Hello friends, I am delighted to welcome you to the 5th anniversary column of Karen’s Quirky Style! And to announce that my column has been picked up by Straus News! This month’s column appeared in both The Chelsea News and Our Town Downtown, with a combined readership of 50,000! My column is syndicated!

New Shoe Closet!

I’ve had a vision for a long time of creating stories and visuals focused entirely on shoes. More about the shoes, less about the words! If you love shoes too, I invite you to Register to become a Shoe Lover member. Come with me into the Shoe Closet, where you’ll see videos, pictures, and fun facts about the shoes I wear in Karen’s Quirky Style. Membership is $20 per year. I appreciate your support and guarantee you’ll enjoy the magical world inside the closet!

Celebrating at Chelsea’s seductive new restaurant, Chelsea Living Room

I’m filled with champagne-sparkle excitement about both pieces of news. I took my KQS crew—photographer Phil and lighting assistant Amy—to celebrate at Chelsea’s newest restaurant, the upscale and inviting Chelsea Living Room, at 243 West 14th Street. CLR opened on March 1 to bring a swanky late-night dining scene to the block.

Envison the Scene

The moment we entered, we fell in love with the inviting, vintage vibe. When you arrive, you’ll see what I mean. You’ll enter the eponymous living room and feel an overwhelming urge to sit down on the plush sofa and armchairs—set before a cozy fireplace—to play a game of Backgammon while sipping a cocktail.

Next, you’ll pass through a curtained entryway into a dining room with curved booths, tables for two, a long, marble-topped bar, and a small stage for live music. Past the stage, you’ll see another set of curtains at the back. If you dare to go in, you’ll discover a sexy cocktail lounge that will remind you of a 1920s speakeasy.

Kendall Fries, Director of Marketing, says the restaurant is bringing new life to the neighborhood. “It’s a different take on the nightlife experience in New York right now. It will give you the feeling of having a night out, but not being in some wild crazy bar. People like to stay at their table for a long time, get that extra drink, stay in the big cozy booths. They love it.”

What’s on the Menu?

The American bistro-inspired menu is peppered with “comfort food” like cacio e pepe chicken pot pie, an Amish chicken dish with mashed potatoes, and pigs in a blanket (featuring a Kobe beef hotdog).

My friends and I have eclectic dining tastes, and we were well satisfied by the vegetarian and pescatarian options. The roasted heirloom carrot dish with labneh and a pistachio gremolata was exceptional. The rosemary shallot chunky fries are perfect for sharing. We also shared the grain bowl with quinoa, lemon creamy chickpeas, avocado, and grilled shrimp. The perfect light accompaniment to our cocktails!

Gorgeous Cocktails!

CLR has a gorgeous cocktail menu designed by Beverage Director William Kriebel.  I loved his take on the Arthur Tompkins cocktail: tequila instead of gin, with spicy bubbly ginger. Perfect for a celebration! Amy savored the Gibson martini, with a secret ingredient that added a tongue-curling complexity to the flavor. Cocktail prices are in the “new normal” range of $20.

CLR is open 5 PM til late, Tuesday to Sunday. Live blues and jazz Thursday nights, 7:30-10:30 PM. Reservations on their website. Price $$1/2.

This article first appeared in The Chelsea News and Our Town Downtown.

Style Notes

• Deep teal and umber Marvalina “moontide” tie-dyed dress. Lincoln Center Craft Fair. Next fair is September 28-29.
• Tawny port-colored crocodile print strappy sandals with stacked leather heels. Kalena’s Shoes, Vancouver.
• Vintage Gherardelli Firenze faux crocodile and suede handbag. Gift from a friend.
• G.H.Bass frazzled raccoon fun fur jacket. The Bay, Vancouver.
• Silver and amber necklace. Gift from my sisters.

KQS Turns Five!

I published my first KQS column on March 9, 2019 in WestView News. Karen’s Quirky Style was just a sub-heading halfway down the page of another article I wrote, “Hey Jude, Lucio’s in the Village with Style,” but this is when the idea was born.

For quite a while, I did KQS plus a “Style on the Street” column for WestView News, before turning the latter over to Dusty Berke. I left WVN in August 2021, but the Style on the Street column remained a WVN favorite until July 22, 2023. That’s when the paper really began melting down, as documented by Zach Helfand in this New Yorker article, in which he mentioned yours truly and my KQS column. That was a moment!

But it’s the wonderful, warm, entertaining, and funny comments and messages you’ve all given this column over the years that have inspired me, made writing fun, and kept me going when I wanted to quit. Thank you! I’m glad you helped me stick it out until I found my new home at Straus News.

Thank You!

I send a heartfelt hug and hope you’ll raise a glass of something sparkly to share in the celebration. And maybe you’ll enjoy a scroll through the past five years’ pictures on the Home page. Perhaps while listening to one of my favorite David Bowie songs, from the Ziggy Stardust album, Five Years! I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve accomplished together, dear friends.

Thanks also to George Capsis at WestView News and Lincoln Anderson at The Village Sun for your support over the years. I appreciate your faith in my readers and my column.