About usPartner with usSign up to our Newsletter
Location
179 East 86th Street
Neighborhoods
Papaya King 1 Hot Dogs Upper East Side

Papaya King has moved to 1535 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10028


Papaya King has been in business since 1932. It began with a young Greek immigrant named Gus Poulos who made a living by first working in a deli and then owning it. After saving up enough money to go on vacation, he took a trip to Miami where he fell in love with papaya. Upon his return to New York, he sold his deli and opened a tropical juice store called Hawaiian Tropical Drinks. Papaya was almost unknown to New York, so Gus introduced locals to the fruit by having girls in hula skirts hand out free juices. His store became a success, and he soon opened others in Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Gus then fell in love with a young German woman named Birdie, who introduced him to the German food sold at the restaurants surrounding his 86th Street store, which was situated in a very German neighborhood. Gus got hooked on frankfurters and started selling them at his store, along with the juice.

Since then, though many more items have been added to the menu, the core elements have remained the same. The papaya drink is still made using the same ingredients and the winning combination of juice and a hotdog is still the reason why people come to Papaya King. Amzad, the Director of Operations and Regional Manager, told me that some customers have been coming to the store for over thirty years. He also informed me that the same company, Marathon Enterprise, has provided the meat for Papaya King's frankfurters for decades. He smiled as he pointed out, "They got hotdogs in ShakeShack and hotdogs at Burger King, but people still come here." He pointed out that there was even a Nathan's next door for a while. The two businesses engaged in a price war and Papaya King came out on top.

Olivia and Tom, two members of the Manhattan Sideways team, were excited to try some items from the menu. Amzad, mentioning that there are eighteen different toppings, offered them a slawdog, made with coleslaw and pickles, as well as "Side on Top," which was covered in curly fries and chili. Olivia and Tom commented how the toppings turned the hotdogs into two completely different culinary experiences. Amzad said that his personal favorite is the Southern Comfort, topped with chili, coleslaw, and onions. He shared that the company's staff comes up with the ideas for the specialty dogs. For example, the Hula Hula, made with pineapple and jalapenos, was invented by Amzad's team at 86th Street. Some frankfurters are popular on 86th Street but not on St. Mark's Place, their other location - uptown stocks mushrooms as a topping, while downtown no longer offers them, as they were never requested. In sampling the classic Papaya and the Pina Colada drinks, Amzad mentioned that papaya is good for the digestive system, which is why the drink goes so well with hot dogs.

Amzad, who has worked at Papaya King since 1996, was excited to tell me that along with the St. Mark's Papaya King that opened in 2013, the juice and frankfurter store was planning on adding a new location on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. He was looking forward to the expansion and seeing what another decade would bring to Papaya King. "I'm happy to be here," he said with a smile.

Location
Loading
Sign up to Sidestreet Updates
Papaya King 1 Hot Dogs Upper East Side
Papaya King 2 Hot Dogs Upper East Side
Papaya King 3 Hot Dogs Upper East Side
Papaya King 4 Hot Dogs Upper East Side
Papaya King 5 Hot Dogs Upper East Side
Papaya King 6 Hot Dogs Upper East Side
Papaya King 7 Hot Dogs Upper East Side
Papaya King 8 Hot Dogs Upper East Side
Papaya King 9 Hot Dogs Upper East Side
Papaya King 10 Hot Dogs Upper East Side
Papaya King 11 Hot Dogs Upper East Side

More places on 86th Street

Lost Gem
Bard Graduate Center   Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture 1 Art and Photography Galleries undefined

Bard Graduate Center - Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture

When Susan Weber, an American historian, came across the six-story townhouse at 18 West 86th, she knew that she had to do something extraordinary with it. Though Susan received an art history degree from Barnard College, in 1993, she chose to establish the Bard Graduate Center, where advanced students can study humanity's past through the materials it leaves behind. The Center, which is affiliated with Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, is one of only three schools where someone can receive an advanced degree in decorative arts. The degree also focuses on Design History and Material Culture. The program has an excellent reputation for students who wish to pursue a career in a museum. Hollis Barnhart, the Communications Manager for the Center and Gallery spoke to me about the Gallery as "a way of opening something to the public. " The gallery had its first exhibit in October of 1993, called Along the Royal Road: Berlin and Potsdam in KPM Porcelain and Painting, 1815-1848. Since then, the gallery has hosted countless exhibits that, in Hollis' words, "study the things that people have used from antiquity to now. " The exhibits have spanned a wide range of topics from Central European cast iron and English silver to Swedish glass and Indian jewelry. Hollis was proud that the gallery exhibitions can feature everything from “caveman spoons to gold pieces. ”The gallery does not have a permanent collection, and so items are often borrowed from museums and collections from around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. Gallery displays have included many exhibits in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. One of the gallery’s most popular shows was a collection of hats curated by Stephen Jones, a famous British milliner. Since 1996, the gallery has worked with Yale University Press to print beautiful catalogues that accompany each exhibition. Though graduate students occasionally have a hand in designing the main exhibitions, they are very hands-on when it comes to the smaller exhibits, called "Focus Projects. " These are curated displays that mark the culmination of a workshop or seminar. They function both as final projects for students and additional learning opportunities for guests. When I visited the gallery, the graduate students were preparing a collection of materials that demonstrated how the indigenous people of Oceania in the Pacific displayed and adapted their identity in the face of colonial powers. The main exhibition fascinated me: it was an in-depth look at the history of wooden toys from Sweden. The toys dated back to the 1600s and included everything from little planes to detailed doll-houses. The show explored how the toys underscored Sweden's reliance on their expansive forests and how wooden toys are respected throughout the world. As Hollis explained, many of the exhibits tend to have "An international flavor. "

