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28 décember 2023 / Letter 427
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As you certainly have been pacing your city up and down for Christmas shopping, I think it’s high time to go and see what is happening elsewhere… So I thought a little trip to New York would definitely be fun. And if this trip isn’t one of your imminent plans, nothing stops you from saving this letter for later … you never know!
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First things first : the place to live. My daughters’ friends tend to stay in Airbnbs, but I like hotels. I used to stay in ‘Uptown’ hotels because I worked in that area, but it’s much nicer to be ‘Downtown’. Umm… I’m well aware that all these sentences are a bit incongruous, but today if you plan ahead, you can find plane tickets at good prices. So … this time, I chose a hotel called The Ludlow which is located on Ludlow Street (incredible coincidence…) next to the famous Katz. It’s within walking distance of Nolita, Soho and Greenwich Village since it is on the ‘Lower East Side’. As you enter, from the wooden reception, you can see the living room with its fireplace and comfortable vintage furniture. The whole thing immediately gives a warm atmosphere. The bedrooms are also very pleasant. I particularly liked the antique-inspired bathrooms. The hotel has a large wooden restaurant, very welcome when you’ve just walked 18,000 steps and come home exhausted ! (You feel the experience there, right ?) There’s a dining room in a patio covered with a glass roof where you can eat the best avocado toast around. Last but not least, the staff is smiling & friendly, which is important. |
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Fireplace & vintage furniture
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Very welcome when you’re exhausted
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Detail of pretty decoration
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The patio
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My bedroom
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Lovely bathroom
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Here is, for once, an address intended for men. It has to be said that Americans are the best when it comes to sports/weekend outfits and there, you couldn’t be more American : chequered shirts, beanies, canvas bags… There’s the panoply of the romantic comedy hero who lives in the countryside, knows how to light a campfire, has a healthy life surrounded by nature but owns a huge pickup truck & manages to seduce the city girl who is angry at having to return to her native province. Well, you see the kind of guy : the lumberjack who reads books, has great wisdom about life, but still has a small bank account to go to Filson ! |
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It’s there !
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The lumberjack’s dressing room
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Do you get the atmosphere ?
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Chequered shirts galore
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The lumberjack is never cold
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Must-have !
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John Derian's store is as full as an omelette & there are a thousand things to discover. First of all, his own creations : glass trays, paper weights, plates… But there’s also the splendid Astier
de Villatte crockery (if you want to offer a French gift to Americans for example) and lots of other little things. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s a nice place to see and to find lots of small coffee shops and friendly boutiques all around. |
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Are you looking for something ?
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Very pretty tableware
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Spoiled for choice
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That of Astier de Villatte
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All kinds of things
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And even brushes
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In New York, it can get very cold, so I thought it was the perfect place to find what they call a ‘puffer jacket’. Actually, I found the best ones in a Japanese brand store : Nanamica. A long parka inspired by those of the army particularly caught my attention. It is made of Goretex, a material that protects very, very well against the cold. Japanese are so smart ! However, on Broadway, some places are dedicated just to that, like the famous North Face brand. |
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Versions with hood
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Or without a hood
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The one I spotted
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For the rain too
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Very pretty t-shirts
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And beautiful shirts
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It was so good and nice to be at MáLà Project while it was pouring rain that I forgot to take photos of the dishes for you ! You have to know about it, because from the outside, it doesn’t look much, just a simple red door. But inside, it’s charming & warm. There are so many good places in New York that make you want to come in from the outside that I thought it would be fun to tell you about this one that probably isn’t in any guidebook ! Well, I think it’s Korean, but I don’t know, I was starving & I couldn’t talk to the waiter with my mouth full, could I ?! |
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Pink & red !
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Funny drawings on the menu
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Simple decor
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But very nice
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Quite confidential indeed !
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The exact address
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Here is an incredibly well-crafted book about New York : it’s a comic strip in which you discover the city in the ‘30s and the same place today, and then there are lots of new anecdotes about New York. It’s beautifully done and great fun. I found it in English, but it exists in French and is called Les Entrailles de New York, published by L'Agrume. |
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The English version
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Lenox Ave. before & after
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Caroll Gardens before & after
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Radical change 1960/2016
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In 1915 and in 2016
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To find out a little more
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And since we’re still a bit like tourists, you can try the experience of The Beam. You’ll be able to reproduce Charles Clyde Ebbets’ legendary photo of a group of workers sitting on a beam during the construction of the Rockefeller Center in 1932. The brand new attraction is located at the 69th floor of the famous building. Sitting on the beam, you will admire the view over northern Manhattan and Central Park. It’s said that David Beckham has just tried it out! Isn’t that journalism ?! |
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The original ! |
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Same ! |
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And then if you’re not planning to go to New York right away, you can always watch Taxi Driver, Once Upon a Time in America, Gangs of New York, Manhattan, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, King Kong, Do the Right Thing… because New York is certainly an essential character in many of these films. And, of course, it’s likely to make you want to go there even more… |
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Legendary !
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The masterpiece of S. Leone
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Audrey at Tiffany
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NY seen by Spike Lee
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The 1933 version
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W. Allen’s ode to NY
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I wish you a very happy end of the year and look forward to seeing you again next year, starting next Thursday !
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© La lettre d'Ines 2023 | Se désinscrire | CGU
3-9 avenue André Malraux, 92300 Levallois
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