34th St Between 3rd Ave and Lexington Ave
I've always had a problem with 34th Street. It's really a personal issue, rather than one inherent to the stretch, itself. I don't enjoy shopping in the giant, cavernous Macy's, nor do I enjoy looking straight up at the Empire State Building (I'll take my views in from afar, thank you). The street feels cold and unwelcoming to me, like walking down the Jersey Turnpike (if the NJTP had sidewalks, Foot Lockers and green benches). I'm also turned off by it's general location in Manhattan - it just floats there. It seems to lack a character of it's own. 42nd Street may be crowded, and 23rd is quickly becoming over-developed, but at least both seem to embrace their own flavor. Sure, you could argue that the garment district to the west is a unique area full of interesting shops and local flavor...and I'd be inclined to agree. Unfortunately for that argument, today's post is about the area between 3rd and Lexington avenues.
One of the first things that caught my eye during this walk was the striking, clay-colored 'Bus-only' lane. It sat there, mocking all the other cars sitting in traffic while the occasional M34 or some other rogue vehicle sped down it's empty pathway. I'm astonished more people don't disregard it.
Your standard collection of deli markets, parking garages, restaurants and churches are plopped down throughout the block. I was interested to see that ear candling was $15 cheaper than usual. I knew the economy was in trouble, but I didn't know that cerumen hygine was in trouble.
Something that caught my eye was the Barking Dog restaurant. This is a place I had seen once before up on 77th and York (they had a Dalmatian-painted fire hydrant), and assumed was a single-location deal. Guess I was wrong.
I'd love to have my mind changed about 34th Street, I really would. I'm sure it has much to offer, and I'm most likely brushing it off too soon. I will continue to revisit and we shall see.
Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 8:00AM
Reader Comments (1)
I used to work in the area in 2006-2007. It is pretty meh, but the further east you go, the more interesting it eventually becomes (but nothing CRAZY, just more acceptable).