18 Spots in New York That Feel Untouched by Time: Part 1
From haberdasheries and old-school pharmacies to Viennese cafes and Italian pastry shops.
If I could have 1 magical power, it would be the ability to time travel. Without a doubt. Forget flying. Forget mind reading. Forget seeing into the future. I want to time travel. But despite my best efforts, I haven’t been granted this ability and I don’t think I ever will. Man can go to Mars, but I can’t teleport to 1860s Massachusetts and hang out with Louisa May Alcott at her Orchard House? Riddle me that.
Due to the travesty that is my inability to time travel, I’ve had to find alternative methods to feeling like I’ve stepped back in time. I knit by candlelight and wear frilly nightgowns. I prefer listening to Chet Baker and Erik Satie over Chappell Roan or Beyonce (sorry). I fill my home with antiques. And I am constantly seeking out places in the world that make feel as though I’ve discovered a warp in time.
Living in New York, where there is a new skyscraper going up every day and where the MTA is eliminating the little yellow Metro Card (devastating), these time-warpy places are fewer and farther between then ever before. But I have dug, researched, and unearthed some truly special places that when visiting, make you feel like a time traveler. From book stores to butcher shops, here is Part 1 of my favorite places to escape the modern world in New York City.
Bookstores, Pharmacies, & Beyond
C.O. Bigelow, The West Village
This pharmacy and apothecary was established in 1838 and still looks the same today.
What to Buy: Hand creams, French skincare, and hair clips
Schaller & Weber, Upper East Side
This German butcher shop founded in 1937 and has a neighborhood kind of feel you can only get in New York.
What to Buy: Bologna, spicy mustard, and pickles
Myzel Chocolates, Midtown
This European chocolate store is a true delight with floor-to-ceiling shelves covered in jars of sweets.
What to Buy: Black licorice, chocolate truffles, and any candy you could imagine
Zitomer, Upper East Side
This Mrs. Maisel-eqsue upscale pharmacy was established in 1950 and epitomizes everything about the Upper East Side.
What to Buy: Bars of Caswell Massey soap, bath oils, and fancy shampoo
Westsider Books, Upper West Side
This narrow rare-bookstore has shopkeepers who zoom around on ladders to collect books on high shelves.
What to Buy: Centuries-old children’s books and tattered old novels
Macy’s, Herald Square
More specifically, the wooden escalators built in the 1920s by the Otis Elevator Company.
What to Buy: Literally anything your heart desires, from towels to perfume to ballet flats.
10ft Single by Stella Dallas, Williamsburg
Shopping at Stella Dallas is as close as you can get to shopping at an old haberdashery.
What to Buy: Vintage petticoats, quilts, and ribbons.
Bowne & Co Stationers, South Street Seaport
The original Bowne & Co. was established in 1775, making it one of New York’s oldest printing firm. Today, the store can be found at in the South Street Seaport Museum.
What to Buy: Stationary made on site and gorgeous journals from England
Cobblestones, East Village
This closet-sized vintage store on East 9th is a treasure trove of vintage clothing and memorabilia primarily from the 1950s and 60s.
Bakeries & Cafes
Cafe Sabarsky, Upper East Side
This magical Viennese cafe is inspired by the grandiose 20th century cafes of Austria’s capital
What to Order: Apfelstrudel, Sachertorte, and a Weiner Melange (similar to a cappuccino)
Caffe Reggio, Greenwich Village
My favorite historic Italian coffee shop that first introduced New York to the cappuccino in 1927. Bob Dylan used to be a regular.
What to Order: A cappuccino and chocolate cannoli
Veniero’s Pasticceria & Caffe, East Village
This decades-old Italian pastry shop has a big old neon sign, stained glass ceilings, and a pastry menu with a little something for everyone.
What to Order: Cannolis, rainbow cake, and every Italian cookie known to man
Museums, Jazz Clubs, Etc
New York Transit Museum, Downtown Brooklyn
Housed in an old 1930’s subway station, this iconic museum is home to a rotating selection of twenty vintage subway cars dating back to 1907.
Mezzrow, West Village
This intimate jazz club has nightly performances that will take you back in time. Order tickets in advance and get there early for the best seats in the house.
Merchant’s House Museum, Noho
This perfectly-preserved family home built in 1832 has four stories of rooms to explore and enjoy. Take a guided ghost tour, especially around Halloween.
The Frick Collection, Upper East Side
After five years of being closed for restorations, this gilded age mansion and home to one of the world’s most-cherished art collections finally re-opens this month.
The Met Cloisters, Washington Heights
As America's only museum dedicated exclusively to the art and architecture of the Middle Ages, a trip to The Cloisters feels like jumping into the pages of a history book.
The Wavertree, South Street Seaport
This perfectly-preserved iron hull ship is a true relic. Tours are included in your South Street Seaport Museum ticket. Exploring the cargo hold and captains quarters are a true highlight!
Honorable Mentions:
The Hungarian Pastry Shop, Upper West Side
Ferrara Bakery & Cafe, Little Italy
F Monteleone Bakery & Cafe, Carroll Gardens
McNulty’s Tea & Coffee, West Village
Porto Rico Roasting Co
Stay tuned for Part Two, coming very soon, which will feature a long list of bars and restaurants that’ll transport you back in time.
xo, Claudia
You should start taking people on Time Travel tours…. “Step through a portal back in time to 1920s New York” host a party, put on some tunes and make them dress up 🤓
I lived in New York for a decade in the 1980s and I was thrilled to see some familiar places are still the same and to learn about new places.