Dan Antion

Lower Manhattan Doors – #ThursdayDoors

I really like this entrance.

Last week’s day-trip to New York City was a short (as many hours on the train as on the ground) but jam-packed adventure. I had my trusty point-and-shoot camera with me, but I think all of todays doors were taken with my phone. We were on the move, and Dim Sum, Pastrami and beer were waiting. As you would expect, I have a big bunch of door photos, but I’m going to spread them over a few posts.

I don’t know much about these doors. In fact, I’d be hard-pressed to tell you where we were half the time. I am very familiar with Manhattan from about 30th St. north. However, once you get below 30th, I start to lose my bearings. One exception is Strand Bookstore (18 miles of used books) which is on 12th and Broadway.

The trains heading south out of Penn Station run along 7th and 8th Avenues. The first three stops are 23rd, 14th and 4th. That’s where I cease to be comfortable. Not only are the non-numbered streets hard to figure out, they travel and intersect at odd angles.

That little blue dot is The Molly Wee. See how almost everything arond there and north, is a nice grid – easy to figure out.
This mess of named streets meeting at odd angles is Lower Manhattan. I think you can see why I get confused.

Fortunately, my friend is at home in the narrow, twisting, angled streets of The Bowery and Chinatown. That gave me the freedom to check out doors instead of street signs. Look closely, you might find a selfie (doorfie??) or two in the reflections.

Thursday Doors is the weekly adventure in architectural appreciation fostered by Norm Frampton. Each Thursday, Norm publishes a collection of his favorite doors, and plays host to other such collections from Lower Manhattan and all points east, west, north and south. If you want to see this week’s doors or contribute a door or a collection of your own doors, take the E-Train to Penn Station and then take AMTRAK’s Adirondack train, which goes to Montreal. Or click on this link.

That is a door. It opens like a garage door.
You can’t go wrong with an arched door in a stone and brick wall.
This is no longer a door, but it’s beautiful.
Butcher shop. I thing Brad an I are both reflected in those beautiful red doors.
Raise your hand if you remember that scale.
At first, I thought I’d walk by this barber shop. Then I got a closer look.
That appears to be a modern door, but I like how the narrow boards look like Dentil Molding across the top of the door.
I had to include this barber shop. I love the dark color and the reflections.
I really like this entrance.
We did NOT eat here!
Nice doors, and, if you look closely, that’s my buddy Brad.
I have to say, I like those light bulbs.
This is the entrance to the Dim Sum restaurant. It was on the second floor of this building.
These are mirrored panels in the Dim Sum restaurant. I included them, because when I had my cabinet shop, I made several lattice work panels for a Chinese restaurant that were similar to these.
It’s hard to see the doors, but the architecture of this building is striking.
I like disproportionately split doors. These has seen better days, but I’d like to enter through these.

98 comments

  5. What a treasure trove of doors to choose from! I did catch your reflection, too. And Brad’s.

    I am a sucker for a red door. When we replaced the doors on one of our homes in Florida, they were all red. So striking against our grey house.

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  6. Beautiful doors, and none that I remember seeing. I’m also a little lost in the Bowery. I tend to follow interesting looking places, and then when I’m done, spend a while looking for a way back to where I actually wanted to go. Having a person who’s familiar with the place would really help.

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  7. My old employers had an office down at the bottom of Broadway so I was more often down there than further up. It was dead at night though – a bit like the City of London after 8 o’clock back in the day when the pubs used to close at that time.

    I did go to a bar down there for dinner one night which caused problems at home. It was called “Suspenders” – this was the time when every banker wore red “suspenders”. The trouble was that we, in the UK call them braces. Suspenders were what girls used to hold their nylons up! Wife needed some explanation!

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  8. Lots of archways, wooden doors, interesting architectural features … what’s not to love. I have to admit this is not what I would have expected from a commercial area in Manhattan. There is so much ‘Old World’ charm still evident here.

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  10. I absolutely remember that scale in my local butcher shop back in the 60’s! Today’s doors, some of the windows, and architecture are outstanding. If I had to pick a favorite door, it would be the first one.