Lost Gem
City Swiggers 1 Beer Shops undefined

City Swiggers

City Swiggers, which opened in 2011, is where casual and professional overlap. The atmosphere of the beer shop / tasting room is neighborly and homey, but each staff member is an encyclopedia of beer information and each bottle has been chosen with the utmost care. The eclectic space, which contains both bar stools and tables, can seat a few dozen people, while the shop experiences the majority of its business from clients grabbing beer to-go. We heard an all too familiar story from owner, Alan Rice, who left the world of finance in order to further explore his passion for beer. Alan said simply, "I loved beer" and then corrected himself: "I still love beer. A little too much, maybe. " The shop, which carries over 900 beers, always has samples of new varieties. Regulars often come in and try the new brews with the staff. Alan believes that he may have the largest selection in the city. The taps are constantly being swapped out, to the point where after two weeks, the beers provided at City Swiggers have completely changed over. In addition to selling bottles, cans, flights, and pints, Alan mentioned that City Swiggers will fill any growler, even those that are not their own. Alan's wife, Pam, has a lot to do with the cozy atmosphere at City Swiggers. She has created most of the artwork - often made from recycled items - that adorns the store. When Manhattan Sideways visited during the winter, we noticed the snowflakes made from six-pack plastic on the front doors, as well as the beer can mobile in the back. Though there is a set of prints on one wall that Pam designed, the larger paintings lining the walls were created by a friend. Pam is also the inspiration behind the small bites offered at the bar. She is the leader of the Veggie Pride Parade and the head of a Vegan newsletter, so City Swiggers offers vegan empanadas from V-Spot. In addition, there are soft pretzels from Schaller and Weber, a German cafe. And for those of us who are not fond of drinking beer, City Swiggers offers wine by the glass and a large array of ciders. Samantha, the extremely knowledgeable bartender who began working at City Swiggers in 2014, was discovered by Alan while she was working at a nearby cafe. He was impressed with all the facts that she was able to rattle off about beer. He invited her to join him and she started that week. Samantha began educating us as she explained that to "tap" a beer is to attach a hose to a keg, but to "pour" a beer is to fill a glass from the tap. She went on to say that one of the most important things to think about in choosing a beer is the freshness of the hops, and that the definition of "cider" differs not only from country to country but from region to region. She also informed us that she had just taken her test to become a cicerone, which is essentially a sommelier for beer. The first master cicerone, we learned, was a woman from the UK. Whereas Samantha admitted that she liked sour beers and super fresh IPAs, Alan stated that he has "always liked variety, " which explains why his store contains such a diverse array. Samantha poured a flight for us so that the team could see just how varied the stock could be. They tried a light melon Gose (a German beer that was cooling and fruity), a tart Wild Ale with red-currents, a red double IPA that was especially hoppy, and an imperial stout with a chocolaty finish. The Manhattan Sideways Team left City Swiggers with their bellies warmed, their thirst quenched, and their heads bursting with beer knowledge.

Lost Gem
West Park Presbyterian Church 1 Churches Founded Before 1930 Historic Site undefined

West Park Presbyterian Church

When I sat down in the minister's office at West Park Presbyterian Church, the first thing I asked was his name. He responded, "I am going to give you the whole thing, and you decide how much you would like to include. " It is a name to be proud of - Reverend Doctor Robert Brashear. Though originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Robert has been at the church since 1995. He first came to New York for an internship from 1982-83, and enjoyed his time in the city so much that he leapt at the opportunity to return when it was presented to him years later. The church has a fascinating history. It was originally formed under the name "North Presbyterian Church" on Bleecker Street in 1829 in response to the growing population of people moving north to escape the Yellow Fever. The congregation soon split and one group became the West Presbyterian Church, moving to a building on Carmine Street. In the meantime, the Park Presbyterian Church was formed on 84th Street thanks to the efforts of A. Phelps Atterbury in 1887. In 1890, Park Presbyterian moved into the red sandstone structure on 86th Street and the two congregations, West and Park, merged in 1911. The church received landmark status in 2000. West Park Presbyterian has always been at the forefront of a lot of political and social issues. In 1978, the church was one of the first to jump into the LGBT movement - the Reverend believes that the shift towards the religious embrace of homosexuality actually started in this church. He explained that the church was the first to perform gay marriages and "acknowledge them as just that. " In terms of other social movements, the Reverend also declared that Senior Housing had its birth on 86th Street. Additionally, during Occupy Wall Street when the people were pushed out of Zuccotti Park, activists were invited to take up housing in the church. Some remained for close to a year. Robert is proud that although the church's membership only consists of a few dozen families, they are continuously written up and receive excellent reviews for the cultural events that they hold. According to the Reverend, the tightly knit community at West Park Presbyterian will always be on the "cutting edge" - where things happen.