Ten Half-Forgotten Folkies from the '60s Greenwich Village Scene Today we mostly share ideas from behind a computer screen. In another forty years it will be something entirely different again, and todays Village will be just a faded memory by some old geezers living in Alaska. Revolving restaurants II: theMerry-Go-Round Basic fare: shrimp We never close Tablecloths checkered past Famous in its day: Tip TopInn Find of the day: J.B.G.s Frenchrestaurant Dont play with thecandles Interview: whos cooking? Also, some corrections: It was Caf Borgia, not Caf Reggio, on the northeast corner of Bleecker and MacDougal, and it didnt close down until much, much later. And memories of late nights at the Figaro, long before it was just a caf and not a restaurant. So coffee houses were started to provide a place for conversations, sharing ideas and possibly effecting some needed change especially those that sprang up in the 1950s and 60s. Artists traditionally exhibited their work on the area's streets in spring and autumn. And even more odd is that it was housed in a street level room at the Odd Fellows Hall west of Cleveland Avenue. At the Way Out I met a biker named Loser and his Old Lady whose name i forgot, a long hair named Shank and a black guy who believe it or not had a nickname of Spade. I lived in Canton Ohio in the 1960s and there was actually a coffee house there called The Way Out. waitstaff were always in a hurry to give you a check even if you were the only customermaybe afraid that someone famous was about to walk in and be shamed by your presence. a neat grungy video store. The naming of Times Square: Becoming the Crossroads of the World 115 years ago today! Its pretty much a light advertisement for the entirely neighborhood, a pretty lovely thing to behold considering the conflicts the area would face with encroaching development later that decade. where the trend of tie dye started. remodeled first for a Blimpies and then near totally remodeled once again for a new Cafe Figaro. Greenwich Village, 1960s - YouTube The Roma was still beats and cigarette smoke and espresso, but the Wha? Bob Dylan performs at The Bitter End in 1961. If memory serves me it was near the ALGIERS MOTEL that is getting some attention now thru the movie DETROIT. Van Ronk's posthumously published memoir, the Mayor of MacDougal Street, takes its name from the street that was home to the Gaslight Cafe, and other early 60s folk clubs. Although the word beatnik came into usage around 1958 (inspired partly by Sputnik), the phenomenon of dropping out of the rat race to lead an existentialist, non-consumerist life was part of the aftermath of World War II akin to the Lost Generation after World War I. to get away from that crap. A neighborhood and era of political and cultural revolution. What Yorkville was like in the 1960s - blogTO I have many great memories hanging out there. The Loconick was reportedly decorated by Salvador Dali. Required fields are marked *. We greatly appreciate our listeners and readers and thank you for joining us on this journey so far. The inspiration for the movie's fictional anti-hero, Davis, was Brooklyn-born Dave Van Ronk, a real- life blues and folk singer with no small talent, who worked with performers such as Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan, but remained rooted in the village until he died in 2002, declining to leave it for any length of time and refusing to fly for many years. Ray L. from Pontiac, I BELIEVE THE PURPLE ONION WAS ON THE NORTH END OF FRANKLIN RD. Cycle or walk to the end of the boardwalk that juts out into the Hudson, facing Hoboken, New Jersey, and look to your left and you can see the Statue of Liberty. Still, the best way to remember the Figaro might be to look at some old pictures. 1950 - Ernest Valente develops a new type of espresso machine that utilizes an . Does anyone remember this as I believe the debate corner is no longer around. Greenwich Village Restaurants in the '50s and '60s 10 by Eater Staff Feb 20, 2013, 12:05pm EST 10 comments We're not sure of the name of this sidewalk cafe, but the diners look to be sitting next. And art markets. Hippy Beaknik 60's Coffee House Yorkville The "Beat Generation" was born in 1948 when Jack Kerouac, an iconic poet and novelist of the time, wanted to recognize the youth in New York City. Id expect in another couple of years it will look like any other suburban stripmall. I only wish I had taken more, had I known then that forty years later it would all but disappear. The Greenwich Village Story - YouTube To download this episode and subscribe to our show for free, visitiTunesor other podcasting services. Do you have any pix from any? It was a beautiful place that played classical music. Were also looking to improve the show in other ways and expand in other ways as well through publishing, social media, live events and other forms of media. Bumbling through the cafeterialine Celebrity restaurants: Evelyn Nesbits tearoom The artist dinesout Reubens: celebrities andsandwiches Good eaters: students From tap room to tearoom Whats in a name? Also, PDub, Figaro was on the Southeast corner. 