Strand Bookstore, NYC - eight miles of books: banned and rare, new and used

Strand Bookstore

828 Broadway (at 12^th Street)

New York City (Greenwich Village)

212-473-1452

Hours:

Monday-Saturday: 9:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Rare book room closes daily at 6:15

www.strandbooks.com

By Jane Feehan

Named after the famous publishing street in London, the Strand bookstore, opened in 1927, is the sole survivor of New York City’s Book Row that once stretched from Union Square to Astor Place. For bibliophiles, it’s a required stop when visiting the city.

The Strand, without comfy seating or café, is no Barnes and Noble but there is no time to sit with so much to see on its three floors. They boast eight miles of books, new, used and rare: vintage pulp and banned books, out- of-print tomes and New York Times notables.  Used and new sit side-by-side in stacks or on tables throughout. Plenty of staffers are available to guide visitors through rows of shelves or to check inventory on computers. Music on CDs can also be found here.

The Strand’s rare book room is museum worthy with its collection of gold-embossed, leather-bound books from around the globe- some locked behind glass with price tags in the thousands of dollars. Dealers can also find signed first editions in this room.

Dealers and avid readers sell their books at The Strand, patrons make it a one-stop-shop for gifts (lots of items other than books), and casual readers mix with devotees of the written word visiting for a few hours of pleasant distraction.  It’s fantastic. Hail, hail the independent bookstore.

The Strand also sells books online and at a kiosk in Central Park at 60^th  Street and Fifth Avenue.

For transit directions, visit: http://hopstop.com

Tags: NYC bookstores, best book stores in New York City, rare books, banned books, book dealers, book store in Greenwich Village, vintage pulp fiction, out of print books, where to sell books in NYC, film researcher.

El Quijote at Hotel Chelsea, NYC - of Joplin, Hendrix, Dylan,Thomas Wolfe and ...

El Quijote Restaurant

226 W. 23^rd St.

New York City, NY 

212-929-1855

http://www.elquijoterestaurant.com/

By Jane Feehan

Part of Hotel Chelsea, El Quijote restaurant will be the closest most of us will get to the historic building for awhile. It’s been closed to all but a few long-time renters since late 2011 as it undergoes renovations by New York developer Joseph Chetrit.*

Stardust and nostalgia lure most to El Quijote, an old-time Spanish dining spot opened in 1930. It’s hard to imagine Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan or Sid Vicious stopping in for a meal - much less party at this sedate place - but stories abound about the hotel’s famous guests at this eatery.

Timeless murals of bull fighting and other scenes from the book of adventures of the man from La Mancha (Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes, 1605) line walls of El Quijote. The décor appropriately complements a menu of Spanish dishes such as paella, camerones plancha (grilled shrimp), Red Snapper Vizcaina, lobster or steaks.Tapas serve as starters or small meals at table or bar.

We dined on succulent lobster, and seafood paella, crispy salads, tasty soup and finished it off with flan. Good, not memorable, but we – as do many others - will stop back for more tales from the bartenders and hope to feel (maybe see?) the ethereal presence of rockers and writers long gone.  Let’s hope El Quijote remains once the hotel reopens with a mostly new face and interior.

Reservations suggested, "casual neat" dress code.
For transit directions, visit: http://hopstop.com

*Hotel Chelsea was built in 1884 as a cooperative apartment building. At the time, it was the tallest building in New York City. It was designated as a New York City landmark in 1966 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Its architecture, Queen Ann style, is noted for interior and exterior wrought iron accents. Because Hotel Chelsea is a historic place, the developer will have to preserve some architectural aspects of the building. Among its list of notables guests are Bob Dylan, Arthur C. Clark, who wrote part of 2001: A Space Odyssey while there, playwright Henry Miller, poet/singer Leonard Cohen, writers Dylan Thomas and Thomas Wolfe. Sid Vicious murdered girlfriend Nancy Spungen at the hotel in 1978 room 100. 

Chelsea notables Henry Miller,

Dylan Thomas, Dylan Thomas

Tags: New York City Spanish restaurants, Hotel Chelsea, famous restaurants in NYC, famous places in New York City, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Arthur C. Clark, Sid Vicious, Nancy Spungen, film researcher

Rosemary's NYC - Packs flavor ... and crowds

Rosemary’s

18 Greenwich Avenue (West Village)

NYC 10011

212-647-1818

Breakfast: 8-11:30 a.m.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Dinner: 5 p.m.-12 a.m.

Rosemarysnyc.com

By Jane Feehan

One of New York City’s busiest new restaurants, Rosemary’s dishes up skillfully prepared Italian creations to an adoring local crowd willing to wait an hour or more for dinner.

Rosemary’s pays homage to the current farm-to-table trend with its roof-top-grown vegetables and herbs.  Their signature minestrone soup, or Minestra di Stagione ($16) overflows with garden fresh vegetables and is a lunch time favorite. Pollo al Mattone ($20), a juicy and flavorful half chicken atop brussel sprouts, beans and house-made croutons, is top notch.  Small dishes ($5) of vegetables, meat, seafood or cheeses either complement a meal or serve as mainstay. One of those dishes, Eggplant Caponata - roasted eggplant, and olives in a tomato-based sauce – bursts with flavor.

