Chelsea, 23rd Street Between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………………….. click to enlarge

Here at 23rd Street, just around the corner, is The Half King.  I am COLD and ready for an Irish coffee.  The bartender made a really delicious one and when I complimented him, he said, rather unnecessarily, they're good because they're hot.  And they have alcohol.

The Half King, is a literary bar, being half owned by Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm, and they have readings on Monday nights. 

See the construction right next door?


Mary Sargent © 2009 ………… ………………….. click to enlarge


Here's a view from across the street.  Yet another fancy schmancy building going up in Chelsea; this one called HL23 (for High Line, 23rd Street), by so-called avant-garde architect Neil Denari.  Read all about it in Curbed.  I think it's pretty homely myself, but Curbed is very excited.  However, Denari's website is surprisingly ugly.  Doesn't that tell you something?

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Chelsea Waterside Park at 23rd Street and Eleventh Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………….. click to enlarge


I learned a new word tonight:  demapped.  Use in a sentence:  ". . . 23rd street was demapped between 11th and 12th Avenues . . ."  You are looking at the now demapped 23rd Street.  This quote is from our Parks Department on their page about Chelsea Waterside Park, which was expanded and renovated in 2000.

Since my map was published prior to the demapping, I walked this former street, came home and colored it in.

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Flatiron District, 23rd Street at Fifth Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………. click to enlarge

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Alert readers will have noticed we're in a new neighborhood, newly named anyway. I think we've been here before, but I was not alert and therefore I have a new relabeling task on my list.

This is the Flatiron District and that is the beloved Flatiron Building, the triangular building made to fit the space created by Broadway crossing Fifth Avenue on a diagonal. Blessed Broadway! Of course, this shot does not demonstrate its triangularity, so please go here to see many good shots, including nice historical photos and even what was on the site before it was built. I always want to see that.

I was surprised to learn that this wasn't called the Flatiron District until about 1985 when restaurants started opening in the area and it became a more happening place. Naturally realtors wanted a nice name for this new neighborhood. The boundaries are 14th Street to 28th and 6th to Park Avenue.

Flatiron District, 23rd Street Between Sixth and Fifth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

That impressive building across the street with the arches and columns and flags is home to Home Depot since 2004. It is a cast iron building built in 1878 and the AIA Guide to New York City tells us that "it reeks of birthday cake with vanilla icing." Check the definition of the word reeks if you are wondering just what they meant by that.

It was made for Stern's Dry Goods Store, owned by "New York's first merchandising family". If the phrase "dry goods store" conjures up an image of a general store out on the dusty old frontier, you are wrong, wrong, wrong, as wrong as I was. It means linens, fabrics and clothing. This was, after all the heart of the Ladies Mile of the 19th Century.

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Flatiron District, 23rd Street Between Sixth and Fifth Avenues

When I saw the Rickshaw Dumpling sign (see last night), I stopped short. This place was on my mental list to try . . . and hadn't I decided to do more eating on my walks? But I was supposed to meet Luka for dinner after this. What to do? You know the answer. I'll just have a taste I says to myself. In I go. Stopping only to take this shot from inside the entryway.



Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… click to enlarge

I ordered the first thing I saw, Classic Pork and Chinese chive Dumplings with soy-sesame dipping sauce, because it seems the right thing to do when you're trying a new place, is to order a standard item by which to judge them. It was only later, studying the menu, that I had regrets. Peking Duck dumplings with hoisin dipping sauce? As well as . . . well you take a look.




Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Minimal to a fault! Let's call it clean. The dumplings were good. Tender dough, tasty filling. Although, oddly enough, they weren't salty enough. You can get them steamed or fried, but not both, so I opted for steamed. Why, why, why? Okay, mindful of my dinner date, I stopped at three and took the other three with me.



Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

While sitting there, I took a shot of the ceiling.

[It wasn't really that dark but since I underexposed to get detail in the light, it came out dark and I liked it that way.]




Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

And the window.


Finally, here are some things I thought you should know (to mimic David Shuster):

1. Visit the Rickshaw website; it's worth it. There you will learn that there is a Rickshaw Dumpling Truck and you can check its location on Twitter.

2. I carried the dumplings, looking for a deserving, i.e., hungry person, of course, having in mind, a homeless person. There were none to be seen. But I did spy a doorman lounging at his post and I thought, I can imagine being a doorman, tied to my post, and just thinking how I'd like something to eat, but I can't go get anything and being bored and hungry, so I asked if he was hungry and said I had some fresh dumplings and he did not hesitate one nanosecond, but accepted them with thanks.

3. Luka had to cancel dinner.




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Flatiron District, 23rd Street Between Sixth and Fifth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………….. click to enlarge

This is as much as I can do tonight. It's 4:23 a.m. for god's sake. I'll fill it out tomorrow.

Chelsea, 23rd Street at Sixth Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

All right, all right! I'll call it Chelsea. I'll have to change a bunch of posts from Midtown South to Chelsea. Soon. It doesn't seem right, but I keep seeing the block east of Seventh referred to as Chelsea and now there's Chelsea Nails across the street. That's just the last straw. I give up. Uh, oh. Even Wikipedia says it now "runs as far east as Sixth Avenue." But why?

From across the street, Your Taste seems promising; the red sign says Tapas Wine & Beer and it looks very colorful and inviting. A closer look, however, reveals a takeout counter and the promise of coffee, dessert, pasta, soup, sandwich, etc. Take a look at their menu – it has most everything except no tapas and no wine. Beer they have. Maybe the signmaker screwed up, and they got a discount on it. By the way, that is their sign; it says Your Taste at the top.

