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A City Guide Through Lomo Eyes

* This report is collected from trips in January 2006 and October 2008.

Does NY ❤ I ?

Like everyone else, “I ❤ NY” too.

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UPPER EAST SIDE

Nuts in Central Park

John McWhinnie @ Glenn Horowitz Bookseller and Art Gallery
50 1/2 East 64th Street (Madison – Park Ave)
NY 10065

The slightly obscured 50-and-a-half

Bookshop and art gallery with a collection of rare and collectible books in art, literature, photography and design.

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MIDTOWN

October day on 5th Avenue

J.Press
380 Madison Avenue (W 46th – 47th)
NY 10017

The smartened-up shop

I have to say, I much prefer the woody, studious mood of J.Press’s previous shop complete with staff and customers all over fifty but I understand that brands have to move on with the times. Now in a sleeker and shinier location but you can still find all the traditional Ivy League classics and selected handcrafted pieces from Europe.

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CHELSEA

Apartment blocks

The Antiques Garage Flea Market
112 West 25th Street (6th Ave)
NY 10011

Prom dresses and other forgotten articles of clothing

Browse the wares of NY antiques and junk traders under the comfort of a shelter. Apparently the flea market was going to be pushed out of its location by a developer who wanted to turn it into a hotel but was saved by the sinking economy of 2008. What an irony.

City Bakery
3 West 18th Street (5th Ave)
NY 10011

Pumpkin pie and more

Wonderful, amazing, heavenly, perfect… I could go on and on. As I sunk my teeth into their textbook-perfect buttery, fluffy croissant with a savoury twist, I momentarily considered moving so that I can eat here everyday. It’s not only because everything tastes so good, City bakery has its heart in all the right places too: ingredients are of top quality, recycling bins are provided for waste and they have opened up “green” bakeries in the Villages. If I could only do one thing in NYC, I’d stop by City Bakery to load up on their near-legendary offerings.

Moscot’s
69 West 14th Street (6th Ave)
NY 10011

Moscot’s since 1915

Classic optical store with great iconography.

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GRAMERCY AND UNION SQUARE

New York University Main Bookstore
18 Washington Place (Greene)
NY 10003

Store banner

Best for souvenirs. I especially like their sports club t-shirts on Champion bases.

Shakespeare & Co. Booksellers
716 Broadway (Washington Place)
NY 10003

Brown amongst the greys

Cosy, independent bookstore. I much prefer the limited selection here than the 18 miles of books at the Strand that is eternally messy and I can never find anything I want anyway.

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GREENWICH VILLAGE AND WEST VILLAGE

Along Avenue of the Americas

Bigelow Chemists
414 6th Avenue (8th – 9th Street)
NY 10011

The window

When I first stepped into C.O. Bigelow, I had the sense that much had gone on in this well-preserved building. Not surprising since the business has been at its current location for more than 150 years and claims to be the oldest apothecary in America. Today it is still bustling with activity with pharmacists dispensing prescriptions to the locals and shoppers browsing for all sorts of personal care products and Bigelow’s own line of formulations.

Birdbath
145 7th Ave South (Charles St)
NY 10014

Sustainability and deliciousness

From the people who made City Bakery so you can be assured that everything tastes very good.

International Boutique
500 Laguardia Place (W Houston – Bleecker St)
NY 10012

From the outside, it looks like a mom-and-pop shop but I always manage to find something to buy here. The first time it was a pair of Dickie’s youth-size hickory stripe overalls and the second time it was a pair of Minnetonka tramper boots with crepe outsole, surprisingly difficult to find despite the resurgence.

Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker Street (West 11th Street)
NY 10014

People at Magnolia

For me, going to Magnolia’s West Village location to join the queue of cupcake enthusiasts has become an NYC ritual.

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EAST VILLAGE

Chinatown Brasserie
380 Lafayette Street (E 4th – Great Jones St)
NY 10003

Raise the red lanterns

Prior to moving to London, I would never consider dim sum for dinner but my opinion has changed now. I enjoy the small plates grazing activity that dim sum is so well-suited to, much like the Spanish tradition of tapas. If you have a sudden craving for dumplings but can’t rough it out in Chinatown (like me), try Chinatown Brasserie. Don’t be put off by the clichéd modern-dark-oriental-sexy-opium-den decor, everything I tried was delicate, flavourful and prettily presented, staying true to the art of dim sum.

