And the bar tender knows how to make a lemon drop. "We want it to be a location where people can have a meeting or host a fundraiser," Rensch said. 'Slutty Vegan' Will Open Much Anticipated Harlem Joint Next Week, Espaillat Announces Community Project Funding, Urges Orgs to Apply, Program For Harlem Entrepreneurs Could End With $16K Prize: See How, Unlock Your True Potential- From Feeling Cursed to Confident In 6 Weeks, NYC AI Summer Camp for Middle School Students. And I was trying to make a connection between the books and the life I saw and the life I lived.. Verify to immediately update business information, respond to reviews, and more! The Village was already gentrifying by the time Baldwin moved there in the 1940s, and while it was still home to a large Italian-immigrant population, there were very few Black residents only 602 out of a population of 77,811, according to a 1943 real estate analysis. Baldwin likely learned his first words of French in Cullens class, which planted the seed for his later travels to Paris. Multiple TV'S for sports fans and they played a variety a music from classic R&B to Soft Rock. Not now. "With an average of 25 people moving to Harlem every day, people are looking for a dining experience they get downtown but with a touch of uptown soul," says owner Lew Tucker. Harlem Tavern (2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd., harlemtavern.com). In the 1950s and 60s, the owners released several albums featuring live recordings of standards in French and English like Scarborough Fair and Le Roi a Fait Battre Tambour. They ran the club together until its closure in 1976, following Payants death. Harlem Tavern to open on West 116th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in winter; will join bevy of new dining spots nearby, including Bier International and 5 & Diamond. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Ms. Wilson says Harlem Tavern was well received by the local community board, in part because it will replace a long-standing neighborhood eyesore. The Tavern, which dates to 1880, claims to be New Yorks second-oldest continuously operating pub, and the propertys landmarked exterior, iconic oak bar and tin ceilings remain unchanged after 140 years. The commission explained that it chose these blocks for landmarking not only because they represent a "significant enclave of . And the latest eateries on FDB may be the most exciting yet, with a gamut of cuisines and moods to rival any downtown neighborhood. Is Harlem Tavern currently offering delivery or takeout? (The answer is the owner's cat.) We show every major sporting event LIVE and the atmosphere on game night has to be seen to be believed. The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.Read the press release here. James Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924, at Harlem Hospital to Emma Berdis Jones, a young unwed mother. Ms. Wilson says Harlem Tavern was well received by the local community board, in part because it will replace a long-standing neighborhood eyesore. The resulting condo boom fueled a rush of restaurants as entrepreneurs jumped in to serve a growing population. 6 Photos 15 Reviews. Chez Inez was a jazz spot and soul food restaurant run by Inez Cavanaugh, a native of Chicago who at one point served as the poet Langston Hughess secretary. In 1953, the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas went into a coma and died several days after boasting of drinking 18 straight whiskies there. Harlem Tavern was opened in 2011 by Harlem residents Sherri Wilson-Daly, Steve Daly and Gareth Fagan. "Unfortunately the effects of COVID have had a devastating effect on us just as it has for many restaurants and small business across the city.". In December of 1949, Baldwin found himself living on Rue du Bac, on the top floor of a ludicrously grim hotel one of those enormous, dark, cold and hideous establishments in which Paris abounds. That same month, Baldwin was arrested at the hotel for receiving stolen goods (namely, a bedsheet taken by a friend from an overpriced hotel near the Gare Saint-Lazare), which led to him spending eight days in prison, as recounted in Equal in Paris, a dark yet amusing autobiographical essay written for Commentary in 1955. Website menu. Ever since it opened its doors in 1887, it has served as a haven for writers and intellectuals, and has also been featured in numerous novels, memoirs and, most iconically, in the films of the French New Wave. At the time, 40% of the boulevard's 226 storefronts