Close As It Gets
By Robert Beck
I’ve waited two years to paint something Zabar’s related. It’s not that it wasn’t on my radar. Zabar’s is like the Statue of Liberty/Empire State Building of the Upper West Side. As I was painting, people would stand in front of me and take photos of the sign over the door before they went in. The sign, not the fish or cheese.
I knew that painting downstairs in the deli wasn’t going to happen. There is no place I could set up and be out of the unrelenting flow of customer traffic. Think whitewater rafting. It doesn’t appear Zabar’s has any difficulty selling food. The issue is getting people in the door, served, and out, so more people can come in. The food and service is great. The borderline chaos at peak hours is part of the attraction.
This painting was spur-of-the-moment, as I was on my way back from going to ask to paint in another business two blocks away. That place was down steps and back a hallway. I found the door locked, but I could hear people inside, and the pot smell was intense. I figured even if I did get permission, I would only last a few minutes before goofing off the hairs on my paint brushes and all the amazing colors I had, so I bailed. I was walking back to my studio when I passed Zabar’s.
I have considered asking to paint upstairs in the kitchenware department, but when I went past the front of the building, I realized that just walking through the front door is an iconic UWS experience. I went to my studio (a block and a half away), got my kit, and found a space along the curb where the mitten guy sets up when it gets cold.
The crowd of people inside is matched by the throng on the Broadway sidewalk, including quite a few people in Zabar’s uniforms. A school bus dropped off a load of children, all of whom had to be inspected and questioned by their parents immediately. The kids wanted to watch me, but the parents saw no value in it. I seem to be on every kid’s radar, but adults can almost knock me over and not be aware of it. I understand it’s unusual to come across a painter on UWS streets. I’ve been doing this for decades and never saw one.
If I included the volume of people that were going past me you wouldn’t see the store. The door only opened when somebody approached it, so my view inside was occasional and always had somebody in the middle. That’s not a complaint. That’s my subject.
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See more of Robert Beck’s work and visit his UWS studio at www.robertbeck.net. Let him know if you have a connection to an archetypical UWS place or event that would make a good West Side Canvas subject. Thank you!
Note: Before Robert Beck started West Side Canvas, his essays and paintings were featured in Weekend Column. See Robert Beck’s earlier columns here and here.
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I like it. It holds the promise of cool stuff inside.
A picture of the painting as a work in progress: https://ibb.co/3zfQRST
Nice. Thanks.
Thanks Josh! I almost missed it.
Beautiful painting and observations… Thank you for sharing your artistry
The Upper West Side has enjoyed and supported Zabars for so many years. I just wish they would respect us more and wash down their sidewalk once a week. They could be a role model to other businesses.
FABULOUS!!!
Love you so much! Here’s a tiny bit of what I love: “That’s not a complaint–that’s my subject.” Perfect subject, perfect painting. And these additional words: “The sign–not the fish or cheese”; “. . .the mitten guy. . .”; and “It’s not that it wasn’t on my radar” with the repeated theme “I seem to be on every kid’s radar….” Thanks, as always. Always such a treat.
Agreed, Sidewalk50. You said it perfectly!
I love this painting. Just wonderful. Kudos to you. I hope Saul and Stanley and Sandy and David and ALL the Zabars get to see it. Mazel Tov. Your talent shines.
I agree that Zabar’s is “iconic” to the UWS. But Zabar’s is also abusing that status: the store itself clearly needs some spiffing up: it looks tired, as if its elderly owners aren’t willing to spend money on it. More seriously, Zabar’s has been the most unrestrained shop on the UWS in exploiting the recent inflation to raise prices. I used to think of Zabar’s as having fair and sometimes even favorable pricing (for a specialty store). No longer. Its prices are now clearly out of line, even if it is entitled to a little bit of a premium as a specialty store and not a super market.
I love Zabar’s. They were a particular oasis during the height of the pandemic. I knew when they returned to offering samples on the cheese counter that the pandemic was over.
I love Zabar’s, go ever day, but the increase in prices does not seem in line, a same exact pie two years ago for 6.98 is not 14.98, also cheese steep increases.
Zabars and the Zabar family are blessings to the UWS. And more than just the store. They exemplify our spirit.
Beautiful artwork, but I agree that the store is not living up to its reputation. Not only have the prices skyrocketed out of proportion to that of other stores, but they are also now stamping food with expiration dates way too far in the future and then selling it when it is no longer good to eat. One example is the sandwiches – they used to discount them at the end of the day to clear them out – now they sell them a day or two later at full price. They are doing the same with a lot of their refrigerated food. Changing the stamped date doesn’t make the food last longer, and selling spoiled food at astronomical prices is unacceptable. Hard to believe they are willing to put their reputation on the line like that.
👏🏽 Thank you Robert for another wonderful story and a beautiful painting!
Love it. In the writing, such a great rather disappointing observation about the parents. Shouldn’t we all be a bit more childlike?!
Keep the wonder alive!