The David Nederlander Theatre

Built in 1900 by famous impresario Oscar Hammerstein I, New Victory Theater was a relative newcomer to theater row on west 42nd Street. The venue was originally named Theatre Republic, but a series of ownership changes saw the name and theme changed every few years. It had a stint in the '30s as Minsky's Burlesque, New York's first Broadway burlesque theater, and a subsequent time as Victory movie theater (so named for the United States' success in WWII), later the first theater on the street to show pornographic films. This more sinful time coincided with the neighborhood falling on hard times. In 1990, New York City took over the theater together with a handful of others in an effort to refurbish the area, returning the theater to a more mainstream focus. In 1995, the Victory reopened as the New Victory and became New York's first theater aimed entirely at children and their families, making the return from vice to virtue complete. It now holds the distinction of being New York's oldest continually operating theater.

New York has more than its fair share of yakitori houses and sushi bars, but this Japanese transplant is concerned with presenting Teishoku, or home-style cooking, to its American diners. Since 1958, Japan has been fortunate enough to have access to this chain's nourishing, traditional fare, where a "healthy body and mind" are top priority. Throughout Asia, there are over three hundred Ootoya restaurants, and as of 2012, New Yorkers can dine in the light, airy interior of their elegant US flagship restaurant on 18th Street or their latest addition on 41st.

When I mentioned to a friend that I was up to 33rd Street, she reacted immediately, "You know that this is the street that Wolfgang's is on, don't you? " I loved the description that she and her husband shared with me. "It is an old world man-cave that has incredible charm and certainly appeals to the serious eater. " Situated in the former historic Vanderbilt Hotel with magnificently tiled low vaulted ceilings, my husband and I agree that this is a splendid restaurant to dine. Wolfgang's, located in the sleek New York Times building on West 41st Street, is equally pleasant, but offers an entirely different ambiance. During the daytime, the sunlight streams in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing the steaks to glisten even more as they are being brought to the tables. The businessmen in their suits still dominate during the lunch hour; however, theatergoers and tourists fill the restaurant in the evening. Wolfgang Zwiener spent some forty years digesting the world of steak by working in the iconic restaurant, Peter Luger's. Think of it this way, Wolfgang received a veritable master's degree in meats in Brooklyn, and now has earned his doctorate in his own restaurant, where he has written a top-notch thesis. When others might have chosen to slow down a bit or even to retire, he began opening his own restaurants. Over the years, I have been to the four in Manhattan, with the 33rd Street flagship location being the one where we have chosen to celebrate many special occasions. As noted, it is a favorite of friends of ours, and when I asked them to speak to me further about Wolfgang's, the immediate response was, "Personally, of all the steak houses in New York, this is the one to go to. " They went on to describe the menu as not only having excellent steaks, but they also always look forward to ordering seafood, and then brace themselves as the kitchen presents them with a seafood platter appetizer that is "utterly outrageous. " There are jumbo shrimp (my number one oxymoron) and lobster with huge pieces to devour, and thrown in for good measure, some oysters and clams. "Even if you leave the steak out of the equation, it makes for an incredible meal. " But, who can leave the steak out? According to my husband, a man who is passionate about his meat, Wolfgang gets it right every time whether he decides on a filet or a porterhouse. And I, of course, am all about the side dishes and salads, which Wolfgang continues to deliver.

