Now is the Time to Reinvigorate the Upper West Side Amidst the Chaos!

I've been thinking about real estate, quality of life, and related issues on the Upper West Side for over a year--now certainly magnified by the pandemic that changed everything about 11 months ago. Manhattan's mass exodus, particularly on the Upper West Side where I live, has been reported on continuously for almost a year now. I think there is great opportunity amidst the chaos to emerge more interesting and affordable for those of us who never left and those who would love to live here. For starters: the architecture is amazing!

Among several observations, three things stand out to me:

1. There is more new building construction and exterior renovation happening on my stretch of Broadway in the 90s than in the decade I've lived up here. The photos I took are on or right off Broadway between 91st-96th St--only five blocks! I know there are more in the 80s, too. I'm not sure who is moving into what I assume will be condos, when apparently thousands of residents have just fled. Some of these new buildings are replacing weird one- or two-story buildings, probably left over from when this neighborhood was not so desirable. Others were pre-war building tear downs -- one of which was a synagogue -- something I don't like to see, but what can you do?
2. Even before the pandemic, stores were closing regularly along this same stretch, leaving empty storefronts for months and years at a time. Now, during the last 11 months, even DUANE READE and STARBUCKS have permanently shut down, in addition to old locally owned bodegas and Cleopatra's Needle! All national clothing chains have vanished -- Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Mandee and Club Monaco. Grocery stores including two Gristede's...I could go on...
3. AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT STREET PARKING? First, I just learned that Lyft owns the bike-share operator that runs Citi Bike. I'll explain why this is important in a minute. There is a severe dearth of street parking on the UWS, worse than people who have lived here since the 80s have ever seen (I know this b/c I belong to a local group). Between the aforementioned construction taking up full street and avenue stretches, Citi Bike racks taking up scores of spots along Riverside Drive, 92nd Street and more, restaurants' Covid-era "outdoor" seating shanties built on legit parking spots, and mountains of plowed snow piled up on every other corner, thousands of parking spots have vanished, and so parking garages have jacked up their prices to minimums of $600 a month. And before you tell me people should take public transpo., there IS NO reasonable public transportation to and from the UWS if you regularly travel to NJ, Upstate, CT, etc., especially if you are over 40, which many of us are up here, and have luggage of any kind. I promise you, it's not sustainable. So back to Lyft owning Citi Bike: even the most ardent environmentalist anti-car resident has got to see the hypocrisy: "Nowhere to park? TAKE A LYFT!" "Don't want to take the subway? TAKE A CITI BIKE!" --Lyft is eliminating the ability to drive to and in NYC and making money from it while clogging the streets with MORE LYFTS!

OK, so what do I suggest? What do I envision? Here are my unscientific suggestions:

1. Remember the early/mid-80s when the UWS was sorta cool for an uptown neighborhood? I do. The City has GOT TO encourage landlords/building owners and managers to rent commercial space to new tenants via tax reduction incentives or credits. You get more points if you lease to mom-and-pops!  Or maybe you get penalized for letting storefronts sit empty for more than 6 months. Can't rent your store? Donate it to an educational or arts organization and display art, interpretive dance, whatever! Bring back the creativity, vision, and art that so many residents up here actually appreciate! And won't this help to...
2. ...Attract new residents to all the new buildings with money to spend? Sure, maybe when all these giant new buildings were financed a few years ago "they" envisioned top-dollar condo sales. Well, again, the City should incentivize renting to a plethora of incomes. I read a story the other day whereby big corporations are buying blocks of condos in buildings to get a "bulk rate," I suppose to be able to sell them off one-by-one when the economy starts booming again. Can the government stop this insanity?  If it can, it should, otherwise apartments will sit empty and/or Corporations will be landlords. This cannot be good for NYC culture and spirit.  Can we please return to a time when apartments were HOMES and not checkers on some investment scheme spreadsheet checkerboard?
   
