Death Notice Tavern on the Green, age 75 Born: 1934 Place of Birth: Central Park West and West 67th St.; Manhattan's Upper West Side. (A Robert Moses renovation of a sheep barn designed by Calvert Vaux in 1870. Died: 31 December 2009 Cause of Death: neglect; cancer of the pocket metastasized from the head of NYC Parks Department; vultures ingested the remains The recent demise of a New York City landmark, Tavern on the Green, may elicit mourning and sweet remembrances by those of us who languished in its splendor. As for visitors who "meant to get there," you missed being treated like royalty! There just aren't enough superlatives to kvell over a Tavern on the Green experience, in spite of its oxymoronic name. Describing it in the present tense engraves fond occasions in my heart. It is carved into a wooded niche off Central Park's border, with easy access from the West Side Drive. Whatever language a cabbie speaks, he knows that G-spot. They park your car, open your doors, glide out your chairs, serve drinks as if with urgency, hover as you dine without eavesdropping, and respond to guests as if they heard your last thought. The waiters, besides charming, and often bearing foreign accents, speak English and present your meal as if they personally prepared it just for you, on this, your last day on earth. Classically professional wait staff. Tiffany stained glass and chandeliers welcome you through the meandering hallway. The Terrace Room flirts with home designers' concept of bringing the outside in. A perfect sunny garden-like venue for toasting Cosmos, expressio martinis, or one of their fabulous concoctions to the ladies who lunch, your dear college friends. In spite of a crowd, even on a busy Saturday afternoon other conversations are but a background hum as you play catch up with your BFFs. Ah, the irresistible Crystal Room, with subway close chandelier lights rebounding rainbows off its wall of ceiling stretching windows. Its ceiling is like pastel party frosting, overdosed with Victorian dancing swirls. Celebration du jour. During the day, animal topiaries lure you to the patio. Who can resist posing in front of the King Kong topiary, as today's Faye Raye, for the camera? During the Christmas season spectacle, bare limbed trees are garnished with strands of white lights so bright, that you can see your companion's face at night. Romance fills the air. To complete the evening, you hail a hansom carriage ride through Central Park, sharing a woolly, thick blanket made for smooching. Tavern on the Green's cusotmers range from famous American and international artists, musicians, and performers. Cinema aficionados find glimpses of this more-than-just-an-eatery place in well known films A trip to Tavern on the Green is incomplete without a souvenir from the gift shop. Such mementos are pricey jewels, and others as simple as a labeled tea mug. If you'd like to see the other one-of-a-kind dining rooms, please view the photos on the homepage. My preference was for the Crystal Room. Homepage, before it disappears: http://www.tavernonthegreen.com/ Photos: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/13/tavern-on-the-green-a-his_n_422148. html Auction, January 13 & 14 2010 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aLLmg3P_AnqE Comments to send: http://www.tavernonthegreen.com/comments.asp?headinfo=comments Barb NYC Researcher @BL