Chelsea, 16th Street Between Ninth and Tenth Avenues

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This block has a different character and here are three photographs to illustrate it.




Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….…………… ……....…………….. click to enlarge






Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….…………… ……...…………….. click to enlarge







Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….…………… …....……………….. click to enlarge


Pretty nice, huh?

Chelsea, 16th Street Between Eighth and Ninth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2010 …………….....…….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

In 2003, the glamorous Maritime Hotel opened, with the well-regarded Japanese restaurant Matsuri tucked underneath and on the side.  I must have been distracted in 2003, because I only learned this tonight.  However, the chef, Tadashi Ono, somehow sounded familiar.  Sure enough, he was the chef at Sono, where I had dinner one time only, years ago.  The food was wonderful but I had no desire to return, something that puzzled me a little.  I think it was too quiet.  It subsequently closed, perhaps because it was too quiet.  If you follow the Matsuri link, the first picture you see makes it clear that this restaurant is different.  Here's another link that will confirm that.  Oh, that Japanese sense of humor.

Flatiron District, 16th Street Between Fifth and Sixth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………………….. click to enlarge

This is The Church of St. Francis Xavier, built in 1887, and described in the AIA as neo-Baroque and monumental.  Unfortunately, you don't get a sense of its monumentality from this photograph, which kind of flattens it.  It was monumental.  Christopher Gray wrote a column on it in 2005 when it was being renovated.



Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………………….. click to enlarge


And here is the interior. 

Flatiron District, 16th Street Between Fifth and Sixth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2010 ……….....………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

Between buildings 5, 7 and 9 and building 17 (see last night's post) is The Center for Jewish History, there since 2000.  I walked across the street to check it out and spoke to two police officers standing there (why?  I mean why were they standing there?).  I never knew it was here, I said.  Neither did I, said one.  That's what's great about New York, he said, you never know what you're going to see.

It was closed, it being Saturday.

Flatiron District, 16th Street Between Fifth and Sixth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2010 ………….....……….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

These curvy buildings caught my eye and I came home to discover that they became landmarks in 1990.  In the 1840s the streets just north of 14th Street and west of Fifth Avenue were developed with row houses, but by the end of the 19th century most of them were gone as the area had become more commercial.  However, to quote from New York City Landmarks:

. . . West 16th Street retains a significant number of Greek Revival houses.  The most impressive are the four survivors of a row of nine wide houses - Nos. 5, 7, 9, and 17 - each of which has a full-height curving bay on its front facade, an extremely rare feature in New York.

These three houses are 5, 7, and 9, from right to left.




Mary Sargent © 2010 ……… ………………….. click to enlarge

Here is a view of No. 9 from a different angle, showing the curving bay to a better advantage.

It's hard to see why these are Greek Revival since they are asymetrical, lack pedimented gables or friezes, and have no columns.  And who ever saw curving bays on Greek architecture?  Someone please explain.

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Flatiron District, 16th Street at Fifth Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….……………... ………………….. click to enlarge

This is a window display in the Paul Smith menswear store on Fifth Avenue.  I know it's hard to make it out because of all the reflections, but try the extra large enlargement.  It consists of a number of so-called robots by Gordon Bennett.  I say so-called because they don't do anything; they just look like they would.  They are sculptures and are priced accordingly - up to $6,000.  But you can buy a robot poster for only $50.





Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….. click to enlarge

This one is named Adlake Kero and costs $3,000.

Flatiron District, 16th Street Between Union Square West and Fifth Avenue

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Three more restaurants on this block.


Mary Sargent © 2010 ……….......………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

This is the restaurant that started the whole Union Square resurgence:  Union Square Cafe, which opened in 1985.  It was Danny Meyers' first restaurant, and was considered revolutionary because the staff was so nice.  New Yorkers discovered that while they prided themselves on being tough, they actually enjoyed being welcomed and smiled upon.

Since then, Meyers has built an empire of high end restaurants, including Gramercy Tavern, 11 Madison Park, Tabla and Blue Smoke, and all of them are notable for how nice everyone is.  Also the food is great.



Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

And here is a restaurant of a different sort:  Chat 'n Chew.  It serves things like macaroni and cheese and fried chicken and coca-cola cake.  I did not know until now that Chat 'n Chew, Steak Frites, coming up in next photo, and Sushi Samba are all owned by Andrew Silverman.



Mary Sargent © 2010 …… ………………….. click to enlarge

Yes, here is Steak Frites, at the bottom, but I wanted to show you this building because of how ornate it is.  Enlarge it and check out the details.

