Wednesday, May 7, 2014

JEWEL BOXES: Glamorous Art Deco night spots in NYC

New York has long been known as a world capital of the elegant, super-glamorous Art Deco style. The glorious Chrysler Building and flamboyant Radio City Music Hall are well-known examples. Less heralded but equally swanky are the city's Art Deco night spots, a small sample of which are featured below. Cheers!

Below: Bemelman's Bar at the Carlyle Hotel in Midtown Manhattan

 Named in honor of Ludwig Bemelmans, the creator of the classic Madeline children’s books, Bemelmans Bar demonstrates its Art Deco sensibility with chocolate-brown leather banquettes, nickel-trimmed black glass tabletops, a lustrous black granite bar and  gold leaf-covered ceiling.  
Bemelmans was a beloved artist for The New Yorker and Vogue, and achieved enormous success with the Madeline series. (Rather than being paid for his whimsical wall murals at The Carlylehe exchanged his work for a year and a half of luxurious accommodations for himself and his family.)

"The smallest one was Madeline ..."


A scene from the glam Flatiron Lounge

The Flatiron's pink martini with orchid ornament ... tres chic!


Above: An alcove at the Red Room, a bar and performance space in the East Village 
decorated to evoke the atmosphere of a Prohibition-era speakeasy. 
Art Deco touches include the etched glass motif and a copper gin tub.


Below: Wood-framed booths at Commerce in the West Village. 

Wall sconces came from a 1934 municipal building.


For more notable Art Deco bars in NYC, see NY Times article
"Where the Password is Deco"


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