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Craftsmanship is an abstract idea that takes many concrete forms.
Coffee that was literally harvested — thousands of miles away, mind you — a couple days before you drink it. Bicycles built with the kind of care that’ll allow you to pass them down to your kids some day. A cigar that can rival a Cuban rolled in … Midtown Manhattan.
Spoiler alert: today, it means all those things.
Because each of those experiences can be found within Uncommon Adventures, a new series spotlighting under-the-radar happenings around New York.
Remember to take a picture. It’ll last longer.
DEVOCIÓN COFFEE
“The heck is fourth-wave coffee?” you ask. Fair question. Typically, coffee beans are harvested and then sit in storage (or on a boat) anywhere from 4-6 months. While your local might be roasting their beans daily, they’re not importing them that often. Devoción is. By cutting out the middleman and harvesting the beans themselves, this lovely corner shop serves up the freshest cup of brew you’ve ever tasted.
HORSE BICYCLES
Simply the best handmade bikes a New Yorker can ride. On the surface: two wheels and a frame, simple as pie. But their craftsmanship is second to none, and each bike will last a lifetime, save any user-error bang-ups along the way. Their commuter will also turn every head on the block the first time you take it for a spin. We’re not saying you should choose a bike based on looks, but if you were, the conversation would start and end here.
THE LEXUS LC 500
FROM OUR PARTNER
Before you hop around town to check in on some of the city’s most talented craftsman, you’re going to want a car to match. Enter the first-ever Lexus LC 500, which we recently christened “far and away the sexiest Lexus ever built.” Born in a factory though it may be, the LC 500 was built with an obsessive, artisan-esque attention to detail, from the single piece of chrome trim they hand-apply to the roofline of every LC to their unrivaled pickiness with materials. To wit: only 5% of the leather on earth meets their scrupulous in-house standards for available semi-aniline leather. The result is a car you’ll be thrilled to step out of, no matter the occasion.
MARTINEZ CIGARS
A New York cornerstone when it comes to hand-rolled stogies. Since ’74, these talented Midtown cowboys have been deftly blending only the finest tobaccos and then expertly sealing them up for your enjoyment. Owner Jesus gives his word that a Martinez will be one of the best cigars you’ll ever indulge in.
Good design is an abstract idea that takes many concrete forms.
A contemporary speaker system that relies on gramophone-era technology. A photographer who is single-handedly reviving a 19th-century portrait style. The furniture company who outfitted more than a dozen of New York’s swankiest hotels.
Spoiler alert: today, it means all those things.
Design never looked this good.
OSWALDS MILL AUDIO
And now for something a little different. Rather than look forward, OMA takes a look back at the early 20th century to enhance your home’s acoustic experience. Like audio equipment from the gramophone era, their speakers develop sound, rather than recreating it. Crafted for those who understand that the finest things in life are not necessarily the newest, OMA’s museum-worthy pieces are simply without peer in contemporary home audio.
SENTIENT FURNITURE
Sentient’s retro-future furniture designs live up to their name. Their client list is a who’s who of New York hot spots (the Refinery Hotel, the Thompson, Ian Schrager, Cartier, Donna Karan), but they also produce a collection of singular chairs, tables and accent pieces for residential customers. Sometimes powerful, sometimes calming and always a bit strange, if you’re looking to invest in a serious conversation starter, look no further.
THE LEXUS LC 500
FROM OUR PARTNER
For a day of design-minded pursuits, you’re going to need a ride that looks the part. Enter the first-ever Lexus LC 500, which we recently christened “far and away the sexiest Lexus ever built.” This is no ordinary two-door sport coupe. Notice the elegant flourishes throughout: the chrome-plated moldings, the taillamps that contain 80 individual LEDs and evoke the look of a jet’s afterburners. Given the level of innovation, it’s no surprise the LC began as a concept car. But unlike the vast majority of concepts, this one has actually achieved production. And what you’re left with is a car uniquely engineered for the future of driving.
PENUMBRA FOUNDATION TINTYPE STUDIO
Latin for “almost shadow,” Penumbra is a photography studio that does things a little differently: they shoot exclusively in tintype, aka the Polaroid of the 19th century. An art form in itself, tintype portraits are striking, painstakingly developed black-and-white portraits that capture something beyond what meets the eye in each and every subject.
Performance is an abstract word that takes many concrete forms.
A sailor cutting his craft along glassy water. A vintage motorcycle rocketing across a stretch of forgotten shoreline. The glorious kinetic energy of a burlesque trapeze artist.
Spoiler alert: today, it means all those things.
Performance never looked so good.
COMPANY XIV
A modern, experimental dance company that’s making New York, well, New York again. An adults-only experience, Company XIV produces kinky, sumptuous and completely fantastic variety shows that combine modern dance, theater, burlesque and acrobatics into one Frankensteinian whole.
ATLANTIC YACHTING
Forget what you’ve been told: the best way to see Manhattan isn’t at the top of the Rock, Met, Empire State Building or World Trade Center. The real way to see that skyline is from the water. And it’s now a view you can order from your smartphone. Download Atlantic Yachting’s app and you can book sailboat, captain and crew on demand with a few clicks of your touchscreen.
THE LEXUS LC 500
FROM OUR PARTNER
For a day of high-performance pursuits, you’re gonna need a ride that looks the part. Enter the first-ever LC 500, which we recently christened “far and away the sexiest Lexus ever built.” Beyond the impressive résumé (5.0-liter V8, 471 horsepower, 0-60 in 4.4 seconds), the LC 500 is bringing actual, real innovation in the performance department. The 10-speed Direct-Shift automatic transmission is an industry first from a luxury carmaker, the naturally aspirated engine (which few competitors offer) produces a unique, aggressive engine note, and the driver can toggle between multiple drive modes to accommodate driving conditions. One of them is called Sport S+. Without saying too much, do try to find a road suited for Sport S+. You will not regret it.
THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN
Every summer, hundreds of cars and motorcycles descend upon a beach in New Jersey for two days of races by day and bonfires by night. The only rules? This affair mandates that only cars with pre-1935 bodies and pre-1953 parts and motorcycles with pre-1947 birthdates and tank-shifts participate. It’s a romping, roaring, petrol-laden extravaganza unlike any other.
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