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While Paul and Nur take over the world, a prolific institution is closing. And, it’s quite sad even as my mother just called it a bit “tired.”
The New York Daily News reports “The Algonquin (59 West 44th Street), the hotel where literary figures of the 1920s held court at the Round Table, is becoming a Marriott.” Another mass-produced hotel groomed under the Marriott belt. Thanks, a lot.
From “Hotel Stories“, by Francisca Matteoli – “The Algonquin” – Dorothy Parker
“The Algonquin is everything a literary hotel should be. Snug, discreet, cozily retro, the perfect rendezvous for the creme de la creme of the literary and publishing worlds, as well as theater lovers, with armchairs so welcoming comfortable that they are taken by storm every evening at cocktail time. You will often find the Algonquin cat sleeping between magazines left in the foyer and if you catch sight of Michael Lyons, the Bell Captain, bustling around, then all is well. This friendly athletic-looking guy might look young but he certainly knows what he is doing – he’s been at the Algonquin for nearly forty years. Sir John Gielgud, Sir Laurence Olivier, the Redgrace clan, Peter Ustinov, Jonathon Price, Angela Lansbury and Anthony Hopkins have all been seduced by the Bohemian 1930s atmosphere and those famous armchairs. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe wrote My Fair Lady in Loewe’s room, and many a Broadway playwright has memories of contracts signed in the Oak Room restaurant. The artist Duffy published the first caricature in 1920 of what everyone would later refer to as the Round Table of The Algonquin, composed of around 30 editors and journalists who greatly influenced the style of American literature by their debates and discussions, hang-ups and obsessions, bitter judgements and witty “sound-bites”.
Gone is yet another time; down the drains of New York literary history. Dear Marriott: May the ghosts of these writers forever haunt your touristic guests!
At the table, clockwise from left: Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Alexander Woollcott, Heywood Broun, Marc Connelly, Franklin P. Adams, Edna Ferber, George S. Kaufman, Robert Sherwood. In back from left to right: Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt, Vanity Fair editor Frank Crowninshield and Frank Case. (by Albert Hirschfeld).
Off the streets snap via Condor.
I mean, really, who doesn’t?
The Old Terry of Vice daze goodbye and now bff’ing with Ollie and upper crust.
Seriously, bru.
Bring it back.
Even Terry’s a bit vain on the whole thing via his D Boy posting.
Come on’ Brutastic…let’s do this thing,
r e i n v e n t !
I wish no ill will on fallen restaurants but as the New York Times reports on the latest casuality Gansevoort 69, “After a year of trying to succeed (and to succeed Florent), this diner-style place has closed.” I Loved New York already touched on the situation this time last year. And in the wake of other newbies like the Standard Grill and the ole’ standby Pastis; the place really didn’t have the shoes to fill. Plus, breakfast isn’t as popular as it once was – sans my mother’s breakfast for dinner menu.
Per the owners via Eater: “We failed…People who go to the meatpacking district today want to wine and dine…They’re not interested in ham and eggs at a diner. I think the diner thing has to go.”
Yikes; and to add further insult to injury, the old 69 website is shut down with a loud message:
It remains to be seen what concept will enter the menagerie that is the meatpacking district. My advice: re-concept the entire joint, maybe just a chill bar, but please keep the bar. Please.
(photo NY Magazine)
The pink facade of Sissy Accessories perched on the corner of Spring and Lafayette (yes, directly across the street from the battle Galactica that is Duane Reade) is closed for business. The shop carried luxury Italian goodies and although I cannot say I ever purchased anything, the place carried a history. Which is now history. Toast.
I cannot wait to see what type of Rag and Bone enterprise throws up in this money space. Double corner potential is key people! This off the heels of Label‘s moving sale about a hundred feet up the street. Okay, kids, we have a real problem here, especially if a SoHo style Michael Kors boutique or again a wealthy indy brand heads over.
It’s hard to believe such a special, tight-knit neighborhood, much like that of West Village’s Bleecker Street has fallen like a stack of cards. What do you have left? $3.00 Gatorades at DR (the new version of Heaven), $10 Heinekens at Delicatessen and a blank canvas by which new business is killing.
Thanks Downtown New York, seriously per my recent washing of the hands of Spring Street (I Hardly Knew Thee).
Image: the street savvy Christina Dalle Pezze.
Time is UP! It’s been on Paul’s agenda (between his zero star jammy Kenmare and sailing expeditions in the sound) and now the once cool edgy club is about to hit a wall. Neighbors of lower west Spring Street line up your ear plugs. And, you thought Sway was bad?
