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| Cue "Rhapsody in Blue" |
I'm not saying I want everything in the 1920s to come back. I don't want the Ku Klux Klan to be as powerful as they were back then (though it looks like that may be happening anyway, gross). I don't particularly want Prohibition or segregation to return. But sometimes I do want to take a time machine back just to get kind of a sense of what it was like to live through all that. I can't do that
P.S. I'm sorry I do not know the Bronx or Staten Island well enough to include anything from those boroughs; please tell me about cool 20s-esque places there and maybe I'll make a sequel to this post! I did try to include places from Brooklyn and Queens whenever possible
Speakeasies
PDT
I'm listing this one because I feel like I kinda have to, but let it be known that there are better speakeasies in the city. Still, Please Don't Tell - PDT as it's commonly referred to - is probably the most famous one. Everyone has heard of it (which, IMO, kiiiiinda defeats the purpose?).
The way it works is that you go into a kinda-divey hot dog joint in the East Village, head to the "decorative" phone booth, dial "1" on the phone, and - if they have room - they'll take you into the speakeasy behind the hot dog joint. What I can say for this one is that you can bring in hot dogs and french fries from the restaurant in the front, if you're into that. Not sure how authentic to the period that is, but it's worth mentioning. However, it's usually crowded and the line that's usually coming from the phone booth kinda defeats the purpose. Go once to see what the hype is about, take a friend from out of town, then move on.
The Back Room
"Broad City" fans, remember the episode where Ilana discovers Abbi's alter ego Val, a jazz singer? That scene was filmed here. It was actually a speakeasy during Prohibition, too, so this one also has that extra little air of "authenticity", if you're into that. It's also kind of fun to get there, as you have to go through a long, dark alley and past a gate marked for the "Lower East Side Toy Company" (a false company), so it also feels a little secret and illicit even though it's all completely legal. It's also beautiful in here, furnished with 1920s period pieces. But like PDT, it is also crowded a lot of the time, so it doesn't really feel like you've stumbled on a secret. It's not really a secret if everyone knows about it. I don't mind too much, as it's still an enjoyable overall experience
The Red Room
This is my favourite of the speakeasies I've been to so far. An art deco speakeasy-style lounge above a Soviet Union themed literary bar (a bar on top of a bar!) in the East Village, I've been known to pop in for their monthly "Green Fairy" absinthe tasting series, which usually also include live jazz music and a burlesque performance, and where coming in Jazz Age clothes gets you $5 off the cover charge, so it does end up a bit more atmospheric. To be honest with you, I'm completely unsure if they're only open for events or not. But come for an event - Green Fairy is the first Thursday of every month, though of course I don't go every single month - and enjoy the aesthetic. Tin ceilings, plush seats, a red velvet curtain on the stage, and flickering candles! Also they have a copper bathtub by the bar for photo ops.
Bathtub Gin
Speaking of copper bathtubs! Though I haven't been here yet, it also has a copper tub for photo ops, as well as other vintage decor elements such as dim chandeliers and cozy damasque couches, and I've heard they've also been known to host live jazz musicians. You enter through a secret entrance in a functioning coffee shop, which seems fun. The cocktails here, at least according to Yelp reviews, are a lot more complicated than you may find at other speakeasies - certainly more closer to modern tastes than 1920s tastes. But if you're in it for the aesthetic more than accuracy, put this one on your radar - it hasn't hit it as big as the other more popular speakeasies, so by all accounts it's usually less crowded.
The Clover Club
I haven't gotten the chance to check this one out yet either, but this speakeasy style bar in Brooklyn has live jazz music on Wednesday nights, and plays ragtime the rest of the week, which I am just tickled by! (I love ragtime...) If you live in Brooklyn and don't wanna trek all the way out to Manhattan, it's nice that you don't have to. They also have a fireplace and serve brunch on weekends because of course they do.
