Saturday in the Garden

The Jefferson Market Garden in the West Village is a favourite place of mine that I've written about before. Without a plot of my own, I've taken to thinking of it as my garden. Walking by last Saturday I was struck by the sight of dozens and dozens of white roses hanging over the garden wall. 

Inside the other roses were a full riot of colour. Although the stream of white roses were striking, I was partial to these red beauties. It wasn't all roses though. There were foxgloves and alliums and even a voodoo plant (blood red, of course). Here are some other scenes from the garden.

For more info on the garden, visit their site here.

A Saturday Stroll

After running an errand in the West Village on Saturday, I decided to take my time and walk back home to Chelsea even though the sky was threatening rain. Here are a few of the things I saw along the way.

Heading down Christopher Street I spotted pops of colour—the window of the Greenwich Letterpress (one of my favourite places to buy cards) and a cheery yellow bike parked in front of the old Northern Dispensary. Founded in 1827, the Northern Dispensary treated the poor and infirm for more than a century (Edgar Allan Poe was a one-time patient). Yet since 1998 the building has remained empty, largely due to its restrictive deed that dictates it can only be used to treat the "worthy poor." A bit of irony as it sits in the centre of a neighbourhood that only the rich can afford.

I grabbed an ice coffee from Whynot Coffee and sat outside people watching (more like dog watching) and admiring the greenery on Gay Street (yes, that's its name)—the beautiful wisteria tree that has practically taken over a building and a small collection of plants on a nearby fire escape.

I next wandered over to the Jefferson Market Library to pick up a book. I love this branch of the New York Public Library with its Gothic design and grand size (the building is a former courthouse). I had just stepped outside when I noticed a protest going on across the street about Turkey. I'm not sure about the people in the penguin costumes but the crowd was large enough to warrant an accompanying string of police cars.

I went next door to the Jefferson Market Garden, which I've started to think of as my garden, to literary smell the roses that hung heavily over the garden walls and were in abundance inside (more on the garden in my next post). Suddenly the sun burst forth, turning the sky blue and flooding the garden with light.

After a long time in the garden and the heat, I turned back toward Chelsea, admiring a vintage ad painted on the side of a building along the way (love the old telephone exchange), before turning down West 11th Street. There I was greeted by the sight of some older men hanging out in plastic chairs in front of a barbershop. It reminded me of when I lived in the North End in Boston and the old people would park themselves in lawn chairs in front of the houses and shops once the temperature got above 60 degrees.

Further down the block there were some lovely old townhouses on one side of the street, like this one with its beautiful entrance, while across the way, where St. Vincent Hospital once stood, there was just a shell. The hospital that Edna St. Vincent Millay was named for and which once housed the largest AIDS clinic on the East Coast is gone, having gone bankrupt a few years ago. The plan is to build condos. Welcome to New York.

I had hit Chelsea and was just steps from home when I was greeted by two final sights of the day—a bicycle carrying a bundle of twigs and a sweet bunch of small pink roses. A nice way to end a stroll on a Saturday.

Photos by Michele. 

Spring Treat

"You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming."—Pablo Neruda

Spring may have officially arrived last week but New York didn't seem to get the message. So imagine my joy a couple of days ago when on my way to the Jefferson Market Library I turned a corner and was hit with a wave of colour from the florist shop. Buckets of hydrangeas, tulips, hyacinths, were all waiting to greet me with their vivid blues and purples and reds and pinks. And as if on cue, the sun came out. What a lovely sight.

It put me in such a good mood that I decided to stop by the Bee's Knees Baking Co., located behind the library (confession: I would have gone in, good mood or not, because I wanted something sweet). I had never been before but as a fan of the 1920s how could I not love its name? I got a coffee and a cake cup to go. That's right, literary cake in a cup. I chose the chocolate salted caramel, which was chocolate cake with a layer of caramel topped off with pecans. Absolutely perfect. To see all of the flavours, visit here.

So welcome spring. Please stick around for a while and don't let your cousin summer come rushing in too soon. 

iPhone photos by Michele.

West Village Christmas

Christmas was in full swing in the West Village earlier this month when I took a stroll down some favourite streets.

From ample decorations to a simple tree, the houses and courtyards were ready for the holidays.

Wreaths hung on doors—both 19th-century townhouse ones and ones that simply led to a garden.

Even the window boxes got into the spirit. I love seeing the small red berries popping out amongst the greenery.

And looking up, it was easy to imagine smoke rising from the chimneys and the rooftops covered with snow. What a perfect setting for Christmas.

Photos by Michele.

Jewelry Box

The other day I popped into Lori McLean, a charming shop on Grove Street in the West Village. Filled with jewelry and other treasures, it's just the type of place I love to explore, especially when it's on one of my favourite streets.

The shop is tiny but carries a punch with its mix of new and vintage pieces including lovely pearl drop earrings and Victorian lockets. In addition to jewelry they also have a sizable supply of John Derian as well as Laura Zindel porcelain, candles, and a variety of cards.

Although I wanted everything in the place I was especially taken with a collection of earrings by Jane Diaz (above), a local designer. I settled on a pair of art deco inspired ones made of moonstones. They're gorgeous, and I can't wait to wear them.

If you're in the West Village, do check out Lori McLean or visit the website here.

Photos by Michele.

Grove Street

In the West Village, where Grove Street bends towards Hudson, stands a row of houses (numbers 4-10) that are a wonderful reminder of New York’s past. The four brick homes, built between 1825 and 1834, represent the typical Federal style of the time. With red facades, small dormer windows, and little if any ornamentation, this simple look was popular on the East Coast at the beginning of the 19th century before the more opulent Greek Revival style took hold. 

I'm quite fond of this style (I did, after all, live in Boston for years where Beacon Hill is filled with Federal-style homes) and like to look for little details that give each house their own unique look. For example, a door knocker shaped like a hand, a design popular during the Victorian era, is a nice complement to the plain green door. 

Next door is Grove Court, which can be seen through the wrought-iron black gate. Originally named “Mixed Ale Alley” because the homes were built for various tradesmen, the houses in Grove Court were considered unusual at the time because they didn’t front the street, something that just wasn’t done. 

Today only residents and their guests are allowed inside the courtyard. I hope to get an invite one day to take a closer look at what appears to be another amazing group of houses.

Photos by Michele.