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Session 73 1 Bars Live Music Music Venues Upper East Side Uptown East

Session 73 is the everyman's live music bar. With a casual vibe and bands that always get the crowd moving, the space is the essential neighborhood watering hole. Ryan Morrissey, the general manager, spoke about the bar's origins and the reason for its success.

Corby Thomas, the owner of Session 73, noticed that there was no venue for live music on the Upper East Side. He opened the bar in 2000, but as a harmonica player, he really wanted to bring in blues and funk groups. The neighborhood, however, made its wishes known and embraced cover rock. "Music is the life blood of this place," Ryan said, adding, "Musicians like being here." Some of the bands return multiple times, including "The Characters" who have been performing at Session since 2002. Many of the bands play "just to have a good time," whereas others are often school teachers or engineers, performing here as an outlet for their creative side. This attitude seems to resonate well with the patrons, as they, too, are able to get into the music. According to Ryan, "People get goofy and have a good time," causing the bar to become "really high energy at night," with people dancing and singing along.

It is not solely about the music: the food and drink have also attracted attention. The bar's sliders have been especially popular since day one, and the innovative cocktails on the menu are often requested, especially since two employees, Lauren and Christina, started infusing their own liquors behind the bar. On the day that some of us from Manhattan Sideways stopped in, the glass vats of cucumber lychee and cucumber lemon gin were about to be switched over to pumpkin spice vodka for the fall. The Moscow mule was mixed to perfection while the special of the day, a cucumber martini, was refreshing. We also tried Ryan's personal favorite, the Strawberry Habanero Margarita with smoked paprika salt on the edge. His description works best: "It doesn't hit you hard, but then you feel it." Finally, we sampled a bright red "wicked lemonade" made with a house-made mixed berry simple syrup.

As we sipped on the concoctions, I asked Ryan about the crowds that they receive. He explained that they get all sorts of people visiting Session 73, but that most are locals rather than tourists. Because of this, they often are quite well-dressed. There is no dress code, but people on the Upper East Side "tend to want to look their best." The busiest day, oddly enough, is Sunday. "It's the craziest thing I've ever seen," Ryan said, wide-eyed, describing the big rush that occurs on what is considered to be the slowest day for most businesses.

Ryan showed us to the Session 73's back room, which is used for private events and holds up to eighty people. A variety of functions happen in this room: Ryan is especially proud of the charity events that the bar hosts, but the back room has seen everything from first birthday parties to funeral wakes. "The bar is here for its neighbors through all stages of life," Ryan offered. "People meet and get married and have kids in this bar." He should know - Ryan met his wife at Session 73. In closing, Ryan shared that his neighborhood staple inspires the locals. When he stands out front, he often hears someone reminiscing about the time that they have spent here. Some of his favorite lines have been, "Remember when we were there last weekend," or "That was a wild night," and, of course, "I love that place!"

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Session 73 1 Bars Live Music Music Venues Upper East Side Uptown East
Session 73 2 Bars Live Music Music Venues Upper East Side Uptown East
Session 73 3 Bars Live Music Music Venues Upper East Side Uptown East
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Session 73 6 Bars Live Music Music Venues Upper East Side Uptown East
Session 73 7 Bars Live Music Music Venues Upper East Side Uptown East
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Session 73 9 Bars Live Music Music Venues Upper East Side Uptown East
Session 73 10 Bars Live Music Music Venues Upper East Side Uptown East

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Heidi's House 1 Bars Beer Bars Wine Bars American undefined

