Hats of Spring

It's a season of hats in New York City, this and every spring in the last few years (since the street fedora became trendy with the hipster set), but this spring, I notice it more for some reason.  Perhaps it's because I've got the camera out and am snapping all the hats I see.

The small fedoras have the most urban appearance to me, but the larger brim hats do a better job at sun protection...and they're just so much more varied, colorful, individual and clearly seasonal.

I have two favorite milliners (love that word, just brings you right back to "Hello, Dolly," "My Fair Lady," Ascot and the Kentucky Derby, doesn't it?).  Luckily, New York has a few very good shops.  The best have the hat designers on premises,  happy and proud to fit the customer with just the right design in just the right size.  I love the tiny boutiques of Lisa Shaub and Barbara Feinman.  Both shops are downtown (Nolita and the East Village, respectively) and both are owned and run by their amazing designers, who have helped me select mes chapeaux for every season.  As a matter of fact, when I was in Barbara Feinman earlier this spring, two tall blonds had just purchased about half the store for the Kentucky Derby; it was such fun watching them try on all those huge hats I'd love to buy but would think I'd never have any possible reason to wear.  But I do love hat shopping, maybe even more than hat wearing (they always seem to look so much better on everyone else)!

Caffeinated Weekends - Ninth Street Espresso

Ninth Street Espresso is a charming little place in the East Village, in good company in a neighborhood full of excellent coffee bars.  It stands out in its cool interior feel.  Quiet, with a long bar along the exposed white-painted brick wall as well as the front window, it faces Tompkins Square Park.  (Yes, that confuses me, too - Ninth Street Espresso on 10th Street?)  Actually,  there are three locations, one of  which is on 9th Street.  The other two are on 10th Street (pictured here) and in Chelsea Market.

The East Village locations are perfect for resting between walks, or bike rides along the many bike lanes that weave through these avenues, or shopping excursions among the surprising shops, particularly the vintage and consignment shops, throughout this quartier I have begun to know and am so enamoured with.  Because it is quiet, it's also a good place to spend more time with work or a book at the counter, while the sun streams in through the large front window.  Or, take it to go (they use Intelligentsia coffee) and wander through Tompkins Square Park, a fascinating and lively patch of East Village activity - a far, far different place than it was when I was the age of the average inhabitant of this area.  Nonetheless, my view is - it's never too late!

Chocolate Loving

On a too cold April day (earlier today, that is), I wandered down St. Mark's Place (between First Avenue and Avenue A) after a lovely coffee at Abraço, where I was warmed by the other bodies pressed up against me in the tiny shop which can barely hold five or six customers (who are willing to take only whole milk in their coffee drinks, by the way....grrrr).  Good cortado, though.  

So, following the cortado, I was warmed and girded myself to head back to the subway in the gray of the late afternoon.  However, I was overcome by a shop awning and standing sign I just couldn't resist:

The Chocolate Library

Some marketing, huh?  The proprietor could run for President, and win, with that kind of salesmanship!  Could anyone resist going in to see what's happening inside?  I found the advertised FREE chocolate tasting, with happy customers all around me - 

 

Twas a very happy place, indeed.  So many varieties of excellent chocolates from around the world.  The shelves lining all the walls held mostly chocolate bars, organized by country of origin, somewhat like a wine store, but I found an intriguing ready-to-microwave French chocolate fondue that I will surely go back for.  The two-for-one special on the incredibly beautiful chocolates pictured below from a New Jersey chocolate maker called "2 Chicks with chocolate" (also being offered for tastes) overwhelmed me with its surprise of passion fruit caramel inside.  I bought two boxes (for one) and happily left with my purchase, into the still cold and even later day. 

 

East 10th Street

Who knew the East Village would be such fun?  OK, OK!  NYU students and anyone else about 20 years younger than me, probably.  But I have another excuse besides age.  As a full-time working parent living on the UWS (that’s Upper West Side for the non-New Yorkers) for over 27 years, I rarely have had a reason or opportunity to spend time in the East Village, other than so many years ago for the Indian food on East 6^th and the Theater 80 St. Marks where I learned the joys of classic movies before they could be bought on DVD or rented from Netflix or there were 700 cable channels never showing anything I want to see.  But I digress…


So, I found myself on East 10^th a few weeks ago for a hair consultation with a stylist in a tiny salon which was recommended as a possibility for a short haircut I plan to get as soon as I have enough hair to get rid of the two-tone thing on my head that we who are growing out gray hair have to transition through.  I suppose that’s to make it such a relief when it’s done that I don’t faint from the sight of a head of gray hair or the short pixie cut I’m bound to end up with.  But, again, I digress…

As I walked to Whistle that day, I peeked into adorable boutique after inviting tiny café after vegan bakery after vintage clothing store after…well, you get the picture.  One after another, I wanted to investigate them all.  And this was just ONE block, somewhat randomly selected due to the location of the hair salon!  I just had to go back.

And last weekend, I did.  First, I was tempted by the tiniest of designer consignment shops called Limited Supply at 273 E. 10^th between First Avenue and Avenue A.  Run by two extremely helpful young Russian expats, they know their inventory inside out and give good style advice, too.  There’s just enough stock to not be overwhelming and they’re pretty selective about what they take, both seasonally and in terms of being designer brands.  There’s some vintage in there as well - good finds at fair prices.  The styles are not too trendy to be able to be worn all over the city, not just in that neighborhood.  In fact, they had quite a selection of designer men’s ties that were in great shape from Hermès, Ferragamo, Versace and others; I was told by the proprietor that’s because they were consigned by men who moved to the East Village where ties would no longer be needed.  Also, they sell designer handbags, sunglasses and some jewelry along with the women’s and men’s clothing.  I ended up with a Céline sleeveless gray turtleneck sweater I never would have found (or thought of seeking) elsewhere. 

After that, I needed to eat, so I got over to Momofuku Noodle Bar, just in time for the 5:30pm opening time on Sunday for dinner.  (To avoid an otherwise long wait, it’s best to get there just before they reopen at dinner.)  Their dishes are excellent, inventive and reasonably priced, no matter what you order.  The place is lively and a bit noisy, so save the deep conversations for another time.  And dining alone here is also a pleasure.  Much of the room is a long bar, half of it in front of the cooking action, which is always a fun distraction and makes it hard to just order one item.  The pork buns looked amazing.  They serve wines by the glass, too, and desserts of interesting ice creams and shakes.

I decided to move a slight bit beyond 10^th Street for my coffee and dessert.  Ost is at the corner of First Avenue and 12^th Street.  Windows on both sides at the corner were perfect for enjoying the diminishing light of the day, as I sat on a big cushy armchair with a cortado and apple strudel.  They even have poppyseed cake, which would make my parents so happy (along with the Prague Sokol vintage photos on the walls)!  In the evenings, they also place little candles on the tables, serve wine, and disconnect the wifi, so computers after 7pm are a no-no.  Mellow music and a nice atmosphere for conversation or reading, if you can read by candlelight.

Then it was time to walk back to the Union Square subway to head for home.  However, on my way back, I passed by so many more places I want to check out that I’ll certainly be back to the East Village again very soon.

Two other food places I highly recommend on East 10^th  (clearly I went back already; there’s no way I could have eaten this much food in just one visit):

Tarallucci E Vino (corner of First Avenue) and Stogo (corner of Second Avenue).