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New York travel part 2: The Jane hotel in the Meatpacking district

April 11, 2016 5 Comments Filed Under: Travel, Uncategorized

The spooky corridors at The Jane hotel, New York
The Jane, New YORK
The front desk at The Jane, New York
The Jane bar and ballroom, New York

In New York I stayed at The Jane hotel, which was historically interesting if a little uncomfortable. The reception is like something from The Grand Budapest Hotel, with bell boys in caps and braided uniforms and a retro check-in desk. The staff are friendly and helpful.
In the former sailor’s hotel known as The American Seamans Friends Relief Society Sailor’s home, built in 1908, the tiny rooms are more like cabins. 
The navy was housed there while docked and abided by naval discipline on shore. The same hierarchy as on ship was repeated in the hotel, so ordinary seamen stayed in bunks, higher ranked seamen in single beds and officers in larger rooms with proper double beds and private bathrooms. The building was designed by William A Boring who embraced the maritime theme, with a red brick octagonal tower reminiscent of a lighthouse, on the corner. Many of the sailors rescued from the Titanic, arriving by ship four days after the sinking, stayed for the duration of the enquiry into the tragedy. There was also a memorial service. Today there are reports of transparent figures, ghostly sounds of sobbing and ‘cold spots’ in the hallways. 
The Jane ballroom, New York
The Jane ballroom, New York
Over the years The Jane has been through various permutations. From onshore hotel for the navy it became the YMCA, then The Jane West, a flop house for punks, musicians, junkies and artists. This was the New York of ‘Walk on the Wild Side’. As John Cameron Mitchell, writer of Hedwig and the Angry Inch musical (which debuted in the ballroom at the back) said in an interview with Rolling Stone:

‘Eventually we found a space — the Jane Street Theatre, which is now the Jane Hotel (…) which had been around for 100 years. It was a ballroom, it was a sailor’s hotel… it was a sex club in the 1970s, it was a punk rock club called The Punk Rock Hotel in the 1980s.’

Shor, one of the leads for Hedwig, says in the same interview: 

‘The Jane Street Theatre was this bizarre place on the West Side Highway in the Meatpacking District. So it was basically tranny hookers and meat — and us. This really happened — I want to say it was during the first preview, but it could be my brain just wanting it to be the first preview. As all of the people were outside waiting to get into the show, someone in the hotel had OD’d and died. So they were wheeling the body — in a body bag — past the audience. And the house manager asked, “Could you maybe not wheel the dead body past the people going into our show? Just let them go in and then wheel the dead body?”  The people were like, “No ma’am. This is a dead body.” So it was sort of like, okay: Welcome to Hedwig! Ignore the dead body! It was an interesting start!

View by The Hudson river, New York

In 2008, The Jane was refurbished by boutique hotel supremo Sean McPherson as stylish budget accommodation, retaining both the atmosphere of the seamans’ hotel and the grungy 80s. The location, in the Meatpacking district, next to the Hudson river, couldn’t be bettered. The downstairs bar and ballroom is a hip hangout with queues around the block at the weekend. There is also a fashionable Middle Eastern fusion restaurant Café Gitane, which according to Smitten Kitchen was the origin of avocado toast as a trendy dish. 
Avocado on toast, Gitane Cafe, The Jane, New York
Gitane Cafe, The Jane, New York
Gitane Cafe, The Jane, New York
The cramped room, in which my daughter and I had bunk beds, cost around 145 US dollars a night. There isn’t enough room to put your suitcase down, we both had to sleep with our cases on the end of our beds. (Fortunately we are both short, though I still continually banged my head on the underside of the top bunk.) The aesthetic is boat-like. A brass rail with hooks over one mirrored wall is the only storage, while the amenities such as towels and complimentary slippers barely fit on the window sill, the only shelf, spilling onto the floor. 

