Ever since the pandemic, my flying days pretty much grounded to a halt. It’s generally been a pain in the arse, more expensive, and quite frankly at this stage in my life I am happiest being at home. However…it was time to visit Mom again. Southwest Airlines pulled through this time and rated a glowing report card. Despite connecting flights coming and going (which can often lead to disaster), I am happy to say that they were on time for each one. AND baggage claim was quick and easy, too. Ignore the American Airlines building at LaGuardia; I was on a Southwest flight!
Once off the plane, I was greeted by the “I Love NY” logo at LaGuardia.
The colored panels with quotes from and about NYC’s 100th mayor, Fiorella LaGuardia, were beautiful to see as I briskly walked to the transportation pickup area. They aren’t actually stained glass, but rather 3M scotch all clear vinyl window graphics installed by Color-X and designed by Sabine Horning.
Traffic was a bit dicey as you would expect on a weekday around lunchtime in NYC, but I finally made it to my destination, The Walker Hotel in Greenwich Village.
It was just the right kind of refurbed historic boutique hotel that I dig.
I was hoping to run into Karen Walker when I checked in, but no such luck.
Stepping down the stairs, the lobby area did not disappointed. Plenty of couches and nooks and crannies for relaxing.
Since my room wasn’t ready yet (I had taken the red eye and arrived early), I had a delish lunch at the hotel restaurant.
Once done, I took my camera and ventured out in the hood, despite the mix of cloudy skies, sprinkles, and short downpours of rain. The Jefferson Market Library stood out like something out of a gothic novel.
Edited from the New York Public Library website:
Originally a courthouse, the Jefferson Market Library has served the Greenwich Village community for over thirty years. The building, a New York City landmark, was designed by architects Frederick Clark Withers and Calvert Vaux (who also assisted in the design of Central Park) in a Victorian Gothic style. It was erected (along with an adjacent prison and market) during the years 1875-1877 and cost the city almost $360,000. What the city got for its money, in addition to an architectural gem (it was voted one of the ten most beautiful buildings in America by a poll of architects in the 1880s) was a civil court (on the second floor, where the Adult Reading Room is now) and a police court (now the first-floor Children's Room). The beautiful brick-arched basement (now the Reference Room) was used as a holding area for prisoners on their way to jail or trial. By 1945, through redistricting, court was no longer held at Jefferson Market, and the building was taken over by various agencies.
By 1959, the building had become home only to pigeons and rats and was considered such an architectural eyesore the city planned to knock it down and erect an apartment building. But Village community members, led by Margot Gayle and Philip Wittenberg, and including Lewis Mumford, E.E. Cummings (who lived across the street in Patchin Place) and actor Maurice Evans, rallied to save the building from the wrecking ball. In 1961, Mayor Robert F. Wagner announced that it would be preserved and converted into a public library. Construction began in 1965 and the library opened for business in 1967. Among the first of its visitors was the poet Marianne Moore, who had at one time worked for the Hudson Park Branch Library. She found the renovation very pleasing indeed.
Next time I visit, I need to venture inside. Instead, I wandered through the adjacent Jefferson Market Garden.
The plants looked beautiful, and the rain that cascaded down made everything look extra green and lush.
This fella had obviously been there for quite some time.
I saw Empire Cake along the way and my sweet tooth was activated.
The inside was bright and welcoming.
So were some of the interesting cakes and other goodies.
There were so many choices, but I finally settled on a Red Velvet Snack Cake. It was a VERY good choice. From the description: Red velvet cake filled with cream cheese frosting and dipped in Belgian white chocolate. OMG it was so good.
I might have also gotten a carrot cake cupcake and I might have also thoroughly enjoyed that, too. Not long after devouring my treats, I got notification that my room was ready, and that’s where I will leave this installment of my East Coast trip.
See more New York City Walker Hotel photos at my main website.