3. Hopefully once the snow melts and construction is completed, we will get some of our beloved parking spots back. But what about restaurants' outdoor posts? When are those going to be removed...or will they be permanent fixtures? I know the restaurant industry has been all but destroyed so I want to provide them with every chance to recover. HOWEVER, and I'm not going to point any specific locations out because I'm not a rat, there are restaurants in my area that have been closed for MONTHS that have empty, abandoned shacks, and/or functioning restaurants with street "shacks" that have collapsed or are not being used due to non-stop snow and frigid temperatures, taking up 2-3 spots in some cases and almost full city blocks in other instances. Maybe most restaurants just can't have outdoor dining during the winter. And furthermore, if patrons who don't live in the City can't park, they'll probably just go out in Westchester or Long Island, like they've been doing the last year.
4. Hopeful that vaccinations will reach a critical mass by July, I think the city should do some radical things to get people back into town, starting with FREE BRIDGE AND TUNNEL ACCESS, FREE TRAINS INTO GRAND CENTRAL, FREE PATH TRAINS. Obviously not forever, but for enough time that everyone can take advantage of it and feel good about going back to the greatest city on earth.

P.S. Please move Citi Bike racks off the streets and onto sidewalks or park areas that have the space. Oh, and also, for the love of Jah, kill that congestion tax idea already--but that's a whole other post.

I❤️ NY 

Baoguette: CLOSED...Due to a Dirty Mind

Baoguette is a curious institution.  They opened on Lex near 25th St., and I rejoiced.  Then they moved over to 3rd Ave below 23rd St.  Then they "went on vacation" and next thing I knew, they were back at the old Lex/25th address.  And this morning, as I was walking by post-vote, I found the gates shut tight and this notice on the door.  Yikes!  Good food, bad service...but what in the world is going on over there?

Beco - Williamsburg - New York Magazine Restaurant Guide

This place is cool, just don't tell anyone I said so: Beco - Williamsburg - New York Magazine Restaurant Guide

Sushi Dumpling House - new in my hood...

Hmmmm....so what is this Sushi Dumpling House that is under construction in my 'hood?  And what does the "KB" stand for?  Well, I like sushi, and I like dumplings, so there's a reasonable chance that I would like this place, however it's in my neighborhood which gives it an automatic 50% chance of sucking.

When I moved into Grey Box this place was a Goat Meat store.  Then, ironically, it became MooShoes (vegan shoe store).  THEN it became the smaller takeout outpost of Tatany (sushi), which had been a good restaurant on Third Avenue, and is now some intolerable bar. 

Let us cross our fingers, shall we?

Alert the Media: Outdoor Seating Now at Curry In a Hurry

on Lexington & 28th for the uninitiated.

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Restaurant Review: The Stanton ANTI-Social

Located on Stanton Street on the Lower East Side of New York dwells The Stanton Social, a popular restaurant that serves a variety of "small plates" to everyone's delight. The theory is that sharing dishes, which arrive throughout the duration of the meal, makes for a very "social" experience, and thus the name of the restaurant, I suspect.

This sounds like a beautiful notion.

Except that my experience there this weekend was unbelievably anti-social, thus the clever little name I have rebranded this place with (The Stanton ANTI-Social).

My friend and her fiance invited me to meet them there, so that we could have a drink and catch up. When I got to the restaurant, they were about finished with their meal, so I sat next to my friend on the "booth side" of the table. Suddenly some guy with short, wavy brown hair, who we later learned is the manager, came over and said, "this is NOT a three-person table, you can NOT all sit here." So my friend's fiance agreed and we all nodded along as the manager-boy ran off. We then quickly started to complain amongst ourselves about what an uptight freak this guy was (and is, everyday of his life, I suspect). Not ones to stay where we aren't wanted, we asked the waitress for the check and continued on with our conversation while we waited for it. About 7.2 minutes later, the manager-lad returned to the table demanding, "ONE OF YOU HAS GOT TO GO." Again, my friend's fiance agreed, explaining that we were waiting for the check.

The check came, we paid, and got up to leave. As I was walking out the same manager-dude said, "thank you, gooodniiight!" To which I responded, "um, yeah, right." Then my friend stopped him and explained how that was the rudest most uncalled for experience she had ever had in a restaurant in her entire life and that we would make sure never to return and recommend the same to all of our friends.

Bummer that this guy didn't realize who he was unceremoniously kicking out of his joint.

Bar Milano's Upcoming Transformation!