the room at the Jane, New York

Each bunk has a TV attached to the end wall. I think this is pointless. Most people have laptops or tablets, plus what are you going to do? The top bunk watches one station while the bottom bunk, inches away, watches another? The heating is centrally controlled and incredibly stuffy in winter. The shared bathroom is at the end of the hall. I found an old banana under the sink next the shower (yuck). On the floor we stayed, the corridors reeked suffocatingly of cigarette smoke because some of the former residents were still in occupation. These people were offered a great deal of money to move out but preferred to stay in their central bedsits. You can tell which are their rooms because the doors are scruffier. It was all a bit grim to be honest. Within that context, the design element of deliberately shabby chic ‘threadbare’ carpets about which McPherson boasts, comes across more as unhygienic than stylish. I didn’t want to walk anywhere without shoes.
La Bonbonniere, old style new york diner, 8th st
La Bonbonniere, old style new york diner, 8th st
As I mentioned before, the staff were great. The concierge recommended a wonderful neighbourhood breakfast diner, the old style New York ‘La Bonbonniere’, known to locals as the ‘bonbon’. This was a favourite hangout of Philip Seymour Hoffman and James Gandolfini. The decor is tatty 50s diner with Chicano line cooks and surly but handsome waiters, adorned with gangland tats and long hair with undercuts or plaits curling down their backs. They don’t speak, they just nod.
I ordered a day-glo orange grilled cheese from the laminated menu, which was just the right kind of nuclear-age deliciousness that I want when I visit the US. It came with a pickle and fabulous horseradish sauerkraut; I got American drip coffee with refills while my daughter sipped on a tall unadorned chocolate milk. The clientele are interesting too: a guy we got talking to said he was Queen Elizabeth’s secret son plus a member of the CIA. He announced he could read my text messages from a special app:

 ‘Do you mind?’ he asked politely. ‘If I ask first, then it’s legal.’

 ‘No problem.’

On this trip to New York and Canada, the spectre of the Titanic seemed to lurk in the background. In Halifax in Canada, up the coast, I discovered that hundreds of the dead bodies recovered from the sea around the Titanic were taken there and buried. In the graveyard, the name Jack Dawson was found on a headstone and was used by director James Cameron for the Leonard DiCaprio character in the film. 
My next stop on my Canadian travels was Quebec City, where the statue of Samuel de Champlain, founder of Nouvelle France, was sculpted by Titanic survivor, Paul Chevré.

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  1. Pasta Bites

    April 13, 2016 at 1:52 pm

    I read this while actually in New York, working from our local office, and spending a few days hunting down vintage diners. We had breakfast at Bonbonniere back in November, a cute place with grumpy staff. The Empire Diner nearby has closed down sadly, Star on 18 is still open and busy, and Cup & Saucer also is worth a stop, at least here the staff are really friendly despite the post nuclear age plastic menu 🙂

    Reply
    • Kerstin Rodgers aka MsMarmiteLover

      April 14, 2016 at 11:17 am

      That sounds like a lovely project, doing all the vintage diners. Is there a blog post?

      x

      Reply
    • Pasta Bites

      April 14, 2016 at 6:23 pm

      Visited another one today (friends said I am addicted) so there will be a blog post soon – will share link 🙂

      Reply
    • Pasta Bites

      April 19, 2016 at 9:00 am

      Here it is – hope you don't mind me quoting you 🙂

      http://blog.pastabites.co.uk/2016/04/retro-dining-in-new-york.html

      Reply
    • Kerstin Rodgers aka MsMarmiteLover

      April 19, 2016 at 9:39 am

      Thanks for the link 🙂

      Reply

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MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

