Sacred City - St. Mark's Church In-the-Bowery

If you ever go wandering in the East Village, just following your fancy, you may come to the corner of E. 10th St. and 2nd Ave, and the apex of the diagonally-running street, Stuyvesant. You will have arrived, just outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery. It might be the first time. It might be that you have walked by dozens of times and never really looked it. Take notice, this time, because it is one of the most interesting pieces of New York living history and one of the most accessible for you to learn about and explore.

St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, part of the Episcopal Diocese, was completed and consecrated in 1799. Its history is marked by a long tradition of dedication to this community. It is the cornerstone of an entire cultural way of life, with decades of service to a definitively diverse population of residents, and a steadfast commitment to the artistic and socially progressive ideals that are the roots of a genuinely East Village experience. The parish maintains an active congregation today, holds masses in Spanish, as well as English, and warmly welcomes the LGBT members of its spiritual family. It openly and truly represents and serves the neighborhood it sits in. In additional to being a functional church, it is a permanent home to a dance company, a theatre company, a long-running poetry organization and several artists-in-residence in any given season. This is an extraordinary spiritual, social and creative place. As if that wasn't enough reason to go there, one of its most delightful hidden treasures, is actually outside and is one of my absolute favorite secret spots in the city.

The small front churchyard is open to the public, but gated off from the street. You can enter from the public square area with benches, directly in front of the church doors or from a break in the gate on East 11th St. Once in there, notice that there are grave-markers - vaults in the grass and be respectful as you walk around them. If you move towards 2nd Avenue to right where the land slopes down to the street, that is the best place to sit. Find a peaceful spot under a tree and on a day with warm weather, there is a kind of calm and strangely haunted feeling of being somewhere hidden. You can watch passers-by on the other side of the fence, stare into space, meditate, read or chat with a friend here. I've been here in the middle of the day's hustle and bustle, at night when the revelers crowd the the streets, pouring out of the bars and in the wee small hours of the morning when a mellow stillness falls over even the noisiest corners of the city that never sleeps. Its a sacred spot.

Here are a few more things to do at, in and around St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, for every season:

- Buy apples, sip fresh, hot, spiced cider in the Fall and support local, natural food sources throughout the year! A green-market is held every Tuesday , 8am-7pm (June - Dec). Naturally, there are tons of other options throughout the seasons besides the apples, but the cider is really my favorite.

- Celebrate the New Year in verse. Attend the Annual New Year's Day Marathon Reading, put on by the Poetry Project. Patti Smith was one legend amongst many fierce poets and performers, present to ring-in 2007. I also recommend attending one of their other frequent events and supporting them in any way possible. This organization is an institution, nearly inseparable from the Church itself, in its tradition and place in this community.

- Sample sweet madness at Black Hound. This somewhat swanky patisserie across the street features truffles and tarts that can make your knees weak. You'd be well advised to consume them in small quantities, with great attention and relish in the moment. Fortunately, the staff puts out samples of cakes, pastries, mousse, and tarts daily and they don't seem to mind if you go in and go straight to the sample tray. (Or maybe they are just used to it). You will never find the white chocolate truffles in a sample cup though, so you have to shell out the cash for a little bag of those for yourself. I promise its worth it.

- Scope out the bargains at one of the summer's street fests. At least a couple of times, every summer, a few blocks of 2nd Ave. are closed to traffic and lined with vendors of all varieties. Part flea market, part artisan craft fair and offering a variety of ethnic, as well as traditional carnival foods for sale, you can stroll and peruse and buy and eat happily for quite a while. If you get there early, you can sit in the churchyard and watch the vendors trucking in and setting up, before the crowd comes, and possibly get some of the best deals. This fair, and several others that take place all over the city are generally mentioned on listings pages of things going on around town - check local guides like the Village Voice, and Time Out NY for details.

- Grab a giant iced-coffee. (Dunkin Donuts across the street). Or a couple of slices of real NY-style pizza. (Several places within a few blocks) Or an all natural, antioxidant-rich smoothie or fresh juice. (Lucky's, also across the street) Or a bagel and hot, cheap, coffee from a deli. Or some samosas and curry from an Indian takeout place. Really... this is New York and within a 4 block radius, you can probably find whatever you are craving and can manage to hold on your lap, with a few napkins. Sit on a bench outside, or under my favorite tree in the churchyard and just enjoy. Enjoy where you are right now.

http://www.stmarkschurch-in-the-bowery.com/