were vacant. Baldwin was also one of the White Horse Taverns few Black habitus: There were very few Black people in the Village in those years and of that handful, I was decidedly the most improbable, he wrote in Playboy in 1985. Harlem Tavern in NYC: do NOT miss!!! Happy hour is from 4-7. The owners of the the popularHarlem Tavernare taking their beer selection farther uptown, opening a second location on West 164th Street in Washington Heights. With its killer food and cocktail combos, 67 Orange Street has established itself as a solid option for any Harlem resident or visitor. Dark Rapture (James Baldwin)" (1941) hangs directly above the artist. "The level of sophistication in the neighborhood is here, and the taste levels are here," he says. . Black Rabbit. (1978-2018) photo courtesy of Dave Plier . Grilled Chicken Sandwich. When Baldwin first came to Paris, gay life was visible in certain cafes, but there were still relatively few places where one could find open acceptance. Copyright 2009-2018, New York Public Radio. When Baldwin got to the city for the first time in 1948 with barely $40 in his pocket he was immediately taken here to meet with the writer Richard Wright. Harlem Tavern 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York City, NY 10026-2040 (Harlem) +1 212-866-4500 Website E-mail Improve this listing Get food delivered Order online Ranked #1,124 of 13,863 Restaurants in New York City 381 Reviews Price range: $30 - $30 Cuisines: American More restaurant details AJMglobaltraveller Staines, United Kingdom 1006 461 New York Citys Harlem Tavern is a neighborhood bar, restaurant & beer garden located on the corner of 116th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our, The jerk prawns with cheese grits at Park 112 in Harlem, Interior of Park 112, one of the eateries in the Harlem restaurant renaissance, Pouring the El De Ruben cocktail from Vinateria in Harlem, Owner Yvette Leeper-Bueno (l.) and executive chef Gustavo Lopez at Vinateria, Homemade meatloaf at Harlem Food Bar, courtesy chef Ernest Gonzalez, Bar scene at Harlem Food Bar on Frederick Douglas Blvd. Tracy's Tavern / 401 55th St. Ste. 13,375 people follow this. "There's opportunity up there.". Here are five of the street's most happening newcomers, from a hyper-hip wine bar to a sexy trattoria to a one-time gas station that's become the hood's coolest watering hole. The burger from Vinateria in Harlem (JOHN TAGGART FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS), The Park 112 (2080 Frederick Douglass Blvd., thepark112.com). The Grass Fed Filet Mignon with roasted pear chutney, and root vegetable gratin made from rutabaga, potato and parsnip at Lido in Harlem ( JOHN TAGGART FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS), Harlem Food Bar (2100 Frederick Douglass Blvd., hfbnyc.com). In his 1955 essay Notes of a Native Son, Baldwin recalled a conversation with his stepfather that ultimately allowed him to leave the church to pursue his literary calling: My father asked me abruptly, Youd rather write than preach, wouldnt you? I was astonished at his question because it was a real question. "There's room for everybodyWe're going to do what we do.". The mix of careful cooking and laid-back mood have made the 25-seat spot a huge hit with neighbors; they don't seem to mind waiting for treats like homemade meatloaf with smoked bacon ($15), homemade veggie burgers on brioche buns with horseradish crme frache ($8), or Gonzalez' mac-and-cheese squares ($7). When Baldwin was two, Jones married David Baldwin, a preacher from New Orleans who adopted. For more information please inquire through Private parties pageor give us a call at (212)-866-4500, Inquire for private party. Friday & Satruday 4PM 1AM Fagan a Dublin, Ireland, product who also owns Blind Pig on E. 14th St. said Washington Heights has long been on his radar. explore visiting Harlem Tavern Harlem Perfect For: Big Groups Birthdays Day Drinking Drinks & A Light Bite Outdoor/Patio Situation $$$$ 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York View Website Earn 3X Points Save RESERVE A TABLE POWERED BY Hillary Reinsberg May 25, 2017 Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. Harlem Tavern Owners Eye New Washington Heights Location | | The Harlem TimesThe Harlem Times - Heights Tavern NYC. I live down the street, and this is the restaurant I wanted in the neighborhood.". Hope to see you soon! The Flore was also where a recently arrived Baldwin took refuge from the unheated hotel rooms he lived in while working on the manuscript of Go Tell It on the Mountain which at the time he called Crying Holy as well as the other articles and essays he had been commissioned to write. Monday to Thursday 5PM 12Am Another Left Bank classic, Le Select is an Art Deco cafe dating from the 1920s that featured heavily in Ernest Hemingways 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. One of the first cafes in Paris to operate 24 hours a day, it attracted nocturnal types like Alberto Giacometti and Samuel Beckett and was popular with Black Americans in the 1940s. See more of Harlem Tavern on Facebook. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. All Rights Reserved. These days, as Lido's chef, she's jazzing hearty Northern Italian food with witty twists think grilled kale salad with cannellini beans ($11) or roast duck risotto with cabbage, butternut squash and coriander seed ($22). With a history dating back to the 17th century, the Rue du Bac in Pariss Seventh Arrondissement has been home to many writers over the years: Chateaubriand and Romain Gary both died in apartments on this street, and Andr Malraux wrote his 1933 Prix Goncourt-winning novel, La Condition Humaine, there. Just blocks from the areas treasured Morningside and Central Park; Harlem Tavern is a warm and inviting establishment. I had the oysters and the Harlem steak burger. Harlem. The White Horse Tavern, at the intersection of Hudson and West 11th Streets, 1960. James Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924, at Harlem Hospital to Emma Berdis Jones, a young unwed mother. Sunday 4PM 12AM. On the site of a former auto body shopand before that a gas stationHarlem Tavern will join a bevy of new dining spots nearby, including Bier International and 5 & Diamond. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. Joy S. said: Several days later, we are still mystified by how this store works. 4.2 out of 5 stars. He said the goal of the restaurant and bar is to offer a space where people feel "comfortable" and provide a location that is welcoming to everyone. Article originally posted on DNAinfo.com. 21,158 were here. However, arriving to New York, this was the BEST food we had on the trip, and this is a complement since we had outstanding food the entire time. Harlem Steak Sandwich. Instead of following them, Daly and her husband decided to "bring a downtown restaurant uptown." He even makes his own pastas, like a soul-warming tagliatelle with rich pork ragu ($16). . It was a particularly lively social scene: According to the Leeming biography, at a party thrown to launch Zero, the music was so loud and the revelry so raucous that Mme. I honestly liked the service and the food. NYC Weekend Events: What's Going On March 4-5, NYC Rent Drops For 5th Straight Month, Study Finds, NYC Restaurants Ordered Closed Feb. 24 - March 3, 125th Street Could See Another Apartment Tower As Lot Goes Up For Sale. My first trip to Harlem and this truly made the experience one to remember! "We wanted a place that was a step up from bar food, but not a place with $25 pastas where you have to dress up. Copyright 2006-2023, Harlem One Stop, Inc. All rights reserved. Harlem Tavern was opened in 2011 by Harlem residents Sherri Wilson-Daly, Steve Daly and Gareth Fagan. The new venture, the Heights Tavern, will feature outdoor seating for 80 people with 20 beers on tap when it opens in June at 3910 Broadway. Article originally posted on DNAinfo.com. The iconic restaurant still serves excellent brasserie fare such as choucroute with bire de la maison, as well as the house specialty, pied de porc farci (stuffed pigs trotter); its current clientele includes professors and policy wonks from the nearby Sciences Po. "People weren't doing American fare, like burgers, steaks and seafood," says Daly, who's lived nearby since 2007. Click here to read the post and Restaurants, Cafs & Bars Central Harlem. Baldwin and friends in the kitchen of his West 71st Street apartment, 1964. You, Nika D. said: Thank the Heavens I have finally found my new go-to Italian restaurant!, Tommy Bahama Restaurant | Bar | Store - New York, Kayla B. said: My boyfriend and I walked by this place on the way back to our hotel, Samantha S. said: Oh my goodness, talk about a well-oiled machine. A baptism ceremony at a Pentecostal church in Harlem, 1934. The pull of the church and the high language of the pulpit would forever mark his style, and Go Tell It on the Mountain draws heavily from this period in his life. . Countee Cullen, photographed by Carl Van Vechten in Central Park, 1941. "We definitely felt this neighborhood was underserviced," he said, noting a lack of restaurant and bar options in the area. The Harlem Flophouse. