small farmers in the state preserve their land for agriculture.

“From Revolution to Renewal” our Historical Bergen County project

NJ Agricultural Information:

https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/rtfprogram/

This is why in Bergen County we revere our farms and our agricultural past. Last semester when I taught Marketing at Bergen Community College, I had my students create an extensive project describing and promoting our Colonial Heritage and our agricultural past. This included promoting many of our remaining farms.

The Project “From Revolution to Renewal”:

From the Revolution to Renewal: Exploring Historic Bergen County

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/13616

https://bergecooparc.wixsite.com/bergen

Our small farms in Bergen County do more than just provide fruits and vegetables for our tables. They are open air classrooms to our agricultural past, places to buy fresh produce and baked goods to support local family farm stores and for interesting special events and outings for families. During the holiday season, some of these farms have haunted hayrides, turkey pardons and visits from Santa all while selling Christmas trees and wreaths.

This lead me to explore many of the small farms that make up the fabric of Bergen County all while seeing how the owners are reinventing the way they do business with today’s consumer. How do we react with nature and the great outdoors? So I walked through farm stands and fields and across parking lots looking for our rural past in the year 2020.

The Farm Cafe for wonderful breakfasts and lunches

I drove to Closter, NJ on my first stop to Old Schraalenburgh Farm and Farm Stand at 40 Old Hook Road and the Abram Demaree Homestead at 110 Schraalenburgh Road on the corner of Schraalenburgh Road. For years I had passed this farm and never gave it much thought until two summers ago I noticed the sign for the ‘farm burger’ and had to stop to see what it was all about. What a burger! (see my review on TripAdvisor).

Old Schraalenburgh Farm in the warmer months of fall 2022

The Corn Maze in fall 2022

I have since have had lunch here many times mostly when the weather is warmer. What I love about the Old Schraalenburgh Farm is that it is under the radar from most of the commercial farms in the county like Abma and Demarest farms which have all the family activities like hayrides and pumpkin and apple picking events.

The farm in the fall months

Old Schraalenburgh has a smaller restaurant and bakery and in the summer months tables outside to eat breakfast and lunch while admiring the fields of flowers and the barns and chicken coops.

The wonderful selection of gourmet items at Old Schraalenburgh Farm

The farm items are various at the farm stand

The Sweet and Savory pies

What I love about their restaurant is the quality of the food here. The ‘Farm Burger’ which they tout so much is much worth the ride here. This juicy burger loaded with cheese and fresh vegetables and a mayo type sauce and is a mouthful in each bite. Bring your appetite because this burger is large! (see review on TripAdvisor).

The “Farm Burger” at the Old Schraalenburgh Farm Stand restaurant

Their chicken pot pie is another lunch item I would recommend. They make them fresh here and bake them with a golden crust and when you let it cool is a mouthful of creamy sauce, hunks of chicken and fresh vegetables. You won’t need dinner after this entree.

The Chicken Pot Pie at the farm is delicious.

Digging into the layers of Chicken and Vegetables of the Pot Pie.

I recently stopped at the Farm Cafe for breakfast after an appointment and their well known Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich ($5.95). It was amazing. The eggs used on the sandwich were fresh from their chicken coops and picked up daily. Topped with crisp bacon and American cheese on a toasted brioche bun it was heaven.

It was nice to just take my sandwich and eat it on one of the picnic tables overlooking the fields that were in the process of beginning to grow this seasons crops. On a sunny morning, there is nothing like this.

The Bacon, Egg and Cheese here is excellent

For dessert though, even with the options of their fresh brownies and homemade ice cream, you have to try their freshly baked fruit pies and pie cookies. The chocolate and fruit filled pie cookies resemble small fruit filled deep dish pies and are a delight in every bite.

pie cookies

The blueberry pie cookies

The bakery also has something called “Burnt Cookies” (.50 cents) that are in jars near the register. I thought someone made a mistake and overcooked them. The woman at the counter said “Oh no. People like a crisper cookie.” I still say they were selling a mistake but they were really good! I had the sugar, chocolate chip and an oatmeal cookies and they were really crisp.

To tell you how popular they are I dropped a piece at the chicken pen and the chickens and roosters got all excited and ran out of their pen to eat the piece that had fallen on the ground. That’s an endorsement.

The chicken coops are busy when you feed the chickens

During the summer months, it is fun to walk through the fields and admire all the beautiful rows of flowers growing and visiting the barn and chicken coops. During the holiday months, the store and restaurant were decorated for Christmas and were stocked with handmade gifts and artwork. The bakery section had a selection of meat and fruit pies for the holidays.

The bakery case at the farm

Walking across the street to the Abram Demaree Homestead and Farm across the street from the farm stand, the main house and barn were also decorated for the holidays. All the tables, counters and shelves were stock with all sorts of decorative objects, antiques, furniture and artwork. These treasures can decorate any home contemporary or historical.

The antiques and holiday decorations at the Abram Demaree Homestead

Off to the side of the main building, they were selling Christmas trees and holiday decorations for the home. The buildings with Christmas retro items and tree ornaments really put me into the holiday spirit. The homestead is fun to walk around in to see how our Colonial past played a part in the growth of Bergen County.

The beautiful old buildings on the farm

The beautiful old antiques on sale

During Halloween, the farm was busy with visitors buying preserves and jellies, baked products for home and people eating lunch on a warm afternoon.

The Skeletons guard the farm at Halloween at Old Schraalenburgh Farm

History of the Old Schraalenburgh Farm and the Abram Demaree Homestead:

In 1677, David Des Marest, a French Huguenot, purchased a large tract of land from the Tappan Native American tribe. This land passed from Dutch control to British rule and through the American Revolution, which produced an uncertain concept that became the United States.

In 1769, Abram Demaree, David Des Marest’s grandson, bought the house and ran it as a General Store and Tavern at the crossroads of one of the busiest intersections of colonial roads in Bergen County. His son, David, added to the house in 1809. The conjoined Demaree house along with a colonial Dutch-style barn, servants house and blacksmith shop form the original Abram Demaree Homestead (Farm History website).

The Abram Demaree Homestead in the Summer months

In the 1970’s, the house and property was falling apart and a group of citizens fought to get the homestead on the National Register of Historic Places. Since then, the home and farm have been part of a non-profit, The Demaree Homestead & Farm, with all the proceeds going to restoring and maintaining the home and farm. The farm and farm stand cafe are open to the public and the profits go to maintenance of the property. The Farm Stand Cafe features in season items grown right on the farm (Farm History website).

Across Old Hook Road from the Demaree Homestead is their working farm, The Old Schraalenburgh Farm, which has been continuously farmed since the 18th Century. Every Spring, the farm plants corn, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, apples, blueberries and pumpkins, among other fruits, vegetables and flowers (Farm History website).

My Team Project Promoting the Old Schraalenburgh Farm through Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc.:

https://mywalkinmanhattan.com/tag/bergecco-parc-consulting-inc-farm-project

Leaving the Old Schraalenburgh Farm, I headed down Old Hook Road on my way back to Westwood and stopped at the Old Hook Farm Stand for a look at their Christmas trees. The Old Hook Farm Stand is at 650 Old Hook Road in Emerson.

The Old Hook Farm at 650 Old Hook Road in the fall months

Old Hook Farm in the Fall

What I like about the Old Hook Farm is the selection of grocery products in their General store. They have an assortment of organic meats, dairy products, vegetables and baked goods that include delicious looking freshly baked pies, breads and cider doughnuts.

The Fall bounty is on sale at Old Hook Farm

Their shelves are stocked with all sorts of jellies, jams and condiments along with dry and snack goods that are accented by antiques and farm paraphernalia. This gives the store a feel of a turn of the last century General store that used to dot the towns of rural Bergen County.

The Old Hook Farm grocery section of the General store

In the Spring and Summer, the greenhouse stocks all sorts of decorative plants, flowers and garden supplies and I am sure is better stocked in the summer months for lawn care and landscaping. In the Spring, the tables are stocked with all sorts of seedlings for gardens, decorative plants for the home and gardening supplies and landscaping decorations including stones and layerings.

All sorts of decorative plants available in the Fall

In the Fall, the farm is awash with pumpkins, gourds and decorative plants for designing the house in a festive mood. There are all sorts of items for the Halloween holidays.

Blogger Justin Watrel at Old Hook Farm for the Halloween season

During the holiday season, there were all sorts of wreaths, cemetery blankets and Christmas trees to choose from. The perfect assortment to ‘deck the halls’ for the holidays.

Like everyone else in the County, when I got there, there was only a few trees to choose from. They had sold out early in a year when everyone wanted a fresh tree. Still the atmosphere with the atmosphere of fresh pine and snow gave the farm that old fashioned ‘1970’s feel’ when I used to visit the farms in Bridgewater, NJ growing up. Things seemed a lot slower then and you could just relax and enjoy the sites and smells of a farm.

The Christmas trees were pretty much sold out when I visited

From a distance behind the greenhouse, you could see under the snow that had just fallen, the fields where the crops are grown in the warmer months. The old farmhouse on the property was decorated for Christmas as well and looked like a home out of a Currier & Ives print.

History of the Old Hook Farm:

The town of Emerson did not exist during the Native American origin. The name ‘Old Hook’ on the east side of the town came from the Dutch word ‘Hoek’ meaning ‘angle’ or ‘corner’. The angle of the land was created by the three connecting water ways, the Hackensack River, the Pascack Brook and the Musquapsink Brook. The first person to make their home here was William Rutan, who settled on a parcel of land just west of today’s ‘Old Hook Farm’ sometime around 1748 (Emerson Town History).

The current ‘Old Hook Farm’ was bought by current owner, Bruce Marek’s grandfather in 1925 as a weekend getaway. He rented the farm and the farm house to a local resident for 35 years and the family had a large garden on the property until about 1948. Then his father took over the land and cleared the fields and had Soil Conservation come in and do contours and started to grow in the greenhouse. When his father died in 1973, he took over the farm and within eight years, reopened the garden store and started to experiment and grow organic crops (Bruce Marek’s interview with ‘Bergen Save the Watershed Action Network’).

The old farm house at Old Hook Farm

I next ventured to Hillsdale, NJ, two towns away to visit one of the most beloved farms in Bergen County, Demarest Farms at 244 Werimus Road, right off the Garden State Parkway. I have been visiting the farm since the early 1970’s when I used to visit my family who lived just two blocks away. Back then it was just a small farm stand just outside the family homestead. In 1991, they build the big store across the street.

The Demarest Farm Store at 244 Werimus Road

The farm stand building is always a buzz with people coming and going. People buying sandwiches, soups, hot entrée items and baked goods for lunch and dinner. There is a large selection of in season produce (which is a little pricer than most supermarkets) as well as jams and jellies.

Fall decorations at Demarest Farms in 2022

Where the market really shines is their bakery filled with cookies, brownies, freshly baked pies and their well-known cider doughnuts. They also have great potato pancakes that taste good hot or cold (in the era of COVID the food has been toned back a little from the past).

Demarest Farms

Demarest Farm store carries an array of fruits and vegetables at all times of the year

Demarest Farms in October 2022

The stand also has a nice garden section during the Spring and Summer seasons with everything you need for lawn care and for landscaping your home or decorating inside. During the Fall, there is all sorts of decorative items for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season.

Demarest Farms right before Halloween 2021

During every season, Demarest Farms is always full of activities. During the Summer months (Pre-COVID), there was the big barbecues that the farm sponsored that got so popular that they had to have the police direct traffic into the complex. These ‘All You Can Eat” affairs were so much fun. It was like a throw back to the 1970’s when families used to dine out together in the Summer months. You could listen to a local band play while chomping on endless hot dogs, barbecue chicken, fresh corn on the cob, baked beans, salad and watermelon for dessert. There were also be chests of ice full of Coke, Sprite and Bottled waters (see reviews on TripAdvisor). Eating at the farm is fun.

Dining at Demarest Farms is a treat on a warm afternoon. I recently stopped in for some apple cider and decided to stay for lunch. I have the most delicious Chicken Salad sandwich with one of their potato pancakes which they are know for. I had a pint of their wonderful Apple Cider to finish the meal and everything was great. It is so nice to sit out on the tables and just watch everyone come back from their hayrides laughing and having fun.

My lunch that afternoon: A Chicken Salad sandwich on a roll, their well-known potato pancakes and their house made Apple Cider.

Demarest Farms is known for their Potato Pancakes,

The farm is known for their Apple Cider.

The Chicken Salad here is excellent (See TripAdvisor review)

During the Fall months, there would be Hayrides through the orchards, Pumpkin and Apple Picking that are so popular you need a reservation and Haunted Halloween events that have people driving from all over Northern New Jersey to attend.

Getting ready for Halloween at Demarest Farms

The farm was packed with people during Halloween 2022 with the weather being in the sixty degree area. The farm had hayrides, pumpkin picking, apple picking and a maze for the children. The lines to get into the farm stand were fifty deep and traffic was crazy. One of the employees said that people were traveling as far as Long Island to come to the farm.

The maze at Demarest Farm Halloween 2022

Pumpkins of all sizes at Demarest Farms 2022

This Christmas, in the era of COVID, the farm really outdid itself ringing in the holiday season. The farm stand sold an array of Christmas trees, wreaths and cemetery blankets, all sorts of holiday treats in the store including cookies, pies and jams and jellies. There was also a nice selection of holiday decorations. By the last week before Christmas, most everything was sold out.

What I thought was fun and it was the first time the farm had done this was the “Holiday Light Show” through the Demarest Farm orchard which is across the street from the farm stand. This show was sold out every night for almost three weeks ending on January 3rd.

Demarest Farm Store decorated for Halloween and the Fall

The tour started at the farm stand where you could buy S’ mores to roast at the fire pit next to the nursery ($6.50). I thought it was a little expensive for two graham crackers, two marshmellows and a small bar of chocolate but people scooped them up and were roasting away. There were also cut outs from the holidays to take pictures and there was a small light show of singing reindeer performing all the classic Christmas songs.

Then it was time to take the drive through the orchard. We started the tour at farm stand and then drove across the street to the family homestead which was ablaze with colorful lights on the house and the surrounding trees. I took a slow drive through the orchard carefully following the cars in front of me to keep pace.

The apple and pear trees were decorated with multi color lights, Santa’s and Snowmen winked and greeted you at every turn. The barns were decorated with white lights and there was a tunnel of flashing lights to greet you and exit from. All along the way I listened to the Classical music channel to enhance the mood of the trip. It may have only been a half an hour but it was mesmerizing trip through a fantasy land of lights that put me back into the Christmas spirit. Demarest farms seems to have that effect at the holidays.

The History of Demarest Farms:

The Demarest family has been present in the New York area since David DeMarest arrived to New Amsterdam in 1663. The current farm has been in the Demarest family from Bergen County since 1886. In the 1970’s, Peter Demarest and his wife, Marsha introduced the pick your own apples and pumpkin business and eventually added peaches to the mix.

The Demarest Family history at the farm

In 1991, the family opened the current farm store on what had once been corn fields. The store today has evolved into a selection of fresh produce, prepared foods, baked goods, apple cider, jams and jellies and homemade crafts (Demarest Farm website).

The flowers at Demarest Farm are colorful

In 2014, Peter Demarest decided to retire and the sold the farm stand and farm to longtime employees Jason DeGise and Jim Spollen. The farmland had been preserved under the Farmland Preservation Fund and by the Open Space Trust Fund. The 27 acres are to be preserved as farmland and can only be used for agriculture (NJ.com).

Demarest Farms put out this wonderful promotional video on the event

Leaving Demarest Farms, I headed north taking the turns on Route 17 and Route 208 and headed up to Wyckoff. My first stop was the Goffle Road Poultry Farm at 549 Goffle Road. The farm which once must have taken up much more area has been reduced down to a few acres with chicken coops and hatcheries and the farm store.

The parking lot was a mob scene of people trying to get in and out of the driveway and being directed by one man in a mask. When I finally was able to get out of my car and park, I asked him if they were giving money away. He just laughed and said, “I wish”. He quickly said to me it was busier at Thanksgiving and they had lines going down Goffle Road.

Goffle Road Poutry Farm

Goffle Road Poultry Farm at 549 Goffle Road

I just walked in the store to look around passing all the people in line who were waiting to pick up their pre-orders. The store is stocked with all things poultry with fresh eggs. whole roasters and butchered chicken parts. In the freezer there were crab cakes, chicken nuggets and chicken and turkey pot pies, all of which they are known for and sought out.

The stand at Goffle Road Poultry Farm

Here there are no hayrides or special events although they told me Santa had already visited the farm. Just high quality food and excellent service done by a staff that looked very over-whelmed at the holidays.

When I returned recently to the Goffle Road Poultry Farm, I was able to buy some of their brown jumbo eggs ($2.95) and one of their frozen Chicken Pot Pies to bring home with me. There really is a difference in the fresh eggs versus the commercial ones. There is a richer flavor to the taste when you have them scrambled and in a omelet.

The Brown eggs at Goffle Farms have a richer flavor

The Chicken Pot Pie tasted more like a chicken pie, which has less chicken gravy in it, but it pretty much follows the same Bisquick recipe that I have at home with a mixture of vegetables and canned cream of chicken soup as its base. Still, it cooked up nicely and a flaky golden crust. It is worth it to stop and do some shopping here.

The Goffle Farm Pot Pie is more like a Chicken Pie

History of Goffle Road Poultry Farm:

The Goffle Road Poultry Farm has been a family owned and operated business for four generations. Joseph and Rose Silvestri came over from Italy in 1920 and started Belmont Poultry in Paterson, NJ in the 1930’s. In 1948, Joseph and Rose’s son, Dominic, started Goffle Road Poultry Farm of Wyckoff, NJ. To this day, the Goffle Road Poultry Farm is operated as a family owned business by the current owner and grandson, Joseph Silvestri and great grandson, Brian Silvestri. The family has found it hard to keep up with demand on such a small plot and is now partnering with Amish farmers in Pennsylvania who share the same standards of raising animals (Goffle Road Poultry Farm website).

Goffle Road Poultry Farm at the Halloween Holidays

My last stop on this journey was the largest farm of them all, Abma’s Farm at 700 Lawlins Road in Wyckoff, NJ. Abma’s is an impressive working farm with many greenhouses, large fields, a gift shop, nursery, and a farm store. They also have a large petting zoo to amuse children and adults alike.

The Abma Farm at 700 Lawlins Road in Wyckoff

I have to admit that I have only visited the farm in the cooler months and with COVID going on, the petting zoo was closed the day I was there and it looked like you needed a reservation to get in. The price is $3.00 unless you join their Barnyard Loyalty Program by accumulating 30 points from their farm store and nursery.

The greenhouses were pretty empty the afternoon I visited. What was left of wreaths and Christmas trees dotted the the nursery area. I am sure it was totally stocked with all sorts of items to decorate the house. There was still a nice assortment of wreaths to choose from and garland to decorate the banisters and hallways with for Christmas. The Christmas tree selection was down to about ten trees and they were very sad looking. Being right before Christmas, the selection was limited.

Abma Farm during the Fall of 2022

In the Summer months, the greenhouses were full of flowers and decorative plants and the fields are ablaze with colors. It will be about four months before we see that again but Spring is not that far away.

Halloween at the farm

The farm store was buzzing with people and it was hard to find a parking spot after the snow storm we had just had. Some of the drifts made parking tough but there was someone in the lot who made it easy to park.

Abma’s Farm Market & Garden Center in the Fall of 2021

The farm store at Abma Farm is full of fresh vegetables and fruits, a whole selection of bakery products including cookies, brownies, freshly baked pies and cider doughnuts. The prepared food section has all sorts of salads and sandwiches available and there is a selection of soups. There are also crafts available for sale.

The Abma Farm Store stocked with delicious foods

Though some of the special events on the farm have been cancelled because of COVID, they did have a socially distanced “Story with Santa” program and “You Pick” events for strawberries, potatoes, pumpkins and tomatoes during the different seasons. Events like pony rides and Easter themed events have been put on hold for the time.

The farm stand with fruits and vegetables

What I really enjoy about visiting Abma Farm is just walking around the farm itself. I was able to walk through some of the greenhouses and see the trees and decorative items, look at the vast field and can’t wait to return in the Spring when we can see the fields of growing produce and greenhouses full of flowers and plants.

The History of Abma Farm:

The Abma Farm

First generation of the family, Barney Abma, was born on April 25th, 1901. He came to America for the first time in 1917 when he was 17 years old searching for a new beginning. After spending a few years out west, then a short stay in Pennsylvania, he went back to Holland to marry. Barney and his new wife, Anna, settled in Wyckoff at the present location of Abma’s Farm in the late 1920’s (Abma Farm History website).

The front of the farm stand

The couple began working for the ‘Yeoman Farm’ and rented out part of the original farmhouse from owner, Daniel Yeoman. The farm was next passed on to Mr. and Mrs. George Fox (nee Yeoman). Barney Abma bought the farm from the couple in 1932 for $6,000. Part of the 50 acre farm was sold off and it is now the current 32 acre farm that it is today (Abma Farm History website).

The farm is now under the ownership of the forth and fifth generations of the Abma family under Barney and Anna’s son, James and his family.

I love this video on the family and about the farm.

There are also a few smaller farms in the County I was not able to visit before they closed for the season. Also most farm stands have closed for the Winter so there will be a lot to visit in the warmer months.

Still the holidays at the farms in Bergen County, NJ have a special place in our lives and have become part of the traditions of many families.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and look forward to updates in the Spring!

Spring and Summer of 2021:

As the weather has gotten warmer, I have been revisiting the farms that were closed right after the holidays . As the warmer months have come upon us, April has ushered in warmer weather and the bounty of Spring has arrived. The greenhouses are starting to fill with plants and shrubs and the farm stands.

The entrance to Stokes Farm at 23 DeWolf Road

I made my first trip to Stokes Farm at 23 DeWolf Road in Old Tappan, NJ. The farm stand has just opened since it has closed up shop right after Christmas. The shelves of the farm were starting to fill with fresh produce from the warmer states and there were all sorts of colorful fruits and vegetables.

