Filter by our Side PicksIn the 1920s, Turtle Bay, as this part of the east side of town is known, became a fashionable area in which to reside. Homes were restored and people began to participate in cultivating community gardens between 48th and 49th Streets.
​Beginning my walk, I paid close attention to this peaceful … read more
I stumbled upon Wallace Church through pure happenstance. As I was walking past a brownstone, I caught a glimpse of a simple window display that drew me to a halt. Although at first glance the building looked like someone’s home, I tried the door. It was open, so in I went and discovered that in addition … read more
While predominately an online venture, La Rukico Tailors has its headquarters on the east side of 48th, within close proximity of many corporate offices. It was here that I was able to get a behind the scenes look at this impressive father and son operation.
The owner, Kelly La Rukico, considers himself … read more
Named after Bible verses in Isaiah (the wolf and the lamb shall feed together), this restaurant opened in Manhattan in 1998, and expanded to Brooklyn the following year. Initially a traditional kosher deli, it later reinvented itself as a steakhouse. The extensive menu ranges from matzo ball soup to … read more
Initially serving as a resting stop for Scandinavian sailors when they disembarked in lower Manhattan, the Swedish Seaman’s Church opened its doors on Water Street in 1873. The neo-Gothic building in which the Church currently resides was constructed in 1921 for “The Bible House” before being sold to … read more
Stepping inside, I initially had no idea of this saloon’s storied past. Originally opened in 1892 on Sixth Avenue and 49th Street, Hurley’s Saloon is considered one of the oldest restaurants in New York City, and has been serving its traditional Irish pub food for over one hundred years. We were told … read more
Tucked between a Swiss and an Italian restaurant, Scent Elate brings Eastern spirituality to the neighborhood. With the doors swung open, the aromas were an enticing trail that led me into this tiny boutique packed with an array of incense, candles, soaps, oils and lotions. Scent Elate also has books … read more
Another great bar from the Hell’s Kitchen Hospitality Group, the Jolly Monk, opened during the summer of 2014. When their marketer, Maria Gee, invited me to come by, I was more than happy to check out the company’s latest venture. Although their address is on Ninth and the large picture windows open … read more
Clinton Garden is a striking testament to the power of residential communities in New York. One of the earliest examples of urban agricultural reclamation, the garden was created in 1979 in a lot that had been abandoned for twenty-eight years. Seeing potential in the space and hoping to improve the area … read more
Only in New York can one hear stories of a couple where one grew up on 44th Street, they met in a bar on 43rd, and now have opened their own tiny, but very special bar on 48th. Suzy Darling and Joe Witham are an adorable and, might I add, very talented pair. Suzy trained with Alvin Ailey as a teenager, … read more