3) The original Cafe Figaro was not just replaced by a chain, but by a kind of dull, humdrum chain at that. 'The Diplomat' Season 2: Everything We Know, Michael Imperiolis Illustrious Career in Photos. Trash, garbage, andwaste Americas literary chef The smrgsbord saga Meals along theway Dinner in Miami, Dec. 25,1936 An early restaurateurs rise &fall Runaway menu prices Thanks so much! by e-mail. In this 1960 short film ' Village Sunday ', Shepherd describes life in the Village and around Washington Square Park. Just love it! When asked what the chalk was for, she simply pointed at the walls which were blackboards. Taste of a decade: restaurants,1810-1820 Between courses: nutburgers &orangeade Subtle savories at NucleusNuance Between courses: keep out ofrestaurants The Automat, an East Coastoasis Good eaters: JamesBeard Basic fare: waffles Anatomy of a restaurant family: theDownings Taste of a decade: 1950srestaurants Basic fare: pizza Building a tea roomempire A black man walked into a restaurant and Who hasnt heard of Maxims inParis? The classic coffeehouses of the beatnik era were sites for conversation, poetry readings, folk music, improvisational jazz, stand-up comedy la Mort Sahl, and experimental theater. Utilized for crop production, the area was called Greenwich, and after the influx of more settlers, it was. 1956 - This is the beginning of the modern era of coffee houses in areas such as North Beach in San Francisco and Greenwich Village in New York where Jazz beats play and intellectuals, . Reading the tealeaves Is ethnic food aslur? Does anyone else remember this place? These are the photos that tell the story of the era. Sadly, most of The Caves habitues have now passed onto groovier existential realms, we hopemy Dad included. in PA, & get into the city as often as I can, but dont know the Village that well. and the very atmospheric coffee house, the Caf Reggio (?) Ive been blogging on fewer posts than I used to, but Ill be back on these Where you can make a piece of art with your own colors underneath some spinning device? The entrance was off a dirty alley called Dewalt Ave., just north of Second St. I have researched and read all the information on this blog There was one floor of this apartment that was used for musicians that can go to and try out different songs They writing and trying out Little cubicles for some privacy They also have rooms for pianos I know Carole King was one of those musicians who used it ! (See Dupo IL high school coffeehouse photo.) became a music place. NEVER WENT THERE BUT I DID GO TO THE CAVE OF THE NINTH CAT IN THE CITY. Its the picture on the first Bob Dylan album that I have in my minds eye. There were a lot of fights, especially will the bridge and tunnel crowd,Bert, Tommys brother,loved to scrap. . Gordon Lightfoot, Hitmaking Singer-Songwriter, Is Dead at 84 New York's Greenwich Village in the '60s: The Photos - Esquire Ham & eggs by any othername Good eaters: JosephineHull Name trouble: AuntJemimas Reflections on a name:Plantation Dining on aroof Restaurant-ing on wheels Dinner to go Drive-up windows Dining during an epidemic: SanFrancisco Good eaters: bohemians Dining during anepidemic Fish on Fridays Image gallery: breadedthings Lunching in alaboratory Women drinking inrestaurants The puzzling St. Paulsandwich New Years Eve at the LatinQuarter Chinese for Christmas Turkeyburgers Themes: bordellos Finds of theday Early bird specials Franchising: Heap BigBeef Bostons automats Coffee and cakesaloons Women chefs notwanted Entree from side dish to maindish Anatomy of a restaurateur: Woo YeeSing Lobster stew at the WhiteRabbit Restaurants in the family: DorisDay Almost like flying Eye appeal Writing food memoirs Anatomy of a restaurateur: RubyFoo Soul food restaurants Effects of war onrestaurant-ing Behind the scenes at theSplendide Take your Valentine todinner Lunching at the dimestore Square meals Tea rooms forstudents Christmas dinner in thedesert Green Book restaurants Dirty by design Clown themes Basic fare: meat &potatoes Dining with Chiang Yee inBoston Slumming Picturing restaurant food Find of the day: the Double R CoffeeHouse Delicatessing at theDelirama Restaurant design anddecoration Dining on adime Anatomy of a restaurateur: GeorgeRector Catering Dining in agarden Sawdust on thefloor Learning to eat (inrestaurants) Childrens menus Taste of a decade: the1830s Check your hat How Americans learned totip Image gallery: eating in ahat The up-and-down life of a restaurantowner Dressing the femaleserver The Lunch Box, amemoir Crazy for crepes Famous in its day: ThePyramid Dining & wining on New YearsEve High-volume restaurants: Hilltop SteakHouse Famous in its day: the PublicNatatorium Turkey on themenu Getting closer to yourfood Between courses: secretrecipes Find of the day: Aladdin Studio TiffinRoom Americans in Paris: The ChineseUmbrella No smoking! Fortunes