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12/27/11
7 in ’11
Everything That Was Important in 2011
Odds are that at some point this year, you blinked (or spent a week off the grid in Bali). So in case you missed anything important over the last 12 months, here’s the highlights. For dramatic effect, you’ll want to read this in super slow-mo.
THE MACBETHS MOVED TO CHELSEA
Sleep No More
Well, now we know what happens when you combine William Shakespeare, Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch and a
bunch of half-naked witches. You get Sleep No More. Part interactive play. Part haunted hotel. Part
culturally enriching fever dream.
- 411:
- Sleep No More at the McKittrick Hotel, 530 W 27th St
EATALY BREWED BEER ON ITS ROOF
Birreria
In 2010, you were gifted Eataly (and the immaculate prime rib sandwich that went along with it). So this
year, what does Batali do for a follow-up: he sticks a 4,500-square-foot beer garden (complete with
retractable dome) on the roof. Next year: Eataly space station
AN ADULT SUMMER CAMP IN THE HAMPTONS
Ruschmeyer’s
Your home away from home base this past summer: a Montauk lakeside resort that operated like an upscale
sleepaway camp. There were drum circles, tepees, nature walks, treehouses, cookouts, tetherball, summer
romances, kite surfing and all-night, nautical-themed cocktail parties. After all, it was still the
Hamptons.
- 411:
- Ruschmeyer’s, 161 Second House Rd, Montauk, 631-668-2877
THE DREAM BECAME A REALITY
Dream Downtown
Used to be, a pillow mint was enough. Then the Dream Downtown opened and spoiled you with its glass-bottom
pool,
experimental restaurant (operated by a practicing neurosurgeon) and electrical closet turned
secret dance lounge. Yes, they’ll hide them anywhere these days.
- 411:
- Dream Downtown, 355 W 16th St, 212-229-2559
A CLUB FOR BREAKING STUFF
The Destruction Company
Your penchant for violence was never higher than it was in 2011. In part, that was due to following the
Mets. But mostly, it was thanks to the Destruction Company. That 24-hour den of demolition where you were
free to take bat, axe and chain saw to all. Wrecking a Harley with a sledgehammer: very cathartic.
- 411:
- The Destruction Company, swing away here
A GRILLED CHEESE FOR TOASTING
The Grilled Cheese Martini
Forget about once a year. You’re lucky if you see a culinary breakthrough like the Grilled Cheese
Martini once a generation. The comfort food cocktail featured sandwich-infused vodka, muddled basil and
tomato juice ice cubes in a glass rimmed with prosciutto. A huge hit with the liquid lunch crowd.
- 411:
- The Cellar at Beecher’s, 900 Broadway, 212-466-3340
MANHATTAN’S FIRST MINI-GOLF COURSE
Pier 25
This was a big summer for fans of putt-putt. Not only did the city transform an unused wharf on the Hudson
River into a mini-golf course, but they also accented it with a bunch of beach volleyball courts and a
cooler full of Good Humor. And where the Chocolate Eclairs go, you go.
- 411:
- Pier 25, West St at N Moore St
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