Heidi's House

Ed and his wife Heidi know that being small has its advantages and disadvantages. Their reputation has been growing, which is wonderful, but on many evenings this can also mean up to an hour wait for people hoping to get into the tiny restaurant. Based on its popularity, there is no doubt that the cozy eatery has filled a void uptown. Unlike the East Village, for instance, where every nook and cranny is filled with enticing bars and restaurants, Heidi’s House is the only one of its kind in the immediate area. Ed emphasized that he would not want it any other way - he loves being “part of the fabric of the neighborhood” and interacting with the steady, loyal crowd. Ed and Heidi are both former teachers. The full name of the restaurant is “Heidi’s House by the Side of the Road, ” a reference to a poem of the same name by Sam Walter Foss. While Heidi is presently studying for a masters degree, Ed has been taking on more of the responsibilities in running the restaurant, though Heidi is still the master of the wine list, which has a wide, interesting selection and rotates with the seasons. Ed is the beer man and has steered away from draught, preferring craft and bottled beers. He is also in charge of the space. He put his skills as a former carpenter to use in building the restaurant, finding salvaged wood from the building itself, some of which is over 100 years old. Ed brought out a couple signature dishes for the Manhattan Sideways team to photograph. Cipriano and his sous-chef Heleo Aviles whipped up a plate of bruschetta as well as the seared sirloin steak special, served with fingerling potatoes, red pepper puree, and fresh horseradish sauce. Though it was early, the small space was already bustling, and bartender Rosendo Hernandez had his work cut out for him. When Ed and Heidi first began planning their restaurant, they wanted to create a place where they, themselves, would like to go. They designed an intimate, TV-free zone with great jazz and good food where customers could meet and enjoy a conversation while dining on an eclectic mix of comfort food. For the latter, they found Cipriano Pita, who has been with Heidi and Ed since they first opened Heidi’s House in 2010. Originally from Puebla, Mexico, he is a “natural born cook, ” smart and intuitive. Because of the limited space in Cipriano's "workshop, " Ed said that the produce, meat, and fish are delivered daily. "We have nowhere to store it, so it has to be fresh. " Everything is hands-on, without any corporate elements. The atmosphere is similarly guided by what Ed and Heidi want to see in their space. They brought decorations from home, including framed post cards, quirky sculptures, and a Nepalese window frame. There are board games at the front of the restaurant including checkers, chess, Scrabble, dominoes, and Trivial Pursuit. I was struck by a poem on the wall behind the bar written by a child who came to dine with her family, detailing her experience at Heidi’s. “Everyone wants to be around things that they like, ” Ed pointed out. It was refreshing to experience a place where every detail is decided by what the owners like, not what they assume the customers prefers - in the end, it appears that they are one in the same.

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Lost Gem
Ronald McDonald House New York 1 Non Profit Organizations Social Services For Kids undefined

Ronald McDonald House New York

Ronald McDonald House is a very special place that provides a "temporary 'home away from home' for pediatric cancer patients and their families. " Having had an apartment, for a short time, just a few doors down from their 73rd Street location, I was aware of the wonderful work that they do. When I mentioned to Sophie, one of our Manhattan Sideways team members, that I wanted to feature them on 73rd, she lit up and shared her close connection to the organization on the West Coast. Sophie told me that she was honored to visit and help her mother volunteer with her miniature horses at the Los Angeles and Pasadena chapters. "I was immediately won over by their mission, but even more important, by the children themselves. A significant aspect of their programming is to provide children with the opportunity to just be kids, first and foremost. Seeing the kids interact with the miniature horses showed me how much excitement and exuberance these children have. The smiles on the faces of their parents were always equally heart-warming. "Ronald McDonald House New York has been providing care and support to families since 1978. They "coordinate emotional and physical services, psychological care, ministry support, wellness programs, tutors, music, art, transportation, activities for siblings, holiday and birthday parties, and camaraderie for parents struggling with their child's cancer diagnosis. " In addition, this particular location has a Greek Division that provides services for families from Greece and Cyprus, Camp Ronald McDonald in the summer, classes in English as a second language, therapy for dogs (Angels on a Leash), and Weird Science, where the kids conduct intriguing and engaging experiments. Love and care are Ronald McDonald's central tenants. New York has its own set of angels in the way of the volunteers who play a major role in the day to day lives of the children. The Day Team leads afternoon activities and the Evening Team coordinates birthday parties, holidays, and dinners. The volunteer sign up is a major commitment to help provide a sense of normalcy and strength to the children and their families. If interested in volunteering, please visit their website.

