Cocktails in Wonderland

I am a downtown girl. No ifs and buts about it. I prefer the low key vibe and village atmosphere. But I have to admit that every now and then there is a teeny bit of Upper East Side in me as well. And when this side of me wants to come out, I head straight to a New York icon; Bemelman's Bar at the Carlyle Hotel on 76th Street.

It's not exactly a secret, but it is not often on a tourist's radar, which means your fellow sippers tend to be those died-in-the-wool, old-school New Yorkers. Built in the 1930's, the Carlyle has been considered a home away from home for many a socialite, actor, politician and everything in between. I'm not sure I would suggest to my friends to stay here, but I would always take a New York first-timer to Bemelmans.

The charm of this bar lies in its whimsical mural by Herr Ludwig Bemelman. Born in Austria, he moved to New York during WWI. He drew this mural in 1947 in return for accommodation. A fantastical depiction of Central Park, the walls of this haute New York establishment are filled with picnicking rabbits, elephants reading the newspaper and families of giraffes out for a Sunday walk. The childlike naivite of the mural may seem at odds with the elderly clientele of the bar sipping their sherry and listening to the resident pianist. But that is what makes it all so marvelous and so New York.

And a little piece of trivia. If you are trying to remember how you know the name Bemelman, perhaps it is becuase you - like I - were a fan of the Madeline books when you were a child. This same Mr Bemelman wrote and illustrated six Madeline books. You remember, "In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, there were twelve little girls in two straight lines." She even makes an appearance in Bemelmans bar.

images: rosewood hotels, vanity fair, artslant, flickr, boston, stay

Sweat, Steam and Soaking in the East Village

The Anesthetist took me to experience a true New York icon this week because apparently I've been uptight and belligerent. He marched me to the Russian & Turkish Baths in the East Village so a fat Russian could whip me with oak leaves and put me back in my place. It worked. You don't mess with those men. In fact, you don't really mess with anyone in there it's so crazy.

These baths have been serving the New York community since 1892 and to be honest, the interior looks like it. Not that it's dirty, but it certainly ain't no Four Seasons spa experience either. For $35, you can spend all day in there if you feel the need. There's a sauna, a steam room, an ice-cold dipping pool, an impossibly hot Russian room with 20,000lb of rock cooked overnight to make you think you have arrived at the centre of the earth, and a lot of nude bodies of all shapes, colors and sizes.

The Anesthetist took me on the mens'a and women's night so he could ladle more and more hot water over the rocks in the sauna until I was begging for mercy from the heat. His answer was to add a few drops of lemongrass oil and more water. We then moved to the Russian room draped in very unsexy pantaloons and drab brown towels. There I experienced my very first platza oak leaf whipping. I'm sure my whipper was a retired Russian Olympic weightlifter. But it certainly made my skin feel wonderfully soft afterwards.

These Baths are a must-do when visiting New York, if only for the people watching. You get members of the American Ballet there, contorting into positions deemed impossible. Then there are the mafiosa types from Brooklyn who sit huddled together in corners, the models unwinding during fashion week, the Turks drinking mint tea on the roof deck and every other type of two-legged New York inhabitant who wants to relax, show some skin and steam out those pores.

When you look at the paintings depicting hamans, they were much more beautiful than my one on East 10th St. But if you close your eyes and breath in the steam, you can almost see the minarets and hear the calls to prayer that so remind us of where this group bathing came from .

Ingres: Turkish Bath

Le Barbier: Turkish Bath

images: painting all, nuance 1979, commons, wikimedia

Snakes and Ladders without the snakes

Ok. I have been living in this city for nearly five years now - when do I become considered a New Yorker? - and I think half of that time has been spent underground, lost in the subway system.  If you use the subway in New York - and you would be crazy not to  at $2.25 a ride - one of the most monotonous, stultifying parts of every day is repeatedly climbing in and out of it. Like a mole, blindly digging. Up, down, up, down and down even further, before coming up, up and up even more. And don't be fooled into thinking those escalators beside the stairs work!

I calculated that I ascend/ descend 132 stairs a day just to get to and from work. That's 660 stairs a week, before taking into account going out at night, shopping on weekends and everything in between. And then maybe subtract a few for when you slip on the icy snow in winter at the top of the stairs and land with a thud at the bottom without having touched any steps in between.