cookies Famous in its day: DutchlandFarms Toothpicks An annotated menu Anatomy of a restaurateur: KateMunra Putting patrons atease Anatomy of a chef: Joseph E.Gancel Taking the din out ofdining The power of publicity:Maders Modernizing Main Streetrestaurants Adult restaurants Taste of a decade: 1820srestaurants Find of the day: the StorkClub Cool culinaria ishot Restaurant booth controversies Ice cream parlors Banquet-ing menus Image gallery: stands Restaurant-ing on Sunday Odd restaurant food That night atMaxims Famous in its day: theParkmoor Frank E. Buttolph, menu collectorextraordinaire Lunch Hour NYC Restaurants and artists: NormandyHouse Conferencing: global gateways Peas on themenu Famous in its day: Richards TreatCafeteria Maxims three ofNYC Service with a smile . Street scene of a young woman walking with an acoustic guitar, as an old man sits by a telephone booth on April 25, 1961. Anyone recall a coffee house on Woodward Ave in Detroit 1962 called the TANTRUM? Ceilings on display The Automat goescountry Maitre ds Added attractions: cocktaillounges Lunching at the drugstore Lunch in a bus station,maybe Suffrage tea & lunchrooms Image gallery: have aseat! In the 50s the status came from being present at the coffeehouse. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. As an elementary schooler, I remember being stunned to discover, firstly, that amazing artwork languished behind this otherwise nondescript, blue-collar downtown Pontiac building. I went to the cage in the D and have a menu from there. Between courses: mysteryfood Ode to franchises ofyesteryear Chuck wagon-ing Taste of a decade: 1940srestaurants Just cause it looks bad doesnt mean itsgood The other Delmonicos Between courses: Beard at LuckyPierres Basic fare: spaghetti Famous in its day: TheMaramor Between courses: wheres mybutter? The Mayor of Macdougal Street, describing the winter of 1960 and 1961: The tourist avalanche of the next summer was undreamed of, and on the streets or in the joints, you hardly saw a soul you didnt know. The espresso drinks did play a central role in this culture as well. Nobody was saying that about the Village in the 1960s. Yes, I remember Bellinis. there was big bill (king) brown x heavy weight contender reciting his poetry at the Washington sq. Looking south you can see One World Trade Center: at 541m, it's now the tallest building in the western hemisphere. This April were marking the 50th anniversary of theGreenwich Village Historic Districtdesignation from 1969 preserving one of the most important and historic neighborhoods in New York and to mark the occasion we are celebrating the revolutionary scene (and the revolutionary moment) that gave birth to it the Greenwich Village of the 1960s. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. What could be more starkly different from the somber coffee shops of today with their earnest and wired denizens than the beatnik coffeehouses of the 1950s? 8) Having seen the Cafe Figaro come back once already, its not hard imagining it coming back again in a few years! 1950-1960 1950 - Significant coffee production begins in New Guinea. for retail space in the Village will become even worse therell be a significant increase in the number of people in the area, without an appreciable increase in the amount of ground floor retail space to accommodate the businesses wanting to serve them. Send questions or suggestions opened its doors on West 4th and Mercer on 26 January 1960. If you can find Wayne Walker, the old Detroit Linebacker, hell remember those clubs; he was a regular with some of the other Lions. Thanks for sharing your story and what a shame they wouldnt let you in! Greenwich Village, through the eyes of Jean Shepherd From that tiny place and the people I met I did get to venture to Akron and other places further north to real college towns and larger coffee houses. You can probably guess my name. Actress Anne Bancroft wrinkles up with glee as she phones relatives with the news from her home after winning the Academy Award for the Best Actress for her performance in The Miracle Worker. We came up from the naval base at Bainbridge by train. or innumerable other European cities, these places would be packed with both locals and travelers alike at that time of day instead of completely empty, and of how big a schmuck I would feel like if I actually . "The left bank [in Paris] did not last 100 years, but the Village did," he said. But we can only do this with your help! It burned to the ground in the 1960s. Known as Roller Rina also known as Rollin Skeets. A John Birch Society member lectured youths at a YMCA coffeehouse in a Chicago suburb about how dissolute their gathering place was (You cant tell the difference between boys and girls). Jimi Hendrix played there as Jimmy James and the Blue Flames. Peter Yarrow, Mary Travers, and Noel 'Paul' Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary pose for alternative shots for the cover of their first eponymously titled album at The Bitter End in 1962. I picked up a bike outside Franklin Street subway station, south of the Village in Tribeca, and headed out to the river, at Pier 45. andwining? We are now producing a new Bowery Boys podcast every other week. When I visited on a sunny but cold December day, there was only one musician, a saxophonist, playing under Washington Square's stone arch, but at weekends the park fills with rap and jazz musicians playing to tourists and students. My friend Anastasias mother bought her mutton sleeved satin shirts there very elegant. Italian espresso was something new and part of why the beatniks were attracted to these trend setting coffeehouses. The afternoons were best. somehow Busy bees Eat and run,please! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We were restocking when Marilyn died\was reported. A couple had been replaced by similar cafes, so no big loss, but its too bad that Figaro is getting replaced by a crappy chain restaurant. Wop salad? The hero of the Coens' film is not Van Ronk, according to Wald, but he does sing some Van Ronk songs and shares his working-class background. Some images of Greenwich Village today which recall its days from the 1960s and even earlier (photos by Greg Young): FURTHER READINGSome material we recommend you check out for more information on Greenwich Village: 360 Sound: The Columbia Records Storyby Sean WilentzAround Washington Square: An Illustrated History of Greenwich Villageby Luther S. HarrisGreenwich Village Stories: A Collection of Memoriesby Judith Stonehill, Andrew Berman, et alThe Village: 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues, a History of Greenwich Villageby John StrausbuahThe Village Voiceonline archivesand of course.The originalGreenwich Village Historic Designation Report (1969). You didn't play there to make money; you went there to be heard. It is very interesting that the identity of the 195os coffeehouse came from the clientele rather that what was being served. A stroll down the MacDougal reveals its fascinating history. I just had the urge to look it up after all these years. All the town kids, mostly hippy by nature, would gather every Friday night. 2.7K views 1 year ago A promotional film about 1960s life in Greenwich Village, New York City. I happened to live just a few blocks from the Purple Onion in Pontiac, MI back when it was open. My amazement deepened as Dad revealed that he had done most or all of the interior murals (some of which were cartoon-like anthropomorphosized cats, dressed in Beatnik regalia.). Great shots of landmarks and famous cafes and restaurants. None of them were known for their food, but they were all good inexpensive spots to sit and watch the Village go by. Back to the coffeehouses, early sixties, Larry Verne gave a nice impression in his song Beatnick. See ya around, milady. 2023 The Bowery Boys: New York City History, on Greenwich Village in the 1960s: A nostalgic stroll through an era of preservation and protest, Eyes of Laura Mars: The glamour of 1970s SoHo. The restaurant business is So, sadly, Bleecker street is having the soul drained out of it and is being invaded by characterless big corporations. I enjoyed reading your comments very much. A few landmarks of those bygone bohemian days most recently portrayed in the Coen brothers' film Inside Llewyn Davis, out on 24 January still exist. Are Woody Harrelson and McConaughey Brothers? I live Tea-less tea rooms Carhops in fact andfiction Finds of the day: twotaverns Dining with adisability The history of the restaurant of thefuture The food gap All the salad you caneat Find of the day,almost Famous in its day: TheBakery Training department storewaitresses Chocolate on themenu Restaurant-ing with theKlan Diet plates Christian restaurant-ing Taste of a decade: 1980srestaurants Higbees Silver Grille Bulgarian restaurants Dining with DiamondJim Restaurant wear 2016, a recap Holiday banquets for thenewsies Multitasking eateries Famous in its day: the Blue Parrot TeaRoom A hair in thesoup When presidents eatout Spooky restaurants The mysterious SingingKettle Famous in its day: Aunt FannysCabin Faces on thewall Dining for acause Come as youare The Gables Find of the day: IfflandsHofbrau-Haus Find of the day: Hancock Tavernmenu Cooking with gas Ladies restrooms All you caneat Taste of a decade: 1880srestaurants Anatomy of a corporate restaurantexecutive Surf n turf Odd restaurant buildings: ducks Dining with theGrahamites Deep fried When coffee wasking A fantasy drive-in Farm to table Between courses: masticating withHorace Restaurant-ing with MildredPierce Greeting the NewYear On the 7th day theyfeasted Find of the day: Wayside FoodShop Cooking up Thanksgiving Automation, part II: the disappearingkitchen Dining alone Coppas famous walls Image gallery: insultingwaitresses Famous in its day: Partridges Find of the day: Mrs. Ks Toll HouseTavern Automation, part I: the disappearingserver Find of the day: Moodys Dinercookbook To go Pepper mills Little things: butterpats