Riverside Drive in New York City is full of elegant turn of the century mansions and doors. Here are three. The Hendrik Hudson, River Mansion and The Buddhist Church doesn’t have a very nice building, but I like the statue.
Chumley’s is a historic pub and former speakeasy at 86 Bedford Street between Grove and Barrow Streets in Greenwich Village, New York City. It was established in 1922 by the socialist activist Leland Stanford Chumley, who converted a former blacksmith’s shop near the corner of Bedford and Barrow Streets into a Prohibition-era drinking establishment. The speakeasy became a favorite spot for influential writers, poets, playwrights, journalists, and activists, including members of the Lost Generation and the Beat Generation movements.
Chumley’s has no exterior sign. It’s located at the end of a nondescript courtyard (“The Garden Door”), while the Bedford Street entrance, which opens to the sidewalk, is also unmarked. Inside, Chumley’s is still equipped with the trap doors and secret stairs that composed part of its elaborate subterfuge.
The term “86” may have originated when an unruly guest was escorted out of the 86 Bedford St. door. A different version in Jef Klein’s book The History and Stories of the Best Bars of New York: “When the cops would very kindly call ahead before a [prohibition-era] raid, they’d tell the bartender to ’86’ his customers, meaning they should exit via the 86 Bedford door, while the police would come to the Pamela Court entrance.”
A 9/22/2020 Literary Landmarks Register plaque describes Chumley’s as: A celebrated haven frequented by poets, novelists, and playwrights, who helped define twentieth century American literature. These writers include Willa Cather, E.E. Cummings, Theodore Dreiser, William Faulkner, Ring Lardner, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Eugene O’Neill, John Dos Passos, and John Steinbeck.
Posted on the walls of Chumley’s were the covers of books supposedly worked on there. Owing to its historical significance, Chumley’s is a stopping-place for various literary tours.
The building that houses Chumley’s is linked to four others, all damaged since the wall collapse in 2007. Several buildings are completed and are now condominiums. The space that housed Chumley’s needed to obtain a new permit before it could re-open as a bar (New York Times of December 31, 2012).
Chumley’s re-opened on October 18, 2016 as a reservations-only dinner restaurant featuring upscale bar food and “mixology” drinks. The dining room is about 10% smaller in height and width than it was, and the “Garden Door” is permanently closed. The new owner is Alessandro Borgognone, who also owns the nearby Sushi Nakazawa. (source: Wikepedia)
I took these during a walk before we both started to feel ill. We have a possible mild form of the virus or flu and the doctor we video conferenced with said to stay home and wait it out.
Our family went to the Margeret Sanger Clinic many years ago.
The Guradian Angel Church is on Hudson Street. I was intrigued to see that the Seminary has its own manhole cover.
We needed to take care of dental and prescription tasks so walked up to the Midtown area on March 16th.
The history of the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration on 29th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues is fascinating. “The rector of the nearby Church of the Atonement, which is no longer extant, refused to conduct funeral services for an actor named George Holland, suggesting, “I believe there is a little church around the corner where they do that sort of thing.” Joseph Jefferson, a fellow actor who was trying to arrange Holland’s burial, exclaimed, “If that be so, God bless the little church around the corner!” and the church began a longstanding association with the theater.” It is still known and the little church around the corner. The Neo-Gothic style church was built in 1849.
The second church is Calvary Church at 277 Park Avenue South between 21-22 Street. “The Calvary Church parish was founded in 1832, and initially used a wooden-frame church on what was then Fourth Avenue – which has since become Park Avenue – uptown of its current site. That building was moved to the current location in 1842, and the new Renwick-designed Gothic Revival sanctuary was completed in 1848. Renwick patterned Calvary after twin-towered French cathedrals, but, unlike Grace Church, Calvary was constructed of brownstone. The church’s two wooden spires were removed in September 1860 when they became unstable; the octagonal bases remained but eventually deteriorated and were removed in 1929.” I recommend following the link to see the pictures on Wikipedia.
I have limited my exposure to others so I am not going outdoors often. I have some doors to post taken on March 14th while taking a walk in Greenwich Village.