A bar surrounded by high top, chairless tables keeps patrons occupied while waiting to be seated. Some wait for a cell phone call announcing their table while at nearby bars. Rosemary’s, once the site of a stationary store, is short on ambiance and is a noisy, crowded place most of the day. It’s trendy, moderately priced and casual. Union Square lies a few blocks away. Service: good.
For transit directions, visit: http://hopstop.com

Tags: Top new restaurants in New York City, West Village Italian restaurants, Italian restaurant lower Manhattan, farm-to-table restaurant NYC, NYC Italian restaurants, West Village brunch, West Village lunch, West Village breakfast,  film researcher   

Affinia Dumont - Small chain, spacious quarters in New York City

Affinia Dumont Hotel

150 East 34^th St.

New York, NY 10016

212-481-7600

Affinia.com

By Jane Feehan

It’s hard to find a mid-priced hotel in New York with spacious rooms, but Affinia Dumont holds that distinction.  Another plus:  all rooms have kitchens, perfect for a long-term stay. Affinia Dumont, a 37-floor boutique inn located in the Murray Hill area near some of the best parts of Lexington, Park and Madison avenues, is one of several Affinias in New York and other cities.  

There’s no restaurant on the premises but one adjacent to the building, the Barking Dog, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has a full bar (fills the stomach but no it's no culinary experience). Room service is available from there and also from a restaurant half a block away, the Cinema Café.  Murray Hill Diner sits close by. This is a youngish neighborhood with plenty of bars and inexpensive eateries bursting with the 20 something crowd (Yeshiva University is nearby) but options for the older, more sedate group abound.

The original Macy’s stands a few blocks away and so does the Empire State Building - both on 34^th Penn Station (also on 34^th), its adjacent Madison Square Garden,  and Grand Central Station lie within one subway stop. Most hotels in NYC sit near some sight or another but one of the benefits of staying at the Affinia Dumont is that it’s conveniently distant from the madding tourist crowds of Times Square and Rockefeller Center.

View from the 24th Floor

Street.  

Affina Dumont’s 24 hour-gym (which supports the healthy living theme of this hotel) is large with plenty of equipment. There’s also a spa (the carpet is gloomy and old here, my only criticism of the place). The view from the upper floors is spectacular. Seven rooms on each floor makes for quiet, restful quarters. Parties in rooms are strictly prohibited - a good thing.The hotel is pet friendly, its staff outstanding with helpful concierge, bellmen and housekeepers.  Conference rooms and event catering available. I’ll be back and will look into the Affina brand in other cities I visit.

What’s near:

Hair salon – Dramatics NYC (west of Affinia, same street) – excellent for men and women and very affordable (color, cut and style less than $100 - the best styling I’ve ever had). Ask for Bebe.

Murray Hill Market – sandwiches, groceries (sorry – no wine, NY has weird liquor laws)
Food Emporium - Grocery store with some organics - a block away on 3rd Ave near 33rd St.
D'Agostino - Grocery store - 3rd Ave. at 35th Street

Park Avenue Liquors – short walk on 34^th St toward Park Avenue
Windsor Wine - 3rd Ave. between 33rd and 34th streets

Duane Read – drug store – one on every corner

East Pacific Pan Asian Bistro – inexpensive, noisy, full bar, sushi and Chinese - fair
Grand Sichuan - Chinese food on Lexington - Very good, short walk and fast delivery

Whole Foods - Less than a five minute subway ride on the 6 line to the Union Square location. 

For transit directions, visit: http://hopstop.com

Tags: New York City hotels, hotels with kitchens in New York City, boutique hotels in New York City, hotels with large rooms in New York City, hotels near Madison Square Garden, hotel near Empire State Building, film researcher.

Rossini's NYC - Cutting corners cuts business - Fuhgeddaboudit

Rossini’s Restaurant

108 E 38^th Street

New York City 10016

212-683-0135

http://rossinisrestaurant.com/

Lunch and dinner

By Jane Feehan

Open since 1978, Rossini’s has drawn Madison Avenue execs and minions seeking quality service,  comfortable, sophisticated surroundings, and long ago, good food. One who used to patronize Rossini’s suggested I stop by, recalling his good ol’ days there. He suggested I try their lobster.

Those who say you can’t go home again must have had Rossini’s in mind. I knew I was in trouble when lobster wasn't listed on the menu and tilapia was the fish of the day. That’s one fish I won’t eat. It’s farmed, full of hormones, antibiotics and void of good omega 3s. Cheap. (See: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400472/Avoid-Tilapia.html)  I settled on swordfish. It was so old -- mealy and mushy and covered in sauce -- I could barely down the second forkful. Then I asked for a half order of spaghetti and was sorely disappointed. Overcooked and swimming in olive oil. Fuhgeddaboudit.

Even the wine was lousy - their "private" label. The cabernet sauvignon tasted the same as their pinot noir. That cheap. There were no other wines by the glass. The service was excellent except for the snotty captain who ran through a litany of specials looking at his watch or behind him to goggle at the people straggling in.