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She became the lifelong companion of Timme Rosenkrantz, a Danish baron and jazz enthusiast, and came to Paris in 1946 as a singer on tour with the Don Redman Orchestra. Dumont, the matriarch of a Corsican family. Restaurant owner Harlem Tavern, Bar Twelve, Taj, Katra and Mercury Bar East 1998 - 2010 12 years. This is the corner restaurant we wish we had on our block. Harlem Tavern co-owner Gareth Fagan said the popular sports bar/restaurant at 116St. An uptown neighborhood bar and grill, Harlem Tavern is located on 116th St and Frederick Douglass Blvd just blocks from historic Central Park. Grab your best green garb and join us for St. Patrick's Day! Hogshead opened in September 2014 on Hamilton Terrace, just south of 143rd Street. It was a space where races mixed freely, which was still unusual at the time, and on a given night you might have seen Paul Robeson or Henry Miller eating side by side with Burt Lancaster or Malcolm X. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Really good experience. Your Gateway To Harlem. "We're proud of what we've been able to do in Harlem," said manager Amanda Rensch, "and we feel like Washington Heights is a community that is similar.". HARLEM TAVERN - 952 Photos & 1376 Reviews - 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY - Menu - Yelp Restaurants Home Services Auto Services Harlem Tavern 1376 reviews Unclaimed $$ Pubs, American (New), Breakfast & Brunch Edit Closed 11:00 AM - 4:00 AM (Next day) Hours updated over 3 months ago See 965 photos Write a review Add photo Save Menu If you are looking to plan a corporate event, a birthday party, an after work happy hour or simply a dinner with friends, we have the space to suit your needs. Lido's also become one of Frederick Douglass Blvd. The 60-year-old restaurant recently announced it's now open seven days a week, including a Sunday gospel brunch. It's hard to believe that the ultra-stylish Vinateria, which opened in April, is owner Yvette Leeper-Bueno's first restaurant. The original building, designed by McKim, Mead and White, housed the Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints, which is now part of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture next door. Now, a new crop of restaurants is upping the game again. Light-filled interior during brunch at Lido in Harlem ( JOHN TAGGART FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS). will expand to a new site, Heights Tavern, on Broadway near 164th St. (Andrew Savulich for New York Daily News). 51,873 were here. I went right over, Kristen M. said: We stopped by to grab a quick lunch when we saw they had lots of. They do have heaters, and the outdoor area has some screens to protect from the wind. The center of activity is Frederick Douglass Blvd. WASHINGTON HEIGHTS The owners of the the popular Harlem Tavern are taking their beer selection farther uptown, opening a second location on West 164th Street in Washington Heights. The diverse crowd and genuine space for free-flowing conversations make for an ideal evening out. Harlem Tavern co-owner Sheri Wilson ran down of a bunch of the mouthwatering foods to munch on as you watch the big game. Baldwin got a job there as a waiter, and when he wasnt working hed be drinking with Delaney or Marlon Brando, a lifelong friend and supporter of the author. Together, the pair frequented the nearby and slightly more glamorous nightclub Fiacre, whose owner would become the basis for the character of Guillaume in Giovannis Room., Cover photo: Dave Pickoff/AP Photos (Baldwin on N.Y.C. The Laughing Fox Tavern is a Bar & Restaurant with Live Entertainment. Call us at (212)-866-4500 or book a table through Open Table: Great food and fun Harlem atmosphere. Juliette Grco and Annabel Buffet at Le Montana, circa 1950. He befriended Sam Floyd, a Black schoolteacher and journalist who also lived on Horatio Street, and at Floyds apartment he spent time with other Black writers and musicians like Nina Simone, Max Roach and Nikki Giovanni. Shortly after first arriving in Paris, Baldwin moved to this ramshackle hotel run by Mme. "We're expanding," said co-owner Gareth Fagan,. Were really devoted to maintaining the tavern theme and genre and food style, Rensch said. Here, we retrace some of his steps. will expand to a new site, Heights Tavern, on Broadway near 164th St. