Cappuccino Thoughts 109: On How to Spend a Day in Tribeca, Manhattan [Neighborhood Guide]
+ spring has come at last and how the pop-up went
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The other day, when I was walking out of the Fulton Street station downtown, two young women looked around and said, “Oh, it’s so cute!”
I laughed out loud. Downtown Manhattan is many things, but cute is not an adjective that has ever crossed my mind. That said, Tribeca (which stands for “Triangle below Canal Street.” which surprisingly few people seem to know) is a lot of people’s favorite neighborhood. I enjoy making the trek downtown about once a year, and last week marked my annual visit. Here’s how I’d spend a day:
-Have breakfast at Rigor Hill Market. It’s a neighborhood market and small cafe serving what I’d affectionately call “picky picky girl food” — think breakfast sandwiches, quiche, fresh soups, and toasted peanut butter and jelly.
-Stop in at the original Todd Snyder store. Snyder took over an old liquor market and the store retains a lot of that feel. It’s a unique spot for a menswear classic.
-Take a picture at Ghostbusters Headquarters. This is the actual firehouse for the Hook & Ladder Company 8.
-Have lunch at Bubby’s. It’s a very popular spot serving the best version of classic American food. Good for a gossip session, too.
-Window shop at La Garconne. This store would be among my first stops if I won the lottery (or had a fat banking bonus. I don’t). It sells the kinds of brands that no one has heard of, but fashion editors rave about. All the clothes are cut beautifully and also cost about a month’s rent. Fun to look.
-Get coffee at Laughing Man, a nice, large space to enjoy an Australian coffee and snack.
Hugh Jackman owns this cafe. It also hosts comedy events (hence the name) after hours.-Window shop some more at Nili Lotan, one of the current cool girl brands, and 180 The Store.
-Peek in at the Mysterious Book Shop. This was one of my favorite bookstores in Manhattan during my quest to see all of them. I especially recommend visiting at Christmas. Each year the shop commissions an author to write a Christmas mystery short story that partly takes place at the shop. I’m not a mystery reader, but this is still worth a gander.
-Go to jazz at The Django in the basement of the Roxy Hotel. This is one of my favorite jazz clubs in the city. It’s very cozy (partially due to the entire lack of natural light) and the tables are small, so don’t bring a large group. But the musicians are always top-notch. I saw a lovely father-daughter duo last time I was there. Do make a reservation. Also, take a picture in the photo booth in the lobby.
-Take a steam at Aire (pronounced like the Spanish would, “ah-ray”). This place felt like what Tolstoy described when his characters would “take to the baths” to “restore their health.” It is like a miniature QC Spa or what Bathhouse was aiming for and missed. The space, a renovated 1883 textile factory, has a variety of water features, such as a tepidarium (a pool with warm water), a frigidarium (a cold plunge), a sauna, and my favorite, a salt bath that makes you float. This was a much more relaxing experience than floating in the Dead Sea!
-Some final places that are outside Tribeca, but still in downtown Manhattan:
Conwell Coffee is a charming new coffee shop in a converted bank building. It has kept the teller booths and you order through them. It also has gorgeous art deco murals and those cool green library lamps.
The Little Shop is a cocktail bar in the back of an otherwise normal bodega. Your only indication that you’re in the right place will be the disproportionate number of interesting looking 20-somethings in the bodega aisles.
Visit the 9/11 Memorial. I’m ashamed to say I had never seen it in person. I was moved by the beautiful structure. It is a somber reminder of a devastating time in this great city’s history.
Pi Bakerie is a delicious, casual Greek cafe with great food and desserts.
And finally, for a capital “O” Occasion, The Fulton by Jean Georges is an enchanting fish restaurant with stunning views of the water. It’s so easy to forget sometimes that Manhattan is surrounded by water on every side. The Fulton takes full advantage.
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I had the loveliest weekend at my pop-up at Proprietor’s in Greenpoint! One of my favorite unanticipated parts of having the bag business is meeting so many wonderful local shopkeepers. Running an independent store in New York is no joke, and it’s so lovely to meet people doing it with such conviction and aplomb. Shoutout to the Proprietor’s team, especially Laura and Cal! It was so fun to meet so many residents of Greenpoint (although I have questions—how are you all artists? How do you all have apartments, studio space, and storefronts? How did Lena Dunham and Girls not ruin the neighborhood?).
I am also thrilled to share that I’m now stocked atThe WonderMart, also in Greenpoint. It’s a fabulous teeny-tiny store and it has a few of my pencil cases.
Spring has sprung after the longest, coldest winter I’ve experienced in 8 years of living on the East Coast. This is my kind of outfit. I really like the oversized shape of the sleeves on the blouse. She’s balanced out the proportions of the skirt by tucking in the top (I am a big proponent of the French tuck) and the cut of the waistline is very flattering. The shoes are a smart move. I have also gone all in on Mary Janes and believe them to be the perfect city shoe (regular flats risk coming off and I refuse to be barefoot for even one second on these city streets). Simply lovely.
A fashion editor I respect said that everyone interested in fashion should read John Fairchild’s Chic Savages, so I dutifully complied. Fairchild was the longtime editor of Women’s Wear Daily, the authority on the business of fashion until The Business of Fashion came along. This was a very rich portrait of a specific time and place (1980s New York, hence Donald Trump on the cover) and highlighted very fun moments in that era, such as which table at Le Cirque was best to get the good gossip, or who Calvin Klein was sleeping with. If you are interested in this time, then it’s a good read. But it felt a bit like “you had to be there,” and, alas, I was not.
I have only read one book I really loved so far this year (last week’s Language City), so I need you all to inspire me. Leave me a comment with the last book you read that you really loved.
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This week I am doing a ballet intensive—see you on stage at Lincoln Center soon! (No, I kid. I’m a little worried the company director will kick me out of class again for being not so good. Wish me luck!) PS This week you will see a paid issue in your inboxes mid-week.
All my best,