The dining room light anddark Dining at sea Reservations 100 years ofquotations Restaurant-ing with Soviethumorists Heroism at lunch Caper sauce atTaylors Shared meals High-volume restaurants: Crook & Duff(etc.) wand on the head and Knight you! I DRANK MANY CUPS OF COFFEE AT C/CON. the basement cafes where musicians passed the bucket on McDougal. This is the story of Greenwich Village as a character an eccentric character maybe, but one that changed American life and how the folky, activist spirit it fostered in arts, culture and the protest movement came back in the end to help itself. The real centre of the folk scene back then, however, was Washington Square, where musicians would gather on Sundays to swap ideas, learn new material and play. We are now a member of Patreon, a patronage platform where you can support your favorite content creators. More pictures of NYC in the 60s and 70s at: The building is occupied now by a very busy Halloween Haunted House called EREBUS. Good eaters: AndyWarhol Birth of the themerestaurant Restaurant-ing with royalty Righting civil wrongs inrestaurants Theme restaurants: barns Men only Taste of a decade: restaurants,1900-1910 Celebrating restaurant cuisine Decor: glass ceilings Between courses: dont sniff thefood In the kitchen with Mme Early: black women inrestaurants Burger bloat On the menu for2010 Christmas feasting Todays specials: books onrestaurants With haute cuisine for all:Longchamps Restaurant-ing on Thanksgiving High-volume restaurants: Smith &McNells Anatomy of a restaurateur: DarioToffenetti Between courses: rate thismenu You want cheese withthat? 7) This time, however, the replacement of Cafe Figaro is an indication of economic vibrancy, not decline. The family then moved on to promote\manage The Village, the Grande and then the Easttowne. Cafe Wha? (which, of course, is not the same as Lindys). The Gaslight Cafe - Wikipedia . Ive seen him in pictorials on Club 54. Greenwich Village: what remains of New York's beat generation haunts? Perhaps that is why I reminisce and miss those simpler times (minus the troubling times). The evolution of coffee house sure have come a long way. A Greenwich Village coffee house, circa 1960. This really introduced me to indie music and I have enjoyed that genre ever since. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. (You can find it: http://recordcollectorsvaults.blogspot.com/2009/10/youre-hip.html). 1,258 Greenwich Village Nyc 1960s Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images There during a two year technical college stint I discovered the Way Out and spent many a week day and week end there trying to be hip in a very square little city. http://www.baristaexchange.com/group/coffeetostay/forum/topics/coffeehouses-that-support, Do you have an updated link, 3 years later? Can Anything Replace the Humble California Roll. because of his entourage albert grossman and david? . Known as the Beat Generation, they laid the philosophical foundations for a free-spirited expressionism that would evolve into the broader hippie movement in the 1960s. been approved. retrospect she said that when she was last there, in March, it had seemed emptier than usual. Does anyone remember from the late 1960s (maybe into the early 1970s) a place called Spin Art? Though no longer on City Room, New York Today continues to appear every weekday morning, offering a roundup of news and events for the city. 1,258 Greenwich Village Nyc 1960s Premium High Res Photos Browse 1,258 greenwich village nyc 1960s photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images. Photograph: Alamy, Folk singer Dave Van Ronk, the inspiration for the Llewyn Davis character. and the oltimers for years on end. I recall it as a bookstore that carried very lefty stuff and served coffee . -- A note The dessert course In their ownwords Not-to-miss menu show The art of menucovers Irish restaurants &pubs Dining . As described by one resident: lend themselves to franchisin. The original Cafe Wha? But then I am still an idealistic old hippie who will never stop being hopeful. Washington Square Park CelebrationSaturday, April 13 from 12:00-3:00pm in Garibaldi PlazaHistoric District Open House WeekendSaturday, April 13 Sunday, April 14Full calendar atgvshp.org/GVHD50weekend, The Fantasticks original cast featured Rita Gardner, Jerry Orbach and Kenneth Nelson. STRANGE PLACE. Early vegetarian restaurants Famous in its day:Blancos Blue plate specials Basic fare: clubsandwiches Gossip feeds restaurants Image gallery: businesscards Restaurant row At the sign of the . No cause was given. We will continue to publish one item each weekday Atmosphere Taste of a decade: 1840srestaurants Eating Chinese Park and eat Thanksgiving quiz: dinner timesfour Dining sky-side Habenstein of Hartford Back of the house: writing thisblog Image gallery: supperclubs Restaurant cups Truth in Menu Every luxury the marketsafford See it, want it: window fooddisplays Time to sell the doughnuts Who was the mysterydiner?