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. (1985-2022) Cape Cod Room / 140 E. Walton Pl. The San Remo Caf, on the corner of MacDougal and Bleecker Streets, was one of the hippest spots during the Villages heyday. ", Simple, smart fare like a lamb burger with mint pesto ($12) and fried chicken with mashed potatoes ($20) have kept the place packed ever since. HARLEM, NY The Hogshead Tavern in Hamilton Heights closed permanently on Monday, its management announced, as the popular Hamilton Heights craft beer bar became the latest neighborhood spot. The auto body shop has been closed for years, she said. Baldwins mother and stepfather had eight more children after him, and the family moved house frequently in his youth, but he had fond memories of his Aunt Barbara (whom he called Taunty) and her candy shop on 133rd St between Lenox and Fifth Avenues. The actor and musician Gordon Heath and his partner, Lee Payant (top), performing at their club, LAbbaye, circa 1952. Service extremely professional but warm & inviting. While the Heights Tavern won't be a beer garden like the Harlem location, the atmosphere will be similar. The space, which was converted from a rusted gas station, has turned into a community hot spot that features work from local artists and musicians. 4 Photos 15 Reviews. The new kid on the block, The Park 112 opened last month with a sumptuous, supper-club interior and an accent on wine. street), Paris photos: Critical Past (Caf Le Flore, Les Deux Magots); Paul Almasy/Akg-Images (Le Select, Brasserie Lipp); Adoc-Photos/Art Resource, NY (Inez Cavanaugh); Eugne Atget Beaux-Arts de Paris, Dist. Industry advocates have called on the U.S. Senate to pass the RESTAURANTS Act, a bill with bipartisan support that passed the House in October and would provide more than $100 billion in grants to independent restaurants, small chains and catering companies. Log In. She would later provide inspiration for the character of Florence in Baldwins first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, published in 1952. Harlem Tavern is the perfect setting, conveniently located along the B/C subway line at 116th St. It was a louche restaurant with pressed-tin ceilings and black-and-white tiled floors, where Baldwin and Delaney would drink late into the night with Beat Generation figures like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, who immortalized the bar as the Black Mask in his 1958 novella The Subterraneans. A mob-owned business, the San Remo Caf remained a neighborhood fixture through to the 1960s, when it became a gay hotspot and favorite haunt of Andy Warhol and the Factory set. We want it to be a location where people can have a meeting or host a fundraiser, Rensch said. The owners were eyeballing the vacant space formerly a bank even before they opened Harlem Tavern, he said. Just across the street from the Flore, Brasserie Lipp, with its famed purple moleskin banquettes and Charley Garry-painted ceilings, was the scene of a notorious confrontation in 1949 between Richard Wright and Baldwin on the day the latter published an essay in the inaugural issue of the literary magazine Zero, which also included contributions from William Carlos Williams and Christopher Isherwood. ORDER ONLINE 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10002 Reservations Call us at (212)-866-4500 or book a table through Open Table: Make a Reservation 2 people Feb 27, 2023 7:00 PM Specials Happy Hour: $8 Select Red & White Wine, $9 Sangria, $7 House Mixed Drinks, $6 Select Beer Drafts and $10 Cocktail of the Day. and Fredrick Douglas Blvd. "We've had our eye on this (location) for a while," said Fagan, whose partners include Stephen and Sheri Daly, owners of Taj Lounge on W. 21st St. and Tonic Times Square. When in New York, he favored Mikells jazz club on the corner of 97th Street and Columbus Avenue, where his brother David was a bartender. or. A page from the 1941 Clintonian, the yearbook for DeWitt Clinton High School. During this period, as he continued to grapple with his sexual identity, Baldwin had relationships with both men and women. Website developed and made possible by a gift from Mr. Fagan owns a bar called the Blind Pig in Lower Manhattan and Mr. Daly is a co-owner of a three-story sports bar in Times Square called Tonic Bar & Restaurant. It was where Baldwin wrote much of his Paris-based novel, Giovannis Room (1956), whose protagonist, David, visits the cafe after a solitary drink at the Closerie des Lilas, a few blocks down on the Boulevard du Montparnasse. He held a screening there of his 1982 documentary, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, directed by Dick Fontaine and Pat Harley, which was attended by Toni Morrison, who also lived for a short time at the home on West 71st Street. 