Month: March 2020

Quite simply, we have to stay inside right now. That means that if you are living in one of the luxury no-fee residences at Sessanta, you are temporarily missing the rich and dynamic street life, the cultural attractions, and memorable dining experiences that help define the Upper West Side lifestyle. During this period of collective withdrawal from much of the physical reality of New York City, the city still looms large, though. And you can take some time to deepen your appreciation of your neighborhood by learning more about it and some of the other New Yorkers who have called it home.

You might begin in your Allmilmo kitchen, preparing food on your Caesarstone countertops, deploying the GE Profile stainless-steel appliances to create the meals (or maybe the desserts) you never had the time for before. Eater New York recently curated a list of cookbooks by New York restaurants and chefs, an excellent resource that will elevate your NYC cooking skills and may inspire you to hunt down recipes that can recreate your favorite meals at your favorite Upper West Side restaurants.

With the gorgeous cityscape views from Sessanta as your backdrop and a snack or two in hand, you can then settle down for a different kind of Upper West Side immersion. You could channel your childhood and read Madeleine L’Engle’s The Young Unicorns, which features the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, where L’Engle worked for many years, among other UWS highlights. Or you could take another route and Seize the Day with Saul Bellow’s Tommy Wilhelm as he navigates through his complicated life and the UWS. Bellow’s Mr. Sammler’s Planet also plants its main character firmly in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Mark Helprin’s time travel masterpiece, Winter’s Tale, gives a prominent place to the UWS. 

This may also be the opportunity to find out more about the history of your home base. Elizabeth Blackmar and Roy Rosenzweig’s The Park and the People: A History of Central Park illuminates some of the stories behind the nearby park, including the history of Seneca Village, a 19^th-century settlement of African Americans, Irish Americans, and German Americans that was demolished in order to clear the site. If you prefer to study espionage, you may be fascinated by the tidbits about the UWS in Spy Sites of New York City by H. Keith Melton and Robert Wallace.

As you wind down for the day, you could put on some Miles Davis, who lived in a brownstone at 312 West 77^th Street for more than two decades and soak in your bathtub, surrounded by Italian porcelain tile and Kohler fixtures. Or you could simply binge-watch Seinfeld and try to identify all its Upper West Side locations.Both inside and outside your home at Sessanta, the Upper West Side is an intriguing and exciting place to be. Stay safe and well.

With its cobbled streets and classic architecture, Greenwich Village has retained that feeling of Old New York better than most neighborhoods in Manhattan. While high-end housing like the Greenwich Village luxury apartments at the recently renovated Hilary Gardens make the Village a desirable place to live, the area’s rich history and unique personality make it feel like a wonderland. Hilary Gardens residents are in the ideal location to regularly taste this history at one-of-a-kind bars and restaurants that either recreate the past or were themselves part of it!

The Village first came onto the cultural and culinary scene in the prewar years, when it was the center of the Bohemian movement of artists and writers in New York. Dining options included traditional European tables d’hôtes, where guests dined with the host family and ate what was prepared without ordering off a menu. These (mostly) Italian diners were the heart of the Bohemian artist’s diet and also provided opportunities to converse about issues of the day over good food and mediocre wine. This experience, combined with better vino and an upgraded seafood menu, is available today at spots like Il Mulino and Babbo, which preserve the area’s Italian heritage.

Near the middle of the 20th century, with Prohibition having come and gone, the Village became home to a new group of artistic outsiders and the hub for a proliferation of nightclubs and gay bars that catered to a wide range of aesthetic interests. Both Barbra Streisand and Bob Dylan got their starts playing in these hip joints, which often stood on the same block as classic chophouses where the upper crust puffed cigars and sipped brandy in oak-paneled parlors. One Village gay bar, The Stonewall Inn, eventually made history with a riot that kicked off the LGBTQ civil rights movement that has altered the course of history. The Stonewall Inn still stands and celebrates that momentous event each year, encouraging Villagers and visitors to take their part in history.

Today, Greenwich Village combines historically relevant venues and cuisines with new and exciting restaurants to create one of the most dynamic culinary neighborhoods in the world. For history lovers and dedicated foodies, there’s no place like Greenwich Village, and the luxury apartments at Hilary Gardens are the perfect base from which to explore this deep well of cuisine.
So, head over to the building’s website to check availability and begin your new life as a Villager today!