New York Gallerist Tara Downs’ Perfect Day in the City
By Tara DownsThis week was a busy one for all of us at Tara Downs Gallery – even though we didn’t participate in the Armory this year, we still had many clients, colleagues, and old friends come to town, not to mention to a major, double opening at the gallery: Violet Dennison’s exhibition Damaged Self and Preslav Kostov’s solo show Between the Five Wells. As this week unofficially marks the start of the season for New York’s art world, I thought to reveal some of my favorite day-to-day haunts in Tribeca, places where you can often find many others involved in the business, alongside a few places in the city I go to get away from the constant bustle of activity.
THE FLOWER DISTRICT
One of the more calming tasks I assign myself during crazy, busy weeks is creating floral arrangements for the gallery. I recommend the Flower District, on 28th Street, which can be a bit of a trek, and definitely an early bird’s game, but totally worth it. Be there by 7AM to catch the best selection, not to mention all the hot local florists and their expert choices. For the uninitiated, 8AM might suffice. It’s difficult to recommend only one place, but just know repeat visits are rewarded: in time, you’ll find your forever branch spot for spring and the right fancy reed store for fall. As a novice, it can be hard to tell if you’re being ripped off when someone hands you a $50 bundle of hay, but that’s all part of the learning curve. And even if you’re harboring some doubts, you’ll come to realize that the prices here are still miraculously better than in almost any other part of the city. It is probably too cheesy to say “she buys the flowers herself,” like Mrs. Dalloway, but I do, and I love it.
SMILE TO GO
The best healthy lunch in Soho can be found at Smile To Go, a small takeout spot on Howard teeming with gallerinas around lunch hour. I’ve spent more money here than I care to admit, and must say the bone broth is perfect, and the breakfast burrito is one of the best I’ve had downtown (sorry, Dimes). I don’t do salad, but for those who practice, I hear they’re great. For the full experience, take your lunch next door to the steps of the Margiela store, return that out-of-office sales call, and sit back as your fellow art dealers strategically attempt to overhear your conversation.
BRIDGET DONAHUE’S SHOP
Bridget Donahue, a longtime neighbor and colleague, is one gallerist whose program I have always avidly followed. This past summer, she confronted the often unwieldy concept of the summer group show by organizing Group Shop, a boutique of artist editions, clothing, and home goods produced by both gallery artists and the large scene of musicians, fashion designers, and other makers Bridget has cultivated over the years. What I loved about this project, which now lives online, is that it gestured toward a more freewheeling Lower East Side past, while still showcasing favorites, like Susan Cianciolo and Jessi Reaves, and new discoveries, such as the designer Giovanna Flores.
FRENCHETTE
Living in Manhattan, you can’t avoid the gravitational pull of bistro culture, the omnipotence of those red leather banquettes, and a menu mostly known for its adequate steak frites and its too-dirty martini. Essentially, you live in an adult Disneyland, with every other restaurant an outpost of overpriced, salt-and-fat laden food, all designed for the comfort of tourists. Yet some bistros manage to both hit the hallmarks of the genre and still rise above. Frenchette is that place in Tribeca: gorgeous inside, setting the perfect ambience, and a menu that evolves gradually, thoughtfully, with the seasons. Langoustine ceviche. Yes. Mahon Martini. Yes. If these familiar-yet-novel offerings aren’t enticing enough, I would also endorse heading further downtown, to Frenchette Bakery, a small space nestled in the back lobby of a large office building, which makes it feel sort of like a secret, or, like Frenchette itself, a pleasant surprise.
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
Of course, recommending the Met is sort of like suggesting a trip to Central Park, but hear me out. Is there any other museum in New York where you can completely lose yourself for a few hours, wander until you discover spaces you never knew existed, and ground yourself again by revisiting some of your favorite artworks of all time? I tend to linger around the nineteenth-century European painting galleries, particularly the Courbet room, Gallery 811. Although it was rehung recently for the Manet/Degas show last fall, it’s still centered around one of the best: Courbet’s sexy, scandalous Woman With a Parrot, 1866, the first of Courbet’s nudes to be accepted at the Salon. One room over, we find Manet’s demure take on the woman-with-bird trope, Lady with a Parakeet, also from 1866, featuring his favored model, Victorine Meurent (of Olympia fame), clad in a dusty pink silk dressing gown. Sometimes when things get too chaotic, it’s nice to live vicariously for a moment through these luxurious ladies – and their funny pets.
Feature image by Tara Downs