Atlantica - 01.09.2003, Side 21

A T L A N T I C A 19
on the cheap for millions of dollars and
have relocated to less expensive living
quarters. The art galleries that were so
prominent in the area ten or 15 years
ago have made way for the fashion
giants, and the paved streets are no
longer the playground of bohemians but
the rich and the beautiful. But I guess all
that’s irrelevant if what you’re interested
in is great nightlife and good food. In
that case, SoHo is definitely your neigh-
bourhood.
A sure-fire recipe for a good night out
is to have a wander around Grand
Street, which features three classic
SoHo venues: Café Noir (on the corner
of Thompson Street), Felix (on the cor-
ner of West Broadway) and Lucky Strike
(between West Broadway and Wooster
Street). But make sure to dress in your
nicest clothes before you venture out
into the night because you’re about to
mingle with New Yorkers who have a
highly developed sense of fashion.
“Well, this is pretty much what is left of
Little Italy,” says Jim Starck, producer of
such films as Jim Jarmusch’s Down By
Law and Stranger than Paradise, as we
sit and chat at Caffé Roma on Mulberry
Street (between Broome and Grand
Street) whilst enjoying an espresso and
biscotti. Jim should know what he’s talk-
ing about. He’s lived just around the
corner since 1978. It’s a warm and com-
fortable Friday night in June and the
tables are all crammed on the restaurant
terraces of Mulberry Street, which forms
the core of the area. Jim says that most
of these people are tourists, not locals.
Some of them come from points across
the world, while others are just in from
the suburbs visiting the former home of
their grandparents who gave the name
to this area. And yes, the general atmos-
phere is a little like a theme park, Italian
flags and operatic tunes sounding from
restaurant windows, some of which
The art galleries that were so prominent in the area ten or 15 years ago have
made way for the fashion giants...
New York
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