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Chelsea, 23rd Street Between Seventh and Sixth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………. click to enlarge

One building down from Garden of Eden is Monster Sushi. I used to go there now and again and found that if I set aside any idea of authentic petite sushi (yes, it is MONSTER), I could get some pretty tasty food. But then, it changed. It looked different and tasted different. Not in a good way. Now they've renovated. Maybe it's worth a try again. Restaurants can get better as well as worse.

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Chelsea, 23rd Street Between Seventh and Sixth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

There, across the street, is the jewel-like Garden of Eden, with prices to match. But I stopped in later and gratefully paid top price for my precious Kesso yogurt since that's the only place I can get it now other than the home of Kesso yogurt on Sullivan Street, Yoghurt Place II.

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Chelsea, 23rd Street Between Eighth and Seventh Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… click to enlarge

Here's my destination: Chelsea Clearview Cinemas. Again, I refer you to CinemaTreasures.org for a short history of this building. I was thrilled to discover that this was the site of the Squat Theater in the early 80's where I saw Pandora's Box (1929) with Louise Brooks. I had forgotten where the theater was. I remember reading about it in The Voice and rushing down to see it, as I was way into movies then, and being surprised to find the space a bit makeshift. It was the golden age of movies here in New York.

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… click to enlarge

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And here's the last photo of this walk, this irresistible building across the street from the theater. No history, just visuals.

Now for the truly interested, the first segment of Pandora's Box. The rest of them are on YouTube.

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Chelsea, 23rd Street Between Eighth and Ninth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

You won't believe how much time I've spent trying to figure out how to write what I feel about these buildings. I'm giving up. It's too late. For now, I'll just say I like them lots.

This is the end of the block at Ninth Avenue and at this point I decided to turn around and hurry back because I was COLD.

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Chelsea, 23rd Street Between Eighth and Ninth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… click to enlarge

Go to the website for Modern 23 located in the same block as Visual Arts Theater and Psychic Reader and Adviser and ponder whether you want to live here, knowing that your kitchen would be in your living room just like when you lived in that funky studio in the East Village back in the day, and then think about what you would have to do to live here and whether it would involve a misdemeanor or a felony and then make your decision. Let us know ASAP!

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Chelsea, 23rd Street Between Eighth and Ninth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Unimpressed though I was with this clunky façade and its kindergarten style lettering, I took a shot and then looked it up on the internet. You must go to this website and read the comments. There are people who know everything about this theater, from its beginnings in 1963 as the RKO 23rd Street with a single screen, then to its being used for live theater by the Roundabout Theater in the 70's, then to being acquired by Cineplex Odeon and being triplexed, then to going back to 2 screens and becoming Chelsea West Cinema and now to being acquired by The School of Visual Arts and on its way to becoming a cultural center with state-of-the-art movie capabilities. There are personal memories and lamentings and lists of movies that played there and minute descriptions of lobbies and seats and tales of working for the Roundabout and not getting paid. Anything you'd ever want to know.

The link I gave you above is a page in the website Cinema Treasures and this is its description (from the website):

Launched in December 2000, Cinema Treasures is a groundbreaking website devoted to movie theater preservation and awareness. Utilizing the community-building capabilities of the Internet, Cinema Treasures unites movie theater owners and enthusiasts in a common cause—to save the last remaining movie palaces across the country.

Wouldn't that be nice? My pet theater is the former Metro Theater but it's too late now to get into that.

Note: Apparently Milton Glaser designed the façade. You know, the façade I'm so unimpressed with? Well, I don't care who designed it – I'm not backing down!

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Chelsea, 23rd Street Between Eighth and Ninth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Across the street from Duane Reade is this Psychic Shop. These shops never seem to have customers when I photograph them and yet somehow they're paying the rent. Someday soon I'll get my palm read and let you know if it's worth $10.

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Chelsea, 23rd Street Between Eighth and Ninth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

This Duane Reade, unlike any other Duane Reade I've ever seen, gives me a calm, peaceful feeling. I would trust their pharmacist. It must be the arches.

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Chelsea, 23rd Street at Eighth Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Not too many of you were out today, were you? I know because I had a wonderfully pleasant ride down the West Side Highway in the bright afternoon sun. No traffic. The driver and I were in a good mood about that. Why I was taking a car service instead of the much more economical subway is because I was once again late. Since I lost my job, my habits have deteriorated to about adolescent level. Stay up late, sleep late, be late. Spend money foolishly. But in this case, it was all for you, dear readers. Yes, I needed to be there a little early so I could get in a photowalk, as resolved only last night.

It was nice to be out while the sun was still shining. This is the corner of 23rd and Eighth where the driver let me out. It looks like a small time city except for the Empire State Building in the distance. I walked across 23rd to Ninth Avenue and then quickly came back as it was damn cold.

OH. Yes, what I was late for was to meet Myra to see Doubt at the Chelsea Cinema on 23rd and Eighth Avenue. Good movie. Meryl Streep was phenomenal, worth seeing the movie just to watch her act. And Hoffman was great, as usual, but he didn't have as much acting to do. And the cinematography was great.

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Gramercy, 23rd Street at Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………click to enlarge

This is a small piece of a shot I took just to get the street sign – I take them every block so I can later figure out where I was. But when I saw the lovely Chrysler building in the background from 20 blocks away (it's on 42nd at Lexington), I had to show it to you. It's probably my favorite building in New York and I love the way you can catch glimpses of it all over the East Side.

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Gramercy, 23rd Street Between Lexington Avenue and Park Avenue South

Mary Sargent © 2006 ………….........………………….. click to enlarge

And this, the final shot in my November 14 lunch time walk. Love those horizontals.

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