September 2023 City Notes

CITY NOTES

CURATED BY PATRICIA GREENE ISEN

Welcome Back to Fall

...And welcome back to the Fall 2023 “City Notes” . For those who do not know me, I have been immersed in fashion and home design for over 30 years. I have worked with interior designers, architects, artists and designers from around the world, developing home, interior design and fashion concepts—always traveling globally in search of the next trend or new idea.

City notes is meant to be an indispensable guide on what is exciting, provocative, beautiful and/or delicious in New York City. I have grown up, worked and played in New York City for most of my life and look forward to sharing my personal favorites and perspectives with you. A report on this season’s must-see events, venues and activities in NYC with a special focus on: art, food, design, architecture with real estate quarterly reports, updates and exclusives.

Reach out with any questions or comments.

Feel free to email me any friends you would like to add to the distribution.

Remember to go to the links at the bottom of the newsletter.

ART

ED RUSCHA NOW THEN

MOMA
ED RUSCHA NOW THEN
Member Previews, Sep 7–9

In 1956, Ruscha left his hometown of Oklahoma City and drove along interstate highway 66 to study commercial art in Los Angeles, where he drew inspiration from the city’s architecture, colloquial speech, and popular culture. Ruscha has recorded and transformed familiar subjects—whether roadside gasoline stations or the 20th Century Fox logo—often revisiting motifs, sites, or words years later. Tracing shifts in the artist’s means and methods over time, ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN underscores the continuous reinvention that has defined his work.

RUTH ASAWA THROUGH LINE

WHITNEY MUSEUM
RUTH ASAWA THROUGH LINE
Member Previews, Sept 13–14

Ruth Asawa Through Line is the first exhibition to examine Ruth Asawa’s eye through the lens of her lifelong drawing practice. Co-organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Menil Collection, this presentation reveals the complexity and richness of the materials and processes she experimented with, emphasizing the foundational role that drawing played in developing her distinct visual language. While now widely recognized as a sculptor, Asawa (1926–2013) practiced drawing daily, referring to the act as her “greatest pleasure and the most difficult.” 

MICKALENE THOMAS PORTRAIT OF AN UNLIKELY SPACE

YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY
MICKALENE THOMAS
September 8, 2023 – January 7, 2024

Mickalene Thomas (b. 1971, M.F.A. 2002) has gained an international reputation for her dazzling paintings and photographs of Black women posed in lushly decorated interiors, as well as for her similarly styled, immersive installations. In Mickalene Thomas / Portrait of an Unlikely Space, the artist designs an entirely new multigallery installation, imagining domestic surroundings reminiscent of a moment in U.S. history that has never before been so explicitly represented in her work: the pre-Emancipation era. Coorganized by Thomas, the exhibition features a selection of early American portraits of Black women, men, and children—from miniatures and daguerreotypes to silhouettes on paper and engravings in books—hanging on walls, standing within cases, and resting atop furniture. 

BARKLEY L. HENDRICKS

THE FRICK
FRICK MADISON AVENUE
945 Madison Avenue
September 21, 2023 to January 7, 2024

Barkley L. Hendricks (1945–2017) revolutionized contemporary portraiture with his vivid depictions of Black subjects that emphasize the dignity and individuality of his sitters. Beginning in the late 1960s, his work drew from and challenged traditions of European art, and The Frick Collection—with its iconic portraits by Rembrandt, Bronzino, Van Dyck, and others—was one of his favorite museums.

FOOD

CAFE CARMELLINI

FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL
OPENING THIS MONTH

Café Carmellini will open in the fall at The Fifth Avenue Hotel, a new luxury hotel on the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 28th Street in Manhattan’s NoMad area. Cafe Carmellini is from the team behind The Dutch, Locanda Verdi, Bar Primi and many others.Should be GREAT!

CECCHI'S

105 WEST 13TH STREET

Created by industry veteran and author Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, Cecchi’s offers a modern take on the quintessential New York City dining experience. Michael brings the knowledge and skill honed throughout his 30-year career working in some of Manhattan’s most lauded restaurants.

SUPERIORITY BURGER

119 Avenue A

Superiority Burger started as a humble (aka tiny) East Village shop hawking veggie burgers that caused lines around the corner. They now have a restaurant that you can sit down in , have a table and take time to enjoy! The quinoa-based burgers are as good as ever, but the expanded menu is truly unique. Superiority comes from former Del Posto pastry chef Brooks Headley, so anything sweet here is yummy.

