Monday, February 23, 2009

*Everyday Chatter

The Rawhide bar is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Dark, dirty, and cheap, it's "One of the very few businesses along Chelsea's 8th Avenue that has been around since long before the neighborhood gentrified...still feels a bit like a time-warp," says Gay Travel:


Cell-phone lovers are saying, “Frugal is the new chic... In today’s economy, it’s not cool to pay $120 a month for a phone. It’s a waste of money.” [NYT]

A look inside Gowanus luxury--complete with "Being John Malkovich"-style ceilings. [PMFA]

Go up in the old hotel Joseph Mitchell made famous. [13]

They're getting ready to pave over Extra Place and turn it into a "slice of the Left Bank." [EVG]

Advice to starving artists: Get into the pavement engraving biz. [Restless]

Looking into the mystery behind the loss of beloved Vesuvio bakery. [NYT]

Lovely old public-school doorknobs discovered. [AMNY]

Someone stole a painting of a melancholy cat from the International Bar. They'd like it back:

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is going to be a program tonight on the travel channel about Vanishing New York City restaurants.

Other than that I do not know much about it though.
Just thought I would let everybody on here know about it in advance.

Ken Mac said...

excellent link to The City Concealed and Joseph Mitchell story. Thanks!

Ken Mac said...

think Knicks is referring to A Bourdains' show at 10pm

The bloggah said...

Oh, gosh. I can't believe Rawhide is still there on 8th. I haven't been down 8th Avenue in about two years. Well, I guess it just goes to show ya, some things are still recession proof. I thought for sure, with the continual Chelsea renaissance, that it would go the way of every other dive on the street, or to even make room for yet another Duane Reade.

Jill said...

Throwing away your prepaid cell phone and changing numbers does not make much of a difference to cops wiretapping you. A spy friend explained it to me, and she has never been put off by this tactic. Just a warning to the criminal minds out there.

Andrew Gardner said...

I was just thinking about Rawhide the other week...
My first apartment on my own was at 320 W 20th St back in 1976 or 77. The neighborhood wasn't quite as desirable then, although it was actually not bad. The place was a step up from a rooming house (there were plenty in the area then) with one room with a kitchenette at the back and a bathroom.

But back to Rawhide...there were a number of Irish bars along 8th. I remember one on the east side of 8the between 22 & 23rd, there was another where Rawhide is now, there was O'Connell's between 18th & 19th, and a few more going down 8th. I'm not sure but I also remember a place called the Pirate's Cove. I used to buy my beer at a place called Goodway just north of 19th st (I think).

Farther towards 14th street there were a couple of Spanish bars, and the old place at the corner of 16th and 8th. There was a gay bar/restaurant next door called the Blue Fox, I took my dad there the week I moved in, unknowingly!

My best friend Arnie had gone to IS 70 (O Henry). We used to buy reefer in the playground, I remember I almost got into a fight with this one guy, because I called him Juan and his name was Jose.