The reality of finding inexpensive accommodation in NYC means you have to get very creative, and that’s just the way to describe Ye Old Carlton Arms. The hotel is over a hundred years old and has survived respectability, prohibition and being a flophouse for the down and out. It has seen the flotsam and jetsam of life, but in the past 30 years, with the inspiration of passing artists, it has been transformed to a very unique art gallery that just happens to let you stay overnight. Each floor is themed differently – Egyptian Pharaohs ( cast from staff members ) and hieroglyphics shine golden on one level, while on another, images from Australia contrast next to Elvis a la Mickey Mouse, the work of the famous street artist ( and now movie maker ) Banksy. The rooms take you into even more worlds, and while you can’t ask for any theme specifically, I would be hoping for a woodland rather than the engine room. And I would definitely want my own bathroom, as the shared facilities have their own queue-inducing distractions. Accommodation is priced by the person, $130 for a couple in a room with a bathroom, $110 without, and there are cheaper rates in the winter. There are four floors and no elevator, although the staircase will keep you entertained on the way up. The location on East 25th and 3rd is great, the staff are friendly ( and there is a resident cat ) but they make no bones about the fact that their hotel is basic. So whether you want to stay or just call in for touch of New York history, you will be very welcome.
Red Rooster
There is a swish new destination in NYC where you don’t want to get caught in your jeans. Unlike so many restaurants and bars in this city where anything goes, Red Rooster is a place you want to fluff your feathers. After hearing it mentioned enthusiastically by people and press and wondering how ‘southern’ food could win such a following, I had to swing uptown and find out. The Red Rooster is in the heart of Harlem on Lennox and 125th and is the work of Marcuss Samuelsson, a celebrity chef and all round nice guy. He was born in Ethiopia, adopted and raised in Sweden and now lives in Harlem where between television shows and charities, he hosts dinners for President Obama and listens to jazz.
At 6.30 on Saturday night the joint was jumping and there was a 40 minute wait for a table. Sean and I had just come from the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival so we were not dressed for dinner, but couldn’t pass on a cool drink from the bar. There was an interesting mixture of clientele including a group of well heeled women toasting a bride-to-be ( hen party at Red Rooster?! ), a couple of tourists with a map, families, and couples that looked like they travelled from the upper east side for the evening. The atmosphere was super friendly and inviting, so much so that it was fun just to loiter and take in the vibe.
Mr Samuelsson’s spirit of generosity was very evident. So was his background in the southern flavors of the menu. Fried chicken sat next to catfish and (Swedish ) meatballs, and the drinks list offered everything from pitcher’s of punch to french wine to cocktails like ‘Bourbon Negroni’ with roasted fig & pear-infused buffalo trace. I was tempted by the creole bitters in ‘The Spicy Lady’ but anticipating the ride home we settled for an apricot beer instead, which was refreshing and left us with enough puff to enjoy a moment in a street party on the way.
It’s hard to believe how many worlds there are in New York City. You ride uptown past Central Park and suddenly find yourself in a different culture. Sure, Red Rooster may just be another restaurant in a city of many, but it is the combination of parts that makes it so special – and I didn’t even mention the jazz club downstairs…. Days like Saturday remind me what an amazing opportunity I have to live here and be able to experience so much. I’m perpetually grateful.
Charlie Parker Jazz Festival
New York is a jazz city, throughout the year there are concerts and performances by the best musicians in the world. But what makes the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival so special is not only that the music is brilliant, but that it brings together the coolest of the cool, in Harlem, and in daylight!
We were treated to an amazing day at Marcus Garvey Park yesterday. The benches in the amphitheater were packed, and people continued to steam in with their own fold-up chairs, cheerfully jostling for position. Hats were essential for the heat of the sun, and were part of the vibe along with t-shirts boasting attendance of jazz festivals past. Plates of fried chicken, and black beans & rice were passed between friends, and calls of ‘brother’ across the crowd showed there were many. As expected there was a great blend of people – many of the older ones we recognised from the Midsummer Night Swing – as well as locals and children mixing it up. The first couple of gigs were interesting, but late in the day a cool breeze and Rene Marie took the stage at the same time, and the whole atmosphere changed. Backed by piano, bass & drums she had everyone moving with her fabulous voice and those superb rhythms. People sang along and a couple almost stole the show with their dancing. It was one of those joyous unforgettable days. Rene will be performing with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in December, but yesterday she was hitting the groove in Harlem and there was much to celebrate. She even had a little philosophical advice – ‘free your mind and the rest will follow….’
Who needs a TV…?
