Old New York

Back from a quick round trip. Headed downtown. High-summer fare on Washington Square in Old Greenwich Village. Blue Hill. Not as good as last time. Shockingly short on seasonal produce. Otto Enoteca, Italian train station pizzeria. Gone is the elegant One Fifth, art deco ship’s bar of yesteryear.

New York in the 1860’s, BBC’s second season of Copper is a good one. Five Points, what is now lower Manhattan in the days leading up to Lincoln’s assassination. Corrupt cops, spies, slavery, counterfeiters. Mount Holyoke’s Czitrom historical consultant. Better than Newsroom. Watch that on a different day, as well as Masterpiece’s Endeavour. Sunday nights chock full of choices.

Great reads about old New Amsterdam from 1600’s to the Civil War~ City of Dreams, Beverly Swerling. HeyDay, Kurt Andersen. Downtown, Pete Hamill.