Restaurants
Russ & Daughters Cafe
This cafe is actually a modern extension of the Russ & Daughters appetising shop around the corner on Orchard Street, and that's certainly worth checking out as well, but if you want a sit-down experience (or a good Jewish brunch) go to the cafe. Russ & Daughters has been a family-run (still in the same family) institution since 1914, and in fact was one of the first (if not the first) businesses to be an "& Daughters" instead of "& Sons". The Cafe is much more modern than the shop, but a casual observer wouldn't realise that, as it's decorated in that same retro style. I don't eat fish but a friend once told me the bagels and lox here are the best she's ever had, so definitely check it out.
John's of 12th Street
I love this place. I'd wanted to eat here for years and finally got a chance in December for the office Christmas party. This is an old old school "red sauce Italian" joint - it was opened in 1908, and by the looks of it, it hasn't been redecorated ever since. The food is delicious, classic Italian-American food (which actually, believe it or not, did see some popularity in the 20s), though they also now have a dedicated vegan menu, which I really appreciate. The breakfront, the long murals lining the wall near the ceiling, the intricate tile floor, and the many small wood-framed mirrors, all speak of Old New York. The coat hooks are so old they look like they grew out of the wall. But the thing that makes John’s John’s is The Candle. The story goes that in the 1930s when Prohibition was repealed, a candle was lit to celebrate its end, and has been lit in the same place at John’s every night. By now the wax has accumulated so that the restaurant has been partly taken over by a veritable mountain of white wax. Definitely do not leave without checking it out!
Lexington Candy Shop
Long-time blog readers remember this diner being mentioned by name in the 1920s short story I wrote on this very blog. It opened in 1925 and hasn't changed very much since then. It does sell candy by the front counter, but it's more what we would call a luncheonette/diner, with an authentic old soda fountain. I always stop in here when in the Upper East Side (which isn't often) as it's conveniently right down the street from the MET, and its egg creams give Russ & Daughters a run for their money. The vintage interior has been preserved down to the smallest detail, and it's a pleasant sensation of stepping into a timewarp, especially in a neighbourhood where every other restaurant seems so overpriced and pretentious.
Nom Wah Tea Parlour
Another restaurant open since the 1920s, this is the oldest restaurant in Chinatown, and serves damn good dim sum. Located on the sharply angled Doyers Street (which used to be the site of some particularly vicious Chinese gang violence - it was once nicknamed "The Bloody Angle"), Nom Wah hasn't gone through very many changes over the years. From the red vinyl booths in the back to the old antique fans, art deco tables, 1930's counter top, ancient cash register, and 1940's stove (the last two are used for decoration only), it looks adorably retro inside. The dim sum is fresh, too - instead of rolling it by on carts like many dim sum places do, you order with a card and it's made to order. Bring a handful of cash - this place is cash only - and enjoy a glimpse of old Chinatown.
Brooklyn Farmacy
This Brooklyn joint is more modern, but the average person wouldn't know that just stepping inside. Designed to be reminiscent of the old soda shops of lore, like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting, it is housed in a location that was a pharmacy in the 1920s. (Fun fact, did you know that during Prohibition some pharmacies had booze available for people whose doctors 'prescribed' it?) And at this modern-day soda fountain, you can sit and relive the old tradition that countless young people did from the 1890s through the jazz age and up to the 50s and 60s.
Eddie's Sweet Shop
This place is old. (*Kate Beaton voice* Old as balls.) So old that it doesn't even have a website - but here, have the Yelp page. But it's evidently well worth the trek out to Forest Hills in Queens for this circa 1909 era restaurant that hasn't been updated since the Jazz Age. All of the ice cream and toppings - in traditional flavours - are made on site at the shop itself, and the sundaes are the size of a person's head. Listen, you're never too old to sit on a stool at a countertop and eat a sundae the size of your head.
Jazz Clubs
Bill's Place
I recently did a write up of this place myself, but it's worth mentioning again as a unique New York experience that's quickly becoming more and more rare. Bring your own booze and enjoy the dulcimer tones of Bill's sax in a historic space where Billie Holiday once performed.