To the restaurant’s credit, they reduced my bill by about a third without me saying anything. They knew how bad the fish was. No, this is one place I won’t return to. Seems the competition in the Murray Hill area is forcing Rossini’s to cut corners.

Tags: Italian restaurants in New York City, Italian restaurants in Murray Hill, Madison Avenue restaurants

New York City Subway system: a trove of history and an engineering marvel

Mosaic eagle by Heins&Lafargel/
John H. Parry Co.

By Jane Feehan
For transit directions, visit: http://hopstop.com

The Big Apple's subway system, the best way to get around in the city, continues to fascinate me.

Today’s subway was not the first mass transit in New York. It was attempted a few times during the 19^th century by private companies. Horse drawn carriages were pulled along tracks, then electricity-driven trolleys prevailed. Elevated tracks ruled for a time, carrying locomotives with commuters through a major route across the city. The first subway was created by Alfred E. Beach in 1870. It ran under lower Broadway for three years and was operated by pneumatic pressure and a giant fan. 

Subway route today

Today’s official system was launched by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRTC) October 27, 1904. A 9.1-mile route included 28 station stops from City Hall to 145^th Street and Broadway.  The numbered lines are part of the original system; the lettered routes were added later. The New York City subway system is the nation’s oldest and the world’s largest (by track mileage). It was the first subway to be mechanically ventilated. Twenty three lines move millions of people through the city each day. A New Yorker familiar with subway stats and history told me one of the lines (I will not mention for security reasons) is the world’s most traveled subway route.

Some of the original tiles, along with several beautiful  ceramic mosaic eagles, can be seen on some of the older lines. The photos here were taken at the 33^rd Street station along the 6 line. Be careful taking photos, it’s not allowed – something I found out afterward. For more history – much more – visit one of the sites below.

 http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/Main_Page

http://www.mta.info/nyct/facts/ffhist.htm

Tags: NYC subway, NYC subway history, mass transit history New York, world’s largest subway system, film industry researcher.

Amish Market - a Whole Foods alternative in NYC

Amish Market

240 East 45th St. New York, NY 10017 (btwn 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave) Subway stop for the 6 line nearby
Open: Mon - Sat 7am - 9:30pm, Sun 8am - 9:30pm
(212) 370-1761

http://orderamishmarketnyc.com/FoodDelivery/RestaurantLocations.m

By Jane Feehan

It’s tough locating quality food markets with a healthy variety of fresh vegetables and organics in New York City. Amish Market, a “gourmet market group” with several locations in the city fills the grocery store void in several locations and provides an alternative to the overcrowded, frenetic Whole Foods Markets throughout Manhattan.

I stopped at the Amish Market on East 45^th Street recently to stock up the kitchen in my studio hotel room. Beautiful baked goods and desserts were on display at the entrance along with an array of breads. Fresh brewed coffee and a sweet make Amish Market an ideal spot for a continental breakfast. They don’t bake items there but the onion bread I picked up was fresh and delicious. Plenty of produce is available along with some organics at reasonable prices. I was impressed with their collection of vinegars and olive oils, truffle oil – even avocado oil.  A grocery shopper with a flair for gourmet cooking will everything here, including fresh seafood and meats.

A small collection of fine cookware, chocolates, and food baskets make the Amish Market a great place to pick up a gift.   Hot and cold food bars (about $8 a pound) in their cafe and a sandwich counter near the entrance are popular spots for lunch or a light dinner.

Amish Market caters parties and also delivers light breakfasts, lunches and dinners from its other locations. Order online and find other Amish Markets at: http://orderamishmarketnyc.com/FoodDelivery/RestaurantLocations.m

Tags: Grocery stores in New York City, gourmet markets Manhattan, organic produce in Manhattan, alternatives to Whole Foods Markets in New York City, Manhattan grocery stores, Manhattan groceries, film researcher

FEMA, New York's biggest booster. Really.

Photo by Paul Lomatire*. FEMA message also appeared on the
Jumbotron, Times Square and soon at Lincoln Center

By Jane Feehan

Checking in from New York City.

FEMA is operating full throttle to help those  displaced from their homes by Hurricane Sandy.

Thousands of us are here working 12-14 hours a day, six days a week through the holidays, away from home and loved ones with one thought, one mission: to assist people whose lives have been turned upside down by the super storm.

Despite negative stories the news media seems to thrive upon, FEMA is making a difference. Federal money is pouring in, approaching the billion dollar mark. FEMA doesn't make storm survivors whole again, but is instrumental in laying a foundation for a new start.  Hang in there New Yorkers; it's a long road to recovery. Just ask the Gulf Coast. Survivors of Hurricane Katrina have built back stronger and smarter. So will New York. A new life takes time to launch.
And you in the news media, cut us a break. Please.

* Paul Lomatire, a former reporter for the Palm Beach Post, also writes with Jane Feehan for FEMA.

  Tags: Super Storm Sandy, impacts of Hurricane Sandy in New York, FEMA assistance in New York, New York City