Stokes Farm in the fall of 2022

The farm stand also has a bakery that has pies, cookies and cider doughnuts. The problem is that because of COVID all the items were prepackaged in large packages and you could not buy individual pieces. The woman at the counter said things will go back to normal business once all of this passes. By 2022, the bakery was up and running in full force.

The Stokes Farm Stand bakery area

The delicious pies and Bundt cakes

Still the refrigerator cases are lined with fresh eggs, Amish butter, honey and cheese from the Amish Country in Pennsylvania and the shelves are full of jellies, jams, salsas and pickles that are made for the farm.

The private label sauces, syrups and jellies

The farmstand is just opening and there will be more to come as we move into the warmer months.

All sorts of delicious items line the shelves

The inside of the farm stand

I made my way out to the greenhouse in the back where plants are being grown for planting and for decorating the house. Most of the plants are still so small but as May and June arrive, these greenhouses will burst of all sorts of plants.

The plants and greenhouses

The front of the greenhouses

The flowers in the greenhouses

The colorful potted plants

Though the part of the farm that you can visit is small, you can see that the farm is lined with greenhouses going back many acres and next to the stand is a farmhouse that was built in 1890. It is nice to just walk around and enjoy the fresh air at the farm.

The farm was getting ready for Halloween

The History of Stokes Farm:

In 1873, Isaiah Stokes headed out on a ship to America from his home in England. When he arrived, he purchased 40 acres of land in Old Tappan, NJ where he started a farm. He thought this would be a good location for selling produce, as Old Tappan is very close to New York City, as well as many established towns along the Hudson River.

Stokes Farm

His products included chickens, eggs, milk, hay, asparagus, beets and other assorted vegetables. As time went on, his son, Joseph Stokes took over the farming. The Stokes family continued sowing and growing into the early 1900’s. Joseph Stokes and his wife, Anna, worked very hard and soon developed a produce route through Piermont, Nyack and points further north along the river. They were one of the first farms to have a truck in the area when farms were still powered by men and horses.

The Greenhouses and gardens

Joseph Stokes had one child, Madeline, who married Ernie Binaghi in 1927. Madeline ran the farm and Ernie was a carpenter. The farm carried on through WWII. Madeline and Ernie had one child, Ronald, who after dropping out of NYU Music School in the early 1950’s , came home to help out with the chores. Ron married Jean and she moved into the farmhouse to become a farmer too.

The Stokes farmstead

In 1955, they opened a roadside farm stand, which was a four post open air shed. The stand did well, selling from the five acres of strawberries, five acres of tomatoes, in addition to peppers, eggplant and asparagus.

The garden plants for sale outside

As the years went on, Ron and Jean started selling produce at the Paterson Farmers Market. It was here that a farmer could sell his produce directly to the consumer or to wholesalers. The farm stand was rebuilt in 1966.

In the early 1970’s, the energy crunch started and the farm stand began to flounder. It was then that Bob Lewis came to visit Ron and Jean with a proposal. He asked them to participate in the first NYC Greenmarket at 59th and Second Avenue. So in 1976, Ron and his sixteen year old son, Ron Jr. ventured into the big city. Their lives changed that day. After the people bought everything on the truck, Ron Sr. was heard to say, “Is there a famine in this City?” Ron Jr., then sixteen started selling produce at the now famous Union Square market on 17th Street and it seemed that this type of market suited the farm quite well. Greenhouses were built in the 1980’s and the bedding plant business started to thrive.

The Stokes Farmstand and the farmstead behind it

High tech growing coupled with practical family values, helped the farm to grow steadily into the 1990’s. Ron Jr. and his wife, Jeanine, took over the day to day operations of the farm and the Greenmarket stands, while Ron Sr. and Jean continued to run the farm stand.

Grocery items at Stokes Farm

In 2000, Ron Jr. was named “Outstanding Young Farmer of the Year” for the State of New Jersey. This award is given to a farmer who has made his farm better over the years and also is active in his community. Ron went to Indiana to the national competition, where he placed fifth in the nation.

Ron Binaghi Jr. at Stokes Farm

Ron Binaghi Jr. at Stokes Farm in Old Tappan, NJ

Today the farm is seventeen acres with 40,000 square feet of greenhouses. It is the goal of the farm to grow the best possible product to keep the customers healthy and happy and to keep the land as a farm for future generations.

The extensive amount of produce and baked goods are perfect for the holidays

Another farm that I missed during the holiday season was DePiero’s Farm at 156 Summit Avenue in Montvale, NJ. I have been coming to DePiero’s Farm for years at the old farm stand where the current Wegmans Supermarket and mall now stands.

Halloween at DePiero’s Farm

Haunted happenings at DePiero’s Farm Stand

Here used to be the large farm stand building that had everything from produce and baked goods to arts and crafts items and gardening equipment. That was torn down in the early 2000’s. I thought that they had closed for business until I rediscovered it again.

Depiero’s Farm Stand at 156 Summit Avenue . This is the original farm sign.

When I visited recently, I asked the woman who was working the counter about the history of the farm. She said that she had worked for the DePiero family for years and told me that this was the original farm stand until the family built the larger one down the road. When that was torn down to make way for the market strip mall, they moved the operations back to the original stand on the original farmland. I thought that was interesting.

The original farmstead building is currently being renovated and expanded. The tables around the store are ladened currently with fresh produce from the Hunts Market (until the summer when local produce will be offered), there is a small bakery area with fresh pies ($18.00-$20.00), fresh pickles and peanut butter from the Amish Country. The shelves are lined with honey and fresh jellies that are made for the farm.

Early Fall at DePiero’s Farm

Outside the farm stand, there is a large greenhouse with rows of tables lined with all sorts of flowering plants and small vegetable plants growing. The larger greenhouse is surrounded by smaller greenhouses growing more plants. It is a large operation.

The greenhouse at DePiero’s Farm is full of flowers and decorations for the Fall

What amazes me is how the farm has survived with all the suburban sprawl surrounding it. On land that was once the farm, all sorts of new condos are going up, the second farm stand is now a mall and office buildings surround the whole small patch of farm.

DePiero’s Farm Stand decorated for Halloween

The History of DePiero’s Farm:

The DePiero Farm has been an owned and operated farm since 1924. The original farm was about 250 acres that stretched from Montvale, NY to New Paltz, NY. In 1987, the opened the original farm store that was popular for years. That facility closed in 2015 and has since been replaced with a new shopping complex anchored by a Wegmans.

The family has since reopened the original farm stand which is farmed on limited basis where they sell farm products, baked goods and Christmas items like wreaths and Christmas trees.

The outside of the original family farm stand

(NJ.com-Myles Mia 2015-“Longtime Montvale Farm closes its doors”)

My last farm that I did not have a chance to visit during the Christmas holidays but had opened on April 1st was Secor Farms at 85 Airmont Avenue in Mahwah, NJ. I would consider Secor Farms more like a giant nursery. Both on the outside and inside the greenhouses, you can walk around rows of flowers, decorative plants and seedlings for the vegetable gardens. The greenhouses are fun to walk in as you can see plantings at different stages of growth. It will be interesting to come back towards the summer to see how many of these plants progress to full form.

Secor Farms greenhouse is laden with flowers and plants

There is also a small shop to make your purchases. Here they sell gardening supplies, decorative objects for the home, hand creams and soaps, honey and candies and their homemade cider doughnuts that are unfortunately only packaged in bags of six ($5.95). Still they smell so good and the girl working the counter said that they are made fresh daily. I could see by the signs when the fresh produce starts to come in during the summer and fall that they sell this in the gift shop as well.

The Cider Doughnuts and other treats on sale at Secor farms in the Fall

Outside the gift shop, the parking lot is laden with bags of mulch and soil for garden beds awaiting their Spring cleaning. The lot is well stocked as we are just starting the gardening season.

Secor Farms in Mahwah, NJ

Ready for Halloween at Secor Farms in Fall 2021

The spooky entrance to Secor Farms at Halloween 2021

In the Fall especially around Halloween, the whole farm looks like Disneyland with Haunted Hay Rides, Pumpkin Picking, Fall decorative items for sale and the general atmosphere that welcomes in Halloween with a bang. The whole place was filled to the brim with cars ready for a long day at the farm.

Pumpkin picking at Secor Farms in Fall 2021

All of these farms in Bergen County, NJ have their own attributes so try to visit them all when you are visiting the area.

The History of Secor Farms:

Begun by Darryl Secor’s great grandfather when he moved to the area from Paterson nearly 80 years ago, the farm originally consisted of 50 acres in Upper Saddle River. In 1973, the family expanded into Mahwah.

The Secor Farm at the Fall Holidays

Secor Farms not only has been a famous landmark passed down through three generations: The Secors themselves have been extremely active in supporting the town (Mahwah-Ramsey Daily Voice 2017).

Fall at Secor Farms in Mahwah, NJ

The Fall produce at Secor Farms during the Halloween 2021 holiday weekend

Visiting the Closter Farm & Livestock Company in Closter, NJ that is tucked between developments and small estates. This small farm is a true gem in a town that I never thought I would find this. What a great place to visit on warm sunny day.

The farm logo

I thought I knew all the farms in Bergen County, NJ and where Trey were located. I recently went to Alpine, NJ to visit an old cemetery for another blog I was writing and as I arrived at my destination, I passed the Closter Farm & Livestock Company. It was almost closing time so when I finished back at the cemetery, the gates were closed and I had to make the trip another day.

The entrance to the farm

The entrance to the farm

What I discovered was a small picturesque farm tucked in between a suburban development offering wonderful organic produce and meats. The farm even supplements what they don’t grow or produce by working with other organic farms in the area.

History of the Farm:

(From the Farm’s website)

Jon Friedland and his family spent many weekend afternoons driving from their home in Manhattan to the movie theater in Closter. They loved Closter and the community reminded Jon of the Ohio suburb where he grew up. When the farm became available they saw the opportunity to have a direct hand in creating the food, health and environmental practices they have long believed in, and to learn and participate directly as a family in the labor and care required to operate an Organic farm. It has been a massive learning experience to get the farm up and running and we are grateful to have the opportunity to continue learning and growing with the Closter community (Closterfarm.com).

The farm stand store

The Closter Farm

The fields are not just beautiful to look at but produce an assortment of produce that is organic and sustainable. On a warm Spring or Summer day, walking next to the fence and below the shade trees, you can a glimpse of the upcoming crops that will line the farm stand a few weeks in the future.

The Philosophy:

(From the Closter Farm website)

We believe that the healthiest, best tasting, most beautiful vegetables and livestock are grown when they are a symbiotic product of whole farm health. Every action we take is focused on fostering a diverse, resilient, verdant ecosystem whose natural byproduct is intense soil fertility and natural pest resistance (Closterfarm.com).

The fields of fresh vegetables growing

Equally important to us is that our approach follows sustainable environmental best practices by sequestering carbon in our soil and minimizing or eliminating the water and air pollution associated with conventional agriculture and its reliance on synthetic chemicals (ClosterFarm.com).

The fruits and vegetables grown in the farm

The selection of fresh fruits and vegetables available for sale

The Products carried by the Farm:

(From the Farm’s Website)

What the Farm grows:

Salad mix, heirloom tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, summer squash, winter squash, kale, Swiss chard, carrots, radishes, turnips, beets, potatoes, onions, garlic, arugula, spinach, chicory, cucumbers, fresh herbs, broccoli, cabbage, Asian greens, kohlrabi, celery, peas, beans, pasture raised, Organic chicken, and more!

The plant selection

From the Farm’s business partners:

(From the Closter Farm website)

Honey, cut flowers, grass-fed and grass-finished beef, pasture-raised and heritage pork, Organic mushrooms, Organic and pasture raised eggs, Corn and soy-free eggs, Organic milk, cheese, kefir, as well as heritage breed turkeys for Thanksgiving.

The selection of plants for sale

The flower selection

The farm barn

The barn and the fields that support the farm

The Farm Store:

The Closter Farm store carries a selection of freshly grown products seasonally, from other organic farm proveyors and vendors who supply similar products that meet the farm’s standards.

The entrance of the farm store with a selection of fresh flowers and organic seeds

The flower sign

The selection of farm grown products

The outside meat cooler

The outside cooler of organic beef, chicken and fresh eggs

The inside of the store carries a more of the same products, nicely packaged and reasonably priced quality products. These are the type of quality you would expect from fine dining establishments in the area, which you can prepare at home.

The selection of meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products

The selection of fruits and vegetables from the farm’s fields and partner farms

A selection of fresh vegetables and flower ms and fresh pies from Noble Pies of New York State.

A selection of farm fresh products like fresh honey and organic products

What is nice about the Closter Farm is the picturesque environment tucked in a suburban environment. You drive through entrance and are taken back to a world of Bergen County before WWII when the County was an agrarian society.

Places for children to play without cellphones

The property reminds me of the farms in the more rural parts of Southern and Western New Jersey with their corn mazes and decorated barns. Here they have small cut outs for children’s pictures and from a distance you can see the farmhouse.

The farmhouse on the property that some of the farm hands live

The farm offers families not just quality products and welcoming service, but a chance to step back for an afternoon to a time when things were much slower and afternoons were about appreciating the experience without trying to record every moment of it.

When I was visiting Closter again in the late Fall for a study of historic cemeteries, I visited the Nagel/Auryansen Cemetery. On the next block over, the original family farmhouse still exists at the Metropolitan Farm at 119 Hickory Lane. The family farmhouse and nursery are still part of the community. It is one of the oldest continuous farms in the State of New Jersey.

The Metropolitan Farm is home to the Resolvert Nagel Farmhouse and farm

The historic marker to the home

The entrance to the Metropolitan Farm at 119 Hickory Lane in Closter, NJ

https://www.metropolitanfarm.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

History of the Farm:

(from the Metropolitan Farm website)

Started in 2012, our farm is located on the property which is the oldest working farm in the State of New Jersey. Every year, we are improving our ability to help you and make it more convenient to access our 70.000 perennials.

​Our perennial growers have been working with perennials in Northern New Jersey for over 30 years. In that time, they have discovered what works the best and what thrives in our hot summers and survives our bitter cold winters. We overwinter all our perennials that we carry and our products are ready to be planted and enjoyed wherever you may place them.

The original section of the Nagel family farmhouse

The History of the farmhouse:

(from the Metropolitan Farm website)

The Stone Farmhouse dates back to the early 1700’s. The Auryansen/Naugle family lived here for generations and owned over 1000 acres from the hudson river to the farm. (Currently parts of Alpine and Closter). It was sold to several other families and was put into the Historic Commission in 1980. The house was sold to the current owners in 2012 along with the rest of the property and was renovated to restore some of its original beauty and architecture. Part of the current family lives there now.

The modern farmhouse today with modern addition

The Metropolitan Farm and Nursery

The outside plants at the farm

The outside plant and shrubs

The perennials for sale on the farm

The greenhouse flowers

The greenhouse flowers and plants

The inside of the farm store

Inside the farm store

The beautiful flowers on sale at the store

The outside grounds and the property left of this historical farm in Closter, NJ

Another Farm/Nursery that I just recently came across is when I was leaving Dumont and heading down River Road in New Milford, NJ, The New Bridge Farm & Garden that is located at 563 River Road.

The New Bridge Farm & Garden is more of large nursey than a traditional farm

The nursery sits on the bend of River Road as you exit New Milford and according to one of the signs, was the original home of the Perrone Farm from 1677. The property contains many greenhouses where tropical plants, flowering bushes and trees and lines of potted flowers are grown and then displayed outside.

The nursery and farm is on the site of the historic Perrone farm

The Fresh and Fancy section of the farm

Their selection of potted plants and flowers

In the Spring of 2026, the farm was lined with all sorts of vibrant and colorful plants and shrubs for sale.

The selection of plants and flowers by the giant chicken

There is even a small pen of ducks, hens and chickens in the back clucking away and drinking water.

The ducks, chickens and hens on the

The History/Mission of the New Bridge Farm & Garden:

(from the Farm website)

New Bridge Farm and Garden is a small, independently owned farm and garden center offering a wide selection of seasonal plants, shrubs, trees, and flowers. From pumpkins and mums in the fall to Christmas trees in the winter, we have everything you need for your gardening and landscaping needs.

It is interesting to see how the legacy of this family still lives on in the Twentieth century as a nursery farm but it shows how it has matured and adapted to today’s population. Some of the descendants of these families still call Bergen County home and are also names we see on streets, towns and schools in the area.

Bergen County is more than just a bedroom community of New York City. Tucked here and there in many of the communities is a reminder of our agrarian past and of a time not too long ago before WWII opened our towns up for development and by the 1970’s changed the fabric of Bergen County. Still there are plenty of places for homemade jellies, fresh fruit and vegetables and baked items that are still produced ‘on the farm’.

Farms to Visit:

Old Schraalenburgh Farm Stand and Abram Demaree Homestead

177 Schraalenburgh Road

Closter, NJ  07624

(201) 289-3627

Open:  Farm Stand Cafe: Wednesday-Friday 11:00am-5:00pm/Saturday and Sunday 11:00am-7:00pm

Homestead: Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm

https://www.abramdemareehomestead.org/

http://palisadesny.com/history/abram-demaree-homestead/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46367-d5269898-Reviews-The_Farm_Stand-Closter_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

My review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/littleshoponmainstreet.wordpress.com/717

Old Hook Farm Stand & General Store

650 Old Hook Road

Emerson, NJ 07630

(201) 265-4835

http://www.oldhookfarm.com/

Open: Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm/Monday Closed/Tuesday-Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46418-d23048831-r815902376-Old_Hook_Farm-Emerson_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

My review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/littleshoponmainstreet.wordpress.com/1404

Demarest Farm

244 Werimus Road

Hillsdale, NJ 07642

(201) 666-0472

Home Page

https://www.facebook.com/demarestfarm/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 8:00am-5:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46512-d4985687-Reviews-Demarest_Farm-Hillsdale_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

My review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/littleshoponmainstreet.wordpress.com/942

Goffle Road Poultry Farm

549 Goffle Road

Wyckoff, NJ 07481

(201) 444-3238

Open: Sunday Closed/Monday-Saturday 9:00am-5:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46945-d10135907-Reviews-Goffle_Road_Poultry_Farm-Wyckoff_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Abma Farm

700 Lawlins Road

Wyckoff, NJ 07481

(201) 891-0278

https://www.facebook.com/abmasfarm/

https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/381236933/united-states/bedford-hills-new-york/amba-farms/

Open: Sunday Closed/Monday-Saturday 9:00am-5:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46945-d9806090-Reviews-Abma_s_Farm-Wyckoff_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Stokes Farm

23 Dewolf Road

Old Tappan, NJ 07675

(201) 768-3931

https://www.facebook.com/StokesFarmNJ/

Open: Sunday-Monday Closed/Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00am-5:00pm/Thursday Closed/Friday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm (In season)

https://stokesfarm.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46704-d21328526-Reviews-Stokes_Farm-Old_Tappan_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Secor Farms

85 Airmont Avenue

Mahwah, NJ 07430

(201) 529-2595

http://www.secorfarms.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Secor-Farms-118514558210743/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm (In season)

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46590-d17373422-Reviews-Secor_Farms-Mahwah_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Depiero’s Farm Stand

156 Summit Avenue

Montvale, NJ 07645

(201) 930-8678

https://depieros-farm-stand-and-greenhouses.business.site/

https://www.facebook.com/depierosfarm/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46638-d23326434-Reviews-Depiero_s_Farm-Montvale_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Closter Farm & Livestock Company

681 Closter Dock Road

Closter, NJ 07624

(201) 777-1393

https://www.closterfarm.com

Open: Sunday-Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46367-d34451672-r1063918109-Closter_Farm_and_Livestock_Company-Closter_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Metropolitan Farm

119 Hickory Lane

Closter, NJ 07624

(201) 767-0244

https://www.metropolitanfarm.com

https://www.facebook.com/MetropolitanFarm

Open: Sunday-Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

The New Milford Garden & Farm

563 River Road

New Milford, NJ 07646

(201) 261-1574

https://newbridgefarmnj.com

https://www.facebook.com/newbridgefarmandgarden

Open: Sunday 8:00am-4:30pm/Monday-Saturday 8:00am-5:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

Day One Hundred and Eighty-Three: Walking the Streets of Kips Bay from East 33rd to East 24th Streets Lexington Avenue to FDR Drive December 4th-13th, 2020 (again August 29th, 2026)

As the warmer days of the Fall are coming to a close, the Christmas decorations are starting to come out and I can see that the City is really gearing up for the holidays. The office buildings and stores decorated far earlier than they normally do. It is like Thanksgiving is just a way station for Christmas once Halloween was over. Halloween was a bigger deal this year but the activities had to be done on a smaller scale with less people. That still did not prevent groups of people from running around that night and the COVID situation has gotten worse. Even New York and New Jersey are bracing to see what the results of Thanksgiving and Christmas will be in the upcoming weeks.

I noticed this as I continued to walk Kips Bay on this sunny Thursday afternoon. The City seemed much more quiet as the cooler weather was upon us. I was surprised that the City was so empty since the beginning of December. When it had been warmer in November there were more people around. I also noticed how clean the streets were that day. I mean really clean. I had never seen them like this.

I had started my day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is the one museum that I have been visiting a lot since the museums opened back up since June. I went into the museum to see the “About Time: Fashion and Duration” which was extremely popular and had long lines when it first opened and I revisited the “Making of the Met-150 year Anniversary”. I had gone on a quiet day during the mid-week so there were no lines to get in.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 Fifth Avenue

https://www.metmuseum.org/

This was the third time I had seen the “Making of the Met” exhibition and everytime I see it, I either learn something new or see something in a different light. This shows you the complexity and the size of these exhibitions in that you continue to notice new aspects of the exhibition.

