Tribeca, one of the original “acronym” neighborhoods, has come a long way since its more generic pre-70s designation of Lower West Side. Although the name “Lower East Side” has been distinct enough to support that neighborhood’s unique character and ever-growing reputation, the designation “Tribeca” apparently came into being quick on the heels of the Soho Artists Association’s successful application to rezone their area. The artists living down below Soho on Lispenard Street were similarly ambitious to rezone their area and started a group under the name “Triangle Below Canal Block Association”. As with Soho before, the name soon was shortened to the much simpler “Tribeca” and the area has been on the rise ever since.
Tribeca has long been one of my favorite areas in New York. The architecture is a bit less amenable to shops and more sympathetic to restaurants. So the shops that do appear tend not to bow to the status quo. And the restaurants? Tribeca has some of the best.
A well-known resident and fellow admirer of the area is my long time colleague Erik Torkells. Erik’s obsession with keeping abreast of the area’s comings and goings has resulted in a popular blog called Tribeca Citizen that documents the neighborhood’s ever unfolding story.
I have been exploring other parts of the world of late, so on returning to New York recently I asked Erik to give me the skinny on what’s new around the triangle. I followed Erik’s advice and here is what I found.
1 Arcade Bakery
It’s early so breakfast seems like a good place to start. Hidden in the entry arcade of a beautiful Art Deco office building at 220 Church Street you find the aptly named Arcade Bakery, opened one year ago by pastry chef Roger Gural. Roger originally started on a very different career path with a job in television. But luckily for us he discovered a passion for pastry and instead of spending his days in dark video production rooms, he developed his talents in the kitchens of the famed chefs Thomas Keller and David Bouley. In David Bouley’s kitchen he was lucky to fall under the tutelage of a master French baker who apprenticed him in the fine art of Viennoiserie. Now Roger is the master and you can experience the full expression of his baking greatness.