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msmarmitelover

Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
Got the sewing machine out last night and hemmed t Got the sewing machine out last night and hemmed the top of these toile de jouie curtains in my summer house shed. The days are lengthening a little which brightens up my mood. Self care= trying to get up and washed. Trying to leave the house once a day. Keeping my hands busy. Finding small ways to be creative. #coronaloner #sewingmachine #curtains #shedsofinstagram #sheshed #springiscoming #supperclub #stayingsane #selfcare #lockdown3
Pasta aglio olio. I’m turning into a vampire. I Pasta aglio olio. I’m turning into a vampire. I get up later and later every day. I’m living in a twilight world- dim skies, getting nothing done. Next week it’s my birthday and every year I’m at my lowest ebb just before my birthday. Lockdown on your own is tough. My motivation, my mojo has disappeared. #lockdown3 #coronaloner #pastadinner #nofilter #january2021 #januarychallenge #selfemployedwomen #single #aquarius #0degrees
On the heath on Sunday. Must. Walk. More. #coronal On the heath on Sunday. Must. Walk. More. #coronaloner
Tonight’s lockdown dinner with my bubble. Proper Tonight’s lockdown dinner with my bubble. Proper pesto alla genovese with trofie, small boiled salad potatoes, steamed green beans (good tip: steam the beans in a colander plopped on top of the potatoes or pasta), good quality pesto sauce ( mine from local microbakery @seansloaf ), good olive oil (@pomoragoodfood), torn fresh basil, a few pine nuts. This turns this student dish into a balanced meal of carbs, veg and a little protein.  It’s cold outside, I’ve lit the fire. Covid rages in Kilburn high road in north west london. The rate is 1 in 30 london wide but I feel it’s higher in this poor inner london area. We have a high BAME population who are particularly vulnerable. It’s a little bit anarchic on my high street: cars perched on kerbs waiting for hijabi women, braving pound shops and Aldi . We are all covered up now. In winter masks keep your face warm, but you have a choice between safety and being able to see. I’ve not managed to prevent the inevitable steaming up of my glasses when wearing a mask. Nothing works.  #january #londonwinter #pestopasta #pestoallagenovese #vegetarian #pasta #trofie #supperclub #covid_19 #lockdownlife #lockdown3 #bubblegang
Galette des Rois, made yesterday in 12th night. Mi Galette des Rois, made yesterday in 12th night. Minus Crown and king as I cannot find either. This one is made with Tonka bean. Plus homemade puff pastry (well worth the effort). According to ike delorenzo at The Atlantic:  The tonka bean, a flat, wrinkled legume from South America with an outsize flavor that the US government has declared illegal. Nonetheless, it proliferates on elite American menus. The tiniest shavings erupt in a Broceliande of transporting, mystical aromas.
The taste of the tonka bean is linked strongly to its scent. "Scents," I should say, as the tonka bean has many at once. I register the aromas of vanilla, cherry, almond, and something spicy—a bit like cinnamon. When served cold—say, in tonka bean ice cream—the taste is like a vanilla caramel with dark honey. When warm, perhaps shaved over scallops, it moves toward spiced vanilla. Additionally, the aroma of the tonka bean shavings (it's almost always shaved) is so affecting that it seems like an actual taste in the way that opium, which has no taste in the traditional sense, "tastes" like its rich, flowery smoke.  Here is the recipe: 

Tonka bean galette des rois

Serves 8
Ingredients
* 140 g caster sugar
* 125 g salted butter, softened
* 100 g ground almonds
* 2 eggs, medium
* 1 tonka bean, grated
* 2 packs ready made butter puff pastry on a roll
* 1 yolk for brushing the pastry
Instructions
* Preheat your oven to 200c.

* Blend the butter with the sugar then add the almonds. Make sure it’s well mixed. Add in the 2 eggs one at a time, then add the tonka bean.

* If using a block: divide the puff pastry into two and roll out to 5mm thick. 
* Make two circles about 15 cm’s each in diameter. Lay one circle on a silicone mat/parchment paper on a baking tray and fill with the almond cream leaving a 3 cm border around the edge. 
* Paint the border with the egg yolk. Then lay the other circle on top, sealing the edges with a fork. 
* You could then carve designs into the top. Make a little slit in the middle to let steam escape then brush the top with the egg yolk
Mapo tofu is probably my favourite Sichuan dish. T Mapo tofu is probably my favourite Sichuan dish. This is a vegan version. ***

Ingredients:
- 400 g box of soft tofu not silken
- 5 soaked dried shiitake mushrooms, diced, keep water
- 1 red bell pepper, finely sliced
- 400 g fresh shiitake mushroom, sliced thinly
- 400 ml vegetable stock
- 1 thumb fresh ginger, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 tbsps groundnut or vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp fermented bean paste
- 1 or 2 small red chillies, minced or a spoonful of Chinese chilli paste
- 1 tsp heaped sichuan peppercorns, finely ground
- 2 tbsps soy or tamari sauce
- 2 tbsp cornflour in 3 tbsps water, mixed into a slurry
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- large pinch fresh coriander leaves

Prepare the tofu by cutting it into one inch cubes and soaking it in hot but not boiling salted water. Drain after 15 minutes.
Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms, covering them in boiling water. Leave until soft, then dice the mushrooms. Retain the mushroom soaking water and add to the vegetable stock water.
Prepare the other ingredients so they are ready to stir-fry: red bell pepper, fresh mushrooms, ginger, garlic.