“Making of the Met” exhibition

The “About Time” exhibition compared fashions through the ages with contemporary fashion of recent years and the exhibit showed me how much fashion does not change or comes back into style over time. Most of the displays showed “black on black” fashions where all the clothes comparisons were in black. A lot of morning clothes. It was an interesting way to look at fashion.

"About Time" at the Met

“About Time” exhibition

It boggled my mind how quiet the museum was that afternoon so close to Christmas. The Christmas tree was up in but it had been moved from the Medieval Galleries to Petrie Court section of the museum where there would be more ‘social distancing”. It was a better move safety/health wise but did not have the same effect. I thought we were lucky that the Met is still open as museums around the country are closing fast.

The Christmas Tree at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in its usual home in the Medieval Galleries

After I visited the museum, I walked around the Upper East Side neighborhood for a bit and realized how much was changing here too. Some old time buildings have come down to be replaced by more luxury condos/co-ops. Many small businesses were gone and there was a lot of empty retail space even before the pandemic. I will have to revisit these neighborhoods in the future to see the changes. For now, there was a lot of decorating going on for the holidays and that put me in the Christmas spirit.

I took the Number 6 subway back downtown to Park Avenue and East 34th Street and started my walk again of the Streets of Kips Bay. I was lucky that the weather broke and it was a crisp but sunny day and a real pleasure to walk around the neighborhood. It is amazing the transformation that the neighborhood is still making before my eyes. So many buildings are coming down or being renovated. Closer to the First Avenue my thoughts were that this was accommodating the expansion of the hospital complex and the colleges.

I started my journey on East 33rd Street walking from Lexington Avenue to as far on FDR Drive as I could go. By First Avenue, either the NYU Langone or Bellevue Hospital complexes will stop you from walking any further to FDR Drive and the East River. That complex of hospitals pretty much stretches the neighborhood from East 34th to East 23rd Streets. If you want to tour the river, you would have to walk along the ‘East River Greenway’ walkway.

East 33rd Street has a lot of charms and transitions to it. As I had discussed in many of my blogs on my walks on the East Side of Manhattan Island, most of these neighborhoods are being knocked down and rebuilt with office buildings sharing the borders with Midtown and between Third Avenue and First Avenue you will see the traces of “Old New York” with the brownstones and low rise commercial buildings on the side streets.

Even in Kips Bay like the lower parts of Murray Hill, First and Second Avenues are making way for bigger buildings and the character of these neighborhoods are changing. Here and there are those ‘little gems” tucked on side streets and in between buildings that you will have to walk past to really appreciate what Kips Bay has to offer.

I started my walk on Seventh Avenue and West 34th Street at the giant Macy’s Herald Square store. After five years at working at this store in the early 90’s, it is still home to me. I wanted to see the Christmas decorations at the store. First I started with another old Macy’s tradition, having breakfast at Al’s Deli at 458 Seventh Avenue. I had not eaten here in almost twenty-five years. I needed a breakfast sandwich to start the day of walking.

Al’s Deli & Catering at 458 Seventh Avenue

https://www.alsdelinyc.com/

I had one of Al’s Sausage and Egg sandwich’s on a roll. There was nothing like it on a cool morning. Two soft scrambled eggs with a spicy sausage patty on a fresh hard roll. Each bite was like heaven with the complexity of flavors warming me up inside. Nothing had changed in twenty-five years. Even the price at $3.00 had not changed much.

This is the way to start the day with a Sausage, Egg and Cheese sandwich

I then cut through Macy’s Herald Square to look over the Christmas decorations and admire the displays. Things had been toned down in the store for various reasons but it was still elegantly decorated for the holidays and people were shopping in the store. That’s the one thing about Macy’s. People do still shop there and bags do leave the store.

Macy’s Herald Square decorated main floor

https://l.macys.com/new-york-ny

“Santaland” on the Eighth floor was closed because of COVID but the giant Christmas department on the Ninth Floor was decorated to the hilt. After I toured the store and admired the decorations and display windows, I walked down West 34th Street to Lexington Avenue and started my walk along the streets of Kips Bay at the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 33rd Street. It really is an interesting neighborhood.

Macy’s Broadway entrance decorated for Christmas

The Streets of Kips Bay like Murray Hill is a combination of residential and commercial buildings with the more historical buildings being closer to the Midtown border and whats left of the tenement housing closer to First Avenue near the hospital complex.

On the corner of East 33rd Street and Third Avenue there is an interesting mural by street artist Smufo of the customers at the Stickey’s Chicken Joint that faces Third Avenue.

The mural must have been commissioned by the restaurant and I thought was very clever.

Smurfo Artist

Artist Smurfo

https://www.artsper.com/en/contemporary-artists/united-states/19219/smurfo-udirty

Smurfo is an American born, native New Yorker from Brooklyn who works out of his hometown borough and specializes in ‘street art’. His vibrant colorful art is not just featured on the streets of New York but in independent galleries as well.

While walking around this part of Kips Bay, I was noticing what I had discovered when I was walking the Avenues and Border of the neighborhood, that the urban renewal project of the late 50’s and early 60’s really did change the complexity of this neighborhood. The side streets between parts of Third Avenue and the blocks between Second and First still have that small brownstone charm to them. After that, most of the blocks are changing fast with new office towers and hospital and school extensions.

Tucked into the block between Second and First Avenues at 242 East 33rd Street between two brick apartment buildings is a unique little brownstone with a sunken stairs and a small court yard that shows how different the neighborhood must have been in the early 1900’s as the home was built in 1901. With its small garden and flower potted line stairs, it shows such character.

242 East 33rd Street earlier in the year

https://streeteasy.com/building/242-east-33-street-new_york

The Vine House again in the Summer of 2026

Heading back to Lexington Avenue, I also passed P.S. 116, the Mary Lindley Murray School named after the prominent Murray family member who stopped the British troops in their tracks with song, entertainment and pleasantries while the Patriot forces escaped (Murray Hill Neighborhood Association and Wiki).

Mary Lindley Murray entertaining the British troops at her home

The elementary school that bears her name has quite a good reputation with parents and the neighborhood. It is a progressive elementary school with good test scores and advancement for children. The school also has a strong PTA and the parents seem to care at the school.

The school is so beautifully designed and you have to really be up close to see the detailed stonework and ironwork on the entrance to the building. It is one of the most beautiful schools that I have passed on this project.

P.S. 116 The Mary Lindley Murray School in the Summer of 2026

The Grillwork on this historic building

https://www.ps116.org/

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/schools/M116

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS_116_(Manhattan)

Boy practicing Science is one of the four details above the doors of the school

Boy reading and practicing English

Girl reading and practicing English

Girl practicing music and the arts

This part of the main school was built in 1924 and this five story addition was designed by architect William H. Gompert in the Renaissance Revival style. The three story wind was added in 1960 and it was designed by architect Samuel Juster (Wiki).

As I made my way back down the street, I noticed how quiet the block was that afternoon. The school must be closed for now since the increases of COVID in the City. Usually you would see lots of children running around and yelling and screaming in the playground but there was no one around.

East 32nd Street was almost similar but the neighborhood starts to change with the large Kips Bay Tower complex that was built during the urban renewal changing the configuration of the area. The classic look of this section of the City especially between Third and Second Avenue starts to change.

Kips Bay Towers was part of the 1950’s Urban Renewal project

http://kipsbaytowers.nyc/

Those small tenement buildings start to end by Second Avenue. One unique building does stand out is an old brownstone that sits alone in the back of the playground like a lost sole. It looks like what was previously an old mansion when the neighborhood was once fashionable. With its beautiful detail work, it stands out amongst the plainer buildings.

207 East 32nd Street

https://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-tammany-central-assoc-clubhouse-207.html#google_vignette

Architect Robert T. Lyons had been hired to design a new clubhouse on the site. 
The 28-year old architect had produced a four-story brick and stone confection that pretended to be a French townhouse.  A rusticated limestone base sat a few steps above the sidewalk and the stone stoop was flanked by two cast iron lampposts.  A stone balcony stretched the width of the second floor, matched by another at the fourth floor (DaytonianinManhattan.com).

The historic marker for the Milton Glaser historical marker

Here on the second floor New York magazine was founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968.  Milton Glaser remains in the building in the form of W.B.M.G., Inc. (the initials of Walter Bernard and Martin Glaser), and Milton Glaser, Inc. (DaytonianinManhattan.com)

One unique feature of East 31st Street once I rounded the corner was the painting of the logo of the now closed Vino Tapa at 201 East 31st Street. The restaurant had been opened for outdoor dining when I first started to walk the neighborhood and was going strong but by my second trip the restaurant had shut its doors during the pandemic. It’s logo sits proud on the wall near the entrance.

Vino

The Vino Tapa Logo outside the restaurant at 201 East 31st Street

http://www.vinotapa.com/

The standouts on both East 31st and East 30th Streets are the brownstones and tenement buildings that sit between Second and Third Avenues. Many people decorated their homes early for the holidays and all the wreaths and garland with lights on coming on in twilight really put you in the festive spirit.

Another building that had beautiful detail work carved into it is 160-164 Lexington Avenue, The Dove Street Marketplace, which offers floor after floor of high end goods. This building sits on the corner of East 30th and Lexington Avenue.

The detail work is amazing on 160-164 Lexington Avenue-The Dove Street Market

The building has the most beautiful detail work on all sides. It was built in 1909 as the New York School for Applied Design for Women. It was designed by one of the school’s instructors, architect Wiley Corbett, to resemble a Greek Temple (Forgotten New York).

160-164 Lexington Avenue-The Dover Street Market

https://newyork.doverstreetmarket.com/

Across the street from the Dover Street Market at 154 Lexington Avenue is the First Moravian Church. The building was started in 1849 and finished in 1852 at the Rose Hill Baptist Church designed in the Lombardian Romanesque style. In 1869, the church was sold to the First Moravian Church which had been located at Sixth Avenue and 34th Street (Daytonian in Manhattan).

The First Moravian Church at 154 Lexington Avenue was built in 1854

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2010/12/1851-first-moravian-church-154.html

When I rounded the corner again down Lexington Avenue at East 29th Street, I found myself back in “Curry Hill” and all the wonderful South Asian restaurants and stores. I ate at Curry Express at 130 East 29th Street for a late lunch. They kept advertising a lunch special for $6.99 for lamb kebobs and Naan Bread and it sounded really good.

The “Curry Hill” section of Lexington Avenue

The food was really good but the only problem was that they microwaved the kebobs and that made them a little hard. Still they had a nice garlicy taste to them with a combination of ground lamb and spices. The naan bread was freshly baked and very good (see review on TripAdvisor). What really stood out at lunch was the Chicken Patties that they had. They are delicious. Ground spicy chicken wrapped in a flaky pastry. They make a great snack while walking around.

Curry Express

Curry Express at 130 East 29th Street (Closed in 2022)

https://www.curryexpressnyc.com/

The one thing I enjoyed about the restaurant is that the customers with me were not boring. They were an interesting bunch of characters that reminded me of why Manhattan and New York City in general was so interesting. They dressed usually, made the strangest comments to the owners and complained about nothing.

Walking back through East 29th, you will see impressive wooden home at 203 East 29th Street which is one of the oldest homes in the City. The house sits on what was once the “Rose Hill Farm” that dated back to 1747 (The Rose Hill section of Manhattan overlaps between Third and Lexington Avenues with Kip’s Bay). The house itself is not part of the original estate but must have been moved to this location when the street grid was laid out in the mid-1800’s. The house is said to have been built around 1790 (Wiki & Manhattan Sideways).

203 East 29th Street is one of the oldest houses in Manhattan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/203_East_29th_Street

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2017/06/rose-hill-230-east-29th-street.html

I also journeyed into Vincent Albano Jr. Playground again. I was able to relax on the benches while I was watching a few of the neighborhood kids play in the playground. I guess the parents needed to get out of the apartments as well during the week. This small park has an interesting history.

The Vincent F. Albano Jr. Playground at 523 Second Avenue is tucked into a corner of Second Avenue and East 39th Street. This quaint little park is full a charm with a small playground and shade trees all around it.

Vincent F. Albano Playground at 523 Second Avenue

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/vincent-f-albano-jr-playground

The park was finally opened in the Summer of 2026 after a long renovation

The park was designed by architect M. Paul Friedberg in the late 1960’s and has gone through several renovations since that time. The park was named after Vincent F. Albano, a Republican district leader who lived in the neighborhood until his passing in 1981. He helped preserve the park when the neighborhood was going through all the construction changes (NYCParks.org).

The park in the Summer of 2026

On my three trips to Kip’s Bay, I was able to see the park at different times of the seasons, with the last stages of the warmer months giving way to the holiday season. The park has its own Friends organization so the park is well maintained and very popular with the residents.

When walking towards First Avenue, you will run into the historical and massive Bellevue Hospital complex. The side streets between East 30th and 26th Streets is pretty much monitored by the security of the hospital and there is not much to see. On East 30th Street where the Men’s Shelter is located there is a lot of people walking around at all hours of the day.

Bellevue Hospital

The Bellevue Hospital complex runs from East 30th to 25th Street

https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/bellevue/

The new entrance to this historic hospital

As I rounded the corner to East 28th Street, I noticed how dark it was getting and I decided to stop for my first day. It is hard to walk the streets of the neighborhood when you can’t see much. Since it was getting dark, I stopped at a unique clothing store whose display windows captured my attention, Vintage India at 132 Lexington Avenue.

Vintage India at 132 Lexington Avenue

https://vintageindianyc.com/

Vintage India is a clothing store that carries all sorts of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories. There are many traditional clothing choices both vintage and modern and there are some contemporary outfits with a British influence. The men’s clothing selection has some colorful jackets with interesting designs and patterns. The jewelry selection for weddings is extensive and I love the designs of the items.

Vintage India

Vintage India has an amazing selection

I started walking Kip’s Bay again about a week later after I had given my last quiz and the last two research papers for my class were distributed out to the students. I had some time to break away from school and it was nice to just wonder the streets of New York again.

I started where I had left off at the corner of East 28th Street and Lexington Avenue admiring the windows of Vintage India again. The store is pretty amazing and it is worth the visit to see the beautifully designed clothes.

Walking East 28th Street is a neighborhood again in transition by the time you reach Second Avenue. The big Kip’s Bay Court complex dissects the street from old tenement housing to the glossy new complex. The one attribute is Bellevue Park South that is hidden away in the middle of the complex. By this point all the leaves were gone and the park seemed pretty barren with not that many people in the park. There were a few playing basketball but outside that not much action.

The large Kips Bay Court complex at 490 Second Avenue, that stretches from East 26th to East 29th Streets and when you walk through the complex you will find the oasis of Bellevue South Park. As Fall was progressing, the park was ablaze with what was left of the gold and reds of the leaves of the trees that surrounding the park.

Kips Bay Court Apartments stretch from East 26th to East 29th Streets on the east side of Second Avenue

https://www.kipsbaycourt.com/

Bellevue South Park is a nice break for all the people working in the area and for people living in the apartment complex. The park was created in 1966 when this whole part of the neighborhood went through urban renewal in the 1950’s that ran from East 23rd to East 30th between First and Second Avenue. The park is full of playground equipment and long paths and has some interesting artwork.

Bellevue South Park in the early Spring 2024.

The park in the Summer of 2026

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bellevue-south-park

The park in the early Spring 2024.

The inside of the park in the Summer of 2026

What really caught my eye when walking around the park was the sculpture “Scagerrak” by artist Antoni Milkowski. The three interlocking steel blocks was created by the artist for the park in 1970.

‘Scagerrak’ by Antoni Milkowski

Artist Antoni Milkowski

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni_Milkowski

Mr. Milkowski is an American born artist from Illinois but moved to New York City as a child and is a graduate of Kenyon College and Hunter College in New York. He started to get involved with art in the early 1960’s and started to create contemporary pieces. The work was donated to the Parks system through the Association for a Better New York whose goal it was to enliven parts of the City. The work moved around until places in Bellevue South Park in the mid-1970’s (NYCParks.org).

Walking back through the neighborhood a few unique buildings stood out. The brick apartment between 218-225 East 28th Street was built around 1900 (Daytonian/Cityrealty.com) and has faces staring back at you in all directions with a beautiful geometric looking cornice. You have to walk on the other side of East 28th Street to admire its beauty.

219-225 East 28th Street and the detail work above the doorway.

https://streeteasy.com/building/219-east-28-street-new_york

Another interesting building is The Epiphany School at 141 East 28th Street. The building dates back to 1888 and the new building was built in 1902 by architect Elliott Lynch in the Beaux-Arts style (Daytonian). You have to walk on the opposite side of the street to admire the true beauty of the stone carvings and the multi layer designs. I wondered if the students that go to the school ever stop to admire it.

The Epiphany School at 141 East 28th Street

The Epiphany School School has a lot of interesting details.

The unique details on the front of the building.

Turning the corner at East 27th Street the architecture on this block starts to get interesting so remember to look up and around or you might miss something. The first building that stands out is the brick building at 218-222 East 27th Street with its faces that follow you and their devilish looks.

218-222 East 27th Street

https://www.realtyhop.com/building/226-east-27th-street-new-york-ny-10016

I am not sure if the architect was trying to scare the residents at 218-220 East 27th Street

The faces outside glare at you.

The faces

The faces.

I was struck by the sculpture on the corner of East 27th Street in the courtyard across from Bellevue Hospital. Here is the sculpture “Sentinel” by artist Theodore Roszak. It was designed and dedicated to all people involved in public health. The sculpture is somewhat hidden now under scaffolding during a current renovation of the building next to it.

Sentinel by artist Theodore Roszak

The sculpture “Sentinel”

Artist Theodore Roszak

Theodore Roszak

http://www.artatsite.com/NewYork/details/Roszak_Theodore_Sentinel_Bellevue_Hospital_modern_statue_Art_at_Site_New_York.html

Mr. Roszak was an Polish born American artist who grew up in the Polish section of Chicago. He was mostly self-taught. He studied both at the Chicago Art Institute and in Europe. He created this sculpture in 1968 and it studied the struggle between man and nature (Art@Site).

Another interesting piece of architecture is the original Bellevue Hospital Building that now has the new entrance of the hospital surrounding the original building. You can try to sneak in to the hospital but there are guards all over the entrance. I was able to walk in during one of their breaks and see the lobby. It once had a beautiful entrance but modern architecture has taken over. Take some time to see this interesting stonework and carvings.

The original Bellevue Hospital entrance by McKim, Mead & White

https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/bellevue/

The original building which was designed by architects McKim, Mead & White in 1930 housed the oldest continuous public hospital in the United States founded in 1794. The hospital was built on the original Belle Vue farm (thus its name) and today is one of the most innovative hospitals in the world. It still have the stigma though of being a “nut house” when it is far more doing so much innovative work in medicine (Bellevue Hospital History).

Bellevue Hospital by McKim, Mead & White

The original Bellevue Hospital built by McKim, Mead & White in 1930

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKim,Mead%26_White

The new entrance to the Bellevue Hospital Center Ambulatory Center by architect firm Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners designed between 2000-2005

https://www.pcf-p.com/

On the way back down street, I passed the Gem Saloon again on the corner of Third Avenue at 375-377 Third Avenue. These buildings were built in 1910 and was once the old Rodeo Bar that had been a staple in the neighborhood for 27 years. The restaurant was still offering outdoor dining even though it was getting cool out.

The Gem Saloon at 375-377 Third Avenue

https://thegemsaloonnyc.com/

The outside of Gem Saloon in the Spring.

I stopped by La Delice Pastry Shop at 372 Third Avenue again. There is a reason why this bakery has been around since 1935 is the consistency of their baked goods. I got a black and white cookie and munched on it on the way back to Lexington Avenue (see review on TripAdvisor).

La Delice Pastry Shop at 372 Third Avenue has been there since 1935

http://www.ladelicepastry.com/

The wonderful pastries that the have in the cases.

I was getting tired when walking down East 26th Street and had to stop in Bellevue South Park again. This time of the afternoon there were more people in the park, sitting on the benches talking and there were a few people walking their dogs around the park. It really is a nice place to relax and just people watch.

I was tempted to stop at Tipsy Scoop at 217 East 26th Street for alcohol infused ice cream sandwiches so I stopped on another visit to Kips Bay to try it (see review on TripAdvisor). I had one of their Confetti Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches ($7.00), which were two rather large Confetti Cookies with Cake Batter Vodka Martini Ice Cream in the middle. I did not get much of a buzz but felt it later.

Booze infused ice cream at Tipsy Scoop at 217 East 26th Street

https://tipsyscoop.com/

The Cake Batter Vodka Martini Ice Cream sandwich is beyond mind-blowing. It is so nice to get a buzz from a dessert after a long day

This Ice Cream sandwich is huge!

Yum!

The second time I walked the neighborhood, I had the Raspberry Sorbet with Red Wine. Now that also gave me a buzz

The sorbets with alcohol can relax you on a hot day

When I got to First Avenue again it was tough to walk the side streets between First Avenue and FDR Drive because they were either closed off access or loaded with security so I had to walk around them. There is not much to see on these side streets.

On the way back I passed 226-228 East 26th Street and noticed more faces staring back at me. This building was constructed in 1900 and you have to look up at the detail work to appreciate all the stonework and multiple looks you get from the carvings.

226-228 East 26th Street and its detail work.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/226-E-26th-St-Apt-1C_New-York_NY_10010_M35951-17326

Walking by the glassed in hospital entrance, the building was really busy that afternoon. People were milling around the lobby and rushing off to where they had to rush off too. I decided to stop staring in the lobby as I could tell that security was watching the tall guy with the tinted glasses.

By East 26th Street, I passed “Little India” and was in front of the 69th Regiment Building at 68th Lexington Avenue. This beautiful building is the home to the New York Army National Guard’s 69th Infantry Regiment, known as the “Fighting Irish” since the Civil War (Wiki).

69th Regiment Building at 68 Lexington Avenue

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/69th_Regiment_Armory

The building’s historical plaque.