I should be happy about all this. I like to think it's adding strength and shape to my legs and butt and giving me the workout I can't be bothered to do. It certainly beats using Stairmaster at the gym. But I think all it's really doing is adding varicose veins, breaking heels and inducing sore calf muscles. And pushing me further into the mire of close city living. The fetid smells of human lives swirl underground with no circulation of the putrid air.  And I'm sure it's not hygienic to have your face pushed into the rear end of a fellow stair climber ahead of you while someone behind you has their face pushed into yours. And as for summer, fuggedaboutit. Temperatures soar down there. It's hotter than a bikram yoga session and with far more sweaty bodies crushed against you. As temperatures hover around 35 degrees Celsius up top, down in the subway make that closer to 40 degrees. I have seen plenty of people faint, start reeling with dehydration and end up sitting on the disgustingly filthy steps some 200 metres underground.

And yet, we all continue to use it. In fact, on average, more than 5.2 million people use it on a week day according to the MTA figures. Out of necessity? Boredom? For a jolly? Because it is still the easiest, fastest and most economical way to get around Manhattan and the four other boroughs of New York. And it works in its oddly disjointed, humid, crowded way. But I still miss my car.......

Ladies Who Lunch

Duchess of Windsor and C.Z. Guest leaving La Cote Basque, NY 1962

Tony Palmieri, Conde Nast archive

I never 'do' lunch in Manhattan because I look after the international media, not the US media. But today I was invited to attend the New York Women in Communications Matrix 2012 Awards Luncheon. This organization is for female professionals in the NY metro area and its mission is to "empower women in all communications disciplines to reach their full potential". The Matrix Awards are held annually to honor women in all fields of communications whose outstanding contributions "change the world".

Now when I think of ladies who lunch in Manhattan, I think of C. Z. Guest, Babe Paley and Jackie O as they step out of the front doors of time-honored lunch spots such as Le Cote Basque, Le Cirque and La Grenouille, straight into the flashing bulbs of the then-famous social photographers. But the female power that was packed into the Waldorf Astoria ballroom today, was extraordinary. It was exhilarating, inspiring and exciting to be amongst some of the most notable women in communications today. Tyra Banks, Barbara Walters, Peggy Noonan and Katie Couric rubbed shoulders with Glenn Close, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Maria Cuomo Cole. Each woman was either being honored this year, a past recipient of the award or presenting the award to this year's nominee. Hearing these women and others speak, and learning about what they have achieved, made me suddenly realise the power of New York and the infinite possibilities it offers a woman if you have the drive and ambition.

Below are some of my "faves" from today and their remarkable achievements:

Maria Cuomo Cole: 
sister of Andrew Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York and daughter of a once governor of New York (the whole family was there today) has chaired HELP USA, the largest provider of services for the homeless, victims of domestic violence and war veterans, since 1992. She has produced several short films and public service announcements on the subject of domestic violence, gun violence and homelessness, was shortlisted for an Academy Award and had a premier at 2011 Sundance Festival. Her latest documentary, 'The Invisible War',  looks at sexual violence in the military.

Deputy Chief Theresa Shortell:
Only one of two women in the 40 top ranked NYPD officers, Deputy Chief Shortell is a tiny bundle of Bronx sass. Her resume reads like a NYPD TV program. She is currently the Commanding Officer of the Citywide Gang Division,  she has served on the Organized Crime Control Bureau, Special Victims Unit and the Narcotics Division to name a few. She became Glenn Close's mentor when Close was preparing for her role in the series, The Shield. When Close asked her what the hardest part of her job was, she replied, "Being a woman and not letting that get in the way."

Peggy Noonan:

Speechwriter for Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Noonan is recognised as writing some of the most powerful American political speeches of the 20th century. For Reagan's address to the country after the space shuttle Challenger disaster, she wrote, "We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved good bye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God'.
Noonan has written loads of books, one about her time working with President Reagan called, "What I saw at the Revolution".  She is currently a columnist for the WSJ.

Tyra Banks:
Yes, I'm afraid she is leggy, buxom and beautiful in real life. And she has a personality and the smarts! Her show, "America's Next Top Model", is in its 19th season and is syndicated in over 100 countries. She won two Emmy's for her daily talk show "the Tyra Show", has more than 5 million followers on Twitter and more than 1 million facebook friends. She uses her power and reach to talk about body image empowerment and self esteem for young girls. Her own personal wake-up call; when the media slammed the size of her body in a swimsuit while shooting in Australia. She became every girl's pinup heroine when she walked onto her talk show in the same swimsuit and told all her critics to "Kiss my fat arse".