I very recentlyposted a blog regarding the closing of Bar Milano. I just got the following comment, and wanted to make sure everyone saw it, as I believe it is grand news for the 'hood I call Grey Box (and particularly for our collective wallets):

"Jason Denton and company have decided to transform Bar Milano into a new ‘inoteca and liquiri bar after the New Year. The last day of operation as Bar Milano will be December 31st. Already possessing a great space and a bustling bar scene, we aim to deliver casual Italian dining and great wine and spirits at a recession-friendly price point. Effective January 1st, the restaurant will close for minor renovations and to migrate key staff members up from the Lower East Side. We're excited about the change and look forward to bringing ‘inoteca to a new neighborhood."

Bar Milano: No More

Bar Milano, the fancy pants bar/restaurant on 24th St. and Third Ave. was rocking large on New Year's Eve, and then on January 1....POOF! Gone. Brown paper up on the windows, the name stripped off but from the front step. I didn't even get a chance to eat there yet it came and went so fast! Does anyone know what happened? A victim of a poor economy? Of a neighborhood overrun by NYU? Sanitation issues? Is it coming back? Anyone in the know please give the low-down.

Vinegar Hill House is Both Cool & Good...

... in fact, it is definitely cooler than I am. A stunning feat in itself.

Somewhere near the York F stop dwells this new, charming restaurant, apparently brought to the good people of Brooklyn by former employees of Freeman's. The food is very similar - both in selection and quality. I.e. it is really good MEAT. My friend and I ate sausage, chicken, etc. And while my photos are funnier than they are illustrative of the grandness of the place or the food, please take my word for it. It's really good. And will be a superb place to go when it's freezing and snowing outside. Actually, it's kind of a perfect spot for a holiday dinner.

They are getting their liquor license on Tuesday, December 16, but you can BYO or call a nearby liquor store to deliver wine to your table in the meantime. Which is what we did.

And even though the crowd was so damn hip that they could have shot a movie or an ad campaign in there without changing a thing, the vibe was welcoming and the staff down to earth and attentive - from the hostess, to the waiter, to the always affable bartender (Ryan from Hotel Delmano).

Oh and it's pretty cheap too! We had an appetizer, two entrees and dessert (an amazing spice cake that was to die for, by the way), and it ran around $47. Once the liquor license is in effect, I'm sure this average bill will expand, however.

Rouge Tomate: 4 Stars / Barneys: $2,500

I wrote about this fabulous-yet-health-conscious restaurant a few weeks ago. The raves continue. So if shopping at Barneys (or just ogling at Barneys), eat here afterwards!

Speaking of which, did you know you can sign up to win a $2,500 shopping spree at Barneys by just providing them with your email address? The winner will be notified on or about January 15, 2009.

New York Daily News Restaurant Review
At midtown restaurant Rouge Tomate, less is more
Tuesday, December 2nd 2008

The interior of Rouge Tomate.10 E. 60th St., between Fifth and Madison, (212) 237-8977;

Open seven days, noon-4:30 p.m., 5:30-10:30 p.m.;

CUISINE: Modern American;

VIBE: Glossy culinary spa;

OCCASION Midtown lunch, business dinner, detox dining;

DON'T MISS DISH: Arctic char, yellowjack crudo, rabbit with chestnut pasta; PRICE: Appetizers $10, entrees $20, desserts $10;

RESERVATIONS Accepted in downstairs dining room. Different menu in upstairs cafe; both equally good.