MISIPASTA

46 Grand St

Misipasta is from the incredible team behind Lillia which opened in 2016 to HUGE success! If you haven't gone...RUN! The Grove House Group.

MA DE

22 Spring Street
917-388-3908

Meaning “second born” in Balinese, Ma•dé is a new restaurant by Chef Cédric Vongerichten, his wife Ochi Latjuba Vongerichten & their friend and business partner Ezra J. William. 

THE BAZAAR JOSE GARCES

The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad

The Bazaar is a culinary journey 400 years in the making. Inspired by a group of samurai who sailed from Japan to Spain for an audience with the king, Chef José Andrés takes guests through the two cultures’ deep respect for ingredients and dedication to technique. 

THE GOLDEN SWAN

314 West 11th Street
Tuesday and Wednesday

The infamous Spotted Pig building has been reinvented into the Golden Swan, a retro-clubby bar and restaurant that evokes the early aughts, the Wall Street Journal reports. Matt Abramcyk — who started Smith & Mills and others under the Neighborhood Projects umbrella — is behind the takeover of the space that resulted in closure following scandal.

DESIGN

DAE

385 SMITH STREET CARROLL GARDENS
DAE

Started by Opening Ceremony alumni....mostly Korean designers...with a little bakery...

CHRISTOPHER CAWLEY

75 E. BROADWAY NO. 231
https://christopher-cawley.com/

I have written about Christopher before. His antique store is in chinatown on the second level . He has incredible taste with an old world sensibility.

RESERVATIONS ONLY VINTAGE

75 E. BROADWAY
RESERVATIONS ONLY

A funky vintage spopt in the same chinatown mall as Christopher Crawley.

BIG NIGHT

236 WEST 10TH STREET
Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-7pm

This is the second store for this unique concept. The first store was in Greenpoint. This is a fun exploration for your dinner table, party, pantry and more!

ART FAIRS

INDEPENDENT ART FAIR

CIPRIANI SOUTH STREET

Independent New York was established in 2010, as a consciously scaled art fair focused on inspiring relevant art encounters for a well-informed and devoted Contemporary Art audience. Independent 20th Century premiered in 2022 to champion artists and international avant garde movements that took place between 1900-2000, in a historical setting (the Battery Maritime Building was built in 1908). 

THE ARMORY FAIR

JAVITS CENTER, SEPTEMBER 8–10
2023 Public Dates

A cornerstone of New York’s cultural landscape since its founding in 1994, The Armory Show brings the world’s leading international contemporary and modern art galleries to New York each year.

ART ON PAPER

Pier 36, Downtown Manhattan

Art on Paper, New York City’s celebrated, medium-driven fair, returns to downtown Manhattan’s Pier 36 during September 2023’s Armory Art Week with 100 galleries featuring top modern and contemporary paper-based art. The fair’s ninth edition will showcase unique and powerful projects curated by Artistic Director Nato Thompson, with a focus on can’t-miss performances highlighting the creative potential of paper.

PHOTO FAIRS

JAVITZ CENTER
SEPTEMBER 7, invitation only VIP Preview Day, 2pm to 7pm 

PHOTOFAIRS New York is a new contemporary art fair dedicated to photo-based works, digital art and new media. Taking place at the Javits Center, Manhattan’s West Side, the Fair will present a state-of-the-art view of visual culture.

THEATER

SWING STATE

Minetta Lane Theatre

I have not seen this but there are so many accolades from its run in Chicago.
Direct from a hit run at Chicago's Goodman Theatre comes this complex, humanistic yarn written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rebecca Gilman and directed by Tony Award winner Robert Falls. 

PURLIE VICTOIOUS REVIVAL

MUSIC BOX THEATRE

Starring Leslie Odom who comes to Broadway for the first time since playing Aaron Burr in Hamilton. Written by Ossie Davis a Jim Crowe satire from 1961 and in previews starting September 7th and opening September 27th this is sure to be a must see. Get your tickets early!

EXCLUSIVES

No matter what your needs or neighborhood preferences are, we will work tirelessly to find what you want and make it happen for you.

My mother, Betsy S. Green and I are partners at Douglas Elliman. Together we represent clients in NYC, the Hamptons and Palm Beach. So when looking for real estate—whether you are expanding a family, downsizing, changing residences or relocating from another city—we would be thrilled to be involved in your journey and work with you.