The Church is up there with Motown's Hitsville studio, Stax's McLemore Avenue pad in Memphis, Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, and the FAME operation in Muscle Shoals, Alabama as one of the most influential recording studios of them all.
Always thought Kip's Bay one of those relatively quiet, underrated parts of Manhattan. Lots of history there, and Bellevue is indeed a fascinating place. David Oshinsky's "Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital" is a must-read for NYC history buffs.
That is some customer service by the butcher - interesting! Amazing how far we have come in terms of medicine - yikes about the tobacco shot in the arm! Lock em’ up - wow what a song after coming out of Bellevue! Also thank you for reminding me of Kalustyan - I haven’t been there in ages but now that you posted that…gotta go and stock up on some stuff that is hard to get :)
Kalustyan's is amazing! Glad you listened to that track, it definitely captures what I imagine it must have felt like being on the inside. As far the butcher's walking advertisements, I think that would have made me feel bad for the cow rather than excited to eat it, but there weren't too many vegetarians back then...
Thanks Laura! I have a new found love of the neighborhood too! Be sure to check out the little Bellevue garden tucked between the hospital and the FDR the next time you're there. Totally unexpected.
Kalustyan’s is such a gem—not just for the spices but for the whole experience. Walking through the aisles is like traveling the world. They have ingredients you can’t find anywhere else. I always end up discovering something new and leaving inspired to cook up something amazing. It’s places like Kalustyan’s that make NYC truly unique and diverse!
Love this series and as a resident of Kips Bay, I especially enjoyed learning so much about the area. Thank you! There is also the wonderful carriage house on E 29th, which is a fabulous part of the neighborhood, too:
I spent a lot of time this spring and summer walking the streets of Kip’s Bay from the ferry. I’d never spent any time there at all before and discovered my new favorite buildings: the I.M. Pei apartments you shot. It’s hard to capture their striking beauty. Loved this!
I often read The Neighborhoods while listening to BBC Radio 3’s late night jazz programme. The second tune today was by Mingus, just as I got to your first reference to him. It breaks my heart that the Church got turned into another anonymous block of flats. The wonderful Abbey Road studios in London almost got turned into a car park but, thankfully, survived.
The people in that apartment building, formerly The Church of Columbia Records, are living on hallowed ground!
I also love how people worded things in the past - “vomiting flames, murderous shot, rolling volleys of smoke,” and of course the very polite yet descriptive “a straitjacket for the demonstratively disposed.”
I wonder how many of them know? I was happy to have informed neighbor of the Red Ball garage about the connection between the garage and Burt Reynolds even though he had no idea who that was.
Wow, I'm sure you have some stories! I know that the floor reserved for RIkers inmates was being considered as a possible spot to jail Trump if his NYC criminal case resulted in incarceration.
A pesthouse is basically just a quarantine building. I assume it's short for pestilence house. What you really don't want is to have your pesthouse overlooking a plague pit...
Loved this one! I really hope you compile all of these into a book one day.
Thanks Charles, me too!
The Church is up there with Motown's Hitsville studio, Stax's McLemore Avenue pad in Memphis, Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, and the FAME operation in Muscle Shoals, Alabama as one of the most influential recording studios of them all.
Don’t forget Sun Studios!
Yes- of course!
Always thought Kip's Bay one of those relatively quiet, underrated parts of Manhattan. Lots of history there, and Bellevue is indeed a fascinating place. David Oshinsky's "Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital" is a must-read for NYC history buffs.
I bought the book for this week's research and it is a really fantastic account!
That is some customer service by the butcher - interesting! Amazing how far we have come in terms of medicine - yikes about the tobacco shot in the arm! Lock em’ up - wow what a song after coming out of Bellevue! Also thank you for reminding me of Kalustyan - I haven’t been there in ages but now that you posted that…gotta go and stock up on some stuff that is hard to get :)
Kalustyan's is amazing! Glad you listened to that track, it definitely captures what I imagine it must have felt like being on the inside. As far the butcher's walking advertisements, I think that would have made me feel bad for the cow rather than excited to eat it, but there weren't too many vegetarians back then...
I love Kips Bay! I always stay there when I come visit New York City. Now I have a much deeper level of appreciation for it! Great installment.
Thanks Laura! I have a new found love of the neighborhood too! Be sure to check out the little Bellevue garden tucked between the hospital and the FDR the next time you're there. Totally unexpected.
Kalustyan’s is such a gem—not just for the spices but for the whole experience. Walking through the aisles is like traveling the world. They have ingredients you can’t find anywhere else. I always end up discovering something new and leaving inspired to cook up something amazing. It’s places like Kalustyan’s that make NYC truly unique and diverse!
I blew $60 on beans and random spices last week and I don't regret a penny!
Love this series and as a resident of Kips Bay, I especially enjoyed learning so much about the area. Thank you! There is also the wonderful carriage house on E 29th, which is a fabulous part of the neighborhood, too:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/203_East_29th_Street
Thanks Lia! I ran out of room but did photograph the house. I included in little blurb about it today.
https://theneighborhoods.substack.com/p/kips-bay-bonus
I spent a lot of time this spring and summer walking the streets of Kip’s Bay from the ferry. I’d never spent any time there at all before and discovered my new favorite buildings: the I.M. Pei apartments you shot. It’s hard to capture their striking beauty. Loved this!
Brutalism at its best! Something about those honeycombs. Thanks Lili!
I often read The Neighborhoods while listening to BBC Radio 3’s late night jazz programme. The second tune today was by Mingus, just as I got to your first reference to him. It breaks my heart that the Church got turned into another anonymous block of flats. The wonderful Abbey Road studios in London almost got turned into a car park but, thankfully, survived.
And to think Columbia could have saved it for under a million in 2024 dollars!
I'm going to pretend that's the most depressing thing I've heard this week.
The people in that apartment building, formerly The Church of Columbia Records, are living on hallowed ground!
I also love how people worded things in the past - “vomiting flames, murderous shot, rolling volleys of smoke,” and of course the very polite yet descriptive “a straitjacket for the demonstratively disposed.”
I wonder how many of them know? I was happy to have informed neighbor of the Red Ball garage about the connection between the garage and Burt Reynolds even though he had no idea who that was.
WONDERFUL. The Mingus detail is singing my song. "What Country Is This"
Thanks Emily! Mingus has been on steady rotation these past few days.
Bellevue still has a storied prison psych unit where I was privileged to work teaching staff circa 2004. Good times!
Wow, I'm sure you have some stories! I know that the floor reserved for RIkers inmates was being considered as a possible spot to jail Trump if his NYC criminal case resulted in incarceration.
That would be lovely.
Ok, what is a pesthouse?
A pesthouse is basically just a quarantine building. I assume it's short for pestilence house. What you really don't want is to have your pesthouse overlooking a plague pit...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pest_house#/media/File:The_pest_house_and_plague_pit,_Moorfields,_London._Wellcome_V0013229.jpg
So funny!
“a demonstrative disposition.” Haha that’s me!
Wow this neighborhood looks absolutely brutal!
Is that a Brutalism reference or did I make it look much bleaker than it is?
It looks pretty bleak!
Maybe I was just projecting this week.
To be honest I was wondering the same thing. Our minds are so funny!