Lost Gem
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KRB

Kate Rheinstein Brodsky, the creator of KRB, was immersed in the world of design and retail from a young age. Her mother, Suzanne Rheinstein, is an internationally recognized designer. Ever since Kate was a child, her mom has run Hollyhock, a Los Angeles furniture boutique. "I really loved retail, " Kate shared, telling me how she would go to Hollyhock after school and work there over summer breaks. As a teenager, she wanted to open a bookstore, but realized that this might be difficult in the digital age. As a "homebody" and frequent hostess, Kate knew that she enjoyed creating beautiful homes, both for herself and others. As she described it, "I loved the feeling of home, of having a nice place to live in. " Ultimately, her passion for retail manifested itself in a career in the design world. Upon graduating from New York University with a degree in art history, Kate worked for Jeffrey Bilhuber, the interior designer. "I love interior design... but I'm not an interior designer, " she said. Working for Jeffrey, however, she learned a lot of things that would help her later on in the world of retail. She realized the importance of customer service and doing things "correctly, in a thoughtful manner. " Following her time with Jeffrey, she worked at Elle Decor, which taught her discipline and introduced her to new looks. "I was exposed to so many different styles, " she explains. "Sometimes you don't know you like something until you see it. " Kate has maintained a good relationship with Elle Decor – they recently featured her Upper East Side apartment as part of their "House Tour, " which brought a collection of readers, impressed by her style, to Kate's boutique. When I visited KRB, I was taken by the variety of colors, as opposed to the usual browns and golds that dominate antique shops. The salesperson, Fiona, said that adding bold colors to antique pieces is one of Kate's trademarks. She showed me some traditional chairs with bright olive green seats as an example, saying, "Green's a big color for her, " before pointing out Kate's love for French opaline. Fiona went on to say that Kate could be inspired by anything. She spoke of a box of old cameos that Kate found. When Fiona inquired, "What are you going to do with those? " Kate answered matter of factly, "I don't know, but I'll figure it out. " Kate elaborated, "I like to reinterpret old things. " By this, she means both in the pieces, as with the chairs, and in the way they are used. She told me that there are many beautiful finger bowls out there that are no longer used - or at least not as finger bowls. Kate encourages customers to use them in new ways, by putting votive candles in them or a small scoop of strawberry ice cream. "I like taking things out of their original context, " she admitted. As another example, she told me about the tric trac tables, tables used to play a precursor to backgammon. The board is so similar to backgammon that the tables have been able to be repurposed. "I get very attached to furniture, " Kate admitted, likening different pieces to rescue animals. "I want them to have good homes. " She realizes, however, that people have different styles and that she may have to wait a while for the right person to come along. She added that although her mother heavily influenced her, the two women do not always see eye to eye on design. "We have our own taste, " she said. Despite their differences, the store is still inspired by her mother's extraordinary career. "I always love watching her, how she explains to people how to incorporate beauty into their life. "There is the possibility that a third generation of Rheinstein women might enter the world of design. In 2015, Kate was the proud mom of new daughter number three. "I love that my children comprehend what I do, " she told me. When they ask her where she is going, she can answer "to the store" and they know exactly where she will be. Owning the boutique means she has a flexible work schedule and can easily spend a lot of time with her children. She specifically opened on the Upper East Side to be near her family – and other families. She wanted to be in a place where people could stumble upon her and buy a housewarming present, rather than in a design-industry-heavy neighborhood. "I just hope I'm on people's path. I encourage them to come look.... browsers welcome. " As for her daughters and what they think of her boutique, Kate told me that her five-year-old recently told her teacher that when she grows up, she wants to be "a mommy and a shopkeeper. "

Lost Gem
Ritika RAvi at IVAR  Jewelry undefined

IVAR by Ritika Ravi Fine Jewelry

Nestled between Madison and 5th Avenue on E 73rd Street is a jewelry box of worldly treasures. Ivar Jewelry by Ritika Ravi, opened December 2022, is the first New York outpost for the designer — a graduate of the London College of Fashion who splits her time between India and the United States, sourcing inspiration for her next piece. “My idea was to take traditional Indian craftsmanship and give it a more contemporary aesthetic, ” Ritika told us when, entranced by the store’s gorgeous pod-like display cases, we found ourselves poring over the delicate filigree and vibrant gemstones of several stackable rings. “There’s always this incredible gold Indian jewelry, that’s so beautifully made — it's so intricate, ” said Ritika, “but it can be very large and not really wearable. I took that concept and the jewelry making techniques and gave it more of a contemporary twist. ” After launching the brand in 2018 and a successful store opening in the Maldives, Ritika set her sights on New York. “It took me almost a year to find the right space, ” she said, adding that it took several trips from India and extended stays in the city to settle on the 825-square foot space on the Upper East Side. Ivar, a woman-owned business, employs a mostly female workforce, “from the front office to stores. ” Now, Ritika is happy to bring traditional Indian jewelry-making techniques and materials like polki (the art of using untreated raw, uncut diamonds) and enamel to the city, as well as incorporate sustainable sourcing practices and a commitment to global outreach — employing skilled artisans who have generations of jewelry-making experience and donating to the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, an organization dedicated to empowering communities in poverty. And after one trip in to meet the talented designer and marvel at each delicate, glittering pod, we’re certain we’ll be back for more than just window shopping.