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Not many subway stops greet visitors with a canopy of foliage upon exit, but Cathedral Parkway spits us out at the very northwest tip of Central Park. Surveying the trim, busy streets of Morningside Heights, once home to Beat writers Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg and dubbed “White Harlem” by George Carlin, you’d never know it was mostly farmland 100 years ago—the Bloomingdale Insane Asylum its only claim to fame.
As such, our first instinct is to head for the green, but we stop a passing man instead. Ross Crutchlow, a fiery-haired actor-bartender, points us to Bistro Ten 18 (1018 Amsterdam Ave at 110th St; 212-662-7600, bistroten18.com), calling its molten chocolate cake “crazy good.” Yes, the cake is that good, but the American eatery also boasts a stellar brunch—challah French toast, lobster eggs Benedict, sweet-ass Bellinis—and patio seating, making it the perfect Sunday-morning pit stop. Co-owner Craig Skiptunis, a friendly guy with rosy cheeks and tattoos peeking out from the sleeves of his button-down, chats up the regulars before telling us about “New York City’s best taqueria” just down the street, where he grabs takeout once a week.
Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana (968 Amsterdam Ave between 107th and 108th Sts, 212-531-0383) has just enough room for a large grill and a smattering of tables—all of which are taken. The gents behind the counter speak little English (always a good sign), but musician Judah Dadone, sound engineer Jeremy Sklarsky and graphic designer Marcos Ojeda, all in their midtwenties, vouch for the food’s authenticity. Though we’re already stuffed, Dadone, who just polished off a torta, tells us he has an “undying love” for the nearby Hungarian Pastry Shop (1030 Amsterdam Ave between 110th and 111th Sts, 212-866-4230). We appreciate the recommendation but opt for a stroll through Morningside Park (between Manhattan Ave and Morningside Dr, and 110th and 123rd Sts, morningsidepark.org) instead, cruising past the bustling baseball diamond, basketball court and playground. Near the pond, we find 36-year-old project consultant Shawan Edwards feeding geese from a hunk of bread. “I like the koi fish and the turtles,” she says, “but the geese here are really aggressive!”
Thou shalt celebrate!Through January 1, you can throw a medieval-themed birthday party at St. John’s Cathedral. Sculpt gargoyles, make brass rubbings, carve limestone or just eat frosting with the saints. Visit stjohndivine.org for details. (Chain mail not included.)
After climbing the park’s many steps and enjoying the view from the top, we make our way to the Parkway’s namesake, The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine (1047 Amsterdam Ave between 111th and 112th Sts; 212-316-7490, stjohndivine.org). We admire the impressive facade before spying a vision in the distance—Dadone’s favorite haunt. We consider a free tour of the church, but alas, caloric sinfulness wins out. Overwhelmed by the goodies in the bakery case, we let Kiky Thomanek, the Austrian gal behind the counter, suggest a slice of strudel, made from a recipe handed down by the Hungarians who opened the shop 50 years ago. Because of the comfortable atmosphere and free coffee refills, she tells us “a lot of regulars consider it an extended living room.” Of course when she gets off work, Thomanek’s a fixture at the Ding Dong Lounge (929 Columbus Ave between 105th and 106th Sts, 212-663-2600). Her lanky 22-year-old coworker Philip Binioris agrees: “They pour a good drink.”
Since it’s almost happy hour, we head over and are pleased to find a dark, divey bar featuring only the basics: liquor, beer, a pool table and a sit-down Ms. Pac-Man. Old concert posters—the Misfits, Bad Brains, the Germs—underscore the watering hole’s punk-rock vibe, as do the broken-off guitar necks that double as beer-tap pulls. Lounge patron and sometime bouncer Albert Marrero, who’s spent all of his 48 years in Morningside Heights, tells us “the Ding Dong’s got its own aura, it’s a melting pot of people.” Amen.
