Filter by our Side PicksMy finds on the East Side emitted beautiful aesthetic and cultural significance. Established by Czech and Slovak immigrants in 1867, Sokol is a recreational space with its own library of artifacts from Czechoslovakia. Yew Tree House Antiques … read more
Sokol was an inspiring find on East 71st Street. Founded in Prague by philosopher Dr. Miroslav Tyrs in 1862, Sokol (the Slavic word for “falcon”) has numerous international branches all devoted to physical, educational, cultural and social growth. Sokol New York was begun in 1867 by Czech and Slovak … read more
“This is what we love,” explained Kevin Kleinbardt, who opened Yew Tree House Antiques with Ahna Petersen in the mid 1980s. While other antique shops have shrunken or folded in previous years, Yew Tree House has actually seen expansion in retail space, largely a testament to the owners, who shared with … read more
Opened in 1994, Leon Tovar Gallery focuses on Modern Latin American Art of exemplary quality. When I visited in the summer of 2015, I was fascinated by the optical illusion-like qualities many of the pieces displayed in the Visions exhibit. One by Carlos Cruz-Diez, a Venezuelan kinetic and op artist, … read more
Helen Clay Frick, always an art enthusiast, founded the Frick Art Reference Gallery in 1920 as a public reserve and in loving memory of her father, Henry Clay Frick. Originally housed in the basement bowling alley of the Frick Collection, the library moved to its current location in 1935, transformed … read more
“I was headed to the 72nd Street subway, and I walked down the wrong street,” William Conrad related. The year was 1955, the “wrong street” was 71st, and what he came upon was the Vedanta Society, a universal religious organization with the philosophical essence of Hinduism. Now in his nineties, Mr. … read more
Pasha has gained a reputation in the neighborhood as well as with people visiting the area for its authentic, traditional Turkish cuisine. Since 1997, the cozy arrangement of rugs, chairs, and pillows in unique and colorful patterns has been welcoming customers in the front lounge. The main dining room … read more
Raised by parents from Sicily and Naples, Nick Mormando grew up in an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn, exposed to authentic Italian food in a comfortable setting. “We were the house on the block that was always cooking something,” Nick explained. And he still is, having stayed true to his family recipes … read more
In 1887, Father Matthew A. Taylor founded the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, and in 1919, in an effort to accommodate an impressive following, the Roman Catholic Church was moved to its current residence just in front of the School of the Blessed Sacrament.
Designed by architect Gustave E. Steinback, … read more
I discovered this small pocket of nature many years before reaching 71st Street on my journey across the side streets of Manhattan. It has always been a joy to surprise my friends with this tiny bit of greenery within the urban city side streets. Septuagesimo Uno (Latin for seventy-one) is considered … read more