    I laughed at the reflections of you and Brad!! Kinda hard to avoid when taking a photo where glass is involved.

    🐾Ginger 🐾

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    • Thanks Ginger. I remember those scales, too. I love the architecture in this part of NYC. I was so glad to be with a guide who knew where we were and where we were going.

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  19. The dark woods and black trim of the Barbershop give me the feeling of an English men’s club. Imagine sitting in a big leather club chair reading the paper sipping the perfect cuppa while you wait your turn in the barber’s chair. I have a romantic view of how a men’s club should look…too many old movies I suspect. (❁´◡`❁)

    Great selfies too!

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  20. Love the doors you chose here, Dan. NYC! Old style!! I like the way you grouped wooden doors with the gallery. There is something about wood that always pulls me. Yes I did see a reflection here and there. Wait until you see my post coming on Knox Farms and the DOORS you will see. I think the stable all by itself is going to blow you away! I know it did me! Amazing! Happy Thursday! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

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  21. Terrific doors, Dan. And you gave us a fun game too. I’m blind as a bat, but I did find Waldo I mean Dan a couple of times. :D
    I love that corner building too, and you know how I am about arched doorways. That Chinese place does look yummy! Now I’m Jonesing… good thing I have sushi waiting for dinner. I don’t blame you about that place down in the hole… Looks like it would be run by vampires. Hugs on the wing!

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  22. That’s quite a collection. I haven’t been to the Bowery since I was a kid, long before it was gentrified. Then it was a hazardous place to wander around. Love the “shaving company.”

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  24. There’s no shortage of doors in this post, and some particularly handsome ones I must say. The first 3 arched wooden ones stand out for me, as do any doors that generate a good doorfie.
    I’ve gotten lost in Chinatown there looking for our Dim Sum restaurant once.
    And The Strand is near the top of my list for my next visit to NYC.
    Fun post Dan :-)

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  26. Selfie – doorfie – LOVE IT! And I found the photo too. Your friend also appeared quite often in the photos. I, too, would not have eaten at that restaurant down the stairs. 18 miles of used books – I guess that beats my garage library, but dang…that’s crazy. I clicked the link to the store and ended up subscribing to their newsletter, then that took me to the verification page, and then no backlink to your post. So, I started all over again at your home page. You’re welcome – just sayin’ that has to count me in for lots of stats reads for the day :-)!

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  31. I loved the barber shop photo and the barber’s pole in the window. Then I looked closely at the words under the window, “Gentlemen’s Tonsorial Parlour.” Fascinating! While this means a high level of barber and hairdressing services, it goes back to more. Barber shops in the nineteenth century in more remote areas used to be a place to get minor medical care, such as dental. The word “tonsorial” makes me wonder if they cared for tonsils as well. Thanks for a great doors post, Dan. I loved the big old corner building, too. Looking forward to more from Manhattan.

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  32. Growing up in the States, I’m ashamed to say I’ve never been to NYC. Enjoyed seeing it through your camera lense. I loved all the doors and couldn’t pick a favorite. The Strand sounds incredible, I might never come out and the old butcher and barber shops were indeed like traveling back in time. Did you say Dim Sum?! Yum!

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  35. Great adventure! I’ve only been to NYC twice… both times avoiding disasters by a whisker. I’d have to be there again with someone savvy who knows streets and neighborhoods like your friend Brad. The only door I’d open is Dim Sum…

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  37. It’s been a really long time since I’ve been to NYC. I stayed in a hotel on 59th Avenue. Where on 59th, I couldn’t tell you. I was 15 years old at the time. I’d like to visit it again but the chances of that happening are rare to none.

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  38. Some great doors here, Dan. Hard to pick a favorite. I was leaning towards the first one (the arched one that opens like a garage door), but I think I’ll go with the double-doors with the glass panes directly under a glass awning (the one captioned “I really like this entrance”). Even the side columns flanking it are cool. :)

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  40. Great tour. I have a question. In image 2476, the one that shows NY Shaving Company, what’s that stripe thing? I have seen it here in Mumbai as well outside a fancy barber shop and it keeps rotating. What is its significance?

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