Notorious bikini bar Tobacco Road will finally get a new lease of life as a four-story venue for the Queer community when Red Eye NYC opens on W41st Street. The once-gritty dive bar at 355 W41st Street between 8th and 9th Avenue was shuttered in 2017 for failing to pay its rent, but five years on, a round-the-clock space offering coffee, bagels, shared workspaces and rehearsal rooms by day and high-end entertainment and cocktails at night is to rise from Tobacco Road's ashes in spectacular style. Red Eye NYC is the brainchild of Taylor Shubert, Daniel Nardicio, Samuel Benedict and Adam Klesh, who were determined to bring a "whole new concept" to Hell's Kitchen for the Queer community. Their work is nearing completion and they hope to have permissions from the city in place within weeks, allowing them to open by the end of the year. The venue has a long history — including as a concert venue that played host to luminaries including Thelonius Monk and Etta James — and that history has inspired the Red Eye NYC team. By day, the theater will offer rehearsal space, with Queer performers a priority. When not rented, it will be open for everything from piano playing to ballet practice. Red Eye NYC will also host streamed events, and plans to have its own podcast, recording on-site. By night it will be a raucous venue for burlesque and boylesque personalities, DJs, drag royalty and stars of Broadway and television. They will have a happy hour and promise to have some sort of event every night somewhere between 7 and 9pm. The four founders have spent the past few months on a massive program of renovations, detailing their work on the Red Eye NYC Instagram feed, including stripping the building back to the studs, pouring concrete and installing up-to-date appliances. They even helped out with the caulking. The team has deep Hell's Kitchen roots. Klesh opened W52nd Street's Industry Bar and Shubert has been a bartender at 9th Avenue's Flaming Saddles for almost eight years. He has also represented Hell’s Kitchen as a Democratic Party judicial delegate and a member of its New York county committee. The foursome say they want the "pink dollar" to stay in the gay community, and plan to champion Queer-owned suppliers for every part of the business, including wine-makers and other drink suppliers. This story originally appeared on W42ST. nyc in October, 2022 as "Red Eye NYC will Revive Bikini Bar Site with a Coffee-to-Cocktails Queer Venue. "

In a city where cultural fads and neighborhoods change frequently, one necessity has remained the same - men continue to be in need of a haircut. That simple fact has kept Olde Tyme Barbers in business since 1929. Or at least that is how Joe “the Boss” Magnetico explains being successful, despite the way midtown has changed since his grandfather opened his doors. Joe is the third generation of barbers, and his daughter Anne-Marie is the fourth and first female barber in the family. Joe’s grandfather, the original “Joe the Barber, ” first opened his shop at the Statler Hilton Hotel. In 1945, his son, Frank Magnetico, moved the barbershop to the current location on 41st Street underneath the Chanin building, a New York City national landmark. This makes Olde Tyme Barbers the oldest retail establishment currently in business on 41st from the East River to the New York Public Library. It is easy to tell that Joe, his family, and his staff take pride in the work that they do and the history they have created. Joe still uses the original chairs from the barbershop his grandfather opened. Sitting behind the cash register, Joe stated, “We’re not a business you can do on the internet. ” By this he means that despite the way business and the neighborhood has changed in the past years, Joe and his family have survived for so long by remaining true to their trade. He charges what is fair and treats everyone who comes in with respect. Joe told me, “you have to be able to make relationships in business: it’s how you survive. ” This is why Joe’s regulars are so loyal. Generations of men in the same family continue to come from all over the Metropolitan area to get their hair cut by his staff. They have been able to do something special in midtown - to create a neighborhood environment in an area of Manhattan that is not considered a neighborhood anymore. Joe ended our conversation by mentioning that he does not believe that he could open a barber shop in today’s market for the price that he charges on this block. "We are a dying breed in the sense that there is not much room in midtown for small owned businesses. " In his opinion, all the chains in midtown do not bring the same sense of community or character to the area like the businesses that use to be there.

Juice Press has a small presence at Equinox, selling the bottled juices and a few other products.

Located in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Times Square lies a hotel that is the perfect blend of old world glamour and modern luxury. A landmark building designed by Stanford White and finished in the early 1900s, it was originally the home of the Lambs Club, an organization of actors, reminiscent of the previous London location. Opening its doors as The Chatwal New York in 2010, architect Thierry Despont oversaw the entire redesign of the hotel. He was incredibly meticulous about maintaining as much of its past as possible while also introducing it to the sophisticated clientele of the twenty-first century. His work has included the restoration of the Statue of Liberty, The Carlyle, Claridges in London and a host of others. After admiring the attractive lobby and bar, where we sampled two of their signature drinks - the Lamb's Club Cup (cucumber, lime, fresh raspberries, ginger syrup, white vermouth, St. Germain, gin, and topped off with club soda), and the Goldrush (honey syrup, lemon juice and bourbon), we were escorted on a small tour of the guest rooms upstairs. It was evident in the Producer's suite with its private terrace and view of Times Square, that they spared no expense in each appointment of the room. The cedar-lined closets as well as the drawer and door handles were wrapped in leather. We also took note of the old movie playing in the elevators and the hallways lined with classic movie posters. Richly decadent, sleekly fashionable, and consciously sexy, the Chatwal is a quintessential midtown hotel that took into consideration every detail necessary for an extravagant stay.

