Results tagged “inside”

              

Designed to evoke the kind of joint where you'd plant a revolver in the men's room in order to shoot a corrupt police captain, the East Side Social Club opened last night, from the family behind such winners as Employees Only and Macao Trading Co. Located on East 51st Street in the former Montparnasse space in The Pod Hotel, the club is divided into three distinct sections: a bar in front with Art Deco accents; a fine dining room with classic checkered tablecloths in the center; and an elevated, semi-private back room divided by ironwork. It's open from 6:45 a.m. to 4 a.m., giving the public the opportunity to conduct "business" at all hours. (For the record, it's not literally a "club.")

It's been a while since we've had any quality rat rodeo video, so get some popcorn (or not) and enjoy this footage of big fat rats feasting in a Vinny Vincenz Pizza Truck parked in Chelsea. It's actually kind of cute how pumped these rats are about being alone in the truck, and, to be fair, it is pretty good pizza... which we will never eat again.

       

Photographer Nathan Kensinger got inside the nooks of the landmark Williamsburgh Savings Bank recently. Brooklyn's Tallest (also known as One Hanson Place) is now home to luxury condos, of course, but Kensinger notes that "few have seen the interior of the bank since it was closed in 2005. Over the last four years, the building has been renovated into a luxury residential complex. Work is still not finished and many residential spaces remain empty, including Penthouse A, with its two private observation decks. Soon, though, the building will be completely filled and permanently closed to the public."

Did you know you could go inside of the Washington Square Arch? Well, at least those with the secret password can get inside. Curbed just infiltrated the marble structure and took some covert photos that are worth checking out. A little history: designed by New York architect Stanford White (and modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris) the arch was erected in 1892. In 2003, the Villager took at look at the repair work the arch was undergoing, noting that when it began on April 30th "the department opened the spiral stairway within the west leg of the arch that leads to the roof, giving visitors a rare view of the interior brickwork." On that very same roof in 1914 Marcel Duchamp and other artists "lit a bonfire and read a resolution proclaiming the Republic of Greenwich Village, which they toasted with Champagne." Sounds like something Reverend Billy & Co. should reenact!

       

This past weekend our very own Jake Dobkin infiltrated the Brooklyn Navy Yard once again, this time hitting up Admiral's Row. According to Officer’s Row, the authority on the area, the "small section of the Brooklyn Navy Yard was home to high-ranking officers and their families. The ten houses (six buildings) were built between 1864 and 1901. Surrounded by a high brick wall and iron gates, Officer's Row was a small piece of beauty amidst a bustling industrial neighborhood. It housed tennis courts, a stable-turned ice skating rink, and parade grounds. Several varieties of fruit trees and a communal vegetable garden could be found dotting the landscape." (Here are some exterior shots.)

           

Look out Standard, the Ace Hotel is here! Last summer renderings of the establishment's interior began to circulate, as well as some more details about what the chain would bring to New York (they currently have outposts in Seattle, Portland and Palm Springs). Today we stopped by for a sneak peek inside the still unfinished hotel, located at 29th and Broadway. The room we saw had all the fun details the Ace is known for, and rumor has it that long ago the longest ever boxing match happened in the basement of the building, which is why the hotel made the bath robes look like boxing robes!

            

Earlier this month we learned that after more than four decades in the East Village, kitsch mecca Love Saves the Day will close. Yesterday we dropped by and, with owner Richie Herson's approval, took some photos of the eclectic boutique—an activity that's ordinarily forbidden. By the way, it's a great time to stop by and pick up some Christmas gifts while paying your respects; the store has slashed prices 30%-50%.

          

The Employees Only crowd have joined forces with David Waltuck (chef/owner of Chanterelle and 2007 James Beard Award winner) to open Tribeca's Macao Trading Co., a big funky restaurant packed with antiques to evoke "the 1940s portside feel of Macao’s red lantern district." The space is bi-level and the menu's bi too, with Macao's history as a Portuguese colony reflected in both Chinese and Portuguese versions of ribs, bass tripe. Meals are served family-style in the 82-seat dining room and bar; other dishes include African fried chicken ($18), Portuguese Style Grilled Prawns with vinho verde & garlic butter ($28), and Chinese Style grilled sirloin with oyster sauce & Chinese broccoli ($32).

          

Award-winning architectural firm Bentel & Bentel has just unveiled Rouge Tomate, an ambitiously designed bi-level restaurant in midtown that's founded on the principal of S.P.E. (Sanitas Per Escam, Latin for Health Through Food). It's the first New York location of a Belgian chain started by a former Mercedes-Benz salesman. In keeping with the eco-friendly approach, executive chef Jeremy Bearman (L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas and db Bistro Moderne here in NYC) is committed to market-driven and locally sourced seasonal menus.

       

The burger and custard haven Shake Shack is getting ready to open its Upper West Side location some time soonish—they are still waiting for some paperwork). In the meantime, they're putting the finishing touches on the place, which has a much bigger kitchen (= faster service) and a rec room downstairs for rental (parties, events, presentations even) that will be open to regular seating when not rented.

       

From the ashes of the beloved Read Cafe in Williamsburg (that space is now occupied by the decidedly un-funky El Beit coffee shop) comes owner Laurence Elliott's new baby, The Rabbithole. Opening this Sunday, his latest venture is further south but still on Bedford, between South 4th and South 3rd Streets. When we spoke with Elliott back in March, he still had a long way to go turning the former apartments into a restaurant/cafe with basement bakery; now he seems just about there, though the liquor license will be a few months down the road.