This month’s Culturally Inclined features Hells Kitchen aka Clinton and what better way to beat the heat than to pop in and out of the many car dealerships along Eleventh Avenue or take in some Broadway theater and fine dining the area has to offer. Inspiration abounds, Hells Kitchen is sandwiched between two of the city’s premier shopping destinations: Hudson Yards and Columbus Circle.
Hell’s Kitchen – What’s In a Name
“In recent decades, businesses and real estate agents have tried in vain to clean up the lively reputation of this west side neighborhood by renaming it “Clinton.” Gentrification and expansion from the neighboring theater district have certainly helped the beautification cause. Nonetheless, the area spanning 34th Street to 59th Street and 8th Avenue (or 9th, depending on who you ask) to the Hudson River just can’t shake the nickname “Hell’s Kitchen.”At one time not so long ago, Hell’s Kitchen lived up to the nightmarish implications of its name—and then some—but the actual origins of the name have become something of folklore. One legend involves a seasoned cop and a green cop watching a riot take place in the heart of the neighborhood. The story goes that the young cop remarked, “This place is hell itself!” to which the older cop responded “Hell is a mild climate. This is hell’s kitchen.”
Hell’s Kitchen Gang
The second widely accepted origin comes from the name of a local gang, aptly called “The Hell’s Kitchen Gang.” It was the transgressions of this rough group upon which Herbert Asbury based his 1927 book Gangs of New York, which Martin Scorsese would later adapt into a film by the same name. Hell’s Kitchen was first mentioned in the New York Times on September 22, 1881; the paper used the term to refer to a tenement house on 39th between 9th and 10th.The days of ethnic strife and poverty that once defined Hell’s Kitchen are long gone, but the name has stuck. Government and business officials drew the alternative name from DeWitt Clinton Park located on the outskirts of the neighborhood. Named for the 19th century New York governor, officials thought the local park and the name Clinton would evoke a sense of New York pride. But for now, residents and other New Yorkers alike proudly call this area Hell’s Kitchen.” [Mental Floss]
Hell’s Kitchen Cultural Sites
Discover the Vessel (Giant Swarma) Edge observation deck, a structure designed by Thomas Heatherwick who also designed the stairs for Longchamp French luxury leather goods store in Soho. Discover The Shed, commissions produces and presents a wide range of activities in performing arts, visual arts, and pop culture. Snark Park – permanent home to rotating Snarkitecture installations, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum – American military and maritime history museum, and a collection of ships located at Pier 86 at 46th Street. During the summer free movies are showcased on the piers, Lincoln Center of Performing Arts, Museum of Art and Design, and New York’s newest public parks. Surrounded by bright lights, Hudson River and the Skyline Hells Kitchen’s Rooftops are the perfect location for a respite or an Instragam shot for the memory books. Delight in the many cultural sites to see and apprise yourself of the local real estate market to include in your next cocktail conversations.
Lights, Camera, Action: Movie Night at Bryant Park
Monday at 5 PM through August- Click here for the full weekend schedule!
- July 1: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before | Starring Lana Gondor and Noah Centineo | Directed by Susan Johnson based on a book by Jenny Han
- July 8: Carrie (1976) | Starring Sissy Spacek | Directed by Brian De Palma based on a book by Stephen King
- July 15: Bad Boys | Starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence | Directed by Michael Bay
- July 22: Coming To America | Starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenia Hall | Directed by John Landis | Written by Eddie Murphy
- July 29: Goodfellas | Starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta & Joe Pesci | Directed by Martin Scorsese
- August 5: Anchorman | Starring Will Ferrell | Directed by Adam McKay | Written by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay
- August 12: Fan Choice TBD
Farm to Table Restaurants
“The Marshall”, “The Print” and “Rustic Table”The Marshal a cozy rustic spot with wood-burning oven creates approachable yet elevated farm-to-table cuisine to emulate Chef Charlie’s roots. Chef Charlie Marshall grew up in his parents’ restaurant and on their farm on Lummi Island, in Puget Sound. Click on the link to visit The Marshal – 628 Tenth Avenue website.The Print located at 653 Eleventh Avenue within a renovated and repurposed printing factory in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, PRINT Restaurant is among one of the country’s leading restaurants dedicated to seasonal, sustainable cuisine. Executive Chef Gary King updates PRINT’s menu daily to best showcase ingredients collected by our in-house forager and chef from the local farmers market, regional farms, and other artisan purveyors. Click on Link to Visit The Print – 653 Eleventh Avenue website. Rustic Table is the perfect spot for casual fare. Their mission is offering fine coffee and light foods with a Mediterranean twist. Whether sitting in or taking out, we would like you to always enjoy the eats, just as a farmer would!” Click on the Link to visit Rustic Fare – 504 West 42nd Street website. When you can’t leave NYC to visit Reunion Surf Bar at 357 West 44th Street is your hometown beach bar serving an assortment of Fish tacos & Creole pub grub pair with rum drinks in a French-accented bar with surfing décor conceptualized by Eugene Ashe and Thomas Wilson. To view the sunsets, lady liberty, or the simple sailboat floating in the Hudson River the beloved Frying Pan is the perfect spot docked at Pier 66 Maritime located on Pier 66a in the Hudson River Park at West 26th Street and 12th Ave. While the outside of the ship has been restored to her original appearance, the inside retains the barnacle-encrusted, sunken-ship motif that acknowledges her storied past. Pier 66 Maritime Bar & Grill has a full-service bar and delicious food prepared on-site. The Bar & Grill is located on the floating railroad barge that is securely docked at Pier 66. The Lightship Frying Pan and the John J. Harvey Fireboat are moored alongside. Partake in the upcoming Hells Kitchen Community Festival on 8th Avenue | 42nd – 57th St – Saturday, July 6th from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM. We bow our heads in gratitude to all those people who made America such a prosperous and great nation. Breathe in all of the magic the Big Apple has to offer this summer. Happy Fourth of July!
Mansion Tax Change Spurs Sales
Finally, the magical rays of summer have arrived in the Big Apple just in time for the 4th of July festivities. Not only are people packing to go away, but many buyers are also packing to close and move into their new home by July 1st when the new mansion tax goes into effect. And, as reported in the TheRealDeal “Manhattan’s luxury market just had its Best Week of the Year” with 29 contracts signed for a total of about $291 million. The contracts signed at $4 million or above were split between 22 condominiums, five co-ops, and two townhouses. Furthermore, the good weather is drawing buyers out to view the New York City housing inventory at all price points in addition to lower rates.
Mortgage Rates
The average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages in Freddie Mac’s survey was 3.73% during the week ending June 27, a decline of 11 basis points from the previous week. That’s the lowest weekly average since November 2016. The rate averaged 3.80% in June and 4.07% in May. All rates quoted have fees and points averaging 0.5% to 0.6% of the loan amount.
Quotes
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand”
President Harry S. Truman“I believe in America because we have great dreams, and because we have the opportunity to make those dreams come true”
Wendell Willkie
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