Marjorie's Jazz
Prefer to take your jazz in the afternoon instead of the evening? Just a little bit uptown from Bill's is another private jazz parlour that has live performances on Sunday mornings. Marjorie herself - a little old woman who plays a mean jazz piano - seems like quite a character. And you can grab brunch afterwards, because who doesn't love brunch?
Village Vanguard
Don't wanna go up to Harlem? Head to this spot in the Village. This club has hosted jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, and more. Bill Evans was a regular here. And in this tiny basement jazz club with green velvet walls and old school decorations, you can still enjoy tip top jazz performances in one of the few places left in the West Village that still feels edgy.
George's
A Retro supper club in the Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, with classic American-Continental fare & cocktails, George's plays live jazz in a space where sold Hollywood greats such as Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson used to frequent.
Museum Exhibits
Museum of the American Gangster
I've written about this museum before, but the tour here is one of the most fun 1920s experiences you're going to get in NYC, and I am dying to do it again sometime, so anyone who wants to visit NYC let me know if you want me to take you here. Take the tour, it's totally worth it. Yes, you can look at the artefacts upstairs on your own, and go through exhibits on the heyday of bootlegging mob activity. But on the tour, you can go down to the basement where one of those bootleggers stashed his goods, as well as into the old speakeasy style bar where you can get absinthe in a ceramic teacup, just like they served booze during prohibition. It's one of New York's more unique museums, and in a city with over 200 of them, that's saying something.
Museum of the City of New York
Obviously, the scope of this museum is much more broad than just one decade, but a section of its "New York at its Core" exhibit is about 1920s NYC, and the various temporary exhibits, depending on when you go, may or may not have relevant themes as well. Their movie that they play in the downstairs theatre is outstanding as well.
National Jazz Museum in Harlem
I actually haven't been to this museum yet, but it's on my list. The 20s wouldn't be the 20s without the jazz music that ran through the decade like blood through a vein. I mean it's nicknamed the "Jazz Age" for crying out loud. And this museum, though small, aims to preserve the history of that delightful music that our flapper friends kicked up their heels to, and in particular, Harlem musicians' contributions to the genre.
The Whitney Museum of American Art
Though it's no longer in its original location, the Whitney has a lot of modern American art, including quite a few pieces that date to the twenties and thirties. (It's also the location of one of my favourite NYC paintings, but that painting dates to the 1950s.) It's usually less crowded than the MoMA, too, so if you're into modern art, do yourself a favour and check it out.
New York Transit Museum
The best part of this Brooklyn museum is the lower level, where you will find decommissioned subway cars from as far back as 1908 - complete with old ads! The exhibits upstairs are an interesting look at the history of something most New Yorkers don't think too hard about - public transportation - but let's be real, you're here for the old subway cars.
Louis Armstrong House
Louis Armstrong did not live in this house in Queens yet in the 1920s, but he was already a famous jazz musician at the time, and this museum covers his entire legacy, not just his later years. Plus it's just an excellent house museum and worth visiting regardless. Photos aren't allowed inside, but just trust me - the kitchen and the study alone are worth the visit.
Museum of the Moving Image
This is one of the best museums in Queens, and definitely worth visiting no matter what, but for the purposes of this post we are focusing on the Jazz Age era of film. Specifically you're going to want to go upstairs to the exhibit on the history of film. With old cameras and projectors and models of fancy old Loew's theatres on display, and even a clip from 1927's "The Jazz Singer" playing, it's a good look into the movie culture of this time period, when silent films were beginning to give way to Talkies, and before the Hayes code went into effect.
Miscellany
Take a Walking Tour of a Historic Neighbourhood
I recommend the Lower East Side or Harlem as both still retain quite a bit of historic flavour that's increasingly difficult to find in Manhattan. Harlem, being a centre of jazz music, even has jazz-themed walking tours available. But if another neighbourhood interests you, check them out instead. Lots of websites offer tours, but I recommend checking out Free Tours by Foot just to kind of get an idea of what you personally would like to see.
