A Place To Start
On getting back to your roots and looking to the future.
I’m just back from a restorative couple of days in Southern Vermont where I grew up and if my anticipation of long warm summer days wasn’t already at fever pitch, it certainly is now. The visit to see family up north was bookended by days in Manhattan that varied from a preview of peak summer on arrival (high of 88 and humidity that necessitated the wearing of shorts), to a chilly morning drizzle on departure that demanded a mellow jazz soundtrack.
This was the first time my wife and I had visited NYC since moving to Nashville back in December and was our first trip anywhere with our 5 month old puppy. While I grew up 4 hours from NYC and visited often as my mom and her side of the family grew up there, it wasn’t until around 2007 (co-incidentally at age 21?) that I started to develop a real relationship with the City, or more specifically, Brooklyn and Manhattan. To be fair, I’ve had some great times in Queens, however the Bronx and Staten Island remain foreign lands to me. I very nearly followed one of my younger sisters to Brooklyn in 2008, but instead opted to do something totally unexpected and move to LA. For the next 15 years I typically found myself in NYC at least twice a year, once during the summer and then again during the week before Christmas. When I found my way into the world of automotive journalism I found myself in NYC a few more times a year during those halcyon days of my youth that stretched from 2010 to 2016 and like so many of my peers, the city became a something of a playground.
I don’t know how I had so much fun with so little money, but I suspect it has something to do with the generosity of friends with large couches and roommates who were conveniently out of town, or staying with their significant other. From 2016 up until 2020 I enjoyed NYC in a much different way, what some might call a more “adult way”. I started staying in hotels, dining at nicer restaurants, both of the institutional and “up & coming” variety, and I started being able to buy from the brands whose shops I’d always admired and thought “one of these days”. What was once aspirational had become attainable and visit after visit my relationship with NYC morphed, deepening in some ways and becoming more superficial in others.
Then the pandemic came and hit the reset button. Even in the earliest days when things were legitimately scary and nobody knew what the hell was going to happen I was sure of one thing, it wasn’t going to be the end of the greatest city in the world, New York always bounces back. Yes it would look and feel different on the other side of the pandemic, but as so many writers, poets, musicians and artists know, New York is regularly shedding it’s skin and becoming something new. Sometimes it happens on a grand scale, but more often it’s generational and even more often it’s personal.
Being in a new season of life this visit was seen through a different lens. For 15 years I’d been an LA resident going cross country to NYC for business and pleasure. There’s something about that flight, the juxtaposition between coasts and cultures that made it feel incredibly special. Now I’m a mere hour and a half flight away and the mental shift required between Nashville and NYC is surprisingly minimal. The first day in Manhattan both my wife and I commented on how being there felt different, not better or worse, just different. Of all the factors at play (puppy, living 1 time zone away, age) I think the one that’s most likely the driver is that of values. Not social, but spiritual and I mean that with absolutely zero religious or “woo-woo” connotation. It’s just the best way I can convey that what used to get me fired up about visiting NYC isn’t what does it anymore. I still think the retail and hospitality offerings are among the best in the world, but having come to know and understand Paris and London better in the last 6-7 years, NYC doesn’t dominate my wandering thoughts the way it once did. True, I still look forward to a combination of established players and new joints when I’m there, but that’s no longer the driving force behind visiting. Now it’s something much more simple, and quite frankly sustainable, that’s going to be the pull to The City going forward, the atmosphere of NYC going through change on a grand scale. It’s not just a turnover in businesses or residents, but a fundamental reworking of what New York City is. While I am excited to see what’s to come, as we all should be, it’s also reassuring to have places I can count on visit after visit. Below you’ll find a selection of such places and some photos from the trip that I think capture the mood rather accurately.
I hope you enjoy!
-Andrew
Stay:
SoHo Grand Hotel- I love a moody hotel and the SoHo Grand is about as moody as it gets. While the lobby scene (and I do mean scene) and nightclub don’t appeal to me as they once did, there’s something enjoyable about strolling in from dinner, seeing the nightlife happening and then going straight to bed in a quiet, comfortable room.
Freehand New York- My go to “easy button” hotel in NYC. Affordable with great hospitality options inside, but also conveniently a short walk to many of my favorite places in Manhattan. A morning walk down Lex, around Gramercy Park where it turns to Irving Place to grab a coffee at Irving Farm New York is always a good call.
Eat:
Gramercy Tavern- An institution of the NYC dining scene celebrates their 30th Anniversary this year. What can I say other than that many of my most cherished memories of the city have been made sitting at the bar or in the Tavern here.
Lil’ Frankie’s- Still cash only and still worth every penny to go squeeze into Frank Prisinzano’s authentic spot on 1st Av.
Sant Ambroseus Lafayette- Breakfast, not brunch, is something I always look forward to when I’m in the City and reading the newspaper while sipping overpriced coffee at Sant Ambroseus never disappoints. Sitting outside with a few friends for happy hour is also highly recommended.
Buvette- Speaking of breakfast, Buvette’s steamed eggs with prosciutto changed my life when I first had them way back when. I’ve managed to learn how to do a pretty solid imitation at home, but nothing beats snagging a corner counter seat or front window table and watching The Village crowd wake up.
St Tropez West Village- Decision paralysis on what to eat in NYC? French or Italian cooking rarely disappoints in the city and among those pillars of cooking I tend to gravitate towards the lighter, Mediterranean influenced styles. St Tropez nails Provencal food and I’ve had many a meal, snack or quick bite here that has transported me to one of my favorite regions of the world.
NR- Worth the trek to the UES for the cocktails alone, but the service, setting and menu make this spot one that I’ll return to time and time again.
Drink:
Dante NYC- I’ve probably spent more time here than any other bar in Manhattan. Ubiquitous media recognition and brand expansion could have utterly ruined the place, but thankfully it didn’t. Getting a bar seat or table definitely takes more forethought than it used to, but still worth it every single time.
Bar Belly- If you’re looking to “have a night” some fries, spiced popcorn and a couple of cocktails at Bar Belly should probably be part of it.
Please Don’t Tell- Even after all these years, entering PDT through the phone booth in Crif Dogs is still a charming moment. The cocktails remain among the best in the city too.
Death & Co East Village- Obviously.
Pebble Bar- One of the more recent spots that I’ve really enjoyed. Feels like haven in a part of Manhattan you’ll generally do well to avoid.
Monkey Bar- A holiday visit staple. Probably nice during the warmer months too, but between the dim lighting, flithy martinis and heavier food it just feels better to tuck into when the weather is foul.
Shop:
Todd Snyder Liquor Store- Whether I’m looking to buy something or not, if I’m in Manhattan I’m swinging by “The Liquor Store” to see what’s new.
Drake’s- See above.
Bottega Velasca- I discovered Velasca’s footwear some years back while I was in Paris. Since then I’ve bought multiple pairs of their loafers in different styles and have been consistently impressed with the quality, especially at their price point.
Analog / Shift- Make an appointment to go see one of the most robust selections of fine vintage watches you’ll find anywhere thanks to the stewardship of one James Lamdin.
Buck Mason- Forgot to pack appropriately or weather took a turn? Buck Mason has 3 locations in Manhattan, but it’s the Bleeker St spot that I’ve turned to many a time to solve a problem I created.
Air Mail- The recently opened Manhattan outpost for Graydon Carter’s fantastic digital publication is as well curated as you would expect it to be. Great spot to find thoughtful gifts or personal keepsakes. The coffee bar is good too.