's Restaurant Row, The Grass Fed Filet Mignon with roasted pear chutney, and root vegetable gratin made from rutabaga, potato and parsnip at Lido in Harlem, Light-filled interior during brunch at Lido in Harlem. Homemade meatloaf at Harlem Food Bar, courtesy chef Ernest Gonzalez ( Pearl Gabel/New York Daily News), Vinateria (2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd., vinaterianyc.com). Le Tournon in Saint-Germain-des-Prs, circa 1950s. What is significant for me is the name "Harlem Tavern", this is embracing the name Harlem as a cool viable part of Manhattan, the New Harlem that is available to all new Yorkers, not the old Harlem that was separate and apart from downtown Manhattan. Please browse the website for further information and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd New York, NY 10026. We want to go through our growing pains before the spring and summer, when we will double in size, she said. The pair became lifelong friends, spending time together in France, and Baldwin credited Delaney with opening his eyes as an artist. 133rd Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues, 1939. HARLEM TAVERN - 961 Photos & 1392 Reviews - 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY - Menu - Yelp Restaurants Home Services Auto Services Harlem Tavern 1392 reviews Unclaimed $$ Pubs, American (New), Breakfast & Brunch Edit Open 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM (Next day) Hours updated 2 months ago See hours See all 974 photos Write a review Add photo Menu The jerk prawns with cheese grits at Park 112 in Harlem (JOHN TAGGART FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS). Dinner: The Heights location will not have the beer garden that Harlem Tavern boasts, but Fagan said he hopes to offer sidewalk seating down the road. "I think newcomers realize Harlem's a jewel on the island of Manhattan that's almost been kept a secret. The author developed strong friendships at the hotel with Mary Keen, a radical socialist from England, and Gidske Anderson, a Norwegian journalist who lived nearby. Chicago, IL. Opened in 1905 as the 135th Street Branch, this location of the New York Public Library moved a block north in 1941 and was later renamed the Countee Cullen Library. Nevertheless, the party continued past dawn, stopping only when there was nothing left to drink. Perfect For: Outdoor/Patio Situation $ $ $ $ . The boulevard's transformation started a decade ago, when New York City rezoned 44 blocks in south-central Harlem. RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, NY (Rue Du Bac); Charles Lansiaux/PWB Images/Alamy (Place de la Nation); Dominique Berretty/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images (Le Tournon); Justin Locke for National Geographic, April-May 1952. Yes, Harlem Tavern offers both delivery and takeout. Bar scene at Harlem Food Bar on Frederick Douglas Blvd. Forgot account? and Fredrick Douglas Blvd. Harlem Tavern is New York City's premiere restaurant and beer garden. The 3,500-square-foot eatery on West 116th Street and Fredrick Douglass Boulevard will have an additional 3,000 square feet worth of outdoor seating during the warm-weather months. When is happy hour and what's on the happy hour menu? Praised by the Harlem Times as the neighborhood's best craft beer bar, co-owners Tara Wholley and Leigh Corcoran boasted of having 20 craft beers on tap, as well as brunch and shareable plates. HARLEM TAVERN - 959 Photos & 1388 Reviews - 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY - Menu - Yelp Restaurants Home Services Auto Services More Harlem Tavern 1388 reviews Unclaimed $$ Pubs, American (New), Breakfast & Brunch Edit Closed 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM (Next day) Hours updated 2 weeks ago See hours See all 972 photos Write a review Add photo In Giovannis Room, the titular lodgings are said to exist in a dreadful street, near Nation among all the dreadful bourgeoisie and their piglike children. Far from the vibrant bohemian scene of Saint-Germain, Giovannis dingy ground-floor room is likely based on an early experience of Baldwins in Paris, where an obsessive French lover used to lock the late-sleeping Baldwin in his small room near the Porte de Vincennes, in the citys leafy 12th Arrondissement.