Push to preserve White Horse
BY MICAELA MACAGNONE
Efforts to landmark the interior
of the White Horse Tavern continue,
as concern over the famed
Greenwich Village pub’s future is unabated.
The building, at Hudson and W. 11th
Sts. that has housed the White Horse
since 1880, was recently sold to notorious
landlord Steven Croman. The
building’s sale included the bar. Croman
selected Eytan Sugarman, who
owns the Hunt and Fish Club in Midtown,
as the pub’s new proprietor.
Sugarman’s and Croman’s names
are linked quite often in discussions of
the sale. Andrew Berman, the executive
director of Village Preservation,
acknowledged there have not yet been
many changes to the White Horse’s interior
under Sugarman. But he added
that one can never know what the future
holds — particularly, because the
relationship between Sugarman and
Croman is not clear. Plus, he said, Croman
has a track record of maximizing
profi t on old buildings, rather than preserving
the space or making an effort to
respect the community.
One troubling past example is Cafe
Vivaldi. A West Village restaurant and
live-music venue that had been open
since 1983, Cafe Vivaldi closed last
June after a lengthy legal battle over
landlord Croman’s tripling of its rent.
Ishrat Ansari, the cafe’s owner, referred
to Croman as his “tormentor.”
This paper recently spoke with Sugarman
in a phone interview. When
asked about his relationship with Croman,
Sugarman claimed that he and
the landlord had no relationship prior
to the latter’s purchase of the White
Horse.
Sugarman consistently goes out of
his way to emphasize his commitment
to preserving the White Horse’s legacy,
something perhaps best expressed in an
Instagram post he made back in April.
He also mentioned that Croman must
A recent photo of an interior room at the White Horse Tavern, featuring
a painting of poet Dylan Thomas. The bar’s new proprietor says
they haven’t made any significant changes to the interior.
have at least a basic respect for the bar
because the building’s sale agreement
stated that the place had to be maintained
as the White Horse. Sugarman
said of Croman that he “doesn’t know
the guy.” But he said Croman selected
him because he is “New York born and
bred,” and thus would run the White
Horse authentically, and that Croman
has not been unsupportive of his efforts
to maintain the pub’s legacy. While
Sugarman would not disclose how
much rent he is paying, he did say that
the lease is for 15 years.
Sugarman said that regulars will
be pleasantly surprised to see that the
White Horse Tavern is “the same, just
with a slightly better product offering.”
“Care and reverence” are central
to his efforts at the White Horse, he
added. He mentioned that prices have
increased slightly because quality has
increased.
When asked about interior design
changes, Sugarman said that he knows
that the interior is “sacred” to the history
of the White Horse, and thus anything
that is historically relevant will
COURTESY DYLAN LEAZIER FOR WHITE HORSE TAVERN
remain the same. In addition, the bar’s
manager is the same one who has been
working there the past 13 years.
While Sugarman said Croman has
no say in the White Horse’s operations,
Cynthia Chaffee, co-founder of the
Stop Croman Coalition, explained that
it is impossible for the the place to be
divorced from Croman.
“If they think they are safe with Croman…
they are not,” she said. “Everyone
who moves into his buildings winds up
getting screwed. When the lease is up,
Croman will double or triple the rent
and start harassing you to get out.”
Similarly, Berman said, even if Sugarman
and the White Horse’s operators
have good intentions, the power may
not be in their hands in the long run.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson
has also expressed concern for the
famed tavern’s future.
“White Horse Tavern holds a special
place in the hearts and minds of
Greenwich Village residents and the
city’s literary community,” Johnson
said in a statement to this paper. “Like
many of my neighbors, colleagues in
government and fellow New Yorkers,
I have concerns about the interior of
this cultural and literary treasure being
compromised due to recent ownership
changes. I hope the Landmarks Preservation
Commission will protect the
White Horse Tavern both inside and
out and landmark its interior.”
In the views of Berman, Chaffee and
Johnson, it is thus crucial then that the
tavern’s interior be landmarked. Optimistically,
one could think that the
White Horse is safe for at least 14 more
years because Sugarman constantly
emphasizes his commitment to protecting
it. On the other hand, one could say
trust alone is insuffi cient to safeguard a
historical treasure.
Asked if he was hopeful the interior
landmarking request would be approved,
Berman said he was “guardedly
optimistic.” The preservationist said
this case for landmarking is a strong
one and that they have received tremendous
support from “thousands of
New Yorkers to the Landmarks Preservation
Commission itself.” Yet, while
the city boasts roughly 30,000 exterior
landmarked buildings, there are
only around 120 interior landmarks.
Indeed, this is the fi rst time Village
Preservation has pushed for an interior
designation.
Berman encouraged people not to
wait until it is too late, and “to make
sure a slice of New York City history is
preserved and that we do not regret not
acting when we could have.” He said, if
people want to contribute, they can go
to Village Preservation’s Web site and
send a letter, so the group will have a
record of support, plus can then keep
supporters abreast of the campaign to
preserve the historic space.
While some solace can be taken
from Sugarman’s avowed commitment
to preserve the tavern, the consensus
is that it would be wise to keep up the
pressure for landmarking the place’s interior
due to the inherent risks of being
a tenant — particularly of Croman’s.
Retro jazz club opens on MacDougal
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
Last month, a retro jazz club called
Special Club opened its doors at
43 MacDougal St.
The spot is modeled after old-school
musical social clubs and features live
jazz, blues and soul performances,
with two seatings a night, one at 8 p.m.
and the second at 10 p.m. A $20 cover
charge gets patrons access to a show. A
$40 cover charge includes a cup of sake
and light bites.
The lineup of performers is updated
on Special Club’s calendar every two
weeks. So far, guitarist Mark Sganga,
saxophonist Kenny Shanker, soul
group Poetic Thrust, jazz group Shenel
Johns Quartet and pianist Dayramir
Gonzalez have made up the club’s musical
lineup. Upcoming acts are also announced
on Instagram.
Special Club’s drink menu includes
a variety of sakes, cocktails and wines
from neighboring Niche Niche’s wine
cellar. Both Special Club and Niche
Niche are owned by 31-year-old restauranteur
Ariel Arce, whose other
social spots are Champagne Empress
of Greenwich Village, Tokyo Record
Bar and Air’s Champagne Parlor. Special
Club is the fourth venue Arce has
opened in the last three years. Four of
her places are on MacDougal St. alone.
Chefs Zach Fabian and Aaron Lirette
will serve up small plates of caviar,
shrimp and pork dumplings, spicy
pickles, tuna tartare and boiled king
crab for guests to snack on as they take
in shows. For more information about
performances and reservations, visit
Special Club’s Web site, specialclubnyc.
com
PHOTO COURTESY OF AUGUST/28
Special Club owner Ariel Arce
has opened four venues in three
years.
8 July 4, 2019 TVG Schneps Media