The building was designed by architects Hunt & Hunt in the Beaux Arts style and was completed in 1906. It has been home to many events and show including the controversial 1913 Armory Show of contemporary art (Wiki). You really have to walk around the building to admire its beauty and history.

The historic plaque from the building.

As I rounded Lexington Avenue towards East 25th Street, I stopped off to the side to admire the mural of artist Yuki Abe “Urban Ocean”, a colorful painting that sits on the wall opposite next to the entrance of Jenna Optical at 50 Lexington. The colorful portrait has a whimsical look to it.

Artist Yuki Abe’s “Urban Ocean”

https://artfacts.net/artist/yuki-abe/478154

As I walked along the blocks on East 25th and East 24th Streets I noticed a distinct change in the neighborhood getting closer to the commercial district of East 23rd Street. Baruch College which is part of the CUNY system is starting to take over this section of the street and NYU is building up their campus closer to First Avenue. The older buildings of the area are giving way to modern glassy administration and classroom space for the college.

The one stand out on East 25th Street will have even more faces staring at you at 208-214 East 25th Street. Between the glaring looks and the mansard roof on part of the building it gives it almost an eerie look to it. Even though it has a Victorian look to it the building was constructed in 1930 (Realty.com).

208-214 East 25th Street also looks back at you

https://www.apartments.com/208-214-e-25th-st-new-york-ny/vt1gmbg/

The doorway at 208 East 25th Street.

One of the faces at 208 East 25th Street

I took another walk through the Asser Levy Park watching the few people working out on the track. The park was pretty much empty and closed at this time of the day.

208 East 28th Street decorations

208 East 28th Street decorations

Asser Levy Park

Asser Levy Park tract on East 25th Street

The Baths and Park was named for Asser Levy, a Jewish trailblazer in colonial times when Mr. Levy and 23 Jews fled from Brazil in 1654 to seek refuge in New Amsterdam. He challenged Governor Peter Stuyvesant when he tried to evict the Jews from the colony. He was the first Jew to serve in the militia and own property in the colony (NYCParks.org).

Asser Levy

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9876-levy-asser-asser-levy-van-swellem

The street art is also interesting on this part of Lexington Avenue. One the corner of East 24th Street & Lexington Avenue is the Friends House New York, a housing unit.

The Friends House at East 24th Street at Lexington Avenue

Painted on the wall is a very unique painting by Italian street artist, Jacopo Ceccarelli (painted over in 2026).

Painting by artist Jacopo Ceccarelli

The mural is on the corner of East 24th & Lexington Avenue-The St. Francis Residence Building (painted over in 2026)

https://stfrancisfriends.org/

Jacopo Ceccarelli

Artist Jacopo Ceccarelli

http://doartfoundation.org/index.html@p=3375.html

The Milan born street artist, who goes by the name “Never 2501” hones his skills after moving to San Paolo, painting murals with an edge that got global recognition. He uses geometric forms in his work with circles and lines creating the abstract(Do Art Foundation).

I ended my walk reaching the new Student Plaza being constructed at Baruch College and relaxing in a small park by the East Midtown Housing complex that sits between East 23rd and East 24th Street between Second and First Avenues. On a cool winter evening there were only a few residents milling around but it is a nice place to relax and catch you breath.

I can only imagine the area is like when school is in session and the place is swarming with college students but for now the few CUNY and NYU students who are walking around get to where they are going with masks on as the campus building look shut for the semester.

The future “Baruch College Clivner-Field Student Plaza at East 25th Street off Lexington Avenue

https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/25thplaza/index.html

The finished courtyard at 2022

The afternoon ended with lunch and a much needed break at Awesum Dim Sum at 160 East 23rd Street. It was one of the last times I was able to eat inside a restaurant before the City shut indoor dining down again due to COVID in early December 2020.

I had their Fried Rice Dumplings and their Roast Pork Buns with a Coke and that was more than enough after a long walk. The food was excellent as usual (see reviews on TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com). The restaurant has been my new ‘go to’ place since visiting this neighborhood and Murray Hill and will probably carry on into exploring “Rose Hill” and “Gramercy Park”.

Awesum Dim Sum at 160 East 23rd Street

https://awesumdimsum.us/

The restaurant has also been discovered by the Baruch and NYU students who were dining both inside and outside on the cool but crisp evening. Nothing stopped anyone from having their Dim Sum.

The Baked Roast Pork Buns here have a sweet dough when you bite into them. The food here is excellent.

After having to fight off everyone in the restaurant for a seat “socially distanced” I ended my evening with a much needed back massage in Chinatown. (I will discuss the fact the Chinatown looks like a ‘ghost town’ now with its blocks of ‘for rent’ buildings and empty restaurants in a later walk. I don’t want to have to describe how bad things have gotten down here.)

All the selling of Christmas trees, yard work and snow shoveling did a number on my back and I needed an hour of work of them pulling and pushing into my lower back to get it back to normal. It would take two weeks for it to heal.

I stopped in Little Italy to end the evening for a couple of slices of pizza at Manero’s Pizza at 113 Mulberry Street. The pizza here is amazing (see review on TripAdvisor) being crisp on the outside and on the crust and the most delicious tomato sauce with fresh mozzarella. The pizza here is like heaven.

Manero’s Pizza at 113 Mulberry Street

https://www.maneros.pizza/

The pizza at Manero’s is wonderful

A nice way to spend a few days before Christmas!

Please enjoy my blog on ‘Walking the Borders of Kips Bay’ on MywalkinManhattan.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/15049

Please enjoy my blog on “Walking the Avenues of Kips Bay’ on MywalkinManhattan.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/15820

Places to Eat:

Al’s Deli & Catering

458 Seventh Avenue #1

New York, NY 10123

(212) 594-5682

https://www.alsdelinyc.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 24 hours

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d2256292-Reviews-Al_s_Deli-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Curry Express (Closed in 2022)

130 East 29th Street

New York, NY 10016

(212) 251-0202

http://www.curryexpressnyc.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4318075-Reviews-Curry_Express-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

La Delice Pastry Shop Inc.

372 Third Avenue (at the corner of 27th Street)

New York, NY 10016

(212) 532-4409

http://www.ladelicepastry.com/

Open: Sunday 8:00am-8:00pm/Monday-Saturday 7:00am-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12268309-Reviews-La_Delice_Pastry_Shop-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Awesum Dim Sum

160 East 23rd Street

New York, NY 10016

(646) 998-3314/3314

http://www.awesumdimsum.us/

Open: Sunday 9:30am-8:00pm/Monday-Wednesday 11:00am-8:00pm/Thursday-Saturday 9:30am-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d21335707-Reviews-Awesome_Dim_Sum-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/1898

Manero’s Pizza

113 Mulberry Street

New York, NY 10013

(212) 961-6183

https://www.maneros.pizza/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 12:00pm-12:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d18954197-Reviews-Manero_s_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Tipsy Scoop

217 East 26th Street

New York, NY 10010

(917) 388-2862

https://tipsyscoop.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TipsyScoopBrooklyn/

Open: Sunday 12:00pm-11:00pm/Monday-Thursday 12:00pm-10:00pm/Friday-Saturday 12:00pm-11:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12194385-Reviews-Tipsy_Scoop-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Places to Visit:

Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10028

https://www.metmuseum.org/

(212) 535-7710

Fee: Check the website

Open: Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm/Monday & Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d105125-Reviews-The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Macy’s Herald Square

151 West 34th Street

New York, NY 10001

(212) 265-4400

https://l.macys.com/new-york-ny

Open: Sunday 11:00am-8:00pm/Monday-Saturday 11:00am-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d208847-Reviews-Macy_s_Herald_Square-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Bellevue South Park

Mt. Carmel & East 27th Street

New York, NY 10016

(212) 639-9675

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bellevue-south-park

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-6:00pm

Vincent F. Albano Playground & Park

523 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(212) 639-9675

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/vincent-f-albano-jr-playground

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/vincent-f-albano-jr-playground/history

Vintage India

132 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(212) 213-0080

https://vintageindianyc.com/

Open: Sunday 11:30am-6:00pm/Monday-Saturday 11:30am-7:00pm

Asser Levy Recreational Center & Park

Asser Levy Place & East 25th Street

New York, NY 10010

(212) 693-9675

https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/recreationcenters/M164

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/asser-levy-recreation-center-pool-and-playground

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-6:00pm

Dover Street Market

160 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(646) 837-7750

https://newyork.doverstreetmarket.com/

Open: Sunday 12:00pm-5:00pm/Monday -Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d7715703-Reviews-Dover_Street_Market-New_York_City_New_York.html

Day One Hundred and Eighty-Two: Walking the Avenues of Kips Bay from Lexington Avenue to FDR Drive November 24th, 2020 (Again August 29th, 2026)

I continued my visit to Kips Bay on a unusually warm but a mix of clouds and sun afternoon. I sometimes can’t tell whether is will rain or not. The walking of the Avenues in Kips Bay was not as extensive as other neighborhoods that I have visited before. Since I had already all of Lexington Avenue and FDR Drive and parts of First Avenue, all I had to cover on this trip was Third, Second and parts of First Avenue that I had not visited before.

FDR Drive in this part of the neighborhood is bounded by impassible sidewalks and closed off roadways by the schools and hospitals. You are pretty much visiting dead end streets with loads of security protecting them. These guys travel in packs and with COVID spreading around New York City there is a reason why they are there. They have to control the number of ambulances that are coming into the Bellevue Hospital complex.

Still there are lots to see and do on all the Avenues and you have to walk them slowly to appreciate the life that is coming back not just to the neighborhood but to the City was well. I am seeing more people on the streets as people are venturing out of their homes, masks and all and returning to work. With so many hospitals and colleges in the neighborhood, street traffic has increased since I started walking around Kips Bay in October.

Kips Bay side streets during the Summer

Walking the Avenues, I have seen how the neighborhood continues to change as the smaller low rise buildings are being replaced in the northern section of the neighborhood as the hospitals and colleges expand. To the west of the neighborhood, the expansion of Midtown is changing the buildings on the border of Kips Bay resembling more the commercial districts of Uptown. Still there is a lot of charm in the small businesses that populate this neighborhood and there are many small ‘gems’ that stand out.

“Curry Hill” on Lexington Avenue.

I started on Lexington Avenue first and then walked my way north and south along the avenues as I headed towards the East River again. It is nice to see people on the sidewalks again and dining in restaurants still enjoying the last bits of warm weather.

When walking the borders of the neighborhood, I got caught up in the sites and smells of “Little India/Curry Hill” between East 29th and 26th Streets around Kalustyan’s at 123 Lexington Avenue and decided to explore it further.

Kalustyan’s at 123 Lexington Avenue

Kalustyans Landing Page

The store is such an exciting place for the senses with products of different smells and complexities. I enjoyed picking up the various bags on the shelves and trying to figure out what they were before I looked at the labels. After two years at culinary school, it was lesson in new spices for me.

The racks of spices have the most amazing aroma

The baked goods at Kalustyan’s.

Bring around all those spices and interesting frozen foods again made me hungry for Indian food. So, across the street I tried Lahori Kabab at 106 Lexington Avenue, a small take-out place that had a few tables you could sit down (socially distanced of course).

Lahori Kabab on Lexington Avenue

Lahori Kabab at 106 Lexington Avenue in Kips Bay

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Indian-Restaurant/Lahori-kabab-1563556847278295/

They have the most reasonable food and a very diverse menu. I just wanted a snack so I had a Chicken Samosa ($2.00) that was so spicy that it cleared my sinus out and a Allo Tiki, which is a type of potato cake with a yogurt sauce that had a nice pinch to it. Everything on the menu is under $10.00 and attracts a very interesting crowd of customers.

The Chicken Samosas and Kababs

After that nice little snack, I walked back down Lexington Avenue to East 23rd Street and proceeded east to Third Avenue. This is where you see the transitions in the neighborhood. Most of the buildings between East 23rd to East 30th is still dominated by smaller buildings with a lot of independent businesses. As you pass East 30th Street, the high rises are dominating and newer construction is changing the look of the the upper parts of Kips Bay.

As I headed north up Third Avenue, I needed something sweet after the spicy snack and found La Delice Pastry Shop at 372 Third Avenue. What I loved about the bakery is that it has been around since 1935 and it is nice to see these old-time businesses still exist in the ever-changing fabric of a neighborhood. They carry all sorts of pies, cakes, cookies and pastries.

La Delice Pastry Shop at 372 Third Avenue has been there since 1935

Everyday Menu

I just went in for a jelly doughnut ($1.50) and it was well worth it. The chewiness of the dough and the sweetness of the sugar outside along with the tanginess of the current jelly gave it that old fashioned feel of what a doughnut should be. Beats the hell out of Dunkin!

La Delice Pastry Shop has a selection of old-line baked goods

Third Avenue is a juxtapose of architecture as you walk up and down the Avenue. A couple of buildings do stand out amongst the tenement and apartment buildings starting to sprout up along the border of the neighborhood.

One building that had some beautiful features was 497 Third Avenue. This five story building was built in 1930 and offers some beautiful brownstone features around the roof and windows. The Flying Cock restaurant at its base gives it an interesting look from street level.

497 Third Avenue with the interesting accents

https://streeteasy.com/building/497-3-avenue-new_york

Another interesting building is 384 Third Avenue. This picturesque building was built around 1900 by architects Howells & Stokes by the neighboring Madison Square Presbyterian Church as the Madison Square Church House that was used by the church for nightly services. A cast iron base supported the red brick architecture and the ornamented cast iron window lintels. The cornice at the top is made of cast iron (Daytonian in Manhattan).

384 Third Avenue-The Madison Square Church House

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-madison-sq-presbyterian-church.html

When heading back down to East 23rd Street, I admired the Gem Saloon building that was just opening for lunch at 375-377 Third Avenue. These buildings were built in 1910 and was once the old Rodeo Bar that had been a staple in the neighborhood for 27 years.

The Gem Saloon at 375-377 Third Avenue was built 1910

https://thegemsaloonnyc.com/

Gem Saloon during the Summer

Gem Saloon at Christmas 2024

As I turned the corner back onto East 23rd Street, I passed the now very quiet Baruch College campus. Part of East 25th Street is now being converted into a college walkway for the students and the construction workers were swarming the place.

Second Avenue is going through the same transformation as Third Avenue with much of the Avenue being knocked down and replaced by new apartment complexes. Much of the west side of the street is still intact with the east side of Second Avenue being rebuilt as part of the hospital complex and now new developments.

The only interesting building I saw was at 453 Second Avenue which was built in 1910 and is now a single family home. The building is now going through another renovation. This small brick building looks like it was once a fire station or a stable.

453 Second Avenue

https://streeteasy.com/building/453-2-avenue-new_york

Across the street is the large Kips Bay Court complex at 490 Second Avenue, that stretches from East 26th to East 29th Streets and when you walk through the complex you will find the oasis of Bellevue South Park. As Fall was progressing, the park was ablaze with what was left of the gold and reds of the leaves of the trees that surrounding the park.

Kips Bay Court Apartments stretch from East 26th to East 29th Streets on the east side of Second Avenue

https://www.kipsbaycourt.com/

The park and gardens in the Summer of 2026

Bellevue South Park is a nice break for all the people working in the area and for people living in the apartment complex. The park was created in 1966 when this whole part of the neighborhood went through urban renewal in the 1950’s that ran from East 23rd to East 30th between First and Second Avenue. The park is full of playground equipment and long paths and has some interesting artwork.

Bellevue South Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bellevue-south-park

The park in the Spring of 2025

The park in the Summer of 2026

What really caught my eye when walking around the park was the sculpture “Scagerrak” by artist Antoni Milkowski. The three interlocking steel blocks was created by the artist for the park in 1970.

‘Scagerrak’ by Antoni Milkowski

Artist Antoni Milkowski

https://www.askart.com/artist/Antoni_Milkowski/112685/Antoni_Milkowski.aspx

Mr. Milkowski is an American born artist from Illinois but moved to New York City as a child and is a graduate of Kenyon College and Hunter College in New York. He started to get involved with art in the early 1960’s and started to create contemporary pieces. The work was donated to the Parks system through the Association for a Better New York whose goal it was to enliven parts of the City. The work moved around until places in Bellevue South Park in the mid-1970’s (NYCParks.org).

All that walking was making me hungry again and I saw the sign for Joey Pepperoni Pizza at 493 Second Avenue for dollar slices that are now $1.25. Inflation the sign stated. The place was pretty busy for a mid-afternoon and the pizzas were coming out fresh. It was okay. The sauce was pretty good and the slice was pretty large for the price.

Joey Pepperoni Second Avenue

Joey Pepperoni Pizza at 493 Second Avenue

https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Pizza-Place/Joey-Pepperonis-Pizza-168618546501417/

Across the street from the Kips Bay Court complex, I crossed the street to another small pocket park, the Vincent F. Albano Jr. Playground at 523 Second Avenue, that is tucked into a corner of Second Avenue and East 39th Street. This quaint little park is full a charm with a small playground and shade trees all around it. It was rather quiet the afternoon I was there as it looked like they were limiting the number of people coming here.

Vincent F. Albano Playground at 523 Second Avenue

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/vincent-f-albano-jr-playground/history

The park was designed by architect M. Paul Friedberg in the late 1960’s and has gone through several renovations since that time. The park was named after Vincent F. Albano, a Republican district leader who lived in the neighborhood until his passing in 1981. He helped preserve the park when the neighborhood was going through all the construction changes (NYCParks.org).

The playground in the Summer of 2026

Dominating the neighborhood just to the north of the neighborhood is the Kips Bay Towers complex that stretches up Second Avenue from East 30th to East 33rd Streets. This along with the colleges and the hospital complexes replaced all the tenement housing and factories that were once located here. The complex is pretty much self-contained with a movie theater, supermarket and shops. The complex was designed by renowned architects I. M. Pei and S. J. Kessler in the ‘Brutalist style’ (Wiki).

Kips Bay Towers at 300 East 33rd Street

http://kipsbaytowers.nyc/

The towers facing First Avenue

As I walked back down Second Avenue towards East 23rd Street, I realized how much the urban renewal project of the 1950’s changed this part of the City similar to what the Lincoln Hill project did to the Upper West Side when Lincoln Center was built. It just changed the complexity of the neighborhood.

https://www.nycurbanism.com/brutalnyc/kips-bay

First Avenue is dominated mostly by NYU College campus and Bellevue Hospital and NY Langone Hospital. When I walked up First Avenue when walking the borders of the neighborhood I never noticed how new all the buildings seemed. Seeing the results of the Urban Renewal project, the area is similar to a big box complex.

Still there are little gems here and there that standout. On the corner of East 27th and First Avenue is the sculpture “Sentinel” by artist Theodore Roszak. It was designed and dedicated to all people involved in public health. The sculpture is somewhat hidden now under scaffolding during a current renovation of the building next to it.

Sentinel by artist Theodore Roszak

“Sentinel” site at the corner of East 27th Street and First Avenue

Artist Theodore Roszak

Theodore Roszak

http://www.artatsite.com/NewYork/details/Roszak_Theodore_Sentinel_Bellevue_Hospital_modern_statue_Art_at_Site_New_York.html

Mr. Roszak was an Polish born American artist who grew up in the Polish section of Chicago. He was mostly self-taught. He studied both at the Chicago Art Institute and in Europe. He created this sculpture in 1968 and it studied the struggle between man and nature (Art@Site).

Another interesting piece of architecture is the original Bellevue Hospital Building that now has the new entrance of the hospital surrounding the original building. You can try to sneak in to the hospital but there are guards all over the entrance. I was able to walk in during one of their breaks and see the lobby. It once had a beautiful entrance but modern architecture has taken over. Take some time to see this interesting stonework and carvings.

The original Bellevue Hospital entrance by McKim, Mead &White

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellevue_Hospital

The original building which was designed by architects McKim, Mead & White in 1930 housed the oldest continuous public hospital in the United States founded in 1794. The hospital was built on the original Belle Vue farm (thus its name) and today is one of the most innovative hospitals in the world. It still have the stigma though of being a “nut house” when it is far more doing so much innovative work in medicine (Bellevue Hospital History).

Bellevue Hospital by McKim, Mead & White

The original Bellevue Hospital built by McKim, Mead & White in 1930

The new entrance to the Bellevue Hospital Center Ambulatory Center by architect firm Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners designed between 2000-2005

https://www.facebook.com/PeiCobbFreed/

I finally reached the corner of First Avenue and East 34th Street by the NY Langone Hospital and relaxed in the plaza across from the hospital and then walked to the East River Esplanade again to enjoy the sun and salt water air. it was fun to just relax for a bit before heading back around the neighborhood.

The East River Esplanade is a nice place to relax and watch the boats go by

I made my way back around the neighborhood walking to East 23rd Street to enjoy the sites and smells of Lexington Avenue and “Little India” again. It still amazes me all the sites and smells you can experience in a small neighborhood in Manhattan in one afternoon.

This is what I love about New York City!

Please enjoy my blog on ‘Walking the Borders of Kips Bay’ on MywalkinManhattan.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/15049

Please enjoy my blog on ‘Walking the Streets of Kips Bay’ on MywalkinManhattan.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/15954

Places to Eat:

Lahori Kabab

106 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(646) 620-3183

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Indian-Restaurant/Lahori-kabab-1563556847278295/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:00am-11:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4462125-Reviews-Lahori_Kabab-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/2053

La Delice Pastry Shop Inc.

