Cappuccino Thoughts 86: On What to Do in the West Village [Neighborhood Guide]
+ reading All Fours and a bag pop-up
Cappuccino Thoughts is a weekly newsletter about culture and creativity in New York.
The West Village feels more like a neighborhood than any other part of Manhattan. The buildings are a little lower, the streets are a little more intimate (something about being off the grid of avenues and streets), and there are more independent stores, restaurants, and bookshops than in other parts of the city.
If you’re looking for a great day spent in one of New York’s most iconic neighborhoods, here’s your guide:
Every good day starts with a cappuccino, obviously. I like Kobrick Coffee (for intimate conversations), Café Kitsune, and Do Not Feed Alligators (for truly horrendous service but sceney vibes).
Then head over to Aux Merveilleux de Fred for a chocolate cranique. When I lived in Paris, there was a location of this Belgian chocolatier one block from my apartment and it was such a joy to pick up one of these pastries—basically a giant brioche with chocolate chips—and stroll along the Seine. The Hudson’s not too different, right? I also have always wanted to try the blueberry muffin at Bonsignour, which Gary Janetti declared his favorite (high praise), but it sells out too early in the morning for this bird.
Next, feed the mind by stopping in at Casa Magazines. This New York mainstay has a small but great selection of independent magazines.
You can also pop into the Air Mail Cafe, the physical manifestation of Graydon Carter’s newest media venture. It serves coffee and has a small array of glossy books and magazines. I visited the London location last spring and can attest that, no matter where in the world it is, this cafe attracts the young and beautiful.
Head down Bleecker Street for some window shopping. Pop in to Felix for beautiful linen button downs and colorful goods. Indulge the tourist within for a second and turn on to Perry Street to visit the residence of one Miss Carrie Bradshaw at number 66. Then explore the other great independent stores in the neighborhood including Save Khaki United, which has a beautiful collection of Made in America clothes for men (and this location has a generous sale section), The Locavore Variety Shop, which just opened across from the Jefferson Street Library, and Jones Road Beauty, Bobbi Brown’s latest venture. There, the very beautiful and generous staff will give you a makeover if you’re in the mood. My mother and I did this on her birthday last year and it was so fun to get a little glam. We both have repurchased its products many times.
Oh, and while you’re nearby, why not pop in to Hyer Goods, a gorgeous sustainable leather goods store that sells upcycled handbags, watches, and AirPod cases—and my pencil cases!
For lunch, it depends on your mood and price point.
$: L. and I were recently bowled over by just how good the slices at Bleecker Street Pizza are.
$$: Sogno Toscano has truly outstanding panini—at truly outrageous prices. I limit my visits there to business lunches.
$$$: RH Rooftop is an elegant splurge. Housed on the top floor of Restoration Hardware, it makes your (or at least my) childhood fantasy of living in a furniture store come to life.
After lunch, it’s time for another coffee (right?!) and you should head to Oslo Coffee Roasters, or Mah Ze Dahr for coffee + Middle Eastern-influenced pastries. I am eager to try the new Rhythm Zero location. If it’s anything like its Greenpoint big sister, I expect it to be a scene.
Round out your afternoon with a visit to the high-end home goods store Cursive, stationary store Pink Olive, bookstore Three Lives (ranks in my top 10 / 50!), or the original location of C.O. Bigelow, which went viral recently as the source of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s headbands.
After all that exploring, it’s time for dinner. The West Village is home to some iconic New York restaurants. Pastis, the Waverly Inn, and L’Artusi all live up to the hype. Dante, American Bar, and Bobo (get a table on the roof) attract a younger crowd and are all a good time. For after-dinner drinks, B’Artusi (yes, related to L’Artusi) and the Standard High Line are great options.
Hope you enjoy a great day in the West Village! Let me know if you hit any of these spots or if there are any you would add to the guide.
P.S. This is not in the West Village, but I am heartbroken by the efforts to destroy Elizabeth Street Garden. I have previously written about how special this Soho garden is. I highly recommend reading this post by Patti Smith’s daughter to understand how to take action to save the garden.
Also, following last week’s report on visiting every bookstore in Manhattan, I’m sad to report that we lost one bookstore in that period! The Printed Matter location inside the Swiss Institute closed. I have to say I debated even including that one because it was more akin to a museum gift shop. You can still visit the flagship in Chelsea. That brings our count to an even 50 bookstores on the isle.
Course on Culture and Creativity launching next week
I have heard from *so many* of you that you love reading these dispatches and want to integrate more culture into your life, but you don’t know where to start.
Starting next week, I will be running a five-day email course to help you bring more culture into your life. Each day, you will get an email condensing all of my tips and tricks. You’ll learn how to find creative and cultural things to do, how to find the time, and how to find the people to do it with. It will be free and opt-in, so you won’t be bombarded with emails if you don’t want them.
Here’s the deal: Substack (the platform through which you get this email) only lets me split my reader list into “everyone” or “paid subscribers.” This course will be free, but in order for me to send this course only to the people who really want to get it, I need to send it to paid subscribers only.
If you want to join the course, I’m asking you to sign up for a paid membership. I’ve set up a 14-day free trial, long past the date the course will be over. You will not be charged during the course. You can cancel your paid subscription when the course is over.
So if you want in on the course, hit that free trial button. You will not be charged for the course, and you may cancel your paid membership as soon as the course ends.
Sign up for the course:
Updates on the bag brand
I am very excited to be hosting a pop-up in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn in two weeks! I will have bags, makeup bags, and pencil cases available. And I’m so excited to have Emma Rubinson on site to do embroidery on makeup bags and pencil cases on Sunday from 3-5pm. Stop by to say hi and have a tipple!
Cappuccino Classified
If you are interested in advertising in Cappuccino Thoughts, please email claire.akkan@gmail.com
If you’re looking for help designing a great event poster (like the one above, if I do say so myself), illustrating a beloved family home (a fantastic gift), or commemorating a great moment, James Creissen is the artist for the job. You can reach him through his website for commissions.
Look of the week
I snapped this photo in Tokyo in March and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. In Japan, most people wear neutral colors during the week, but take a lot of care with the materials and silhouette to keep the look interesting. This woman is wearing a black quilted coat, a high-necked white shirt, a long gray skirt, what I believe to be black jodhpurs underneath, white socks, and chocolate brown loafers, topped off with a classic plum Longchamp bag. I like that the look is quite simple, but the different layers, colors, and fabrics add visual interest. Very sharp.
What’s on the bedside table
I know it’s one of the buzziest books of the summer, but I really didn’t like All Fours. It was engaging enough that I read most of it on my flight back to New York from California. It’s about an artist (seemingly based on the author, Miranda July) who leaves her husband and child for a two-week trip across the country. In actuality, she checks into a motel a few miles from her home. She has what could generously be called a transformation or, less generously, a mid-life crisis. I found it very hard to read this book because the protagonist is just so unlikeable. She makes every wrong choice. There are some scenes that are so transgressive that I found them challenging to read. She deeply explores the institution of marriage and menopause and the changes it brings emotionally and physically for women, and just how far someone can go in the name of self-exploration. I read it for a book club and I think we will have a lively discussion. Two stars.
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This week I am trying to get out of Detroit and back to NYC after my plane landed unexpectedly! Summer travel might be over.
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