Pommes Frites
123 2nd Avenue (St Marks Place – E 7th Street)
NY 10003

Fresh fries

The twice-fried chips here are suitably crisp (on the outside) and fluffy (on the inside) but the novelty lies in the myriad of sauce accompaniments such as sambal olek, parmesan peppercorn and curry ketchup.

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SOHO, NOLITA AND CHINATOWN

Country-like in the city

Dean & Deluca
560 Broadway (Prince Street)
NY 10012

Dean & Deluca

The original SoHo location of the world-famous D&D is another of my NYC rituals.

Fong Inn Too Inc.
46 Mott Street (Bayard – Pell Street)
NY 10013

Hong An

I come here primarily for doufu hua – warm, wobbly soy bean pudding sweetened with syrup – because it’s not as easy to find a fresh one in London. If you are visiting from Asia, you can skip this.

Kiosk
95 Spring Street (Mercer Street – Broadway)
2nd Floor
NY 10012

Closed on Sundays and Mondays

I wished I had more to say about Kiosk but I visited on a day they were not opened. From the look of the website, it looks like a fun place so don’t make the same mistake as me.

Lombardi’s
32 Spring Street (Mulberry – Mott Street)
NY 10013

America’s first pizzeria or not, I still love the pie experience at Lombardi’s that is somehow so different to the ones back home in London.

Michele Varian
35 Crosby Street (Broome – Grand Street)
NY 10013

Window

The designer’s handbags and pillows are not exactly my taste but there is an interesting selection of home objects and gifts in her SoHo store. 

Olive’s
120 Prince Street (Wooster – Greene Street)
NY 10012

Lunch crowd

The most perfect lunch shop in the world.

Opening Ceremony
35 Howard Street (Broadway – Crosby St)
NY 10013

Opening Ceremony of another kind

You may have noticed the lack of fashion shops in this guide. It’s not because New York is a lousy shopping destination but quite the opposite – it’s full of amazing flagship stores and giant department stores that need no further introduction. I imagine it must be difficult to run an independent select shop in this city. Opening Ceremony is one that has managed to carve a comfortable niche and stocks a selection of interesting brands from America, Asia and Europe. Their own line of clothing and accessories is very credible too.

Santa Maria Novella
285 Lafayette Street (Prince – E Houston Street)
NY 10012

The New York branch of this famed pharmacy from Florence is housed in an exceedingly pretty building and that alone is a good enough reason for me to visit as the London store is about one-tenth of its size. Concoctions are made to standards and procedures established since its founding days in the 16th century. The best part though is the modest and utilitarian packaging with vintage imagery that only a brand with real history and roots can pull off.

Supreme
274 Lafayette Street (Prince – E Houston Street)
NY 10012

Still on top of the game after so many years.

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream
At corner of Greene and Prince Streets
NY 10012

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream Truck

I encountered Van Leeuwen’s truck just as I stepped out of A.P.C. and was drawn to the nature study-like illustrations immediately. The ice-cream here is the yin to il laboratorio del gelato’s yang: gentle, delicate and very light.

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LOWER EAST SIDE

Babycakes
248 Broome Street (Orchard – Ludlow St)
NY 10002

Early morning at Babycakes

I come to Babycakes not because I believe that vegan cupcakes is better for your health (a cake is a cake) but because I appreciate their mellow sweetness. This tiny shop is cute in a shambolic way and if you come early enough, you can enjoy wafts of sweet, fresh baking. I was treated to intoxicating chocolate brownie scents.

Clinton St Baking Company & Restaurant
4 Clinton Street (E Houston – Stanton St)
NY 10002

Breakfast selections

The blueberry pancakes here are so popular that they have crept into the evening menu. I skipped that and went for a biscuit and egg breakfast though. The fluffy biscuit is one of the best I’ve ever had though I found the potato hash to be on the bland side.

il laboratorio del gelato
95 Orchard Street (Broome – Delancey)
NY 10002

Intense and pure flavours – I had the maple syrup and walnut flavour and it was unforgettable.

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New York Randoms

Ticket machine

View from the taxi

Signage

In a corner in Dean & Deluca

Layered and frosted

Those famous cupcakes

Wallpaper

Breakfast crowd

Lunch bar

Strand Bookstore cooking section

Stopping for a slice

Bloomingdale’s

Neon

Autumn on the street

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