It’s all happening in midtown this morning. While the details are at the ‘breaking news’ stage, the number of helicopters in the sky are a dead giveaway. By the time I walked over to the next block, fifth avenue was taped off from 35th past the Empire State Building, and the talk was that a number of people had been wounded, and the gunman shot dead by police. It always amazes me how quickly the police descend and defend. Shootings are not an ‘only in New York’ experience, but I would say the speed and substance of the police response is. So do not be deterred. Make plans, book your tickets, come to NYC. The city’s finest will be here to make sure you have a safe trip…
Street Art
The art galleries in New York are full of amazing collections and rare exhibitions. You can spend weeks exploring them and still not see everything. But the joy of New York is that you don’t even have to go to a gallery to see art – it is everywhere. Just strolling up Park Avenue from Grand Central to Central Park takes you past a feast of artistic works. It is an avenue of inspiration, a evolving showcase of surprise. So don’t limit yourself to MOMA and the Museum mile, have a peek at Park…
Sydney skyscaper
I felt a familiar sea breeze on the west side this week and looking up I realised why…..
Courting at the Plaza
From the dim dark ages of my youth, I have vivid memories of visiting the Harrod’s Food Hall at Christmas time and feeling like I was in a dream. There were full feathered pheasants hanging in rows with geese and quails, hares with huge ears poised next to primed piglets, there were fountains of oysters piled high to the ceiling with waterfalls gushing down over the glistening shells, and there were pastries and chocolates displayed like works of art. It was all so fabulously excessive and English, and remains in my mind ( where it cannot be compromised ) as the absolute creme de la creme. Since then sneeze guards and service have changed the look of gourmet food markets, but nevertheless there are still treats to be had.
When the Plaza Hotel was renovated a few years ago and most of the rooms were turned into private condos, there was much dismay about the dismantling of the old kitchens in the basement. While the amenities were not preserved, they were transformed into the Todd English Food Hall, which has given the idea of lunch at the Plaza a whole new audience. The hall is a conglomerate of many smaller gourmet vendors, where you can buy pastries and coffee to go, find some fabulous cheese and sausage, or sit down for sushi or a burger. It’s that classic American combination of casual and flash. There is still a connection to the old Plaza in the smattering of photos of President Kennedy and Grace Kelly on the walls – and of course the unmistakable signature of Eloise with her pink party room around the corner. So whether you are off to the Park for a picnic or on the wrong side of the pond entertaining Penelope, The Plaza will play into that lovely memory of the Manor…..
River Park Restaurant
Bellevue Hospital is probably the most well known medical center in NYC. Spread over the upper 20’s on the east side, it has always been the first port of call if a visiting president is shot, an inmate of Riker’s needs attention, a canny producer wants the ICU for a photo shoot (!), or if you plainly just need to go to a hospital. But times have changed, and now one of the best reasons to go to Bellevue is for the food. Nestled in the midst of the complex of scientific research, facilities for the homeless and the emergency clinic, is an absolute gem of a restaurant. But not just a restaurant, and not just nestled. This place is practically hidden! I felt like I was given a secret sign when I was told to look for the guard house on 29th street and walk to the end. However, I knew I was in the right place when I saw the farm. River Park has a market garden overflowing with enviably fresh produce that adorns the menu and gives healthy recipes a whole new meaning. Apparently the construction of a hospital building extension had been delayed, so the restaurant took advantage of the space and planted herbs, strawberries, tomatoes and all things crunchy and delicious. ( They have tours of the ‘farm’ on Tuesdays ). Having found the farm, we then spotted a modern, architecturally glamorous building sitting next to the FDR with views over the east river. What I may initially have thought was stylishly clinical, the reception area led past a sweeping staircase to the restaurant itself, where style could never be confused with stiff. Looks like a million dollars, costs much less and the staff are friendly and hospitable. This is a place you want to live!
Of course I had to order a dish that maximized the bounty from the farm, which meant having the summer squash frittata, blossoms and mixed greens. Delicious and inspiring. ( My terrace tomatoes will next year become terraced as I endeavour to fill the balcony with vegetables of farm-like proportions. ) Then – spoiler alert – we shared french toast, which seriously challenges the status of Francesca’s in the East Village as my favorite in the city. Made with baguettes and served with peaches poached in a vanilla bean syrup, whipped cream and maple syrup, the bar has been raised.
River Park Restaurant is at the end of East 29th Street, and you can only enter from First Avenue ( not from the river side ). Dress is totally New York – you can go casual or in a ball gown, and you will warmly welcomed regardless. The best thing is that you don’t need a medical emergency to go….
Summer Streets
For the first three Saturdays in August Park Avenue is closed to cars all the way from Central Park to the Brooklyn Bridge, and the result makes you wonder how there was ever room for cars in the first place. Summer Streets is hugely popular, not just for the bikers, skaters and runners of the city, but also for all bike related vendors who make the most of the opportunity to show off their wares. I actually hit the streets very early on Saturday, driven by the sleepless humidity and the anticipated joy of that sliver of time between the police locking down the street and the arrival of the two tyred tourists. It was a cool and empty passage from here to the Bridge, like omega woman on wheels – fabulous! But the racks of bikes that lined the street on the way down were gone by the time I loitered at City Hall and turned around. Queues for the free bike rentals went around the block, as the olympicly inspired along with the wobbly wheeled showed there are some things you never forget…
TheFitzyreport 