372 Third Avenue (at the corner of 27th Street)

New York, NY 10016

(212) 532-4409

http://www.ladelicepastry.com/

Open: Sunday 8:00am-8:00pm/Monday-Saturday 7:00am-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12268309-Reviews-La_Delice_Pastry_Shop-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Joey Pepperoni Pizza (Closed 2020)

493 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(212)466-4646

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Pizza-Place/Joey-Pepperonis-Pizza-168618546501417/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-12:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d5074821-Reviews-Joey_Pepperoni_s_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Places to Visit:

Bellevue South Park

Mt. Carmel & East 27th Street

New York, NY 10016

(212) 639-9675

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bellevue-south-park

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-6:00pm

Vincent F. Albano Playground & Park

523 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(212) 639-9675

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/vincent-f-albano-jr-playground

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/vincent-f-albano-jr-playground/history

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-6:00pm

Kalustyan’s

123 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(212) 685-3451

Kalustyans Landing Page

Open: Sunday 11:00am-7:00pm/Monday-Saturday 9:30am-8:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d7083811-Reviews-Kalustyan_s-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Day One Hundred and Seventy-Six: Walking the Borders of Kips Bay from East 34th to East 23rd Streets from Lexington Avenue to FDR Drive October 8th-November 14th, 2020 (Again June 15th, 2025 and August 29th, 2026)

It has been a while since I was able to get back into the City to continue my walk around Manhattan. Between work, trips up to the Hudson River Valley and Upstate New York for Fall events and then the Halloween holidays, it has been a busy time and a real balancing act.

I started the walk around Kips Bay, a small Manhattan neighborhood that borders Murray Hill from the North, Peter Cooper Village and Gramercy Park to the South and the Flatiron and Midtown districts to the West. The neighborhood runs from East 34th to East 23rd Streets from Lexington Avenue to the West and FDR Drive and the East River to the East.

Kips Bay has a very interesting history. Kips Bay was once an inlet of the East River running from what is now East 37th to East 32nd Streets and the bay extended into Manhattan Island to just west of what is now First Avenue and had two streams that ran from it. The bay was named after New Netherland Dutch settler, Jacobus Hendrickson Kip, the son of Hendrick Hendrickson Kip, whose farm ran north of present-day East 30th Street along the East River. The bay became reclaimed land, but the name “Kips Bay” still remains in the area (Wiki).

An early British map of Manhattan showing “Kepps Bay”

The Kip family built a large brick and stone house near the modern intersection of Second Avenue and East 35th Street. The house stood from 1655 to 1851 and when it was demolished was the last farmhouse from New Amsterdam remaining in Manhattan. Iron figures fixed into the gable end brickwork commemorated the first year of its construction. Its orchard was famous and when first President George Washington was presented with a sip of Rosa gallica during his first administration when New York City was serving as the first National Capital (Wiki).

Jacobus Kip’s Home in Kips Bay

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kips_Bay,_Manhattan

Kips Bay was the site of the Landing at Kip’s Bay, an episode of the American Revolutionary War (1175-1783) and part of the New York and New Jersey campaign. About 4000 British Army troops under General William Howe landed in Kips Bay on September 15, 1776 near what is now the foot of East 33rd Street off the East River. This was from a Royal Fleet which first landed earlier at Staten Island then Long Island for the pivotal Battle of Brooklyn (also known as the Battle of Long Island).

The previous month General Howe’s troops defeated about 500 American militiamen stationed at Kips Bay but General Washington and commanded by Colonel William Douglas. The American forces immediately retreated and the British occupied New York Town at the south point of the island soon afterward forcing General Washington to retreat northward to the Harlem River (Wiki).

The British Landing at Kips Bay in 1776

The neighborhood now sits just below Murray Hill East 42nd to East 34th Streets) to the north and just south above Peter Cooper Village (East 23rd to East 20th Street). Kips Bay like the rest of this section of the Eastern side of Manhattan is going through a makeover. The small apartment buildings are slowly coming down almost creating a patchwork in the neighborhood between the high rises and office buildings above East 30th Street and the low rises that still dot parts of Lexington, Third and Second Avenues. Little by little everything is giving way as Midtown creeps into these neighborhoods.

Still Kips Bay has loads of charm, a slew of interesting restaurants, beautiful buildings and nice little parks to relax in and a breathtaking view of the East River and Long Island City. There is a online discussion about the eastern border of the neighborhood, Third to Lexington Avenues, which some consider part of the “Rose Hill” neighborhood, which itself labels itself “NoMAD” today (North of Madison Park). Even within the neighborhood there are subsections including “Curry Hill” or “Little India” along Lexington Avenue from East 29th to East 26th Streets which is lined with Southeast Asian provision and retail stores and great Asian restaurants where the scents of curry and cumin are in the air.

This is why I love walking in Manhattan is how you can go from one world to another in just a block. It shows the cultural richness and the diversity that makes Manhattan so complex and interesting. There is always something new to experience from block to block.

I started my walk in my usual headquarters for this part of Manhattan in Bryant Park. The Christmas Village and Skating Rink have been set up way in advance of the holidays and people were out skating, masks and all, and having a wonderful time on the first sunny day in a long time. The village stores are about a third of the amount from previous years but still stocked and ready to go. I think the City in the era of COVID “needs a little Christmas now”.

The Christmas Village got an early start Bryant Park this year

This is something I noticed when I walked down East 42nd Street towards Madison and Park Avenues when I passed office buildings. Christmas Trees and wreaths decorated lobbies all over the avenues much earlier than I have ever seen. Usually, the Christmas decorations don’t come out until after Thanksgiving, but the holidays are getting more rushed this year. Still even in the 60-degree days in November it really does cheer you up.

Park Avenue Office Building Christmas decorations

Arriving at East 34th Street and FDR Drive, I reached the border of Murray Hill and Kips Bay in the mid afternoon and it felt so familiar to me after so many afternoons exploring Murray Hill just that the weather had gotten cooler. There just seemed to be more people out as the City is getting back to normal after a trying summer.

When you do arrive here you are greeted by a playful piece of art just outside NYU Langone Children’s Hospital. “Spot” is a dalmatian balancing a taxi on his nose is located just outside the Children’s Hospital’s doors. “I wanted to make something so astounding to distract to even those arriving with the most serious procedures” (Artist Bio) the artist was quoted as saying when the piece was unveiled. It sits four stories in front of the hospital. It is a very playful piece of art that stopped me in my tracks.

“Spot” by artist Donald Lipski

Artist Donald Lipski is an American born artist who is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Cranbrook Academy of Art. He is best known for his large scale works in public places (Artist’s Bio).

Donald Lipski artist

Artist Donald Lipski

http://www.donaldlipski.net/

It was nice to see most of the restaurants in the area had finally opened up and with the warm weather still holding its grip, there was a lot of outdoor dining to choose from. Even before the pandemic, some parts of the neighborhood were being knocked down for new construction and work continued as I visited taking down many of the smaller buildings that used to house small restaurants. Still there are some great independent restaurants in the area that needed support.

I had lunch at Pizza & Pita at 344 East 34th Street right across the street from the small park that faces the hospital. I just wanted a slice of pizza and when I walked in a fresh pie had just come out. The pizza looked as good as it tasted.

Pizza & Pita Pizzeria at 344 East 34th Street

Pizza & Pita at 344 East 34th Street (Renovated and renamed Previti Pizza in 2022)

https://www.pizzaandpita.com/

https://previtipizza.com/pizza-pasta-heros-salads

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4727274-Reviews-Pizza_Pita-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

The sauce has an amazing rich flavor and the loaded with cheese for a gooey consistency. It was so good that I stopped back later for a quick snack of their garlic knots. These pillowy delights came with a side of their delicious marinara sauce that was a pleasure to dunk them into and enjoy each bit.

The pizza here is great!

I just relaxed and ate my lunch in the small public plaza across the street from the hospital and watched as the hospital staff came out from their frustrating days and ate their lunches beside me. It seemed to do them well. The plaza has gotten busier since the late summer and it is nice to see people coming back to work and bring some life to the area.

Even the IPizza mural is around the corner from this spot garnering competition on the corner of First Avenue and East 34th Street

While at lunch I admired another interesting art piece entitled “Stemmer” by New York City born American artist David Fried.

“Stemmer” at the plaza at East 34th Street and First Avenue

The artist grew up in New York City and attended the School of Art & Music and was accepted into the Arts Students League of New York. The “Stemmers” sculptures is one of his trademark pieces.

Artist David Fried

Artist David Fried

http://www.davidfried.com/

After lunch, I continued my walk down East 34th Street to the border of Kips Bay at Lexington Avenue. The neighborhood is very ‘old New York’ especially between First and Lexington Avenues with the small buildings and high rises from the 1960’s and 70’s. The area is currently going through a makeover with new buildings, but it still has that “Woody Allen” feel of New York. Everything is not gleaming and new.

Tucked here and there by buildings and courtyards on East 34th Street is a bevy of interesting street art. The block is almost an ‘open air museum’ of creativity. The statue “Thinking Big” which was formally in Central Park South on Sixth Avenue last year has found a home in front of 222 East 34th Street.

“Thinking Big” by artist Jim Rennet

Artist Jim Rennet

Artist Jim Rennert with one of his works

https://www.jimrennert.com/

Jim Rennert is an American born artist known for his large bronze sculptures depicting the everyday man. Mostly self-taught, his works are seen all over the country and really do make a statement.

Walking further down East 34th Street just outside a little courtyard of one of the apartment buildings is artist John Sewart Johnson’s II sculpture “The Right Light”, a bronze sculpture of an artist and his easel. The sculpture is located just outside a building between Third and Lexington Avenues at 150 East 34th Street.

‘The Right Light’ by artist John Sewart Johnson II

The sign

John Seward Johnson II artist

Artist John Sewart Johnson II

https://www.groundsforsculpture.org/artists/j-seward-johnson/

Artist John Seward Johnson II was an American artist who attended the University of Maine, and he is known for his ‘familiar man’ sculptures and icons paintings.

Located on the wall near this art piece is an interesting painting on the wall outside another apartment building by artist Colette Miller from her “Global Wings Project” which she created in 2012. She paints these ‘to remind humanity that we are the angels of this earth’. With this graceful painting of giant ‘wings’, the artist hopes that there is a symbol of peace (Colette Miller’s Bio).

Artist Colette Millers “Global Angel Wings Project” 2020 (No longer there in 2024)

Colette Miller Artist

Artist Colette Miller

https://colettemiller.com/

https://colettemiller.com/angelwings

Ms. Miller is a American born artist from Richmond, VA. She is graduate of the Art School at Virginia Commonwealth University and Film Studies at UCLA. As well as an artist, she is a film maker and musician. Her work has been exhibited all over the world.

Turning the corner onto the bustling Lexington Avenue, you see that the border of the neighborhood is a bustling commercial district with a combination of office buildings and apartments and as you cross East 30th Street a restaurant district with an international flair to it. The avenue is also lined with interesting architecture where many buildings stand out.

While walking down East 34th Street was seeing the unique sculptures of artist Linus Coraggio. These interesting sculptures were on the outside of 154 East 34th Street.

The sculptures by artist Linus Coraggio are at 154 East 34th Street.

Artist Linus Coraggio

https://linuscoraggio.art

Artist Linus Coraggio is an American artist who is a native to New York City. He has a BFA from SUNY Purchase and his known for his unique abstract and figurative sculptures (Artist bio website).

The historic district of Kips Bay near Lexington Avenue.

The urban gardens on West 26th Street.

The New York Design Center Building at 200 Lexington Avenue stands out for its detailed beauty and its embellishments that accent the outside of the building. It was built in 1926 and designed by architect Ely Jacques Khan as the New York Furniture Exchange. The building was to cater to furniture and department store buyers. It now caters to the full interior design experience with furniture, lighting and textiles.

200 Lexington Avenue-The New York Design Center and the beautiful detail work.

Tucked to the residential side of the avenue is 170 Lexington Avenue an Italianate brownstone building that stands out for it yellow exterior. The brownstone was part of three building complex built in the early 1850’s. The house was owned by George and Elizabeth Youle, a wealthy couple with two married daughters. The address was originally 158 Lexington Avenue and then changed to 170 Lexington Avenue in 1866. Sometime in the 1940’s the yellow clapboard veneer was added in a renovation of the building (Daytonian 2020).

170 Lexington Avenue was built in the early 1850’s

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-george-youle-house-170-lexington.html

https://streeteasy.com/building/170-lexington-avenue-new_york

Another building that had beautiful detail work carved into it is 160-164 Lexington Avenue, The Dove Street Marketplace, which offers floor after floor of high-end goods.

The detail work is amazing on 160-164 Lexington Avenue-The Dove Street Market

The building has the most beautiful detail work on all sides. It was built in 1909 as the New York School for Applied Design for Women. It was designed by one of the school’s instructors, architect Wiley Corbett, to resemble a Greek Temple (Forgotten New York).

160-164 Lexington Avenue

https://streeteasy.com/building/160-lexington-avenue-new_york

Across the street from the Dover Street Market at 154 Lexington Avenue is the First Moravian Church. The building was started in 1849 and finished in 1852 at the Rose Hill Baptist Church designed in the Lombardian Romanesque style. In 1869, the church was sold to the First Moravian Church which had been located at Sixth Avenue and 34th Street (Daytonian in Manhattan).

The First Moravian Church at 154 Lexington Avenue was built in 1854

http://www.nycago.org/organs/nyc/html/firstmoravian.html

Our History

As I crossed over East 29th Street, I was greeted by the sights and smells of curry and cumin in restaurants as I entered “Little India” or “Curry Hill” as some locals call it, a stretch of restaurants and stores that cater to the Southeast Asian population as well as locals and tourists alike.

The “Curry Hill” section of Kips Bay

This stretch of businesses extends from East 29th to about East 26th Streets created by the catalyst for the street, Kalustyan’s at 123 Lexington Avenue, a specialty food market specializing in Indian and Middle-Eastern spices and food items.

Kalustyan’s Specialty Market at 123 Lexington Avenue

https://foodsofnations.com/

Kalustyan’s has an interesting history. The market was started in 1944 by Kerope Kalustyan, an Armenian immigrant from Turkey, when his steel importing business failed. He turned to foods and spices that catered to the large Armenian population who lived in the neighborhood in the 1920’s. By the 1960’s and 70’s, are large Indian and Southeastern Asian population started to move to the City and Kalustyan’s was the meeting spot as they started to carry Indian spices as well. “Little India/Curry Hill” grew up around the store as immigrants opened their own businesses around the store (Wiki). Now Kalustyan’s carries foods and spices from all over the world (Kalustyan).

Kalustyan’s has shelves of spices, mixes and sauces.

The baked and prepared goods.

Kalustyans Landing Page

Looking down “Curry Hill” section of Kips Bay on Lexington Avenue

It is really an experience to walk around all the shelves and shelves of spices and see what is available. Then to turn the corner and see all the fresh and frozen foods from all over the world. it can be overwhelming.

Kalustyan's/Chester Arthur Home

Kalustyan’s is located in the historic Chester A. Arthur home

What is interesting about the store is that is was once the home of President Chester A. Arthur, who took office as 21st President of the United States after President James Garfield was shot in 1881. He was sworn in as president here in September 1881. President Arthur moved to New York City in 1848 and lived here for most of his adult life and continued living here after his Presidency. He died in the house in 1886 (Wiki).

President Chester A. Arthur taking oath in his home in 1881

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_A._Arthur

The house is a five-story masonry designed in the Romanesque Revival styling and has gone through many renovations over the years. The neighborhood went from a fashionable district to the home of one of the largest Armenian populations in the United States then to a Southeast Asian neighborhood to another gentrifying area of Manhattan.

Chester A. Arthur house

The Chester A. Arthur house when he lived in it

After a quick tour around Kalustyan’s admiring all the spices and looking over their frozen food department with all its pastry and meat dishes, I was in the mood from some Indian food. I stopped at the corner at Curry in a Hurry at 119 Lexington Avenue. I needed a quick snack to keep me going so I ordered a chicken samosa ($2.45) and it was so good I went back for a beef samosa that had just gotten out of the oven. Both were extremely well spiced and full of flavor. I could taste the hot pepper and cumin for the rest for the afternoon (see my review on TripAdvisor).

Curry in a Hurry at 119 Lexington Avenue

https://www.curryinahurrynyc.com/

Refreshed from a quick snack, I continued exploring Lexington Avenue peeking at all the menus of the restaurants as I walked down the road. The aroma from the kitchens reached the sidewalks and I had to make an mental note of the place I wanted to try in the future.

By East 26th Street, I passed “Little India” and was in front of the 69th Regiment Building at 68th Lexington Avenue. This beautiful building is the home to the New York Army National Guard’s 69th Infantry Regiment, known as the “Fighting Irish” since the Civil War (Wiki).

69th Regiment Building at 68 Lexington Avenue

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/69th_Regiment_Armory

The building was designed by architects Hunt & Hunt in the Beaux Arts style and was completed in 1906. It has been home to many events and show including the controversial 1913 Armory Show of contemporary art (Wiki). You really have to walk around the building to admire its beauty and history.

The Armory Plaque

Just across the street is another beautiful building covered with snakes, skulls and dragons carved along the side of it at 130 East 25th Street.

The former B. W. Mayer Building which now houses the Friends House in Rosehall was built in 1916 by architect Herman Lee Meader (Wiki). You really have to walk around the building to see all the unusual carvings that line the building.

130 East 25th Street, the former B. W. Mayer Building

https://www.realtyhop.com/building/130-east-25th-street-new-york-ny-10010

The doorway arch really stands out

The street art is also interesting on this part of Lexington Avenue. One the corner of East 24th Street & Lexington Avenue is the Friends House New York, a housing unit. Painted on the wall is a very unique painting by Italian street artist, Jacopo Ceccarelli.

Painting by artist Jacopo Ceccarelli

The mural is on the corner of East 24th & Lexington Avenue-The St. Francis Residence Building (painted over in 2026)

https://stfrancisfriends.org/

Jacopo Ceccarelli

Artist Jacopo Ceccarelli

http://doartfoundation.org/index.html@p=3375.html

The Milan born street artist, who goes by the name “Never 2501” hones his skills after moving to San Paolo, painting murals with an edge that got global recognition. He uses geometric forms in his work with circles and lines creating the abstract (Do Art Foundation).

I was getting hungry again with all this criss crossing across Lexington Avenue and I had two choices for a snack, DiDi Dumpling at 38 Lexington Avenue or Pick & Pay Pizza at 30 Lexington Avenue both having reasonable snacks. Since I would be stopping for Dim Sum later that afternoon, I chose the pizza. For a $1.25 a slice, the pizza was not bad in this tiny little hole in the wall that also served Indian food as well. The sauce had a lot of flavors and that is what makes the pizza.

Pick & Pay Pizza at 30 Lexington Avenue (Closed 2024)

The Cheese Pizza was good here

http://picknpaypizza.com/

DiDi Dumpling at 38 Lexington Avenue (name change in 2024)

https://www.dididumplingny.com/menu

EA Dumpling replaced DiDi Dumpling in 2024

The Dumplings here are delicious. These are Soup Dumplings and the Potstickers.

https://eadumpling.com

I noticed on the wall right near the doorway near the Starbucks was another wall mural “Urban Ocean” by artist Yuki Abe that is off to the side of the building on the corner of Lexington & 25th, Look at the interesting color and design of the work.

“Urban Ocean” by Artist Yuki Abe

Surrounding this area of Lexington & 25th Street starts the campus of Baruch College which is part of the SUNY system, and I could see students who were taking live classes walking around enjoying the day. I am sure it is much different when classes were in full swing, and the students were hanging around the restaurants and coffee shops in the area.

The now finished Baruch College courtyard on campus

Another building that stands out in its beauty and design is on the corner of the neighborhood on Lexington Avenue between 24th and 23rd Streets, the Freehand Hotel at 23 Lexington Avenue. The hotel was originally built as the Hotel George Washington in 1928 and designed by architect Frank Mills Andrews in the French Renaissance style.

The Freehand Hotel (the former George Washington Hotel) at 23 Lexington Avenue

While still a apartment building and a dorm in the 1990’s, several famous New Yorkers lived at the hotel including artist Keith Haring and musician Dee Dee Ramone. Playwright Jeffery Stanley also lived at the hotel for a period of time.

The entrance to the Freehand Hotel is very elegant but still remains closed

I crossed East 23rd Street which is the edge of the neighborhood shared with Gramercy Park, Rose Hill and Peter Cooper Village further down the block. This busy thoroughfare is lined with a lot stores, restaurants and many interesting buildings that leads to the East River.

I stopped for lunch at a new Dim Sum restaurant name Awe Sum Dim Sum that had just opened on at 160 East 23rd Street and it was just excellent. I took my friend, Maricel, here for lunch after my birthday for lunch and we ate through most of the menu (see my reviews on TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com).

The Awe Sum Dim Sum at 160 East 23rd Street

https://awesumdimsum.us/

The restaurant has the most amazing appetizers to choose from that are all made in house and served fresh to you either at your table inside or one of the many tables outside (while the weather holds out). On my trip with Maricel, we ate our way through the Fried Dumplings, the Chicken Siu Mai, the Spring Rolls, the Baked BBQ Pork Buns, the Scallion Pancakes and the Soup Dumplings. On my trip today, I ordered the Soup Dumplings, Crispy Shrimp Rolls and the Siu Mai with pork and shrimp.

The Soup Dumplings here are the best

So are the Spring Rolls when they are fresh out of the fryer

On one of the trips I had the Pan Fried Pork Buns, Spring Rolls and Roast Pork Buns.

With the cost for each running between $4.00-$6.00, I could eat my way through the menu. The nice part is what a nice contemporary designed restaurant the place is to dine in. Everyone is kept ‘socially distanced’ so it is a nice place to eat.

The inside of Awe Sum Dim Sum

After a nice relaxing lunch, I was ready to continue down East 23rd Street. Criss crossing the street again, I noticed the beauty of 219-223 East 23rd Street. The building has all sorts of griffins and faces glaring out. When you stand across the street, you can admire the beauty of all the carvings on the building along the archways above and the faces staring at you from the tops of windows.

219-223 East 23rd Street

The window details of 221 East 23rd Street

https://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/gramercy-park/219-east-23rd-street/7437

Another building that stands out is 304-310 East 23rd Street. This former factory building was built in 1900 and now is the “The Foundry”, a converted condo complex. The amazing detail on the building stands out and you have to admire the stonework and details in the carvings along the building.

