Monday, April 21, 2025
Cloudy. High 56 degrees.
The warm weather might officially be here as temperatures will get into the 70s multiple times this week. There is rain forecast for Friday and Saturday, though.
Notices
Our calendar has lots of local events. Click on the link or the lady in the upper righthand corner to check.
Upper West Side News
By Gus Saltonstall
A rare 16th century manuscript that had been stolen from Paraguay’s National Archives, before ending up on the Upper West Side, was recently returned to the South American country, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s Office announced last week.
The 13-page manuscript penned by colonial governor Hernando Arias de Saavedra in 1598, which is valued at $20,000, was stolen from Paraguay’s National Archives, and then surfaced at a Manhattan auction house in 2013.
From there, it made its way to a rare book dealer on the Upper West Side, until a tip came in January 2025 from the Consul General of Paraguay in New York about the manuscript.
“The return of this historical manuscript is a meaningful gesture of friendship and respect between our nations,” said Fabiola Torres Figueredo, the Consul General of Paraguay in New York, in a news release. “It symbolizes our shared commitment to the preservation of cultural heritage and historical memory.”
The DA’s Office did not specify the auction house or the Upper West Side dealer, but Gothamist identified the local dealer as Martayan Lan Inc.
Seyla Martayan, one of the operators of the rare book dealer located on 66th Street, told Gothamist that it was a “shock” to find out that the manuscript had been stolen. “No dealer wants to work with stolen material,” she added, along with the explanation that the auction house had not been transparent about the origin of the manuscript.
“I am thrilled that, for the first time, we have been able to return a stolen artifact to the people of Paraguay,” Bragg said in a news release about the return of the manuscript.
You can read more — HERE.
An Upper West Side apartment featured in the popular television show “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” just hit the market for the first time in more than 30 years, as first reported by the New York Post.
The asking price? $1.75 million.
The unit is on the 8th floor of 404 Riverside Drive, between 112th and 113th streets, and comes with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two decorative fireplaces and more, according to a listing on StreetEasy.
In the show, which is based on the Upper West Side, Midge Maisel lives in the apartment, while her parents reside in a different unit within the building. It just so happens that Woody Allen’s “Deconstructing Harry” was also filmed in the Riverside Drive address.
The building, also known as The Strathmore, was constructed in 1909.
You can find out more about the available apartment — HERE.
The duality of Central Park on a warm day.
An engagement photo shoot and a kick-boxing session.
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Engagement and kickboxing – the circle of life. Things seem so rosy then they all go down hill. Enjoy bliss while it lasts.
lol
lol
The apartment at 404 Riverside has no connection to “Maisel,” just a very savvy realtor. The Post article (and the writeup in ILoveTheUpperWestSide, which seems like sponsored content) only mentions that the building was featured on the show, not the unit. ILTUWS notes that interiors for the show were mostly shot on a soundstage. Caveat emptor, I suppose.
Agreed this is nonsense, the production team replicated the apartments as they looked before they were cut up. A few units have been recombined, and you can see on streeteasy that these layouts match the apartment on the show.
But this apartment listed doesn’t match that at all. Shady marketing.
The apartment needs a gut job.
You think so? The apartment still retains a lot of its original design, the floors and bathtub in particular are becoming a rare thing these days. I would give my left kidney for an original prewar unrenovated apartment. Growing up I remember the families in their rent controlled apartments that were straight out of the 1920’s with the fabulous kitchen cabinets and sconces on the wall, and the parquet floors!! Fuggedaboudit!
Well, that wallpaper, at least, has GOT TO GO…
I love the duality photo! Here’s to yet another way to celebrate our wonderful diversity in every place, way, and space. Here’s to coexisting, sharing space, and respecting each other. Amen.
Alvin Bragg is going to be very busy with his upcoming legal problems. Him and James
The commenters above are correct. This is not the Maisel apartment; the floor plan is all wrong. The apartment in the Strathmore that was used in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel–or the apartment that the set was modeled on–sold in 2017, the first year the show aired, for a much higher price. You can see the listing here: https://streeteasy.com/building/404-riverside-drive-new_york/12n?utm_campaign=sale_listing&utm_medium=share&utm_source=web&lstt=B2_yTr5Xr0Ndm33yE4E_jBDiGfIAiEtEEDcrWzDOMuhRUPt9QwMTmbYJWSZpcHMzngWzuPycucVT55VN