Using a wok or deep frying pan, add the oil and heat to frying temperature. Add the bell peppers,fry for a couple of minutes, then add fermented bean paste, chilli paste or chillies, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sichuan pepper.
Add the mushroom/vegetable broth and simmer on high for a couple of minutes.
Carefully add the cubes of tofu, taking care not to break them too much.
Add the cornflour slurry, stirring for a couple of minutes.
Serve with rice or noodles, garnishing with spring onions or chives and or coriander leaves.  #veganuary #mapotofu #sichuanfood #tofu  #shitakemushrooms #supperclub #londonchef #msmarmitelover #ham&highcolumn #eatplants #lockdown3 #selfisolation #coronaloner #cooking #recipe #cookingfromscratch
Macaroni cheese with odds and sods from the Christ Macaroni cheese with odds and sods from the Christmas leftover cheese board. I’ve used @paxtonscheese truffled brillat-savarin and a mystery hard cheese that’s lost its label. Plus cream and topped it with samphire fried in butter. Haven’t bothered with making a roux- this is the lockdown lazy version.  #lockdownlazy #lockdown3 #supperclub #macandcheese #macaronicheese #truffledcheese #leftovers #leftovercheeseboard #londonlockdown #breakfast #coronaloner
Another thing the Japanese are brilliant at is san Another thing the Japanese are brilliant at is sandwiches. They use the softest, whitest, fluffiest bread. Their mayonnaise kewpie is gorgeous I don’t know why. Perhaps someone here can explain? Here I’ve used sourdough as it’s what I have; kosho which is a Yuzu citrus and green chilli condiment and the aforesaid kewpie Mayo to make an egg 🥚 sandwich.  I’m not a big egg fan but I suddenly had the urge. Also I’ve noticed when I eat eggs it satiates my hunger for hours. All that protein.  #sandwich #sandwiches #japanesesandwich #kewpiemayo #kosho #eggsandwich #sourdough #supperclub #cookingforone #solo #londonlife #lockdownlondon #recipe #snack #sundaysnack #sando
Agedashi tofu for New Year’s Day. With a vegan d Agedashi tofu for New Year’s Day. With a vegan dashi stock, it’s perfect for veganuary. How to make dashi: put a piece of kombu seaweed in water. Soak for half an hour then simmer for half an hour (don’t let it boil). Then mix 2 cups of dashi with 2 tbsps of mirin and 2 of soy sauce.  For the tofu: press soft tofu with weights for half an hour, then cut into cubes. Dust all over with cornflour.  Then deep fry the tofu cubes in 180C veg oil until they float. Set aside to drain, then place say 3 cubes in small bowl. Pour the sauce around and top with spring onion and daikon and togarashi 7 spice.  #easypeasyvegan #veganuary #agedashitofu #tofu #japaneseveganrecipe #newyearsday #freshstart #supperclub #londonsupperclub #msmarmitelover #visforvegan #recipe
Writing about tofu which I think has an unfair rep Writing about tofu which I think has an unfair reputation in this country. It’s so flexible and is a brilliant flavour sponge. Here I’m preparing my soft tofu for a Japanese dish: agedashi tofu. I first pressed it in a clean tea towel with a weight on top to firm it up a bit but not too much. Then I dusted it with cornflour and I will deep fry it in oil. Then I will serve it in a broth of dashi/mirin and tamari sauce, sprinkled with finely chopped spring onions and togarashi pepper from Japan. I would usually add some finely mandolined daikon radish but couldn’t find any. It’s a subtle dish of texture: soft yet crispy. After Christmas I’m desperate for light zingy fresh flavoured food. #supperclub #tofu #vegan #vegetarian #agedashitofu #newyearsday #cookingagain #lunch #asian #japanesefood
Happy new year from my bubble to yours! Keep holdi Happy new year from my bubble to yours! Keep holding on...
#happynewyear #happynewyear2021 #supperclub #hootenanny
Some of my Christmas food 🥘 lots of veg includi Some of my Christmas food 🥘 lots of veg including mashed swede with cheese and butter. I put pomegranate seeds with my sprouts, and cooked my carrots in marmalade ( worked v well), the mushroom wreath fell apart as I was transferring it to a tray 😤, roast potatoes and parsnips, then a cheese spread with fruit nuts, quince cheese (homemade), Chocs @lindtuk 😍 @guylian_uk @disaronno_official @baileysofficial @taylorsportwine and Brazil nuts. Plus a pavlova wreath ready to be topped with whipped cream and persimmons. 
#christmasdinner #vegetarianchristmas #vegetarianchristmasdinner #supperclub #londonchristmas #liqueurs #christmasspread #grazing #cheeseboard #port #pavlova