There are 393 calories in the rabbit Fleischnacke at Rouge Tomate. The nutritionist counted. How many restaurants do you know that have a nutritionist?
Fleischnacke is German for minced meat rolled in pasta and cooked in a stock. At Rouge Tomate, this means farm-raised, braised rabbit rolled up in chestnut pasta and sautéed in rabbit jus. None of the ingredients requires quotation marks.
There's not a mock anything anywhere in this dish. Those 393 calories also include a celery root purée, roasted celery root, roasted chestnuts, chestnut foam and a salad of apples, celery leaves and tarragon.
And that's one of the more caloric dishes on the menu.
My favorite appetizer - the celery root and almond panna cotta - is only 155 calories. The panna cotta is made with unhomogenized whole milk and topped with lots of peekytoe crab, grapefruit segments and fresh tarragon. The calories matter, but only because the food is so exceptional.
Usually the thought of self-consciously healthy food makes me depressed - so depressed I get the urge to curl up with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon.
But I don't feel that way at Rouge Tomate, even though they've replaced most of the fats we associate with haute cuisine. Take butter, cheese and cream away from most chefs and they would throw their hands up in despair. But Jeremy Bearman, chef at Rouge Tomate, has had a few good mentors, including Joel Robuchon and Daniel Boulud.
Here's how it works: Take the lobster à la plancha with green fennel risotto. Usually, what binds a risotto together is butter and cheese. Instead, Bearman uses fennel stock, fennel purée, fennel juice and fennel-fronds purée - the quintessence of fennel. He finishes the dish with sauce Americaine, a brandy-spiked lobster stock with a splash of Pernod. These are robust flavors and you never pine for the absent fats.
Rouge Tomate adheres to an 85-page S.P.E. charter - Latin for Sanitas Per Escam. That means health through food, a phrase that comes from Emmanuel Verstraeten, the founder of the original Rouge Tomate in Brussels. What this really means is sourcing, preparation and enhancement. It's the cult of culinary balance - the balance of taste and nutrition - not a bad cult to be in. But it's bigger than that.
Rouge Tomate may be a prototype for a restaurant of the future - a new way of thinking, a new way of eating, a new way of dining out.
Let me just point out some of the highlights of this wonderful menu: squab and slow-roasted faro salad; Arctic char with smoked sea salt and Asian pear sorbet; and yellowtail amberjack crudo with vanilla salt, a mung bean salad, crispy ginger, kaffir lime and fresh tropical fruit.
There's also dessert, which is where you would really mourn the missing calories. Except you don't here. The chocolate and banana tasting is 272 calories - a chocolate and caramelized banana napoleon, roasted baby banana split and a teacup of rich hot cocoa. James Distefano, the pastry chef, makes a terrific parfait with yogurt, fresh huckleberries, candied lemon and a chamomile crisp. In fact, the only dessert that doesn't work is the Hudson Valley apple soup.
I hope Rouge Tomate is going to be here for a long, long time. Especially if Jeremy Bearman stays in the kitchen.

Rouge Tomate & Cavatappo Wine Bar: Food & Drink

Yours truly had the great opportunity to have dinner and lunch at soon-to-open (October 28) Rouge Tomate before it opened to the public. Located on E. 60th across from Barney's, Rouge Tomate "provides a harmonious alignment of balanced cuisine, well-being, and social and environmental consciousness. This nutritional approach demonstrates a genuine respect for the integrity of ingredients used in crafting balanced, healthful and flavorful dishes."

Bottom line? The space is amazing, beautiful, airy, and I'm not sure exactly what I mean by this, but...harmonious. If a restaurant could look healthy and delicious, this is the spot. And the food presentation is artistic and beautiful -- I might even say breathtaking if I wasn't afraid that it'd sound a bit too gushy. I have to say that of everything I ate the lobster and beet salad (lunch) was my favorite as was the chocolate/peanut butter dessert (dinner).

And last night I made it into Cavatappo Wine Bar on Third Ave. and 26th St. (other location on Second and 89th). With a substantial selection of wines, a bit of food, decent music and a mature atmosphere, this place may be one of the saviors of a neighborhood on the brink of turning into Hoboken. If you are in the hood and not interested in football or jello shots, I strongly suggest this as a top option.

Guerilla Goer-Outer

The GS hasn't been a devoted shopper lately; she seems to have become a Guerilla goer-outer. While this has been fun and social, it's not doing much for her waistline. Alas, here is an incomplete list of where I have tread lately:

M Shanghai (Williamsburg) - interesting hipster Chinese restaurant with private cavern in basement, where friend had bday party.
Bar Great Harry (Smith St., BK) - Basic Brooklyn bar with tons of beer.
Louise & Jerry's (Hoboken) - Bar on Washington with great jukebox. A dying breed. Get there while you can.
Astoria (as in Queens) - Friend's party...
Blind Tiger Ale House - West Village pub with lots o' beers (used to be on Hudson St., now on Bleecker) and some good bar food.

I also did a little looking around for the chandelier I aspire to own - including checking out what few things are left at Domain furniture on Broadway. They had a cute little chandi for half price ($250), but I didn't LOVE it, so I let it go. I also checked out ABC Carpet, for price comparison - and while I did LOVE their lighting inventory, I wasn't so willing to fork over a minimum of $675. It also makes me kind of ill that had I known Domain was going out of business I would have saved about $800 on the wardrobe I bought 2 weeks before the Chapter 11 news broke. Yargh!