Flatiron District, 16th Street Between Union Square West and Fifth Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2010 ……………..…….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

This is Blue Water Grill, a highly rated seafood restaurant located in the landmarked former Bank of the Metropolis.  I have not eaten at this restaurant (must remedy), but I was in the previous restaurant for drinks.  And what was its name?  I spent a great deal of time online trying to discover the answer.  Shouldn't there be a website devoted to listing the consecutive restaurants operating at one location?  You know there should. 

I was about to give up when suddenly inspiration struck.  My collection of Zagat Surveys!  I found it in the 1991 edition:  Metropolis Cafe.  Doesn't ring a bell, but I'll accept that.

Later, I discovered that if I had actually read the review of Blue Water Grill linked to above, I could have saved myself a lot of time.

Union Square, 16th Street at Union Square West

Mary Sargent © 2010 …………………....…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

Yay, Nancy Pelosi!  Yay, Obama!  Yay, Bart Stupack, even!  Happy again.  Proud again.  Health care at last.  Yes, it'll have to be fixed.  At least we have something to be fixed.  It will be fixed.

We're looking at the Coffee Shop, an American/Brazilian restaurant known for its beautiful servers.  It's been here since 1990, so the initial buzz has faded, but it's still busy all the time. 

Union Square, Union Square West at 16th Street

Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….…………… …........……………….. click to enlarge

Today the whole world was out, everyone congratulating themselves on their good fortune to be out on this glorious first day of Spring.  I had a coffee date in Union Square this morning, and afterwards I walked 16th Street to the Hudson and back on 15th.

KittyKind, an all-volunteer cat rescue and adoption group, was set up here on Union Square West, attracting a steady stream of mostly female visitors.



Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….………….........… ………………….. click to enlarge

Men, a sure-fire way to get in good with a woman is to be friendly to her cat.  You don't have to be sappy, just give him a pat and say hey, there, Buster, in a man-to-man sort of way.  If it's a female cat, you should adjust.

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Gramercy, 29th Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… click to enlarge

One of my favorite kind of shots. The blankness of it. Or is it the 2D aspect of it?

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Gramercy, 29th Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… click to enlarge

I was attracted to this building because of the unusual architecture spanning the two wings. It certainly serves to make a very ordinary building look imposing. I don't know if there's a special name for this – anybody out there know?

This is Yeshiva University Schottenstein Residence Hall for women.

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Gramercy, 29th Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… click to enlarge

I have things to tell you about this photo, but it's much too late to be coherent. Please wait until tomorrow. Thank you.

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Gramercy, 29th Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… click to enlarge

Spring on East 29th Street.


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Gramercy, 29th Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………. click to enlarge

Here's another little hotel on a Manhattan side street. Hotel Deauville. Unlike the last one, though, this one gets good reviews. And so cheap! Maybe I should start a collection of these little hotels. You never can tell when you might need one.

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Gramercy, Park Avenue South Between 28th and 29th Streets

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

I loved Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. If you have any interest in food and restaurants, you must read it. Very funny. He was the chef at Les Halles and I couldn't wait to go there. It's pretty, right? Real Frenchy. One of the first.

All I can say is it was so disappointing that I lay awake writing letters in my head to him. Dear Tony, casual is one thing, inept is another. And another thing . . . Of course, he was long gone as chef there, but still, it's his restaurant.

When you read books you love, do you kind of assume a special relationship with the author and have mental conversations with him/her?

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Gramercy, Park Avenue South Between 28th and 29th Streets

Mary Sargent © 2009 …… click to enlarge

Across the street (west side) some construction. According to the web, it will be a luxury hotel; the Gansevoort Park. Hmm. I just wonder a little bit about the timing.

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Gramercy, Park Avenue South Between 28th and 29th Streets

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

Here we go with another short convenience walk, one I took Monday, on my way to my Philosphy Meetup at Dolcino. I'm getting my hopes up for a nice long walk tomorrow; it seems it may be getting warm at last.

But first take a look at the fabulous colors nail salons and their customers use.

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Flatiron District, 24th Street Between Fifth and Sixth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………click to enlarge

Goodby for now to the Flatiron District, but let's look back for one final image of the Met Life Tower. So pretty and pale.

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Flatiron District, 24th Street Between Fifth and Sixth Avenues

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

To refresh your memories, this trip was made in order to see The Pool Art Fair. Why it's called Pool, I do not know. The idea is that each artist or group of artists has/had a room in the hotel to do with as they wished. Most artists hung their work as if it were a gallery space, but I was more interested in seeing the ones who used the space and transformed it (see below). It starts me thinking about what I would do. You?

But first, and most important, this installation at the entrance was what I really came to see. How about it? This was created by Elizabeth Riley, a friend of mine, who does installations, videos, and many other things. Check out her website! You'll be surprised to see what her sculpture is made of.



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

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

I apologize to the artists for not having their names. If anyone has this information, pass it along, and I'll post it.

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