Beats, bars, and books: Visiting the literary spots of New York City

I wasn’t in New York City when I first toured it. I was 17, picking my way in my last year of high school, when I got to know the city, wondering why Holden Caulfield was so bent on finding out where the ducks at the Central Park Lagoon go in the winter. 

 

After less than a year, my copy of “The Catcher in the Rye” was in tatters. I read the book over and over again, not because I enjoyed Holden’s company, but because I was fascinated by the places he spent time in—Grand Central, The American Museum of Natural History, the Rockefeller Skating Rink, and so on. He hated many things (mostly people) about New York City, but I sure didn’t. 

 

Fascination with the city and books grew. In college, when I was a literature major, hours were spent in the library reading about the lives and trying to understand writers like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs. The Beats. They, too, used NYC as backdrop for their writing.

 

This is why for my most recent trip to New York, I decided to do a different kind of historical tour of the city, and visited the places where some of these guys used to hang out. 

 

Beers at Kettle of Fish 

Greenwich village—birthplace of the East Coast Beat Movement—was the first order of business. 

 

Kettle of Fish, which has moved twice since it opened and is now located on Christopher Street in West Village, used to be frequented by Jack Kerouac and Bob Dylan (the “Blowin' in the Wind” singer reportedly almost had a fight with Andy Warhol over Edie Sedgwick here.)

 

Expect friendly bartenders, comfy couches, a jukebox, darts, and some Galaga in the inner room. Drinks are relatively cheaper than in other New York pubs. It’s one of those places that has regulars, but wouldn’t mind having tourists as well. It will also soon have a cinema appearance, after the Coen brothers used it in their upcoming movie “Inside Llewyn Davis.”

 

Before you leave, look at the framed photo of Kerouac standing outside the bar hanging near the door (a similar photo also appeared in a "Kerouac Wore Khakis" ad campaign for GAP in 1993). 

 

Two mugs of ale at a time at McSorley’s 

Next was McSorley’s in East Village, which had a clientele that included Hunter S. Thompson, Brendan Behan, e.e. cummings (who wrote poem in the poem “i was sitting in mcsorley's”), Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. 

 

I lost the camera I used to take photos of the famous green sign outside and the iconic Houdini handcuffs on the bar rail, but I was able to take a photo of the famous McSorley’s ale ("which never lets you grow old,” wrote cummings): one dark, and one light (no matter what you order, they will give you two 8-oz glasses at a time), sawdust floors, and some of the framed memorabilia on the walls. 

 

"Inside snug and evil," cummings wrote.

 

No-nonsense and reasonably priced, this is a must-visit for those who want to experience a piece of NYC bar history. They say that it hasn’t changed much since the 1930s, so you’ll be in for a historical treat. 

 

I was toured by someone who lived in NYC for years, so I learned that one has to say yes to the offer of cheese, saltine crackers (served straight out of a bag), raw onions, and spicy mustard. I’d read that this place serves mean burgers, but reviews say that you may want to go to the bar full.

 

8 miles of books at Strand

Artist/musician Patti Smith worked here, but admitted that she didn’t like it. Strand, however, still remains one of NYC’s most loved bookstores.

 

Famous for its “8 miles of books,” this bookstore offers new, used, and out-of-print titles that would make any book lover drool. There would be an overwhelming number of books, so make sure that you’re not in a hurry when you visit. Staff are all over the place, so you shouldn’t have any difficulty finding the things you need. 

 

If you like comic books, there’s also Forbidden Planet a few stores down. 

 

Walking to, and sitting outside The New York Public Library

I didn’t get the chance to go inside the library, but I was still able to get an experience outside.

Before you even reach the stairs leading to the iconic library pillars, you will pass through quotes on the streets by writers such as Julia Alvarez, Albert Camus, Jorge Luis Borges, Gertrude Stein, Thomas Jefferson, and Gwendolyn Brooks. 

 

Dreaming of slam at The Bowery Poetry Club

 

This is the one place that inspired me to do the list in the first place, because it’s where some of my favorite spoken word/slam poets (Derrick Brown, Andrea Gibson, Sarah Kay, Phil Kaye, Anis Mojgani, Beau Sia, and Taylor Mali) have performed, but it was closed for renovations the whole summer. 

 

The Bowery Poetry Club is one of the city’s most famous places for poetry readings, performances, and open mics, and they’re opening their doors again this September. 

 

Lit trips outside NYC

 

I wanted to visit more NYC literary landmarks (Nuyorican Poets Café, The White Horse Tavern, The Chelsea Hotel) and provide a more comprehensive guide, but time was tight. I, however, went further down to Baltimore and then to Cape Cod, and was surprised to find other literary treasures along the way. 

We made a stop at Edgar Allan Poe’s grave in Baltimore, the city where he was found delirious, and where he died a few days after. This is also where Poe is said to have married his cousin Virginia, who was also buried there. 

 

On Cape Cod, we hiked the beautiful Provincetown sand dunes, home to the famous dune shacks Peaked Hill Bars Historic District—small houses in the middle of the dunes where artists and writers can spend a couple of weeks to isolate themselves and focus on their craft. 

 

Some of the famous writers who enjoyed the views of sand and the Atlantic Ocean include Kerouac, who wrote a part of “On the Road” in one of the shacks, and playwright Eugene O’Neill. Tennessee Williams, cummings, and Jackson Pollock were also said to have dropped by. While driving around town, we also dropped by the now-dilapidated gasoline station that was the subject of realist painter Edward Hopper’s “Gas.”

 

Going on this mini-pilgrimage reminded me of why I want to keep reading, writing, and getting to know writers who never stopped doing what they loved. It entertained me more than any city tour ever did. —KG, GMA News