Too Many Restaurants Week

Post-holidays, I promised myself that I would cool it with restaurants and take out food, but alas, this week made that nearly impossible. I visited the following restaurants, one being an old standby favorite known as: Les Halles (the one on Park Ave. South).

Les Halles - A great, crowded New York City brasserie that isn't exactly the height of cuisine, but it is solid, consistent, and fun. The kind of place you should bring out of town guests when you want to ensure that they get a real New York City experience without being overly touristy. While not cheap, it is not too pricey. My recent visit included 3 drinks, dinner and dessert and ended up costing me $70 all told.

Benjamin Steakhouse - An extremely nice looking room on E. 41st St. where you can go for your office Christmas lunch or if your aging parents come to town. Good food and service, a bit stodgy for the likes of the Guerilla Shopper, but meat is aplenty in this joint.

Le Miu - A decent sushi joint on Avenue A. I had an interesting meal consisting of sashimi over soba noodles - a new take on an old dish and something I had never had before. So big points for originality. Otherwise, the room was nice but not anything spectacular. Maybe I'd go back - but only if I couldn't think of a better option...

Sugar "Tiny Cafe of Big Sweet Nothings" - This is that long narrow place on the corner of Allen and Houston under whatever giant child porn ad American Apparel is pimping these days. I love my desserts so I love this place. It's not comfortable or convenient at all, but there are endless treats a la Willy Wonka and therefore I shall return.

Southern Hospitality

OK so another BBQ joint has recently opened in NYC. The draw on this one? JT is an investor (Justin Timberlake). While we all might agree that JT is merely Joey Lawrence with a bit of an edge, I can't get enough of this guy. In fact, it was enough to get me to go to Southern Hospitality on the Upper East Side. Well, that and the fact that I currently dwell about four blocks away.

So what's my take on this joint? Eh. It was fine. The food was fine. The service was kind of weak. There were 15 of us, so that may have presented some service challenges and issues, but stuff like there being almost no BBQ sauce on the table is kind of unforgivable at a BBQ restaurant.

It left me with the vibe like it could have (and perhaps should have) been a chain restaurant in the mall.

Sorry JT, stick to cranking out better than average pop music and videos.

Joe Junior: Cheap, Fast, Halfway Decent

Joe Junior is one of those old-school diners that I pray nightly does not get taken over by a faux diner chain. It's a greasy spoon that dishes up full breakfasts for peanuts.

Now, it's not exactly gourmet - or anywhere near it - however, it does the job in a no-nonsense way allowing you to feed yourself and be on your merry way. The other day I had eggs, toast, hashbrowns and cranberry juice for less than $8 - this including tax and tip. What a bargain.

There's one on 6th Ave. and 12th St., another on 3rd Ave. around 16th St. (pictured) - providing us with west side AND east side options!

Curry in a Hurry LIVES!

Several months ago I wrote about how Curry in a Hurry was closed for an undetermined / unannounced amount of time. I communicated my dismay...because when you are in a hurry, this 28th St. and Lex Ave. hot-spot provides you with a variety of curries, quickly.

Well it reopened a little while ago, but since I don't live in the 'hood at present, I haven't been able to frequent it like I used to. Which is probably a good thing since it's not exactly "health food." Why is it that I think if fast food is "ethnic" that it is good for me and not fattening like pizza or McDonald's?

Anyway, I don't know why C in a H was closed, and I could not tell if any real changes had been made, but notice that the "Best N.Y.C. Indian Buy" line has been "blued" out on the top floor window shade thingy. So either the prices went up or the quality of food went down. I'll put my money on the former. If I have any left.

Oh Curry in a Hurry!, I kid, I kid.

xoxox GSNYC

Exclusive Mother's Day Jewelry Discount!

Just in time for Mother's Day (Sunday, May 13), Dori O'Dea (jewerly designer) and Guerilla Shopper (me) are offering a 20% discount on Ike Designs - the exquisite jewelry meticulously hand crafted by Dori herself. She has created intricate necklaces and earrings using beautifully colored gems that will thrill any mother in your life including -- but not limited to -- your: mother, wife, sister, daughter, niece, cousin, mistress, girlfriend, acupuncturist, beer wench...

