MARCH
MAGICNESS
PASSWORD IS: ALICE UNDERGROUND
Hi!
And happy wet March day! I am extra excited for the March party because
not only will I be wearing suede duds from the $5 bin outside Alice
Underground (R.I.P.) but we will be screening one of my all time favorite
NYC movies - Martin Scorsese's 1985 flick, "After Hours."
Remember when NYC, and in particular SoHo, was a mecca of cheap used
clothing - gigantic tubs of leather and suede, sitting outside through
rain and sleet, waiting for takers? And good old Canal Jeans, with its
mystery items outside for $1, that if you had the energy for, you'd
sort through and score something incredible? The same merchandise is
now in stores for triple digits, and selling like hot cakes. And a "Ghostbusters"
shirt is now considered vintage. For those of you not in the know, Alice
Underground was one of many stores that sold great coats, sweaters,
bowling shirts, linens, etc., from the 50s, 60s and 70s. It was an emporium
of great finds on Broadway between Spring and Broome. That location
is now home to the new Pearl River Mart, at least a NYC store and not
a hellish chain like Bloomingdale’s, Banana Republic, or Crate
and Barrel. Pearl River moved from Canal Street to this spot and has
a wonderful selection of teas, spices, funky dish ware, all necessary
oils and sauces for perfect Asian cookery, and lovely gift items for
you and yours. The uptown Alice Underground was on 78th and Columbus
and is now home to yet another lounge.
"After Hours" was an excellent depiction of pre-mall-ified
SoHo, and is truly a must see for anyone wanting to get a glimpse into
yet another bygone era of NYC. With Griffin Dunne (born in NYC), Rosanna
Arquette (born in NYC), Cheech and Chong, and a few other dandy souls,
it inspired me to spend an entire night out in SoHo in 1985 (with great
buddy Allison), roaming the streets in search of nothing. Now it's your
turn to search for answers to this month's little tangential trivia
quiz (answers are posted at: http://www.nycmagicgarden.com/Passwords.html
- at the bottom of the page - but try not to cheat):
-
North
of Houston, West Broadway becomes what street?
-
In "Desperately Seeking Susan," Rosanna Arquette's character
Roberta buys Madonna's leather jacket from what East Village shop?
-
Rosanna Arquette's transsexual brother Alexis (soon to be on the
"Surreal Life") sings Boy George's "Do You Really
Want to Hurt Me?" in what 1998 comedy? (Hint: Steve Buscemi
is also in this movie. Bigger hint: Adam Sandler is in it too.)
-
In the 1850s, SoHo was most know for: a) German breweries b) prostitution
c) perfumeries d) button manufacturing
-
Anthony Dapolito, who died in 2003, was the owner of what bakery
on Prince Street?
-
SoHo and much of Lower Manhttan were slated for demolition to
pave the way for the Lower Manhattan Expressway (that never happened,
phew!) by what urban planner?
-
Other than London, what international city has a Soho district?
a) Hong Kong b) Johannesburg c) Rio Di Janeiro d) Sydney
-
In what year did the name SoHo (for "South of Houston")
come about? a) 1937 b) 1951 c) 1968 d) 1972
-
Which artist did not have studio in SoHo? a) Christo b) Andy Warhol
c) Frank Stella d) Claes Oldenberg
-
SoHo was known by all of the following names except: a) The Valley
b) Little Africa c) Hell's Hundred Acres d) Corlear's Hook
-
In which SoHo diner did Monica on "Friends" don rollerskates
and huge fake boobs to work as a waitress?
-
Which SoHo restaurant has an excellent and unadvertised oyster
happy hour Tuesday-Friday? Freebie - Aqua Grill on Spring and
6th.
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