Eater says says: The new owners are promising a “return to Old Skool NYC, when downtown was downtown and uptown and uptown was uptown.”
Um, okay that makes sense.
Dear Terry; I knew I could count on you or Ollie to document when Don Hills would sink the biz. However, Ollie is holed up (quite literally) at the Standard with his new Native American chick, working his sexy angle and I can count on you to document the goings-on of downtown NYC. I really appreciate that; although you make it look much more edgy than it actually is in 2010. Don’t you miss the good ole’ days?
So; it looks as if we say farewell and good night good luck and all those pleasantries which Paul bestows on his “relaunch ideas” for his rock n’ roll fellows, A to B listers and those other hangers-on. The list is so boring even I yawn as I type this. Lucky for the Kenmare crowd to be able to venture so close to their haunt, perhaps by taxi or bicycle. Another landmark gets a jolt by a cool “club kid” even though he plays it down.
Wonder if he’ll spin during fashion week previews?
Ollie should be of sound mind by then…
Oh brother!
x Kitty.
PS: Eater says says: The new owners are promising a “return to Old Skool NYC, when downtown was downtown and uptown and uptown was uptown.”
Um, okay that makes sense.
(images: DEATH BEFORE CASTRATION… at Don Hills last night from of course, Terrys Diary)
A sad farewell (then and now) from Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York on the death of a newstand; which I walked by for three years on my way to 19th Street and 5th Avenue. Love those tattered old newsstands. Look at the new, news dwelling; slick.
Look at that clean white space on the side begging for dough! JVN says “you will soon see an advertisement–for Jaguar cars or Coach bags.This is how a city dies, little piece by little piece. A thousand cuts.”
The smell of new car…everywhere.
Since 1995, the boutique Label has been operating out of 265 Lafayette Street. Not anymore. Time is up and up. Make way for a sale and pending 2011 move.
Racked posts an “End of an Era” Sale (July 27th thru August 1st). Truly the end of an era as a giant Duane Reade opens down the block and Cafeteria’s offspring, Delicatessen serves up its $10 Heinekens. See ya.
(image: New York Magazine)
I still have my faded pink corduroy jean jacket, see photos.
This is another skid-row landmark one won’t forget– especially during my four years in Hells Kitchen. Ah, the Playpen which seemed to be spared of the Times Square clean-up. The New York Times wrote a nice farewell to the eighth avenue establishment which certainly lived a long life until 2007. It’s the gallery of photos is most impressive; shows off the theatre’s structure and history. Certainly to all be part of another grand commercial scheme by Tisch. This old New Yorker won’t forget walking by many days with iced coffee or on her way home from work.
(images: New York Times)
via New York Times obituary:
“This is a very important thing that we hold the string to,” he said of the Yankees, his voice cracking. “This is the people’s team.”
In building it into a fabulously successful and exceedingly lucrative enterprise, he never lost sight of his credo. As he told The New York Times in 1998: “I hate to lose. Hate, hate, hate to lose.”
“The best restaurant for the best value in New York is closing.”- Mark James.
Irish-born chef Damien Brassel is serving up his last meal this evening, June 26th.
So long to Knife + Fork (established: 2006), the nice mom-and -pop eatery which dished some fresh, reasonably priced food (a six-course tasting menu for $45) in the East Village. Wow! According to their FB page: “Sad day at Knife+Fork, we will be closing our doors on the 26th of June. Thursday 6/24 through Saturday 6/26, we will be running our award-winning chef’s tasting menus exclusively. This is your last chance to catch it! Thanks everyone for your support over the past four years! We’ll keep you posted on what’s next…”
And, the list goes on and on for these little gems. Failure to support; you clearly see what happens.
Damn. This is a massive buzz kill to excellent caffination via Stumptown coffee at City Girl Cafe (not to mention direct trade @ fair prices). Where will the 60 Thompson guests get their good Joe? I guess they’ll stay at the Ace or hope the owner reopens in the barrio.
This was an easy winner for the nabe. Don’t quite know what went wrong on this front (sans the usual rent increase, takover, etc)
Kitty Bawler says: Ollie, You Can’t Go Home Again. Yes, yes the ruins of poor old Beatrice. RIP. Let it rest. The ghosts of celebrities past.
Have you been to the Waverly mate? Oh, no cameras allowed, shutterman. Balls!
Why don’t you watch some footie today instead? Report on something a bit more newsworthy because as we know, the Beatrice is long, long gone. A relic mate. A mere relic.
(image: Purple Diary)
