No words.

On Saturday, at the age of 69, Clarence Clemons, aka the Big Man, passed away in Palm Beach, Florida.   Known best for his role as the unbelievably talented saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Clemons’ passing has brought sadness to so many.

L: Clarence & Bruce play together in the 2000’s on The Rising tour; R: Clarence & Bruce on the cover of “Born to Run”

If I had to pick a soundtrack to capture my upbringing on the Jersey Shore it would undoubtedly be a mix of Bruce Springsteen songs.  Every summer walking from my house up to the beach, “Born in the USA” could be heard blaring from each beach-house party.  Once I got my license, I would drive the ten miles north to Asbury Park and be engulfed in the land of the Boss.  I’d pass by the Stone Pony, considered one of the greatest rock venues of all time, where Bruce got his start and still visits today to play a show here and there.  I’d catch a glimpse of the Wonder Bar, where it is said that Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons first met.  I now live and work in the Village and am proud to say that my new home, too, played a vital role in shaping Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Word that the West Village’s 75 1/2 Bedford Street is back on the market always brings attention to the slender house in which Enda St. Vincent Millay is said to have written “my candle burns at both ends.”  But it also raises the question of whether or not this truly is the “narrowest house in New York City,” as it’s frequently called, or a mere pretender to the throne.

In fact, an Off the Grid reader recently asked us if there wasn’t actually a narrower house in the East Village, at 39 St. Mark’s Place, which at a glance certainly looks as though it could give its West Village counterpart a run for its money.

75 1/2 Bedford Street (left); 39 St. Marks Place (right)

Which leads us to the question — how did such skinny structures ever get built in the first place, and which is really the narrowest houses in New York City?

mylifeinmeals:

Every once in a while, you have a meal so out of this world that you leave the restaurant with a full belly and a huge smile on your face. The kind of meal where dish after dish the server brings out is perfect. The last meal I had of this stature was two years ago at Del Posto for lunch. I wish I…

mylifeinmeals:

(Photo courtesy Zagat)

The Collective is a new restaurant in the meatpacking district, brought to you by the folks behind STK and Bagatelle. Like most meatpacking restaurants, its extremely loud with music blaring even as early as 7pm, slightly pretentious (we waited for a table for…