Visit http://www.ikedesigns.net/catalog.html to peruse Dori's inventory and make your selections. To receive your 20% discount on online orders made between today and Tuesday, May 8, follow these steps:

1. Place your order online - http://www.ikedesigns.net/catalog.html

2. Then, send an email to dori@ikedesigns.com with "Guerilla Shopper" in the subject line and your order number in the body.

3. Dori will then discount the charge when she processes the card (it won't show at checkout, but will be reflected in the receipt she emails back to you as confirmation upon Credit Card Authorization).

4. Alternatively, there is a space for comments on the cart page, where you can write "Guerilla Shopper" and get the 20% discount, as per step #3., above.

Also, on Saturday, May 5, stop by Actorcrafts at 332 W. 43rd St. where Dori will be selling her good works at half the Web site price to promote a great cause and a great day. The show benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Dori offers her whole collection at half of its retail price on that day only (no combination with any other discounts). In addition, other great artists will be there selling their creations thereby making Mother's Day shopping a snap!

Be nice to the mothers,

Ike & Guerilla Shopper
. . .

About Ike Designs

Pictured above: Antiqued silver filigree earrings with faceted quartz briolet and ivory freshwater pearls.

Dori also works in gold and other gems - labradorite, pearl, solmonite, smokey quartz, rose quartz, quartz, goldstone, hematite, calcite, andalusite, malachite, jade, sapphire, diamond, and whatever else she can get her hands on! Dori's online collection includes necklaces and earrings, but she also does bracelets and is developing a line of rings. Dori does custom work and specializes in bridal parties, with all kinds of budgets.

About Guerilla Shopper NYC

Launched in October 2006, the Guerilla Shopper is your feet on the street in New York, telling you where to get great stuff at a good deal. Follow her as she treks through the stores of New York (and upstate, New Jersey and online) on your behalf...relaying sample sales, interesting shopping tidbits, retail warnings, restaurant recommendations and more. Listed on and quoted by other reputable shopping Web sites including Racked and A Girl Must Shop, the Guerilla Shopper is helping the non-socialite set to own tons of great stuff while having fun and not breaking the bank.

Hearth (restaurant) on E. 12th St.

I ate Easter dinner at Hearth. I had wanted to go check it out since it opened and finally got my chance (to have someone else pay for it)!

Their self-description is: Our food is rooted in the modern traditions of the American kitchen with influences from our Italian heritage. Our wine program is equally modern but finds inspiration in the strangest places.

OK, I'll buy that (or let someone else). The food was really quite good - great subtle flavors, high-quality. They gave us a taste of the soup of the day, which was excellent. The bread, which was also excellent, kept coming and coming and...

Some of us had lamb and others had duck pasta - both were outstanding.

Desserts - check, drinks - check, service - check.

Perhaps my only criticism is that there isn't a huge selection, and while the room was nice, it lacked a bit of warmth - literally and figuratively. It was certainly a pleasant experience, but not necessariliy an unforgettable one. Perhaps that was a function of my party being seated in the furthest corner of the room, or because it was fairly early on a (Easter) Sunday.

Will I return? It's open for discussion!

Shake Shack Open Today

From the New York Times' Urban Eye...(I'm mostly concerned with Shake Shack...)

DINING
Crab Is a Many-Splendored Thing
By MELENA RYZIK
Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Yes, yes, Shake Shack is open again, and they’ve even got a nifty way to ease the webcam-worthy wait. (You get a beeper to let you know when your order’s ready.) But why wait at all? Head to Pacificana, a new Cantonese palace in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and gorge on pork dumplings, sesame rice balls, clams with scallions, taro cakes and the best congee Peter Meehan ever tasted straight from the dim sum cart. If you’re feeling patient, splurge on the by-the-pound king crab: “a brilliant succession of four dishes,” from an elegant soup to crispy fried legs. “It was an impressive conclusion to a meal at Pacificana, which may have opened only a few months ago, but already feels like an institution,” Mr. Meehan says. Coming soon: the crabcam?

Pacificana, 813 55th Street (Eighth Avenue), Second Floor, Sunset Park, Brooklyn; (718) 871-2880.