Katie Couric:

Veteran TV host and award winning journalist. She is also heavily supportive of various cancer groups. Her quips for the day; "I went into TV news at a time when many were trying to get the 'broads out of broadcasting", and, "Back then, 'harass' was a two-worded insult."

I walked away from this lunch realizing there is a very strong sorority amongst women across all fields and the opportunity to be inspired and guided by some extraordinary women. And as someone quoted today the words of Madeline Albright, "There is a special place in Hell for women who don't help other women."

images; vanity fair, zimbio, nywici, biography, makeup and beauty care, celebrity daily post

End of an Icon?

The Chelsea Hotel is up for sale. This news has angered some old timer New Yorkers and just made others really sad. The last great bohemian outpost being sold to make way for a slick, modern, soulless hotel? Let's hope not.

The Chelsea opened in 1884 as one of the city's first co-op buildings. It was turned into a 250 room hotel in 1905 and can boast a history as checkered, controversial and colorful as many of its inhabitants. It was a place of bohemian and artistic creativity whilst also being the home of bad behavior. Bob Dylan composed songs here, Alan Ginsberg wrote here. Dylan Thomas died of alcohol poisoning here and Sid Vicious allegedly murdered girlfriend Nancy Spungen here.

It has been the topic of many a book.

It has featured in art.

Room 100, Chelsea Hotel, Dexter Dalwood, 1999

It has been immortalized in songs by Nico, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.

And it has been called home by Andy Warhol, Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe, and Arthur C Clarke, who wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey whilst in residence.

I have to admit that I have never suggested for one of my visiting friends to stay at this hotel, offering instead The Bowery or the Standard. But I do appreciate the history of the place and the fantastic urban myths and legends attached to its corridors and rooms. Let's hope the new owners try and leave some pieces of this infamous hotel.

images: outside left, nancy 110mb, hotel chatter, saatchi gallery, new york times, chelsea hotel blog,

Ssshhh, I Can Hear You

There is a very famous corner in Grand Central Station where you only have to whisper to hear the other person some distance away.

Known as the "Whispering Gallery," it is located on the dining concourse. If you don't believe me, stand with a friend - or lover - in opposite corners of the large arched entryway. The low ceramic arches make for brilliant acoustics. A whisper becomes a shout. Many a marriage proposal has purportedly taken place here. And no doubt alot of other less savory proposals or admissions when physical distance is required between the parties!

Image: bowery boys

Knickerbocker

Definition (courtesy of www.dictionary.com):
1. A descendent of the Dutch settlers of New York
2. A native or inhabitant of New York
3: Full breeches gathered and banded just below the knee

It all started in 1809 when a certain Mr Washington Irving - of "Rip Van Winkle" fame - published "A History of New York," a satirical account of the settlement of New Amsterdam, which we know today as New York.

Irving wrote this under the pen name Diedrich Knickerbocker, posing as a Dutch historian who wove fact and fiction into his chronicles of this fabled city under Dutch rule in the 1600s. Full of anecdotes such as the reason for the higgledy piggledy street layout in lower Manhattan being due to the meandering Dutch cows, and claiming the donut for the city, New Yorkers of the time became enamored with Knickerbocker and his tales. So much so, they thought he was a real person.

Since then, New Yorkers have embraced this character as an emblem of everything quintessentially New York. Knickerbocker's legacy can still be found all around the city:

It's where the basketball team New York Knicks got their name.

There was a Knickerbocker beer but sadly it was discontinued in the 70's.

The Knickerbocker Club is located at Fifth Avenue and 62nd Street. It's a private men's club that dates back to 1871 and whose past esteemed members included John Jacob Astor IV, Roosevelt's son and David Rockefeller.

The Knickerbocker Bar and Grill has been a Greenwich Village fixture since 1977.  It's known for its live jazz and leather banquettes, remnants of the Grill when it occupied in the former Knickerbocker hotel in the early 20th century.

There was a Knickerbocker Hotel located at 1466 Broadway at 42nd Street. It was an opulent hotel built in 1901 and supposedly the residence of opera titan Enrique Caruso and birthplace of the martini.

Although the hotel no longer exists, the building does and so does a secret entrance that has been sealed up in the 42nd street subway station. Behind this door lie stairs that lead to what was once the rear lobby of the hotel.