Coney Island
Both the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone date back to the 1920s, and Nathan's dates back to 1916. (Protip - eat the hot dog after you ride the Cyclone.) They're currently closed for the season but once spring rolls around they're well worth doing, especially since I'm of the belief that riding the Wonder Wheel is something every New Yorker should do at least once in their life.
Visit one of the Famed Hotels from the Time
You probably can't afford to stay at the Algonquin or the Plaza (if you can, take me with you), but you can walk through the lobbies and reminisce on stories about the Fitzgeralds jumping into the fountain at the Plaza, or the infamous Round Table at the Algonquin.
Make a Piano Pilgrimage
Cole Porter's piano is still on display in Manhattan, at the Waldorf Astoria. Or if you live in Queens, go to the Steinway Piano Factory - they give tours! (You have to call ahead of time for an appointment)
In the Comfort of Your Own Damn Apartment
Of course you can do any of the following alone, especially if you live in an area that's hard to access by subway, because let's be real it's impossible to have people over if the trains aren't running by your place.
Dress Up!
Invite your friends over and have everyone dress in twenties-inspired outfits, however they interpret that. Listen, I'm a huge fan of the "sack dresses" of the time, and my ideal would be for everyone to come in authentic 20s clothes, but I'm also a huge fan of staying in my own damn lane and I wouldn't turn someone away for coming in a fringed slip from Spirit Halloween. But what you could wear? If you're a dress-minded person, keep in mind that a dropped waist and a boyish silhouette were favoured at the time - meaning that those of you with smaller chests, this is the era for you. If you're more of a pants person, a more formal look may consist of a dinner jacket and a bowtie, while a more casual one may include a newsboy cap and an argyle sweater vest. I'm not gonna give a complete rundown on 20s fashion - that exists elsewhere on the web for the curious - I just wanna spark your imaginations a little. And remember, in the spirit of the 1920s, "Anything Goes"!
Put on Some Tunes or TV!
Music of the time includes jazzy songs from artists such as Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Cole Porter, and Bessie Smith. George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" was a hit, and in some circles in the early part of the decade, Ragtime music was still popular. If you prefer something more modern, I like Postmodern Jukebox a lot - they do jazz-inspired covers of modern pop songs! I always play them at parties and it's a huge hit.
You can also put on something on TV. One of the versions of "The Great Gatsby" if you're basic (and there's nothing wrong with being basic), but I really really love the Australian series "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries" which is on Netflix and follows a female flapper detective named Phryne Fisher who is honestly life goals.
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!
For an idea of the food that was eaten at the time, there is a "Supersizers" episode all about it, but you could also eat Chinese-American or Italian-American food, which were both becoming trendy especially in urban areas where these immigrants were becoming prolific. In more upscale venues, such as the Waldorf Astoria, fancier delights such as... Waldorf Salad and Potatoes in Hollandaise sauce.
Cocktails of that time include Gin Rickeys, Sidecars, and Sazeracs. Here's a sample recipe for the very simplest 20s cocktail, with a lot of room for customisation, the Highball:
- Fill a Highball glass (or a ceramic mug if you're going real old school style) with ice
- Pour 2 ounces of your favourite whiskey, scotch, or bourbon.
- Fill the rest of the cup with ginger ale or club soda
That's it! You can add garnishes or flavoured syrups or whatever you want to taste, but at its most basic there's a Highball, an authentic 20s cocktail you can serve at home without breaking the bank.
Alternately, if you don't drink, during prohibition sodas were a popular legal substitute for boozy drinks, and many of them even had the name of a boozy drink in them as if to say "why drink beer when you can have root beer?" So grab a root beer, a ginger ale, or a classic Coca-Cola (ideally in those glass bottles that they still use in Mexico) and chug away without any fear of getting zozzled off the giggle water. (Or in modern terms, drunk. But doesn't it just sound better in twenties slang?)
Do you have any suggestions of your own for your favourite 1920s-esque haunts in NYC? Let me know!
-Nym-
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