Jazz in West Village with a Spy
When relationships start over cigars, it’s usually an accurate indicator of what’s to come. In this case, I met a friend at the Union League Club in New York, as we do every time I’m in the city. A friend of his joined us for a drink and ended up staying for several hours. It’s one thing to meet a friend of a friend, but it’s a whole ‘nother thing when the friend is former CIA spy. The three of us eventually retired to the smoking room for Davidoff’s, which, I might add, is one of my favorite places in New York. There aren’t a lot of places left to smoke in Manhattan.
After hours of back and forth on the economy, art, travel, international relations, philosophy, and the general state of affairs in the U.S., 007 and I agreed to meet at a jazz club later in the week. Luckily, it was down the street from where I stay in the West Village.
Arthur’s Tavern was opened almost a century ago, in 1937. Jazz legend Charlie Parker played there, as did the dapper Roy Hargrove. Housed in a historic building on a charming street, it’s quite small; it seats maybe 40 people, but the acoustics are flawlessly dialed in.
Roy and Birdman
Maybe the most unique thing about Arthur’s is that there’s no cover charge, which is unusual in that it sits on one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the country. The cheapest one-bedroom apartment on the same street rents for $6,000 a month, which is a steal compared to a move-in-ready 2-bed/3-bath place that’s going for $100,000 a month, but it comes with a Dyson hair dryer and a leather-wrapped Nespresso machine. But I know what you’re thinking: “Brad, pull your head out of your ass; I need more room. Two bedrooms are for the unwashed masses.” Well, don’t you worry. There’s a spacious five-bedroom place on the market for $57,000,000, but it’s not move-in-ready; you’ll have to bring your own hairdryer and coffee maker.
Bond, James Bond, and I sat at the bar for over three hours, jawing about everything we didn’t finish talking about at his club. As ridiculous as it sounds, I highly recommend befriending a spy, it makes for a riveting conversation. The bartender, who couldn’t have been any cooler, had no problem with us taking up two seats and not drinking like sailors, but then again, we got there early and they’re open ‘til 4am, so we were merely keeping them warm for a long line of drunkards with bigger checkbooks.
Arthur’s is one of those rare places that feels like you’ve been there before on your first visit. They have nothing to prove, and they know it, which makes for a warm environment. We were there in late March, and Christmas wreaths were still up… it’s that kind of place.
Afterwards, we headed over to Hudson Bar & Books, a swanky cigar lounge in the West Village with a small library, to finish what we started at the Union League Club. Surprisingly, cigars weren’t insanely expensive (though they’re not cheap). It’s the perfect place for a long conversation without any distractions. The lighting is dim, the music is relaxing, and the gentlemen behind the bar are conscientious. They know how to run a shop dedicated to smoking, a dying breed, unfortunately.
Oh, in a curious twist of fate, Goldfinger was playing on the only television.
