A New York History of Inspiration: The White Horse Tavern
Taverns. There is a history that links taverns to artistic inspiration, be it the cocktails or the long nights sitting around a table with like-minded people, who is to know just what it is that not only inspires in the moment, but that keeps on inspiring for years to come? In Southern California, there is…so far as I can tell because I have never found it…a bar on Venice beach where Jim Morrison is said to have held rehearsals and recording sessions with “The Doors“. Legend states that when Morrison passed away, the owner sealed up the door to the basement recording studio, and all things were left as last touched by the band.
Historical reference makes the nights at the Algonquin hotel, with Dorothy Parker and the writers of the time, much more than myth. Such is true of a bar in the West Village of Manhattan, The White Horse Tavern. Any member of the staff of a best New York City hotel, who is interested in literature and poetry, will direct the first time visitor to this legendary establishment. The tavern is located on the corner of 11th Street and Hudson, and when I walked through the doors for the first time, the vibe of artists such as Bob Dylan, Norman Mailer, Delmore Schwartz and Hunter S. Thompson is a vibe that is palpable and overwhelming.
During the nights of the 1950’s and 1960’s patrons of the bar had the opportunity to have a few drinks and conversation with Jack Kerouac as well as the many other Beat Poets. Union laborers and longshoremen frequented the tavern as well as the bohemian culture, and this is also the atmosphere that is felt when sitting on a bar stool sipping on a pint. For anyone traveling through the magnificent city of Manhattan, this is one of the spots to stop, especially if one is living a life in the artistic world.
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- New York Inspiration
- Gren’wich Village of New York
- Painting from Inspiration
- History of the Dance Festivals of Singapore
- The Museum of History in Hong Kong
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