May I suggest a perfect evening: An early dinner at Sucelt, then cross the street for dessert at Donut Pub, then head upstairs (next door and one flight up) for cocktails at Time Machine.
Until Sunday, from 3:00 until closing (about 7:00), Time Machine is having their annual Holiday Open Bar. And if you've never been to the 10-year-old shop, this would be a great time to check it out. It may be the only business in New York that advertises the sale of Nostalgia.
Above the 99-cent-store (closed, for rent), climb the stairs into a cluttered yet orderly collection of cardboard boxes filled with old magazines, most of them 40% off. The owner told me, "We always haggle," so don't be afraid to make a deal. It's worth going up just to look at the walls, a collection of movie stars, cowboys, rock-n-roll idols, beefcake models, pin-up girls, and superheroes.
With free cocktails added to the mix, what could be better?
Oh my God, I love your blog. I'm in the West Village sharng the very same feelings and saying the same things as you are out east.
ReplyDeleteOnce we were a community of counterculture, ideas and reformation. I wore an orange button I bought on St. Marks Place that proclaimed, "NO MORE BULLSHIT". The village was a place most of us knew each other. These were the times of Mailer, Hoffman, Kerouak, and artists too great and numerous to name.
so i did the recommended fun nite suggested here and it really felt like being in a time machine, i could forget for a moment or 30 min or two hours or however long that i was at the last saturday of sucelt, the donut pub and time machine that i wasn't in a freaking city that doesn't want people who aren't millionaires here. i seemingly must have walked by these places when in this part of town, i don't go by here that much but i do pay attention to old and classic businesses. went to sucelt first, on its very last saturday and got the vegetarian tamales and the coffee and a fresh OJ. everything was prepared to order. the coffee was out of this world cuz they heat up the milk first - maybe it was condensed? just right sweetness. and the juice was done right there on the old juicer. the little leftover bit, the owner gave to a regular. i sat at the stools facing the mirror so the real regulars could sit at the counter. i feel bad i didn't go there before. i wish i had known more. the tamales were really good and if i had some more money would've bought whatever i could've to be frozen. but that's why the owner is so amazing how she said in the newspaper article she didn't want to serve rich people she wanted to serve the poor - well i honestly didn't have any more extra money cuz i knew i wanted to go to donut pub and time machine and see if i could snag one mag. so then decided after eating i could handle some liquor so went to time machine, i loved ringing the buzzer to get in, it felt secret up the steps and this amazing guy was there giving away free wine and hard liquor. basically all guys in there. i had a wine and looked for super 8 films or pulp novels or old mags about ny. he was playing a philip glass segment on sesame street from youtube and it was hooked up to all the speakers. i found an EAST VILLAGE EYE paper from the late 80s early 90s - must have been a kind of Brooklyn Rail slash Voice for its day? the cover story was all about the big time protests/squatters/real activism that happened back around Tompkins Square then, i still haven't opened it up as i'm waiting for a sad and depressing day a rainy day to be cheered up. it was 40 percent off the cover price. i hope it can continue to last. then went downstairs, felt like going from a home apartment to the kitchen, to donut pup, wow this place is like that edward hopper nighthawks painting. talked with the real regular counter guy i'm sure all you regulars know who i'm talking about and there was a real regular senior citizen guy next to me who looked liked he'd been coming there for ages and he was reading the newspaper like with a magnifying glass or something. i had a hard time choosing what to get, finally decided on what was it, a french curly looking donut with choc on top. i loved this place. why are all the old school places more tucked away over in chelsea/west village ish? i never would've known about this if i hadn't ready this blog and i like to think i try to pay attention to this stuff. thanks jeremiah. -steph
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