1970s Hangouts in New York City: Background information when reading Memories of the Future

1970s Hangouts in New York City

This article relates to Memories of the Future

Among other things, Hustvedt's novel Memories of the Future is a vivid portrait of what it was like to live in New York City as a young woman in the late 1970s. She writes evocatively about many of her character's favorite haunts, which include several establishments that are still operating today. Interested in a glimpse into "Minnesota's" NYC? Visit these landmarks on your next visit to the city!



Hungarian Pastry Shop
1030 Amsterdam Ave.
This Upper West Side coffee shop and bakery is located near Columbia University and is renowned for its cream puffs, croissants, and Hungarian coffee.

Ear Inn
326 Spring St.
Established in 1817, this historic Greenwich Village destination is the oldest bar in Manhattan that has continually served alcohol (even during Prohibition). According to its history, the bar got its unusual name in the 1970s, when to circumvent licensing rules, the bar's owners covered up part of the letter "B" in "BAR," leaving the sign to read "EAR."

The Thalia
2537 Broadway
Opened in 1931, this movie theater was immortalized in Woody Allen's film Annie Hall and has been beloved by movie buffs such as Peter Bogdanovich and Martin Scorsese. It did close for a time in the mid-1980s, but reopened as part of the Symphony Space performance complex and is now known as the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre.

The Cupping Room
359 W Broadway
This bar and café in Soho would have been brand new at the time Memories of the Future is set. Established in 1977, it's now more than 40 years old and prides itself on being a neighborhood establishment that also serves as a gathering place for artists.

Filed under Places, Cultures & Identities

This "beyond the book article" relates to Memories of the Future. It originally ran in April 2019 and has been updated for the March 2020 paperback edition. Go to magazine.