Christmas has started! Home-cured smoked beetroot Christmas has started!  Home-cured smoked beetroot and aquavit salmon with homemade blinis, creme fraiche, dill, Prosecco.  The fire is lit 🔥, the tree is up, 🎄the presents 🎁 are wrapped, we have a #brexit deal- a Christmas miracle. Peace and harmony. #christmas #christmasinengland #homemade #christmaseve #blinis #smokedsalmon #prosecco🍾 #londonchristmas
Done some doorscaping, the latest trend in Christm Done some doorscaping, the latest trend in Christmas decorating. It might also cheer up passersby. #christmas #christmasdecor #doorscaping #doorsofinstagram #londonchristmas #doorwreath #doordecor #doorsoftheworld #doordecoration #exteriors #london #supperclub #covidchristmas
Look at my gorgeous Nordic pine Christmas tree 🎄 from @pinesandneedles with some family ornaments and beautiful foodie ornaments from @gisela_graham  it’s 7 foot high and no drop. My parents brought over the candle lights. I’ve also used paper ornaments (apples and pears cut from maps) from @dionne_leonard which I first commissioned for a supper club.  #christmas #christmastree #christmasdecor #foodiedecorations #glassbaubles #supperclub #christmasinlondon
More #fbmarketplacefinds I find meeting the seller More #fbmarketplacefinds I find meeting the sellers interesting. It’s often about moving on whether through death, a change of circumstances, moving country, loss of a job. Today I visited a gorgeously renovated Edwardian house where the owners, an antique dealer & a master decorator had died with 18 months of each other of cancer.  The sister was there emptying the house, an incredibly painful experience. The husband who died was an expert in putting up lincrusta wallpaper which I’ve pictured here. All that craftsmanship and knowledge lost now.  The piece I got on Sunday, the teal chinoiserie cabinet, was from a Spanish guy returning to Spain. He’d lost his job as a hotel manager, the hotel, a big one, has now closed. The marble coffee table and arepas grill was from a Spanish couple who’d had a restaurant here for 40 years. They are now returning to Spain. Other slides: green Edwardian fireplace tiles, William Morris wallpaper, 2 small scalloped coffee tables, a knife and fork cutlery hook set.  A fireplace for my bedroom if I can find someone to put it in. #lockdownstories #covidstories #movingon #decor #interiors #bargains #secondhandstyle #edwardianstyle #williammorris #tiles #wallpaper #scallopededge #teal #chinoiserie #whitemarble #vintage #kitchenalia #supperclubrefurb #london #lincrustawallpaper
Another #fbmarketplace find £30. I can’t afford Another #fbmarketplace find £30. I can’t afford proper chinoiserie so I make do with fakes. The gradual doing up of my flat proceeds apace. Need to start on main bedroom. Looking for a storage ottoman (velvet?) bench to turn into a horizontal filing cabinet.  Any ideas? Above is a map of london based on the A to Z map which a minicab office was tossing out. Remember when we all carried mini A to Z books in our handbags? Before google maps? #nocrushedvelvet #chinoiserie #supperclubrefurb #londonapartment #londonflat #norfweezy #decor #organising #storage #interiors
My new/old rise and fall light over the dining tab My new/old rise and fall light over the dining table. Found for £50 on #fbmarketplace  but originally from @thefrenchhouse.net_ one of my favourite shops. Every day, a little more progress. #supperclubrefurb #supperclub #londonflat #interiors #lighting #riseandfalllights #lightingisimportant #frenchstyle #vintagestyle #rusticstyle #turquoise #diningtabledecor
Two vegetarian meal kits, laksa and ramen, from @k Two vegetarian meal kits, laksa and ramen, from @kit.eats.uk. Took only a couple of minutes to cook(see stories) and very good. I’m trying a few meal kits of late to see how hospitality has adapted to the great reset. As a cook I’ve always thought why would I need these but now I get it: it’s like going to a restaurant- the pleasure of food prepared by someone else. Getting jolted off of your normal repertoire, so it’s teaching cooking too.  #mealkits #vegetarian #homecooked #hospitality #covid #takeawayfood #foodpackaging #laksa #ramen #supperclubchef
Still working on my glass cupboard. I’ve hung up Still working on my glass cupboard. I’ve hung up all my wine bottle openers and cork screws. My favourite is the zigzag bottom left. If you find them at a flea market in France, if you are lucky you may get it for around 35 euros.  #supperclub #londonflat #londoninteriors #corkscrews #frenchkitchenalia #zigzag #tirebouchon #oakcupboard #diy #diyprojects
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