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Edgar Allan Poe Room

For one year in 1845, Edgar Allan Poe, his wife and mother-in-law lived in a boarding house on what was then called Amity Street. It was here that Poe began to write The Cask of Amontillado and several other pieces. In order to avoid being demolished by plans to build NYU's Furman Hall, preservationists and Poe supporters compromised on moving the facade of the house half a block down from its original location. Inside, a room dedicated to Poe is available to the public for readings and lectures.

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New York Studio School

The New York Studio School occupies a space rich in history. After being purchased by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in 1907, the now-landmarked building was home to art studios, important exhibitions, and later, in 1931, the Whitney Museum. Founded by American artist and educator Mercedes Matter, the New York Studio School saved the space from being demolished and now perpetuates the creative legacy that was born there. Matter and her peers created NYSS as a place for alternative arts education. It retains the “old-school” focus on studio-based practice, where drawing, painting, and sculpture are at the core of its Master of Fine Arts and certificate programs. However, rather than instructing students on attaining fame and fortune, its mission is a more enriching one. “We teach how to be a lifelong artist and how art can be in your future forever, ” said Director of Development Alex Williams. To this end, the school also features several options that are free of charge and are designed to bring art education to the public at large. Anyone interested may attend NYSS’ evening lecture series and gallery exhibitions, which highlight unknown New York artists or uncover neglected art from more prominent names. One can even take a tour of Whitney’s old art studio, which was designated a National Treasure in 2014. A particularly exciting feature is an elaborate, twenty-foot fireplace in the room depicting plaster serpentine and mythological figures climbing the walls and other fantastical scenes that extend onto the ceiling.

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Marshall Chess Club

“My only connection to chess is through my son, ” confessed Noah Chasin, the unlikely leader of the Marshall Chess Club. Grandmaster Frank Marshall, a native New Yorker and longstanding U. S. Chess Champion, established the club as a haven for chess buffs. It relocated several times, beginning at Keens Steakhouse — featured in the first Walking Manhattan Sideways book — until it finally found its home on 10th Street in 1931. Perhaps the most famous chess club in the world, every champion has played a game here over the past century. “It’s essentially an obligation for all of the top players at some point. ” This is also where the illustrious Bobby Fischer rose to prominence. Fittingly, parts of the film Searching for Bobby Fischer were later filmed on the Marshall’s premises. Though some might be intimidated by the Marshall’s storied reputation, Noah emphasized that the atmosphere is more welcoming than one might expect. The club’s regular tournaments are typically a fifty-fifty split between its members and those who simply possess a love for the pastime. Noah’s own son started visiting the Marshall when he was only eight years old and has since spent years attending some of the largest competitions around the globe, including the Philadelphia World Open. Though certainly no chess disciple himself, Noah was a devoted father, and as his son participated in workshops, camps, and matches at the Marshall, Noah was recruited to represent the parents of other scholastic members on the club’s board. In 2016, he became the president and is now “neck-deep in the chess world, which I never could have imagined before. ” He is delighted to see players old and young, from New York and abroad, find their way to the Marshall. Better yet, he relishes the second-hand thrill of witnessing opponents face off over one of the club’s elegant boards. “It’s not the trajectory I would have imagined as a parent, but it’s been such a spectacular one. ”

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Marlton Hotel, Espresso Bar & Margaux Restaurant

Built in 1900 as a single room occupancy hotel, Marlton Hotel housed many artists who were in search of work in New York City. In 1987, The New School converted the hotel into a dormitory, but it recently opened its doors again returning to its roots as a high-end hotel. In the modern, yet classically elegant lobby is the Marlton Espresso Bar. This hip space serves up Ferndell Coffee (the only New York spot brewing it), considered the oldest known coffee brand in America, dating to 1862. The Espresso Bar also brews a signature raw almond cappuccino crafted from raw almond milk that they make in-house. In addition to coffee, they offer MarieBelle hot chocolate, a New York artisanal chocolatier, and Bellocq Tea, also a New York-based company featuring handcrafted blends. It is not only the hotel guests who are enjoying the new neighborhood addition – multiple rooms and large, sprawling furniture make this place enticing to locals and travelers alike. We visited again and there is no question that word spread rapidly about this establishment on 8th Street. From the small coffee bar set up on the far right, to the lounge area and tables set up in the back where the new Margaux Restaurant spreads itself... there were people scattered everywhere, engaged in conversation and sharing drinks, coffee, or a meal. The Marlton Hotel and all that it encompasses is definitely a place to check out. We headed even further back into the quieter section of the restaurant where we dined with friends and enjoyed brightly colored, crisp vegetables, including watermelon radishes and a mint tahini for dipping. The appetizers that we ordered to share were both inventive and delicious. Grilled artichokes were served upside down, dipped in whipped burrata with pomegranates and mint, and an assortment of quinoa tabouli, kale harissa, smashed sweet potato, avocado hummus and beets were all part of the The Farmers Board that came on a wooden board with buckwheat crackers for dipping. The fresh kale salad with lemon, chilies and pumpkin seeds was exactly what I craved, wanting to keep my meal simple and light. Others tried the mushroom risotto, a hamburger, and the scallops. Each entree was well-received and then we shared one dessert that was certainly rich enough for the four of us: the chocolate budino with chocolate crumble, olive oil, and sea salt was beyond decadent.

More places on 3rd Street

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The Book Club

Book Club isn’t just for the suburbs anymore — as a new bookshop, bar and coffeehouse gives East Village denizens and beyond a new place to pore over and pour over their favorite reads. Married proprietors Erin Neary and Nat Esten, East Village residents themselves, had longed for an independent bookstore to serve the Alphabet City area, they told the Manhattan Sideways team when we popped in to see dozens of happy customers enjoying a read and a latte one sunny Friday morning. “We always thought that the neighborhood needed another bookstore, ” said Erin, “and we also kept wondering, ‘Wouldn't it be so cool if you could drink wine while you were shopping for books? ’” They decided not only to open a bookstore and bar, but to additionally add in the day-to-night-element of coffee into the mix. While both Erin and Nat had worked in hospitality before, bookselling was new to them. “I started doing research in 2017 and worked with the American Booksellers Association’s consulting program to help new bookstores get off the ground, ” said Erin. “I met with them as well as other bar owners and bookstore owners in the neighborhood and did as much research as I could without actually doing it. ” The duo launched Book Club in November 2019, enjoying an enthusiastic community reception until COVID-19 forced them to pivot. “Nate started doing bike deliveries — as many as 20 miles a day! ” Erin told us. “He’d go out to Harlem to drop off books and then all the way out to Bushwick — so a lot of people learned about the store that way. ”Once they were able to reopen to the public, Book Club forged full steam ahead in engaging the community in “book club”-esque events — from author talks to poetry readings to creative writing workshops, with additional unique offerings like an adult spelling bee and a “drink and draw” sketching class. They’ve also recently received their full liquor license, and plan to roll out literary-themed cocktails like an In Cold Bloody Mary or the Murder on the Orient Espresso Martini, Erin told us. More than anything, she added, she enjoyed having customers back in the store to guide them toward their next favorite book. “Our staff are not just really good baristas, but they’re avid readers as well. So between myself and the rest of the team, we have a really good handle on the books here — it’s fun to be able to curate not just what we stock, but to get the right book into someone’s hands. ”