Meet 91st Street
An eclectic street filled with places of worship, a museum, and to my delight, not one but two children’s shops, 91st Street had plenty to offer as I ambled across town. My first encounter was Eli’s Vinegar Factory, a large, warehouse-like space owned by Eli Zabar. Located far to the east, the ground floor functions as a marketplace and small café, whereas the second floor serves brunch on the weekends and can be rented for private events.
Right next door, I discovered Art Farm, which, surprisingly, has an indoor petting zoo. Based on a model that was started in the Hamptons, the Art Farm offers a wide variety of programs for children, including arts and crafts classes and cooking workshops. Every activity, however, includes a trip downstairs to visit the colorful amphibians and reptiles, fluffy bunnies, guinea pigs and more. I did not expect to find yet another terrific location dedicated to kids on the same street, but just a block to the west I walked into The Children’s General Store (Lost Gem), an enchanting toy shop that stocks educational games, puzzles and other intriguing items that encourage parents to interact with their children.
Though there are not many businesses near Park Avenue, I passed by a residence of note: Patrick Dennis, the author who brought us “Auntie Mame,” resided on 91st Street in the 1950s in a Beaux Arts townhouse. I then walked past some spectacular dwellings, thanks to a trend in the early 1900s to build mansions in the neighborhood surrounding Fifth Avenue. The Russian Consulate is housed in such a building, as is the Cooper Hewitt Museum that was once Andrew Carnegie’s mansion. One of the more breathtaking examples of architecture, the Burden Mansion, is now considered part of the Convent of the Sacred Heart.
Crossing the park, I found even more structures steeped in history. For example, I passed Young Israel of the West Side, which boasts an Old European-style sanctuary. In Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, I looked up at one of the most stunning chandeliers I have encountered while walking on the side streets of Manhattan, as well as an extraordinarily detailed Tiffany stained glass window. On the more curious side, I passed the Old Guard building, where the Old Guard veterans group resides. It traces its roots back to the Civil War.
My walk ended at Riverside Park. The landscape was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1875 and today stretches along the Hudson River for several miles both north and south of 91st Street. On the day that I walked through the park, the fields, hillocks, trees, and flowers offered a springtime oasis.
