“You might think of them as solitary creatures, furiously scribbling or typing alone, but as long as there have been writers in New York City, they have socialized together in an assortment of bars, restaurants, apartments and clubs. The Times began writing about these places in its very first issues. In 1910, it published an article lamenting ‘the passing of the literary haunts of New York,’ noting that many once-famous gathering spots were being razed as the city grew and modernized. ‘Number 19 West 24th is gone,’ the piece began. ‘At least the old 19 is gone, and … no account has been made of the fact that it at one time housed the Author’s Club, and that its rakish stairs were somewhat worn away by the feet of Matthew Arnold, Whittier, Lowell and Field.’ ...”