Built in 1900 by famous impresario Oscar Hammerstein I, New Victory Theater was a relative newcomer to theater row on west 42nd Street. The venue was originally named Theatre Republic, but a series of ownership changes saw the name and theme changed every few years. It had a stint in the '30s as Minsky's Burlesque, New York's first Broadway burlesque theater, and a subsequent time as Victory movie theater (so named for the United States' success in WWII), later the first theater on the street to show pornographic films. This more sinful time coincided with the neighborhood falling on hard times. In 1990, New York City took over the theater together with a handful of others in an effort to refurbish the area, returning the theater to a more mainstream focus. In 1995, the Victory reopened as the New Victory and became New York's first theater aimed entirely at children and their families, making the return from vice to virtue complete. It now holds the distinction of being New York's oldest continually operating theater.

Alongside numerous restaurants and bars, The Church of St. Mary adds a European influence to the Times Square area. With vaulted ceilings and glorious stained glass windows, the church offers a level of contemplative splendor to an otherwise busy area. When I stepped inside for a few moments on my walk across 46th, I was in absolute awe. I could not wait to watch the reaction of other members of the Manhattan Sideways team when I brought them by a few days later. The 45th Street church was founded in 1868 and built on ground donated by John Jacob Astor, with the understanding that the church would remain “free” - meaning visitors did not have to pay pew rents. Radical in its time, this Episcopal Church could open its services to people from all walks of life while remaining dependent on contributions from wealthy parishioners. In 1893, after one of these contributors, Sara L. Cooke, left the church a large amount of money in her will, the church leaders decided to move to a larger location one block north on West 46th. Built in the French Gothic style, this building was the first church made with an iron skeleton rather than stonework. While walking through this breathtaking piece of architecture, I checked in with one of the Manhattan Sideways photographers, who was looking a little shaken. She told me that the sheer size and beauty had simply taken her breath away. St. Mary’s keeps her doors open everyday so that passersby can share in this experience.

How nice it was to literally bump into David Rabin - one of the owners of the magnificent rooftop bar, The Skylark, on 39th Street - when I first entered the luxurious, historic Chatwal Hotel where the Lambs Club is located. He explained to me that this, too, was his. After the hotel was re-envisioned by father and son, Sant Singh and Vikram Chatwal, the team behind the restaurant decided to bring back some of the old world charm of the original Lambs Club. Comprised of a group of the creme de la creme in theater that began in London in 1868 came across the ocean to New York in 1874. The restaurant is a standout of modern American cuisine. Executive chef Eric Haugen is an up-and-coming superstar in the New York culinary scene, as he works alongside renowned chef Geoffrey Zakarian. The wine list has garnered the attention and approbation of Wine Spectator magazine, and the jazz shows enliven Sunday brunches. The simple, but delightful salad that the team assembled for us to photograph was a work of art. On the plate was "Gem" lettuce, sliced asparagus, peas, pickled red onion, shaved radishes, candy cane beets with a fresh spring herb dressing of ramps, chervil and tarragon. Although we did not dine at the Lambs Club while walking 44th, we certainly look forward to it one day soon, as the ambiance, the food and the professional staff were enticing.

The Candler Building, constructed in 1914 by Coca-Cola mogul Asa Griggs Candler, is now enshrined in the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it might be most recognizable for the abundantly lit sign of ground-floor tenant McDonald's.