Travel & Guides

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• May 1, 2006
• Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch:
Andy Spade

Andy Spade has lived in New York City since 1986, and though he spends much of his time downtown overseeing the goings on at his SoHo emporium of clever bits and bags for guys, Jack Spade, he considers himself a devout uptowner. "I wanted trees and Woody Allen's New York," he affirms. "I live up in the '70s," he adds. "I love old New York uptown. Although a lot of people think it's uncool, I love Elaine's for drinks and dinner; to me it's the Raoul's of uptown." In addition to the storied literary hangout, Spade shares his top-ten list of local must-stops.

• Argosy Book Store, 116 East 59th Street
"There are seven floors of art, antiquarian and out-of-print books on science and medicine. A staff member will ask you what you're interested in, and then seat you at one of their communal wooden tables where they bring you the oversized binders containing whatever you requested. They seem to have everything, even pencil drawings of mushrooms made in the 18th century."

• Scandinavian Ski & Sport, 16 East 55th Street
"It's totally out of place with the other shops on 59th; it's [like] a throwback ski chalet, a big shop with funny shag carpet and wood paneling, and the second floor dressing rooms have saloon doors."

• Jan's Hobby Shop, 1435 Lexington Avenue
"Nothing fancy, Jan's is a no frills place with shelves piled high with models of all types. Since they've been around for so long sometimes you'll find really cool 10- or 20-year-old models still waiting to be picked up and taken home."

• Paul Mole, 1031 Lexington Avenue
"A nice neighborhood barbershop. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfy—black-and-white photos above aged-wood trim...all the barbers are amazing conversationalists."

• Siberia Bar
"Now sadly closed, but it was in the subway and had garbage bags taped to the windows to keep any light out. The best dive I've ever been to."

• Subway Inn, 143 East 60th Street
"Incongruous knick-knacks (a Godzilla doll, wooden ships) coated in decades of dust fill the shelves. One bartender, who's been here for more than 20 years, calls himself a "rookie.""

• Donahue's Café, 845 Lexington Avenue
"A classic steaks, chops, and seafood kind of place. Great booths for dinner and a wait bar for drinks."

• Serendipity, 225 East 60th Street
"Where Warhol hung out while eating frozen treats. It's a true kids ice-cream parlor."

• Strand off Central Park
"It reminds me of the Left Bank in Paris with its stalls of vintage books."

• William Poll, 1051 Lexington Ave
"Classic thin sandwiches and generations of the Pol family work here. Personal service: A+."

The consummate uptown guy—and gentlemanly style connoisseur—gives us the lay of the land on his favorite local Upper East Side addresses.