304-310 East 23rd Street is a former factory

https://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/gramercy-park/the-foundry-310-east-23rd-street/3880

Reaching the end of East 23rd Street, you will see the planned middle-class complex of Peter Cooper Village, which has gone market rate and is now getting very upscale and seems to have a younger resident walking around then the usual middle-aged residents who used to be on the list to get one of these very desirable apartments.

The entrance to Peter Cooper Village at First Avenue

https://www.petercoopervillage.com/

Across from Peter Cooper Village is the Asser Avery Recreational Center and Playground 392 Asser Avery Place with the famous baths and pools that have been part of the neighborhood for generations.

The Asser Levy Recreation Center and Park at 392 Asser Levy Place

When the baths opened in 1908, the facility was called the East 23rd Street Bathhouse. It was by architects Arnold W. Brunner and William Martin Aiken. Based on the ancient Roman Baths, the architecture was inspired by the “City Beautiful” movement, a turn of the century effort to create civic architecture in the United States that would rival the monuments of the great European capitals (NYCParks.org). The playground next to it opened in 1993.

The architecture by Arnold Brunner and William Martin Aiken resembled a Roman Bath

The fountain at the bathhouses.

The historic plaque.

The Baths and Park was named for Asser Levy, a Jewish trailblazer in colonial times when Mr. Levy and 23 Jews fled from Brazil in 1654 to seek refuge in New Amsterdam. He challenged Governor Peter Stuyvesant when he tried to evict the Jews from the colony. He was the first Jew to serve in the militia and own property in the colony (NYCParks.org).

Asser Levy

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9876-levy-asser-asser-levy-van-swellem

The border to the east of the neighborhood is combination of the East River Esplanade, FDR Drive and First Avenue. Since First Avenue and FDR Drive are surrounded by a combination of college campus and hospital space, it makes walking around the neighborhood tricky.

When you walk across East 23rd Street to FDR Drive, you have to cross over FDR Drive at East 25th Street behind the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System Hospital complex and the CUNY/Hunter College campus and then cross over the bridge to the Waterside Plaza complex.

The Waterside Plaza complex and the Greenway walkway

https://streeteasy.com/building/waterside-plaza

This series of apartment buildings faces the East River and FDR Drive that leads to the East River Greenway walkway and the Waterside Plaza walkway both surround the complex. The views are breathtaking on a sunny afternoon of the East River and Long Island City.

The East River Greenway and the view of Long Island City.

East River Greenway from West 34th Street.

On the way up the Waterside Plaza walkway, I passed the famous Water Cafe at 500 East 30th Street that is currently closed because of COVID. This famous restaurant has been around since the 1980’s and offers some of the most spectacular views. It was one of the best known restaurants at the time when “Restaurant Madness” hit the City in the mid-1980’s as the City went through its first wave of gentrification under the Koch Administration.

The Water Club at 500 East 30th Street (is currently closed)

https://www.facebook.com/WaterClubNYC/

I walked all around the Waterside Plaza complex and saw where all the joggers and walkers can exercise all around the complex. The walkways both lead back to East 34th Street and the beginning of the walkway and where Kips Bay once was located.

The view of Brooklyn from the boat slip at the end of East 34th Street

I walked around the NYU Langone Hospital when I crossed East 34th Street and walked down the FDR Drive extension around the hospital until I reached East 26th Street and crossed to First Avenue.

This part of FDR Drive passes behind the Langone complex and the Bellevue Complex and be careful as there are security guards all over the place. They totally avoided me because with the tinted glasses I think they thought I was there to check them out. The side streets of East 30th to East 28th Streets are closed off to the public and you can’t walk down them without security looking you over. There is not much to see here but a parking lot and the back of the hospital complex.

I walked back down East 26th to East 25th Street and crossed back over to where the bridge was located and walked back around the Asser Levy Park and walked through the park. The three times I was in the park no one was there and the park seemed a little depressed with the homeless camping out.

The City Opera Thrift Shop at 222 East 23rd Street (Closed February 2023)

https://cityoperathriftshop.org/

I made my way back down East 23rd Street and stopped in the City Opera Thrift Shop at 222 East 23rd Street. They have the most interesting artwork and books, couture clothing for women and children and some decorative items on the second floor that have been donated to the store to help support the charity. Don’t miss shifting through the store and all the racks to find that perfect outfit.

City Opera Thirft

Walking around the first floor of the City Opera Thrift Shop is an adventure (Closed February 2023).

As I walked back up East 23rd Street passing the historic buildings and restaurants I walked through the Baruch College complex to see that campus was being renovated and was really quiet. It is spooky to walk through a college campus and see no one. It was one of the cooler days when I visited the neighborhood, and no one was around.

Before I finished my walk of the border of neighborhood, I stopped back in “Little India” and had dinner at Anjappar, a South Indian restaurant at 116 Lexington Avenue at 28th Street. I had not had Indian food for a long time and thought it would be a nice way to end the evening.

Anjappar at 116 Lexington Avenue

New York

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d3667770-Reviews-Anjappar_Chettinad_South_Indian_Cuisine-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

I was the only person eating in the restaurant that evening so all the attention went to me. The waiter gave me her great recommendations and we were able to talk about the best dishes to try. Since all NYC restaurants are only at 25% capacity, not too many people can eat there anyway. It was a quiet night with just a few to go orders while I was there.

The food and the service were excellent. With the recommendations for the waiter, I ordered the Anjappar Chicken Marsala, which was in a spicy chili and curry sauce served with a side of white rice and a side of Parotta bread, which is a buttery spiral bread that is a specialty of the region.

The Anjappar Chicken Marsala

The Parotta bread is perfect to sop up the sauces

The Mango Lasse cuts the heat of the food

The entree was so spicy that it cleaned my sinuses out and added a little spring to my step. For dessert, I order a house specialty, the Pineapple Ravakesari, which was fresh crushed pineapple in a polenta type of grain with a sugary top. It was served warm and was the perfect combination of sweet and tart.

It was the perfect dessert to end the meal and cap off the afternoon of adventure (see my review on TripAdvisor). They did not have it the second time I ate there and I ordered the Gulobjamun, a type of sweet donut.

The wonderful curries and Parotta bread of that dinner

Dinner was really good that night

The dessert Gulobjamun, sweet rice dough with a simple syrup was the perfect way to end the meal

When I reached the point of the beginning at Lexington Avenue and East 34th Street, I thought back to the wonderful sites and views from the island that Kips Bay offers . From the interesting open air art museum to the views along the river to the historic buildings and sites and smells of “Little India/Curry Hill”, there is so much to see and do in the neighborhood it even took me several trips to see just the border of the Kips Bay.

What would the British think today if they landed here? It would be more than Mrs. Murray’s punch and cake to keep them distracted.

Mrs. Murray entertaining the British in here home when they landed in Kips Bay.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Lindley_Murray

Join me as I walk the Avenues of Kips Bay on MywalkinManhattan.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/15820

Join me as I walk the Streets of Kips Bay on MywalkinManhattan.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/15954

Places to Eat:

Pizza & Pita Halal Food

344 East 34th Street

New York, NY 10016

(212) 679-6161

https://www.pizzaandpita.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:00am-11:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4727274-Reviews-Pizza_Pita-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/1811

Curry in a Hurry

119 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(212)683-0900

http://www.curryinahurrynyc.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:00am-1:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d496021-Reviews-Curry_in_a_Hurry-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Pick & Pay Pizza (Closed 2025)

30 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10010

(212) 387-8200

https://www.menuwithprice.com/menu/pick-and-pay-gyro-and-pizza/

Open: Sunday-Friday 9:00am-10:00pm/Saturday 9:00am-10:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d21402789-Reviews-Pick_Pay_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

DiDi Dumpling

38 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10010

(718) 709-8132

http://dididumpling.eatintakeout.net/

https://www.dididumplingny.com/menu

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-8:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4460001-Reviews-Di_Di_Dumpling-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Awe Sum Dim Sum

160 East 23rd Street

New York, NY

(646) 998-3314/3314

http://www.awesumdimsum.us/

Open: Sunday 9:30am-8:00pm/Monday-Wednesday 11:00am-8:00pm/Thursday-Saturday 9:30am-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d21335707-Reviews-Awesome_Dim_Sum-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/1898

Anjappar

116 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(212) 265-3663

New York

https://anjapparusa.com

Open: Sunday (L) 12:00pm-4:00pm/(D) 5:30pm-10:00pm/Monday Closed/Tuesday-Thursday (L) 11:30am-3:00pm/(D) 5:30pm-10:00pm/Friday (L) 11:30am-3:00pm/(D) 5:30pm-11:00pm/Saturday (L) 12:00pm-4:00pm/(D) 5:30pm-11:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d3667770-Reviews-Anjappar_Chettinad_South_Indian_Cuisine-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Places to Visit:

Kalustyan’s

123 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10016

https://www.kalustyan.com/

Kalustyans Landing Page

(212) 685-3451

Open: Sunday 11:00am-7:00pm/Monday-Saturday 9:30am-8:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d7083811-Reviews-Kalustyan_s-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The 69th Regiment Building

68 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10010

(646) 424-5500

https://military.wikia.org/wiki/69th_Regiment_Armory

Open: Sunday-Saturday 1:00pm-6:00pm

Asser Levy Recreational Center & Park

Asser Levy Place & East 25th Street

New York, NY 10010

(212) 693-9675

https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/recreationcenters/M164

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/asser-levy-recreation-center-pool-and-playground

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-6:00pm

City Opera Thrift Store (Closed February 2023)

222 East 23rd Street

New York, NY 10010

(212) 684-5344

https://cityoperathriftshop.org/donate-1

Open: Sunday-Monday Closed/Tuesday-Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm

Day One Hundred and Seventy-Eight: Exploring Downtown Beach Haven & Long Beach Island, NJ-A Local Journey October 3rd, 24th, December 12th, 2020, November 28th, 2021, November 25th, 2023 and August 16th and 24th, 2024 and October 5th, and November 29th, and December 30th, 2025

Welcome to Beach Haven

It is funny to go back to a place that you have not visited since 1975 and realize that time does pass by. I had not been to Beach Haven, NJ since the summer of 1975 when I was just a little kid. We used to visit friends of the family who had a house there and we would visit for about three days.

The amusements are staying open into October as the weather has gotten warmer until the end of October.

Miniature golf into October

It was interesting to visit a beach community as we never went farther than Sandy Hook, NJ. Going to the Jersey shore was a hike from our home in Bridgewater, NJ and since we belonged to a swim club, my parents saw no reason to run “down the shore” as we say in New Jersey. Why deal with the crowds and lousy parking?

The October 2025 Chowder Fest was packed as the weather was sunny and in the 80’s that Sunday

This blog takes place over many visits to Long Beach Island, experiencing the museums, restaurants and the beach and parks areas. There is no one ‘good’ time of the year to visit Long Beach Island, there are many times from the summer season to Halloween and Christmas for the island’s activities. More a year round community now it is not the Long Beach Island of the 1970’s, the economy and then Hurricane Sandy changed all that.

These visits cover different times of the year so you can experience all the island has to offer and what is opening and closing (which is very fast in a shore community). I have had many wonderful and relaxing trips to the barrier island and I hope you enjoy these experiences with me (this is why the blog seems to jump around).

This blog starts at the tip of Long Beach Island at the Barnegat Lighthouse and park to the last beach on the southern most tip of beach an park.

The Barnegat Lighthouse at 208 Broadway in Fall of 2023

The lighthouse in the Summer of 2024

https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/barnegatlighthousestatepark.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/5345

Still I remember visiting there in 1974 and 1975 before these friends no longer belonged to our pool. All I can remember of those visits was swimming in the ocean and diving in the waves wanting to impress these two twin sisters and all I did was tumble in the waves. They and my older bother dove into the waves with no problems. The other thing I remember is the planes going by and saying to eat at “Tilly’s Pizza”. So we begged for it one night for dinner. It was terrible pizza and we ordered this cheese pizza that was just dried out and no flavor. It is funny the things you remember as a kid.

Touring The Barnegat Lighthouse Park is a nice way to spend the morning

Exploring the dunes in the state park in Fall 2023

The pathway in the Summer of 2024

The beauty of the park at sunset time in the Summer of 2024

The Dunes Woods path

The Beach Dunes path near the entrance way

I returned to Long Beach Island last summer on my way to the Firemen’s Convention in Wildwood, NJ to visit the Long Beach Island Historical Society, which I had read about in a beach magazine for my blog, VisitingaMuseum.com. I had a long visit at the museum and it was nice afternoon. I had not realized that the NJ Maritime Museum was a couple of blocks away but I did not have time that afternoon to visit. I said that I would go back later.

Later was September 2020 over a year later. Hey better late than never. In the age of COVID, it had been a pleasure and escapism.

The Long Beach Island Historical Society at 129 Engleside Avenue

https://lbihistoricalmuseum.org/

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/3311

After visiting the museum for my blog and then visiting the Barnegat Lighthouse, I gained a new found respect for Long Beach Island and all it has to offer. I also realized how much it had changed in 45 years. It went from a sleepy working class resort to an upscale community with the growth of Wall Street in the late 90’s and the rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

The back galleries of the Long Beach Island Historical Society

The back galleries with nautical displays, school room and Victorian Rooms.

Many of those small little cottages that once lined the streets were long gone and they have been replaced by stilted ‘McMansions’ by the sea. The whole town has been practically knocked down and completely rebuilt. Even the stores were more upscale in their wares and the restaurants were expensive. I did not see too many tee shirt stores or beachy Knick -knacks being sold. These are not Boardwalk businesses.

The NJ Maritime Museum at 528 Dock Road

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/5338

The front gallery of the NJ Maritime Museum

The second floor galleries.

The display of the 1916 Shark attacks that inspired the movie “Jaws”

Still there are some great stores and restaurants to visit, cultural and natural sites to see and of course the beautiful beach with its calming sounds and gorgeous sunsets. You never know the complexity of a place until you visit a few times and find the true beauty of the surroundings and people. The downtown of Beach Haven has a lot to see and do as does the surrounding areas of Long Beach Island.

Downtown Beach Haven, NJ. in Fall 2023

New stores in Downtown Beach Haven in the Summer of 2024, the Mod Hatter and Baked by the Beach

I started my last two visits to Long Beach Island exploring Beach Haven, a small beach hamlet towards the southern part of the island and where I had spent a few summers when I was a child. I do not remember much of the trips except visiting the beach and how rough the waves were to swim. I don’t remember venturing out that much.

When I returned 45 year later, the town changed so much especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy flooding the island as well as the rest of the Jersey Shore. It leveled homes and tore though businesses with a vengeance. What it left was a chance to build the island again from the ground up. Everything is so new all over the island. Still there are a lot of older homes and businesses that did survive. Some adapted and some just changed.

The Beach Haven Historic District

The Beach Haven Historic District

I walked the whole town and it was a interesting visit over the past two summers especially on two recent tours of the town in the late summer and early fall. My first stop on my recent trip is where I started touring last year at the Long Beach Island Historical Society at 125 Engleside Avenue in Beach Haven for their Ghost Fest, a family event that the Historical Society was running that afternoon for local families.

Ghost Fest at the LBI Museum

The ‘Ghost Fest’ at the Long Beach Island Historical Society

The Historical Society had not opened yet when I got to Long Beach Island so I started my tour of the island at the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park on the northern part of the island. Even on a gloomy morning in October, the park was very busy.

The Barnegat Lighthouse in the fall 2023.

The cloudy weather did not deter the fisherman from casting and boats were dotting the bay. It was still a warm day and people were out and about. I joined other visitors to the park on the breakers watching the fisherman discuss the days catch and politics about the upcoming election. Some people were admiring the boats or just relaxing to the sounds of the waves. I just enjoyed the salt air and the sound of the waves crashing.

The lighthouse from the bunker.

After I left the walkway, I took a tour through the woods in the sand dunes. It was what is left of some virgin woods at the shore. The woods are very interesting because of all the native plants that can live in a sandy shore and survive the winds are harsh winters. Plants such as Jersey Pines, Beach Plum and American holly are native to the area and played an important role in Colonial New Jersey especially during the holidays.

Walking down the path through the dunes.

In November 2021, I revisited the lighthouse again and it finally reopened after a year and a half of being closed. I was able to climb the stairs all the way to the top on a sunny but extremely windy day. Talk about views from the top. You could see the surrounding park, the inlet area and beautiful views of the sea. A lot of people walking up the lighthouse seemed to suffer from vertigo halfway up but trust me there is no way to fall down these stairs with barely enough room to move either way and no gaps in the stairs. All the views from the three landings on the way up also offer views of the ocean.

The views of the dunes, bunker and bay from the top of the lighthouse.

The lighthouse itself was built in 1859 replacing another lighthouse that fell into the sea with the changing tides (see my review on TripAdvisor). The lighthouse has been closed since March with the onset of COVID but the grounds around it were still open and people, masks and all, were walking along the trails and conversing at the picnic tables. Families were walking the trails and paths along the bay. For an early morning in October the park was busy.

The Barnegat Lighthouse and surrounding park is a nice to tour in the early morning

https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/barnegatlighthousestatepark.html

My next stop was the Barnegat Light Museum but it had been closed all season due to the COVID pandemic. I was able to call one of the Board Members of the museum and I would have to tour it later that afternoon. So took another tour of the park at the lighthouse and drove back down the island to visit the museum later. I would do this until August 2024 when the museum was open during regular summer hours.

Walking through the dune paths right next to the lighthouse.

Maybe it was the salt air or maybe it was the two hour drive down the shore but I was getting hungry again. Not wanting to eat another breakfast, I stopped at an old time restaurant, Surf City Pizza for a slice. They had just opened for lunch and I could not believe I was eating pizza this early in the morning but it was good.

Surf City Pizza at 1017 Long Beach Boulevard in Surf City, NJ

http://www.surfcitypizza.com/

The pizza here is really good

When I made my trip up to the lighthouse in November 2021, the pizzeria was still closed when I drove up so I went to Baked on the Beach, a small funky bakery at 2101 Long Beach Boulevard in Surf City. The bakery was open that morning and I had wanted to try it on my last three visits to the island but it always closed early.

Baked at the Beach at 2101 Long Beach Boulevard

https://www.facebook.com/bakedonthebeach/

https://www.instagram.com/bakedonthebeachlbi/?hl=en

There was a nice selection of pies and cookies but what caught my eye was these Cinnamon rolls that had just come out. One was a traditional Cinnamon roll which she would ice on the spot for you and the other was filled with sharp Cheese and NJ Pork Roll. Sold! I needed something savory for breakfast and this filled the gap. They have now opened a branch in the Summer of 2024 in Beach Haven at 1101 North Bay Avenue.

The selection of products at Baked on the Beach in November 2023.

The Cheese and Pork roll was delicious and would have been better warmed but it was still good. As I rolled out each layer, I could taste the sharp cheese and the spicy pork roll that was thinly sliced in between the layers. I munched on it on the outside benches and that must have done something because all of sudden other people were stopping for baked goods. I guess the big smile on my face had something to do with it.

The “Beach Bum” cookies with the works mixed into it.

When I returned in November 2023, the bakery was still opened for the season and I was able to try the “Beach Bum” cookie with chocolate and Vanilla chips, crunchies and a big mix of other ingredients to give this cookie a sweet and complex consistency. It was crispy, chewy and rich.

The cookie was rich and decadent.

I got to the Long Beach Island Historical Society as they were in full swing of their Ghost Fest and what a nice event it was that afternoon. They had all sorts of activities for adults and children alike.

The Museum was decorated for Halloween

They had a pony ride, marshmallow roasting and smores by the fire pit, corn hole games, a maze, games of chance, a small gift shop, tours of the museum and even a costume parade with the Jersey Devil. The museum had a nice turnout on a somewhat gloomy afternoon but by the end of the event the sun started to shine.

The ‘Jersey Devil’ lead the Costume Parade that afternoon

For Christmas in 2021 and 2023, the Historical Society sponsored an “Elves Workshop” for kids and their parents with all sorts of arts and crafts happening at twelve different tables lining the front room of the museum. There was cookie decorating and Christmas tree creation with beads and cloth and gingerbread house making. To end the evening, they had Smores and Marshmallows roasting over open firepits in the park across the street.

The Elves Workshop at the Long Beach Island Historical Society

The museum knows how to welcome in the holiday season.

Santa finds his way at the Long Beach Island Historical Society in 2023 when I returned again.

The Christmas display at the Long Beach Island Historical Society during the Elf Workshop in 2023.

The Christmas tree and front of the museum.

The excitement of the Elf Workshop afternoon at the museum.

I had a while before I had to meet the President of the Barnegat Light Museum so I decided to explore the downtown strip of Beach Haven. What an interesting downtown for a shore community. The days of tee shirt shops and beach gift stores has given way to a collection of interesting restaurants, upscale boutiques and gift stores, small specialty shops and art galleries. When you are selling million-dollar homes in the area, you need places for those residents to shop and Long Beach Boulevard has an eclectic group of stores to choose from.

The Woo Hoo is the best place for ice cream and sandwiches when in season.

When I first visited Beach Haven after my 45 year absence, I discovered The Woo-Hoo around the corner from the museum. On my first trip to Beach Haven last summer, I came across this impressive little ice cream and lunch stand around the corner from the Historical Society and on a recommendation from the staff had lunch that afternoon. It was excellent!

The Woo Hoo at 211 South Bay Avenue in Beach Haven, NJ

https://thewoohoo.com/

https://www.facebook.com/woohoolbi/

I had one of their Classic Burgers with hand cut French Fries which was just excellent. The burgers have a rich juicy flavor and the mix of ingredients was delightful to eat. The fries were perfectly cooked and salted. I was so impressed by the lunch I went back later for their homemade ice cream that is just excellent.

In the Summer of 2024, the Woo Hoo discontinued hamburgers on the menu and now just have ice cream and their hand cut French Fries.

The Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Strawberry Cheesecake sundae at the Woo Hoo

I had the most amazing Strawberry Cheesecake which was rich and creamy and a Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which was loaded with the cereal. On a recent trip, the hot food had closed for the season but the ice cream was still going. I have this amazing holiday special called ‘Cookies & Scream” for Halloween. It was made with holiday M & M’s and Halloween oreos. It was worth the trip to Beach Haven just for that.

The burgers at the Woo Hoo are delicious (no longer offered in Summer of 2024)

When I visited again in November 2021, I had this flavor that just caught my eye, “Pillow Fight”. When I asked the girl working the stand what it was, she told me it was marshmallow ice cream with Oreo Cookies and Rainbow sprinkles mixed in. Then she gave me a sample and I swear I heard angels singing. The ice cream was mind-blowingly good with that mixture of sweetness between the cream and the marshmallows with the Oreos and sprinkles mixed in.

What I love about walking around downtown Beach Haven is the interesting array of stores and food establishments they have on the strip. They are fun to explore on a nice sunny afternoon. I lucked out on my two most recent trips here. The weather broke both days and it ended up a sunny warm afternoon. So I set out to explore the town and I discovered a small community that was much than the beach.

How to Live, the original store at 7 South Bay Street in Beach Haven, NJ.

My first stop when I exited Engelside Avenue onto South Bay Avenue is the unique little gift store, “How to Live” at 7 South Bay Avenue, which has a great selection of local artisan gifts, artwork, children’s clothes and books, women’s clothes and art and book items created by the owner, Sandy Gingras. Her whimsical books and art work dot the store.

The inside of How to Live at the close of the season.

https://www.howtolivelbi.com/

Walking into the store is an experience with the smell of fragrant smells of body products and the musical sounds of the 1980’s. It is a step back in time to when people took time to decorate their homes and give small host gifts. I really loved the homemade Christmas ornaments by a local artist. Her Christmas decorations and home products are beautifully packaged and will mix in any home decor.

How I Live at 7 South Bay Avenue

https://www.facebook.com/howtolivelbi/

The How to Live Bayside store across the street is for furniture and accessories.

Inside the furniture and accessories store in the Summer of 2024

Christmas decoration in How to Live in August of 2024

The new clothing line in the How to Live Living store

Further up North Bay Boulevard, the main artery of the town is Chicken or the Egg at 207 North Bay Boulevard with its constant crowds, popular outdoor dining and creative menu. The menu is stocked with interesting sandwiches, burgers and sides. The outdoor seating on a nice day is the way to dine. I have not had a chance to try the restaurant but it is on my bucket list on my next trip to town.

The Chicken or the Egg is at 207 North Bay Boulevard

https://www.facebook.com/chegg609/

https://492fowl.com/

North Bay Boulevard has a long stretch of eating establishments that are opened at various times of the week.

When I returned for my Christmas visit, I ended the evening having dinner here. I swear on a cool night, it was the perfect place for a meal. I had their New England Clam Chowder with its thick roux and heavy cream base and it was loaded with clams.

It warmed me up immediately. For dinner, my waiter suggested the ultimate comfort food in cold weather, the Chicken Pot Pie that was just amazing.

The Soup is amazing

The Chicken Pot Pie is really filling

Loaded with chunks of chicken and a creamy base topped with a flaky crust, each bite warmed me up after the cool walks by the bay and down the main street of town. You could really taste the roasted chicken in the gravy and its rich flavors. The service here is always friendly and very welcoming.

I love the food here

I stopped at Fourchette at LBI at 511 North Bay Avenue to enjoy the smells of the array of cheeses and look at their assortment of host gifts. They have a lot of interesting cheeses in the case line and the woman behind the counter was eager to explain them all to me.

I love the smells of cheeses when you walk in. It is a mouthwatering experience when you see them all lined in the cases.

Fourchette at LBI at 511 North Bay Avenue

https://www.fourchette-fromage.com/

The Cheese case at Fourchette

The gourmet food department of Fourchette

The gift items at Fourchette are wonderful.

Another interesting store was Sandy Banks Art Store at 515 North Bay Avenue in which the first afternoon I visited a local artist was having an art show in the small courtyard adjoining the store. The art was vibrant and the artist was proud of the paintings she was showing off.

Sandy Banks at 515 North Bay Boulevard

https://sandybanksboutique.com/

Sandy Banks Gardens next to the store.

Anchoring the main part of the downtown is the local shore department store, B &B Stores, which has been a Jersey Shore staple since 1932. Located in many well known beach communities, B &B stocks not just bathing suits and swim gear but an array of clothing, gifts and accessories for the local community. I have been in the store during the summer months and it is wall to wall swim suits, tee shirts and shorts but as the cooler months approach and the rushing of the holidays, I saw my first Christmas tree down the shore.

B & B Department Store at 835 North Bay Avenue

https://www.bnbstores.com/lbi

That afternoon there was a nice rush of locals and tourist grasping the last days of warm weather down the shore and even though we were all in masks (COVID is big down the shore too), people were going about their shopping with a vengeance. It was nice to see a crowd of people enjoying a shopping trip and conversing with one another talking over their masks. In November of 2023, it was business as usual as people starting shopping for the Christmas holidays.

The selection of merchandise at B & B Department Stores give me faith in the department store industry especially at Christmas.

When I visited in November, the holiday season was in full swing and the store was full of locals talking about their Thanksgiving holidays and getting back to school the next week. The store was stocked with holiday and winter merchandise for those making the island their home for the winter.

The B & B Department Store airline display.

The Nautical gift shop in the Summer of 2024

The Christmas Shop in October 2025

Crossing the street , there is a tiered mall, The Seaman’s Village, stocked with small stores and restaurants that is big with the beach going community on a rainy afternoon. During the two trips to Beach Haven that I made most of the stores were closed or has partial hours during the week and weekends. It seems though with the warmer weather extending into November and the exodus of people out of the cities, the stores are staying open much longer than usual.

The Bay Village at 830 North Bay Avenue

https://www.bayvillagelbi.com/

Another homegrown store that I have enjoyed visiting on my last few trips to town is the Crust & Crumb Bakery at 9 North Bay Boulevard. This old fashioned bakery has the usual assortments of cookies, cakes, pastries and doughnuts and an array of Italian pastries as well. I have enjoyed their jelly and custard filled doughnuts and their seasonal pumpkin glazed doughnuts are delicious.

Crust & Crumb Bakery at 9 North Bay Boulevard

https://www.facebook.com/CrustAndCrumbLBI/

Trust me, after a day at the shore or just walking around enjoying the beautiful weather, a trip here can satisfy any sweet tooth. The selection is extensive and don’t miss the giant cinnamon elephant ears.

I finally got back to Crust & Crumb on my trip to the island in August 2024 and looked through the selection of baked goods before I settled on a Chocolate Doughnut for dessert after my large lunch at Tucker’s Restaurant. The doughnut was excellent but a little pricey at $3.00. Most of their baked goods prices were higher than they are in Manhattan. I thought maybe their rent went up in an ever upscaling Beach Haven downtown. Still, it was really good.

There are a lot of delicious items to choose from at Crust & Crumb

The cake case at Crust & Crumb in the Summer of 2024

The special “LBI Cake” at Crust & Crumb

The Chocolate iced doughnut that I had at Crust & Crumb for dessert in 2024

Walking back down North Bay Boulevard, passing Fantasy Island Amusement Park reminds you that this is still a shore town. On my first trip to Beach Haven in September the park was still open just very quiet. On a warm sunny Friday afternoon, there were not too many people walking around and the staff spent most of their time on their cellphones or chatting amongst themselves.

Fantasy Island Amusement Park at 750 North Bay Avenue

On my second trip in late October, the park was closed but the arcade was open. Talk about bells and whistles with lots of music, lights and excitement. There were only about a dozen of us in the arcade but it was a lot of fun taking a step back into time when I used to visit the pinball and skeetball machines when I was in high school. There were a lot of the old machines that I remember including a version of PacMan and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

The arcade at Fantasy Island Amusement Park brings back memories of a simpler time.

The amusements in the Summer months

The amusement park in the summer months

Walking around the arcade before dinner was an experience. The few people who were playing games were laughing and having a good time. The adults were having just a good time as their kids and I saw that it brought the kid back in them.

Fantasy Land at night just as I was leaving lit for the holidays.

I stopped for a snack before venturing further at Slice of Heaven Pizza at 610 North Bay Avenue. The restaurant was closed for indoor dining so I ate outside with the pizza chef who was taking a break. The pizza was pretty good and when I was talking to the pizza cook he said how sporadic the business had been all summer. It was just starting to get busy by the end of the summer.

Slice of Heaven Pizzeria at 610 North Bay Avenue

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Pizza-place/A-Slice-of-Heaven-158578817496427/

https://www.menupix.com/newjersey/restaurants/3012073/Slice-Of-Heaven-Beach-Haven-NJ

The Cheese pizza is really good at Slice of Heaven Pizzeria.

Another wonderful gift, design and furniture store is The Spotted Whale at 500 North Bay Avenue. The store has a light and breezy beach feel to it with light colors and a lot of nautical looks. This store is more geared to the shore customer.

During Christmas, the store was ablaze with a lighted tree and ornaments twinkling from it while all sorts of decorating ideas for the shore houses were on display. Christmas ‘down the shore’ must be interesting.

The Spotted Whale at 500 North Bay Avenue has two locations on the island.

https://www.spottedwhale.com/

The Spotted Whale has some interesting looks about it.

Inside the Spotted Whale at the branch at Viking Village.

Walking further south, I took detour into the Coffee Nest at 106 North Bay Avenue to see what their baked good were like. The store is a combination gift store, coffee shop and bakery with some floral arrangements up front. There was not much left in the bakery area when I got there but they have a nice assortment and the prices are a bit high. I liked the music playing though. A step in here and your would think you are in Williamsburg or Bushwick and not Beach Haven.

Coffee Nest

The Coffee Nest at 106 North Bay Street (changed names in the last year-closed)

https://www.facebook.com/coffeenestbeachhaven/

https://www.restaurantji.com/nj/beach-haven/coffee-nest-/

Coffee Nest Interior

The interior at the Coffee Nest is very Bohemian (now closed in 2023)

The coffee shop changed it name to Guapo’s Coffee House in 2023 and looks different inside

https://www.guaposcoffee.com/

Review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46292-d26589661-Reviews-Guapo_s_Coffee_House-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

When I visited the first time, I came to see the NJ Maritime Museum that is located around the corner from the Coffee Nest on Dock Road towards the bay. The NJ Maritime Museum is located across the street from two very popular restaurants facing the bay at 528 Dock Road.

The NJ Maritime Museum is located at 528 Dock Road by the bay

https://www.facebook.com/NJMaritimeMuseum/

This small but interesting museum contains not just the history of the towns of Long Beach Island but also has the history of the hotels that once dotted the shore, shipwrecks, the Coast Guard and the 1916 Shark Attack that inspired the movie “Jaws”. Several cruise disasters have interesting displays with documented accounts and all sorts of memorabilia. The museum was founded in 2007 by collector Deb Whitcraft.

The museum’s nautical displays on diving are very detailed

The Shark Attacks from 1916 that inspired the movie “Jaws”

Take time to explore each room and read the details of the displays. You will delve deeper into the history of Long Beach Island and its rich history as a fishing and hunting area for the Lenape Indians, then the Dutch and English traders to its time as a resort community to the new morphing during COVID as a full-time community catering to the residents on their exodus out of New York City and Philly. The museum is rewriting history again in the era of COVID. Don’t miss the Moro Castle luxury cruise display room in the back of the museum with accounts on the fatal trip.

The Morrow Castle tragedy at the NJ Maritime Museum.

For lunch on my recent trip I had to find a place to watch the Michigan State versus Rutgers game. It was depressing watching us get tapped danced on by Rutgers during the third quarter. What made it less depressing was the food at Tuckers Tavern, a restaurant facing the bay at 101 South Bay Avenue( see review on TripAdvisor).

Tuckers Tavern at 101 South Bay Avenue

https://www.tuckerstavern-lbi.com/

The terrace seating in the Summer of 2024

The outside seating of the restaurant

The bar area was socially distanced and they had plenty of TV’s to watch the game. We ended up losing 38-27 but I knew the game was over pretty much by the end of third quarter and I did not travel two hours to sit at the bar and get depressed.

Michigan State lost to Rutgers that afternoon

What perked me up though was the food. It it was excellent. I had a crab cake sandwich that was out of this world. It was loaded with crab and was so sweet. The fries were freshly cut and deep fried to perfection. The whole meal was delicious and picked me right up to keep going for the rest of the afternoon.

When I returned to Tucker’s in August 2024, the sandwich had been taken off the menu and it was only in entree form. I asked and they made this for me. The crab cake was was oversized and was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Their French Fries are amazing.

Do not miss the Tuckers Tavern’s Crab cake sandwich

The Crab Cake sandwich was made for me when it was taken off the menu in the Summer of 2024

Yum!

It was nice after lunch to just walk around the bay area and admire the sunshine. The views from the restaurant that lined the bay was just amazing. It was so nice to just walk off lunch and admire the views. I watched the boats coming in and out of the docks.

The bay side restaurant row is breathtaking

After visiting both museums on the lower part of the island, I headed back to the northern part of the island for an appointment that I had to see the Barnegat Light Museum at 501 Central Avenue in Barnegat Light, a tiny museum that housed the original Barnegat Lighthouse light.

The original Barnegat light from the lighthouse

It was an old schoolhouse built in 1903 that had been converted into museum. The museum housed interesting artifacts like dinosaur bones found on the island, housewares from local residents, notes from the students who went to school at the schoolhouse and nautical items. Out of the three museums on Long Beach Island, this one has the most limited hours and I was only able to really tour it properly in August 2024 during my last summer visit to Barnegat Light.

The Barnegat Light Museum at 501 Central Avenue

http://www.bl-hs.org/

The main gallery at the Barnegat Light Museum

The main gallery at the Barnegat Light Museum

The Barnegat Light Museum School House display

The President of the museum took me on a private tour of the museum and she told me about all the pieces in the space. I also got to tour the gardens that surrounded the museum that were tended by the Long Beach Island Garden Club who did a wonderful job.

The Edith Duff Gwinn Garden plaque at the museum

The gardens at the Barnegat Light Museum in the off season.

The gardens in the Summer of 2024

As the day wore on, I walked the Barnegat Lighthouse State park one more time and admired the inlet and enjoyed the breezes. People were walking along the pathways before the park closed at 4:00pm.

The gardens in the August of 2024

The gardens in the summer months

The gardens at the museum in the summer months

The Gardens from the side of the museum

As I walked the around the area, exploring Andy’s at the Lighthouse at 202 Broadway, an old general store that had a lot of handmade wood works by a local artist and has a nice selection of tee shirts and gifts.

Wildflowers by the Lighthouse at 410 Broadway

https://www.wildflowersbythelighthouse.com/

The front of the store in the fall of 2023.

Another store that stood out was Wildflowers by the Lighthouse by owner and artist, Cricket Luker and the store really stands for it innovative clothing and accessories. The owner is a local artist who took her art studio and turned it to a clothing store over time.

She also opened Wildflowers Too! an art gallery at 506 Broadway that shows local and metropolitan artists with a collection of paints, sculpture and gifts.

Wildflowers Two! at 506 Broadway

https://www.wildflowersbythelighthouse.com/blank

The artwork inside of Wildflowers II.

Before I made the journey to the southern part of the island on my November trip, I stopped by the “Santa’s Viking Christmas Village” to see the arts and crafts festival at Viking Village at 19th and the Bay Barnegat Light. It was a sunny but cool afternoon but the winds had calmed down and I was able to walk the booths with no problems. I was in search of homemade Santa’s for my mother’s upcoming birthday. I found them in two different booths, one made of a conch shell and another made of wood.

The local seafood restaurant was open for takeout and you could smell the fried fish in the distance along with the horrible singing by a guitarist who could not carry a note. Thank God he took a break in time for the Barnegat Light Fire Department to bring Mr. and Mrs. Claus to the Village for a visit to the local children.

Santa’s Viking Christmas Village during Christmas time-Santa’ coming!

http://www.vikingvillageshows.com/village-info.html

https://www.vikingvillage.net/shops

I waited for Santa to arrive via the Barnegat Light Fire Department and it was some crowd! There must have been over a hundred families waiting to see Santa. He arrived at 1:00pm as planned by fire truck to the Vikings Village and I had to elbow people just to get the picture of him and Mrs. Claus arriving. I know it is probably a fellow firefighter and his wife but the way people behaved you would have thought he really come from the North Pole.

The Barnegat Light Fire Department arrives with Santa.

https://www.barnegatlightfire.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BLVFC13/

Santa welcomes the crowd on the Barnegat Light fire truck.

Santa helping Mrs. Claus off the truck.

Santa and Mrs. Claus greet the crowd at the Viking Village Craft Show.

Viking Fresh Off the Hook’s outdoor seating was open that afternoon.

Because it was so cool out and I was starting to get hungry after the long trip down to Long Beach Island, I stopped at Off the Hook Seafood for a bowl of their Clam Chowder. You want heaven on earth on a cool November afternoon, it is a bowl of New England Clam Chowder and a Coke.

Viking Fresh Off the Hook Seafood at 1905 Bayview Avenue in Barnegat Light, NJ

https://www.vikingfreshoffthehook.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46285-d3357767-Reviews-Viking_Fresh_Off_The_Hook-Barnegat_Light_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

My heavenly New England Clam Chowder really warmed me up while waiting for Santa.

After touring the Village, I made my way back down Long Beach Boulevard to the LBI Foundation of The Arts & Sciences Holiday Market 2021, which was mostly full of more expensive artwork and home decor products. It was not as festive as the Village Market and all our mask wearing steamed up everyone’s glasses which was a big complaint. In November of 2023, that was no longer a complaint. It was open and people were having a good time.

The Craft Fair at Viking Village in November 2023.

It was later in the afternoon on my October 2020 visit, when I headed back down to the southern part of the island to Beach Haven and I had some dinner. When I was walking past the NJ Maritime Museum, I came across Polly’s Dockside and Clamhouse at 112 Northwest Avenue. The restaurant is a small establishment right on the dock facing the bay and has the most amazing fried shrimp and clam chowder.

Polly’s Dockside & Clamhouse at 112 Northwest Avenue during the off season.

Polly’s in the Summer of 2024. The restaurant was hopping that night

https://www.facebook.com/PollysDockandClamHouse/

The front of Polly’s Dockside in the off season

Polly’s in the summer. I loved this little clam sign

I sat at the bar facing the water and watching the sun set. I ate the richest clam chowder while watching boats come in and out of the dock. The sun set right in front of all of us as we ate and it was like watching a movie. Mother Nature can really treat you to the most beautiful things in life. I swear I snacked so much during the day that I could barely finish my fried shrimp appetizer which was much larger than I expected. Still with a little sweet chili sauce, I finished the whole thing. I wanted to save some room for dessert later that afternoon.

Dining at the bar facing the dock

The Cup of New England Clam Chowder is a meal to itself

The Clam Chowder here is excellent

The Fried Shrimps with Tater Tots were so good!

Polly’s Dock in the Summer of 2024

The inside of Polly’s Dockside in the Summer of 2024

Polly’s Dockside in the off season when it is closed for the summer months.

Polly’s in the Summer when it is in full swing

The bayside restaurants at night during the height in the Summer of 2024

I left when it got dark much later than I thought I would leave and I had a two hour drive home. I stopped at the Custard House at 6403 Long Beach Boulevard for some vanilla custard that settled my stomach. It was the right pick me up after all the food, touring and walking. This popular little stand has plenty of outside seating on a warm evening.

Custard Hut at 6403 Long Beach Boulevard

https://www.custardhutandpizzalbi.com/

https://www.facebook.com/custardhutLBI/

I was able to visit the island once more before the dark days of winter came upon us. Surprisingly enough when I visited in December, it was warm. The whole weekend was going to be in the high 50’s. It did not disappoint me as the sun came out.

I started this journey by visiting Barnegat, a small town just north of the cross-way from Long Beach Island. I was exploring the downtown and visiting a store named the ‘Unshredded Nostalgia’, a antique store that carried everything from old movie posters to local history books, 70’s posters and records to house hold decorations. It was one of those stores that a movie scout might look for props.

Unshredded Nostalgia

Unshredded Nostalgia at 232 South Main Street

https://www.facebook.com/UnshreddedNostalgia

The town of Barnegat is a small hamlet just north of Long Beach Island on the mainland a few miles from the cross-way. The Victorian architecture is a little shabby and the downtown has a lot of potential if it was renovated a bit more. It does have a unique look to it. It was a stop over for me on my back to Long Beach Island for a pre-Christmas visit.

Downtown Barnegat NJ

Downtown Barnegat, NJ

About Barnegat

During the late summer I had came across a flyer from the Surflight Theater for a Christmas production entitled “We need a little Christmas”, a COVID related play about Christmas in Maine. I had thought about it and at the last minute decided to visit Long Beach Island to see what the Jersey shore is like at the holidays. This was pretty shocking how quiet it had gotten.

The Surflight Theater at 201 Engleside Avenue

https://www.surflight.org/

The play was cute and not too serious with a happy ending and a lot of Christmas songs that trust me everyone in the audience needed to hear. It really cheered me up and put me into the holiday spirit.

“We need a Little Christmas” at the Surflight Theater

The irony of the show was that when it was over and we walked outside the theater, the clouds gave way and it was sunny and 56 degrees out. It was so nice outside and no wind that I walked down the block and walked on the beach which surprisingly I had not done in all my trips to Beach Haven. This was the first time I had touched the Jersey Shore all year and since 1975 here.

This is when I believe in God when we can enjoy the Christmas holidays with late summer weather. This is what I liked about visiting Hawaii during the holidays. I could walk on the beach and dig into the sand and smell the salt air without freezing. It was nice to just walk on the beach and hear the waves crash. The dunes were so quiet in December of 2023.