Who knew that one day I would be called a knickerbocker as well!

Images: amazon, michael dore, a history of new york, flickr, mine, forgotten new york, mine

Building Blocks

The other day, I decided to do a hike through Van Cortland Park up in the Bronx. It is one of New York's largest park at over 1000 acres that spans wetlands, recreation fields, forests and the oldest house in the Bronx. But of all the things I was expecting to stumble upon, it certainly wasn't this random row of stone pillars:

No, they're not commemorative stones or oversized head stones. It turns out these were test piles of stone for eventual use to build Grand Central Station!

Apparently, at the beginning of last century, the New York Central Railroad under Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt,  set up these pillars of thirteen different types of stone quarried from around the country. Stone samples were sent to this location from quarries across the northeast of the country, as part of an experiement to determine the most durable stone for the facade of Grand Central (opened in 1913). In the end, they chose the stone that was the cheapest to transport along their rail lines - Indiana limestone (the 2 pillars closes to you). And with that decision, they built one of the most beautiful and iconic railways stations in the world.

Images: fancy for nyc, mine, new york state search, go nyc

New York Public Library

It has taken me over two years to finally visit the New York Public Library. Standing majestically on 5th Avenue near 42nd St, it was built on the site of the Croton Reservoir which provided New York City's water needs in the late 19th century. (Can you imagine having a reservoir in the middle of a city?!)

The Library took 12 years to construct, from 1899 - 1911 and was considered the apogee of Beaux-Arts design, apparently costing US$9 million. It contains 530,000 cubic feet of white Vermont marble, the then largest marble structure ever attempted in the US, and 125 miles of shelving. Third in size to only the Library of Congress and the British Library, it opened with an inventory of one million items. Today, counting all of its branches, the library contains a total of 20 million books and 50 million catalogued items, a lot of which are stored neatly in a whopping seven levels of underground shelving beneath the main building.

(image of storage levels in 1911)

Apparently the system used in order to request a book was considered very avant garde for its day. Librarians sent a person's request on a rolled up piece of paper, down a copper pipe which landed on the appropriate level below. There, a diligent worker sourced the item and sent it up as swiftly as possible to the waiting visitor, via a book lift.

The reading rooms are spread out over 3 levels and the sheer scale of the building is awesome.

Main Foyer

Rose Reading Room

Map Room

Back on the outside, 2 magnificent stone lions guard the entrance. Originally named Leo Astor and Leo Lenox in honor of the library's founders, they were nicknamed Patience and Fortitude by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia in the 1930s, because he felt these were the two qualities New York citizens needed to get through the Great Depression.

These lions always remind me of a gorgeous children's book called "Library Lion".  It's not set in this particular library, but I am sure Patience and Fortitude were the inspiration for this story of a lion coming to work every day in a public library, helping to dust the books with its tail, acting as a sofa for the children during reading hour and roaring for help when the librarian breaks her arm.

Today the library is probably best known as the backdrop for Carrie's wedding to Mr Big in the Sex and the City movie.   Mr Big pulls a spectacular no-show and Carrie's three darling friends show what real friendship is all about when they get Carrie out of the library as swiftly as possible.

But aside from popular culture, the Library contains some extraordinary pieces that I read about recently, as the city prepares for the venerable institution's centenary. It houses one of the only 48 remaining Gutenberg bibles, printed in 1455. Purchased by Lenox in 1847, it was the first Gutenberg bible to cross the Atlantic. When it arrived in New York, the officers at the customs house were instructed to remove their hats upon seeing it, such was the gravity of the occasion.

The library also has 40,000 restaurant menus, the world's largest collection, dating from the 1850s to the present. The one below outlines Thanksgiving dinner at the Plaza Hotel in 1899. Note the turtle soup and boiled turkey with oyster sauce!

There is a letter that the dying John Keats wrote to his dearest friend Fanny Brawne in 1820.

Some of the more surreal items include Truman Capote's cigarette case, Virginia Woolf's walking stick, fragments of Shelley's skull and Elizabeth Barett Browning's slippers.

And the most fun; the original animals of Winnie the Pooh! They are all on display, causing what I can only imagine is a HUGE furore over the pond in England, given A.A. Milne was English.

Images: The Classicist, New York Public Library, amazon, mine, Go NYC, visiting DC, Architectural Record, Bizbash, flickr, ephemeral new york, harvard alumni, oedb, bbc