Thank You and Goodnight, Mrs. Maisel!
For five seasons, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel had us slapping our knees and laughing from our bellies with its quick-witted humor and whimsical absurdity. Each character seemed to move at a mile a minute through their own struggles and ambitions, set against the backdrop of New York City in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the titular Mrs. Maisel & Co. resided on the Upper West Side, it’s clear that the show’s heart and soul were downtown in Greenwich Village.
Earlier seasons saw Midge Maisel brazenly taking the microphone at The Gaslight Cafe to polish her comedic skills. At one point in the first season, she even steals the stage at a rally held by Jane Jacobs in Washington Square Park to give an impassioned speech about the importance of preserving the park. As the final season of the show bids us farewell, we’re looking back at this love letter to Greenwich Village to say “Thank you and goodnight!” to the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Minetta Tavern
After seeing a play written by one of Abe’s former colleagues at The Village Voice, Abe and Rose Weissman enjoy a meal with friends and writers at Minetta Tavern at 113 MacDougal Street. Minetta Tavern opened in 1937 and quickly became a regular hangout for writing legends including Ernest Hemingway, Eugene O’Neill, e.e. cummings, and Dylan Thomas.
“The City Spoon” AKA La Bonbonniere
Styled as “The City Spoon” in the show, real-life diner La BonBonniere at 28 Eighth Avenue saw Midge through some of the most crucial turning points of her romantic life. This Village Preservation Business of the Month was a regular meeting place for Midge and her ex-husband Joel throughout their relationship, from their courtship to their wedding night to their eventual co-parenting following their separation. The show even returned to the restaurant in Season Five to film a vital scene with another of Midge’s love interests.
The Music Inn
The Music Inn at 169 West 4th Street is another Business of the Month that shone in Mrs. Maisel’s spotlight. The shop is famous for its selection of records and instruments, many of which hang above patrons’ heads as they wander through the historic store. The Music Inn opened in 1958, the same year that Midge first took the stage at the Gaslight Cafe. Her first spontaneous performance there was part comedic outburst and part drunken breakdown, but was nevertheless unknowingly immortalized as a vinyl record that key characters encountered at The Music Inn.
Cherry Lane Theatre
The Cherry Lane Theatre, tucked away from the bustle of the city along tree-lined Commerce Street between Barrow and Bedford Streets, has the distinction of being New York City’s oldest, continuously operating Off-Broadway theatre. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel pays its respects to this iconic performance space in Season 4 when the Weissman/Maisel gang attends the debut magic show of one of talent manager Susie Myerson’s clients. The audience is mystified by the magical feats onstage, but the real show takes place on the street just outside.