Beach Haven beach, what a day!

The dunes in the winter months are so quiet and relaxing

The dunes in the Summer of 2024

The dunes and the beach of Beach Haven in the Summer 2024

After the walk on the beach, I decided to walk around the downtown. I was amazed on how much was now closed. “How to Live” was closing for the season and everything was 50% off, the Crust & Crumb and a whole list of other restaurants has closed for the season. The arcade closed for the season as well. B & B Department Store was still open and decorated for the holidays but pretty much everything surrounding it was closed for the season.

The museums, art galleries and some of the bay side restaurants and attractions were shut down for the winter months as well. I thought with so many people staying on the island as residents more would be open. I had lunch at The Shack at 302 North Bay Boulevard, which was one of the few places that was still open. I had noticed it when I was visiting in October and they had a nice selection of lunch specials for $8.00.

The Shack at 302 North Bay Boulevard

https://theshackfreshfarelbi.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TheShackLBI/

Just wanting a snack, I had their $5.00 pizza combination, which was two slices of their fresh pizza and a Coke. I highly recommend their pizza. It must have been cooked in a hot coal oven because the crust and bottom were really crisp and pillowy. The sauce was well spiced and had a nice flavor and the slices were very generous (see review on TripAdvisor).

The Shack Pizza is delicious

After lunch, I decided to head up the coast and explore how the island was decorated for Christmas. In the downtown areas of Ships Bottom there were some nice decorations of lighted trees but outside that with a few store fronts with lights, the area was dark. Everything had closed for the season. With each town I passed, it was really quiet.

When I got to Barnegat Light, the lighthouse was dark and the park was closed as was all the stores surrounding it including Wildflowers at the Lighthouse, which I enjoyed visiting on my last two trips. The stores either were closed for the season or closed at 4:00pm when the park closed.

Getting back to the dock when the sun was still out.

On my trip back down the island, it was eerie how quiet the neighborhoods had gotten since Halloween. I thought more people were staying down here full time and I did not see that many homes lite up let alone decorated.

The one thing I did see was the most amazing sunset over the island and especially the bay area. The whole sky was reflecting off the clouds and had the most beautiful array of colors in reds, oranges and whites bouncing off the sky. The sun really gives a performance on Long Beach Island.

Beach Haven sunsets

Before I left the island for home that evening and for the rest of the season, I stopped at the Chicken or The Egg for dinner which had been on my bucket list to try since the end of the summer. The food and the service were excellent and everyone was so laid back.

The Chicken or the Egg at 207 North Bay Avenue

https://www.facebook.com/chegg609/

The dinner was excellent (see review on TripAdvisor). I had a sandwich named the Chicken Slammer, which was a fried chicken breast topped with Bacon, Jack Cheddar, Lettuce and Tomato and capped off with tangy barbecue sauce with a side of fries and pickles. it had such nice flavor in each bite.

The Chicken Slammer sandwich at The Chicken or The Egg

Make sure that you get everything on top.

The restaurant has the most amazing desserts. I had their Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream Sandwich, which I highly recommend. They bake their own cinnamon buns and then cut it in half, load it with vanilla ice cream and top it with caramel syrup and then top it with cinnamon sugar. I swear that their is nothing like each bite of that dessert! No wonder it is so popular.

Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream sandwich is heavenly

I was so stuffed from dinner, I needed to take one last look around and I went back to the square and walked around all the lit Christmas trees , all twenty five of them surround the gazebo, and then the main one inside. On a warm night, with the waves crashing in the background, I thought this was an amazing place to admire a Christmas tree.

It was a treat to come to Beach Haven and Long Beach Island again after a forty-year absence. Who knew that the island in its transformation from working class resort to high class residential community offered so much in the way of shopping, restaurants and cultural sites packed onto one island? There is something for everyone here including the beach.

As I keep visiting Long Beach Island, I keep finding more and more things to visit and explore which show the true beauty of these shore communities at various times of the year.

To end my evening after an afternoon of visiting Christmas activities and cultural sites in November, I decided to drive to the end of the island to see what was there and I came across the Holgate Nature Conservatory at 11 West Lincoln Avenue. It was cool and still sunny out when I reached the park.

The Holgate Nature Conservatory in the Summer of 2024

The preserve in the Summer of 2024

This natural preserve at the southern tip of Long Beach Island was very quiet, less some laughing surfers and a few seagulls. The waves just lapped the shore and I could see the skyline of Atlantic City in the distance. There is something about a quiet beach in the Fall that seems serene and picturesque. It was like watching a nature documentary.

The Holgate Nature Preserve at the tip of the island with Atlantic City looming in the distance in December 2023

https://www.audubon.org/important-bird-areas/edwin-b-forsythe-national-wildlife-refuge-holgate-unit

After dinner on my visit in November of 2021 and in 2023 at the Chicken or the Egg, I finished dessert at The Woo Hoo and walked up through the downtown to see the last of the people roasting marshmallows in the park and walked to Kapler’s Pharmacy at 1 South Bay Street.

Kapler’s Pharmacy at 1 South Bay Avenue is in the Christmas spirit.

The inside of the store is just as festive.

The crowds await as the horse drawn carriages arrive to take people on rides around town.

The horse drawn carriages.

The drug store was sponsoring horse drawn carriage rides around the neighborhood. I thought what a nice way to end the evening with a twilight view of the sun setting and watching the Christmas lights going on at houses around the neighborhood. The Jersey Shore at Christmas can really surprise you.

Kapler’s Pharmacy event at 1 South Bay Avenue in 2021

https://www.facebook.com/events/kaplers-pharmacy/classis-christmas-soiree/284160150273064/

People enjoying the horse drawn carriages in the afternoon and early evening.

I thought it was a nice group of visits to get my mind off what is going on in the world. What’s better than the Jersey Shore in warm weather? Visiting at all times of the year in warm weather and then returning for the Christmas holiday events. Who says the Shore closes at Labor Day?

Later that day I found out that Michigan State beat Penn State 30-27. What a way to end the day on my November trip!

The Michigan State versus Penn State Game 2021

Christmas at the Shore! What a change from COVID 2020 to November 2023!

The Beach Haven Christmas Tree Lighting 2020 (virtually of course):

Merry Christmas from Beach Haven, NJ in November 2023. It was in full swing

The Kapler’s Pharmacy horse drawn carriage in front of the Long Beach Island Historical Society at twilight.

The park across the street from the historical society at dusk lit for Christmas.

Relaxing at the firepits and watching the Christmas lights turn on that evening.

Who says that a beach town closes down at the end of the summer? Beach Haven has many wonderful things going on all year round!

The gardens in the Summer of 2024 along the main drag

Landscaping along the downtown area

The artwork along the Main Street

Patriotism in shell art

The old businesses that line the downtown are still popular, the Dairy King at 1806 Long Beach Boulevard

https://www.menupix.com/newjersey/restaurants/3012255/Dairy-King-Beach-Haven-NJ

Review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46581-d26883399-Reviews-Dairy_King-Long_Beach_Township_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

These businesses are sitting next to newer businesses catering to an ever changing beach customer like The Mod Hatter at 1103 North Bay Boulevard

https://www.themodhatter.com/

Review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46292-d19493178-Reviews-Mod_Hatter-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html

No matter what the season, on the beaches of Beach Haven as well of all of Long Beach Island there is something to do both in the summer and at the holidays. You just have to keep coming back.

The dock by the Maritime Museum

The dock by the bay

The dock side party continues into early October of 2025

All this keeps bringing me year after year to Long Beach Island

Just sitting by the bay relaxing

Admiring the boats while I digested

The creative artwork by the shore

Christmas of 2025:

In 2025, I returned for the Christmas festivities and I have to say for a beach community, Long Beach Island and its small beach towns do not roll up their sleeves for the holiday season. It is alive with all sorts of activities and special events that make this a series of unique towns to come and enjoy at any time of the year.

It was an early morning drive to Long Beach Island and the holiday activities of the shore towns the line it of Beach Haven, Ships Bottom and Barnegat Light. Even in the colder months, there is a lot going on in these once sleepy summer towns. They are open for the holiday season.

The Barnegat Light Lighthouse in December

https://dep.nj.gov/parksandforests/state-park/barnegat-lighthouse-state-park/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46285-d286497-Reviews-Barnegat_Lighthouse_State_Park-Barnegat_Light_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

The beauty of the inlet that separates Long Beach Island from Seaside Park

The boats were out in full force that cool morning

You have to be there to experience how relaxing it is

It was a cool and crisp day and there were a lot of activities going on all over the island. There were places I wanted to revisit.

Watching people walk along the bunker by the lighthouse

Walking along the pathway back to the car

Learning about the areas role in the Revolutionary War

After the tour of the lighthouse and its grounds, I headed over to Viking Village for the Crafts Fair and Santa’s visit. That is always a lot of fun.

The Viking Village at the holiday

https://vikingvillageshows.com/

The Viking Village Craft Fair

Some of the interesting work at the fair

The statue outside is always clever in its decorations

The entertainment was really good. Musicians Jimmy Azziz

His performance singing “Easy as Sunday Morning”

I really enjoyed the performance as did other people who stood by to listen to the mini concert.

I got to walk around the craft fair, admiring all the artists works and many of the display pieces. There were a lot of talented artists showing there work that afternoon.

One of the craft displays outside a store

While I was walking around waiting for Santa to arrive on the fire truck, I was admiring the display the people at Viking Village had set up in his honor for the holidays.

The Santa display set up in Santa’s honor

Then 1:00pm arrived and we could hear the bells and whistles of the fire truck as Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at Viking Village. There is always a lot of anticipation for their arrival and the crowds lined up so deep, that the truck dropped them off at the entrance and they walked in this time.

Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive by fire truck with help of the Barnegat Light Fire Department

Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive to a enthusiastic crowd

Then they sat down to join the crowd and hear requests from children and adults alike. They were busy for the rest of the afternoon.

Santa and Mrs. Claus await the first family to visit them

The proud couple with their first little visitor

As the long lines started for their visit, I decided to get some lunch while the crowds waited in line. In the same complex was the restaurant, ‘Off the Hook’, a wonderful seafood restaurant I had eaten at before.

Viking Fresh Off the Hook at 1905 Bayview Avenue in Barnegat Light, NJ

https://www.vikingfreshoffthehook.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46285-d3357767-Reviews-Viking_Fresh_Off_The_Hook-Barnegat_Light_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=69573

The food here is excellent and again I really enjoyed my meal. They had a limited menu and I started with the New England Clsm Chowder, which I enjoyed so much the year before.

The start of my meal, the New England Clam Chowder

It was thick and rich and loaded with clams

For my lunch, I ordered the Fried Shrimp Tacos. They were served in a soft taco shell with fresh shredded lettuce and tomatoes. With a little hot sauce and sour cream, they made the best lunch.

The Fried Shrimp Tacos with fresh shredded lettuce and tomatoes and fried potato chips

Now this is dining at the shore!

Yum!

Maybe it was the salt air or the excitement of the holidays and Santa’s visit or just the beautiful day of just the delicious food and eating outside on the picnic bench but it was such a nice lunch and I really enjoyed myself. The meal was excellent. It was also nice to eat outside on a sunny day.

On the way back to Beach Haven to visit the Beach Haven Library Open House, I stopped at Baked on the Beach at 2102 Long Beach Boulevard for dessert. I love their cookies and needed something sweet to finish the meal.

Baked on the Beach at 2102 Long Beach Boulevard in Surf City

https://www.facebook.com/bakedonthebeach

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46856-d10275318-Reviews-Baked_on_the_Beach-Surf_City_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=69573

The delicious selection of baked goods

I had to get one of their cookies and got the ‘Beach Bum’ with all sorts of chips inside an oatmeal cookie.

The Beach Bum cookie

The delicious desserts at Baked at the Beach

After I finished at the Craft Fair and lunch, I headed down to Beach Haven to go to the Beach Haven Library & Museum Open House. I never knew that there was a museum at their library so I looked forward to seeing it. What a beautiful library.

The Beach Haven Library & Museum at 219 North Beach Avenue

https://www.beachhavenlibrary.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/R4960NKjustinw/mediabatch/14036054?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.com/

It is such a beautiful and historical library dating back from 1924. The downstairs was very interesting with wooden bookshelves and display cases and shelves showcasing the libraries collection. On the top floor was the museum with many artifacts from the island’s nautical and resort past.

The first floor of the museum with the library book collection

The second floor book collection

The second floor museum gallery

While the museum was small, it was packed with all sorts of interesting artifacts. There were hotel ledgers from long closed hotels, relics from ship wrecks and items from local families.

Hotel ledgers where guests once signed in

The artifacts save from ship wrecks and pictures of local spots

The upstairs conference room decorated for the holidays with book shelves lined with the collection

Downstairs there was a very nice Open House with snacks and a working fire with music and nice conversation with the staff.

The Open House Refreshment table

The Christmas decorations in the library with the working fire place

The Christmas tree in the Children’s Room

After I left the library, I explored the Downtown area and the Pharmacy had their Open House too with ice carvings and several contests. This was a how many reindeer can you count in the window contest.

The Counting Reindeer contest in the window

So many reindeer

The ice carving demonstration

Before I left for my last event on the island, the Ships Bottom Tree Lighting Ceremony, I stopped for some ice cream at The Woo Hoo.

The decorations for Christmas at the Woo Hoo

https://thewoohoo.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46292-d7646259-Reviews-The_Woohoo-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

I decided on the Christmas specialty flavor, ‘Santa’s Favorite Cookie’, which was a Cinnamon ice cream filled with crushed biscotti cookie, cookie dough, chocolate chips and M& M’s. It was heavenly.

‘Santa’s Favorite Cookie’ ice cream

Yum!

I love the holiday decorations at the Woo Hoo

With the wonderful lunch and some time before the tree lighting, I walked over to the pier to see the sun set over the island. This is always a treat.

The sunset over the pier

The sunset was so beautiful that night

The decorations in the park in Beach Haven

It got darker for the tree lighting ceremony and I got so lost. Then I did not know where the tree lighting was taking place. I had to Google the location about three times and I finally found it down by the harbor by the bay. By that point, they had lit the tree and people were visiting Santa. It was a nice way to end the evening at the shore.

The Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Ships Bottom, NJ

https://welcometolbi.com/event/ship-bottom-christmas-tree-lighting

People were taking pictures by the tree and visiting Santa. They also had refreshments for everyone as well.

The beautiful Christmas tree in Ships Bottom by the bay

The decorations with Santa leading the way

The festive pirate ship

People were visiting Santa in the gazebo that night

This was a nice way to end my evening at the shore. The lights and the sounds were really nice and there was still a nice crowd when I left the tree lighting. It was really a wonderful afternoon at the shore. Long Beach Island knows how to celebrate Christmas.

Who says the shore quiets down after summer is over?

Places to Eat:

Surf City Pizza

1017 Long Beach Island Boulevard

Surf City, NJ 08008

(609) 361-8150

http://www.surfcitypizza.com/

Open: Sunday 11:00am-8:00pm/Monday-Saturday 11:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46856-d1913639-Reviews-Surf_City_Pizza-Surf_City_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Woo Hoo

211 South Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 492-5433

https://thewoohoo.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 4:00pm-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46292-d7646259-Reviews-The_WooHoo-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/1244

Tuckers Tavern

101 Southwest Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 492-2300

https://www.tuckerstavern-lbi.com/

https://www.facebook.com/tuckerstavernlbi/

Open: Sunday 10:30am-9:00pm/Monday-Thursday 12:00pm-9:00pm/Friday 12:00pm-10:00pm/Saturday 10:30am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46292-d6969557-Reviews-Tuckers_Tavern-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Polly’s Dock and Clamhouse

112 Northwest Avenue

Beach Haven, NY 08008

(609) 492-2194

http://www.pollysdock.com/

Open: Sunday -Saturday 7:00am-10:00pm (check by season)

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46292-d9597864-Reviews-Polly_s_Dock_and_Clamhouse-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Crust & Crumb Bakery

9th Street at North Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 492-4966

https://www.facebook.com/CrustAndCrumbLBI/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:30am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46292-d832477-Reviews-Crust_Crumb_Bakery-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Slice of Heaven Pizzeria

610 North Bay Boulevard Street 1

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 492-7437

https://slicelife.com/restaurants/nj/beach-haven/8008/slice-of-heaven/menu

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:30am-11:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46292-d438989-Reviews-Slice_of_Heaven-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Custard Hut

6403 Long Beach Boulevard

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 361-0900

https://www.facebook.com/custardhutLBI/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:30am-12:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46292-d2228772-Reviews-Custard_Hut-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Chicken or the Egg

207 North Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 492-3695

https://492fowl.com/

https://www.facebook.com/chegg609/

Open: Sunday-Thursday 8:00am-9:00pm/Friday & Saturday 8:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46292-d438676-Reviews-The_Chicken_or_the_Egg-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Coffee Nest

106 North Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 361-4922

https://www.coffeenestlbi.com/

https://www.facebook.com/coffeenestbeachhaven/

Open: Sunday 8:00am-6:00pm/Monday-Thursday 7:00am-6:00pm/Friday-Saturday 7:00am-7:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46292-d21165755-Reviews-Coffee_Nest-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Shack

302 North Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 342-1221

https://www.facebook.com/TheShackLBI/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 8:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46292-d10509214-Reviews-The_Shack-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Baked on the Beach

2101 Long Beach Boulevard

Surf City, NJ 08008

(609) 361-3200

https://www.instagram.com/bakedonthebeachlbi/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/bakedonthebeach/

Open: Sunday 8:00am-3:00pm/Monday and Wednesday Closed/Thursday 8:00am-3:00pm/Friday-Saturday 8:00am-4:00pm (Seasonal please check the website)

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46856-d10275318-r820285101-Baked_on_the_Beach-Surf_City_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Viking Fresh Off the Hook Seafood Restaurant

1905 Bayview Avenue

Barnegat Light, NJ 08006

(609) 361-8900

https://www.vikingfreshoffthehook.com/

Open: Sunday- Seasonal

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46285-d3357767-Reviews-Viking_Fresh_Off_The_Hook-Barnegat_Light_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Places to Visit:

Long Beach Island Historical Society

129 Engleside Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 492-0700

https://www.facebook.com/LBIMuseum/

Open: By Appointment now; Please check website for hours

Fee: $5.00 Donation

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46292-d11444615-Reviews-Long_Beach_Island_Historical_Museum-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/3311

Barnegat Light Museum

501 Central Avenue

Barnegat, NJ 08006

(609) 494-8578

http://www.bl-hs.org/

Open: By Appointment

Fee: Donation to the museum

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46285-d8548161-Reviews-Barnegat_Light_Museum-Barnegat_Light_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/5473

NJ Maritime History Museum

528 Dock Road

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

Open: Check website for updates

Fee: Donation to museum

(609) 492-0202

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46292-d1881647-Reviews-Museum_of_NJ_Maritime_History-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/5338

The Barnegat Lighthouse State Park

208 Broadway

Barnegat, NJ 08006

(609) 494-2016

https://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/barnlig.html

Open: 8:00am-8:00pm

Fee: Free for the park/Check website for summer hours

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46285-d286497-Reviews-Barnegat_Lighthouse_State_Park-Barnegat_Light_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/5345

Fantasy Island Amusement Park

750 North Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 492-4000

https://www.facebook.com/fantasyislandlbi/

Open: Seasonal please check their website

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46292-d6209495-Reviews-Fantasy_Island_Amusement_Park-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Surflight Theater

201 Engleside Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 492-9477

https://www.surflight.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46292-d2233639-Reviews-Surflight_Theatre-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Holgate Nature Conservatory

11 West Lincoln Avenue

Long Beach, NJ 08008

https://cumaps.net/en/US/holgate-nature-conservatory-p1307064

Open: Check the website for hours during the year

My review on TripAdvisor:

Places to Shop:

How to Live

7 South Bay Street

100 North Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

Phone: (609) 492-9232

Fax: (609) 492-1611

Home

Open: Open: Sunday-Thursday 10:00am-5:00pm/Friday 9:00am-7:00pm/Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm

My review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/littleshoponmainstreet.wordpress.com/780

Wildflowers by the Lighthouse

410 Broadway

Barnegat Light, NJ 08006

(609) 361-8191

https://www.wildflowersbythelighthouse.com/

https://www.wildflowersbythelighthouse.com/blank

https://www.facebook.com/wildflowerslbi/

Open: Sunday 11:00am-4:00pm/Monday-Wednesday Closed/Thursday-Saturday 11:00am-4:00pm

My review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/littleshoponmainstreet.wordpress.com/806

B & B Department Store

835 North Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 492-4050

https://www.bnbstores.com/lbi

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm

The Spotted Whale

500 North Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 467-7407

https://www.spottedwhale.com/

Open: Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm/Monday-Thursday 10:00am-4:00pm

Sandy Banks Art Store

515 South Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 492-5526

https://sandybanksboutique.com/

https://www.facebook.com/sandybanksboutique/

Open: Check their website for current hours

Fourchette at LBI

511 South Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 991-2451

http://www.fourchette-fromage.com/locations

https://www.facebook.com/fourchettelbi/

Open: Sunday-Monday 10:00am-6:00pm/Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm

Andy’s At the Light

202 Broadway

Barnegat Light, NJ 08006

(609) 494-2063

https://andysatthelight.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 8:00am-6:00pm

Unshredded Nostalgia

323 South Main Street

Barnegat, NJ 08005

(609) 660-2626

https://www.facebook.com/UnshreddedNostalgia/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm

Kapler’s Pharmacy

1 South Bay Avenue

Beach Haven, NJ 08008

(609) 492-9221

https://kaplersrx.com/

Open: Sunday 8:00am-2:00pm/Monday-Friday 8:00am-6:00pm/Saturday 8:00am-5:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46292-d21355900-Reviews-Kapler_s_Pharmacy-Beach_Haven_Long_Beach_Island_New_Jersey.html