Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC News) Harvey’s Garden has quietly but stylishly introduced a homage to one of Syracuse’s most historical moments.
Transcript
AT FIRST GLANCE, HARVEY’S GARDEN HAS THE APPEARANCE OF MANY OTHER
BREWARIES.
Host: “Just kidding smooth brains I found your wager”
BUT ONCE YOU ARE INSIDE, YOU’LL NOTICE THE SPACIOUS BEER HALL HAS TUCKED AWAY A ROOM.ONE THAT IS THEMED FROM A HISTORICAL SYRACUSE MOMENT.
MICHAEL GREENE, THE OWNER OF HARVEY’S GARDEN, CREATED “THE CABINET ROOM” AROUND A YEAR AGO.
Michael Greene: “So the idea behind it is that it’s Harvey Baldwin. It has a cabinet room. So Harvey Ball was
The first mayor of Syracuse, and he’s the inspiration for the name of Harvey’s Garden.”
THE CREATION OF THE CABINET ROOM HAS BECOME A REPRESENTATION OF THE
GROWING POPULARITY OF SYRACUSE CULTURE.
Lisa Neville: “Interesting things in the last, like, 20 years, is there’s been a lot more pride in our city.”
LISA NEVILLE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN SYRACUSE, AND FELT THAT WHEN
GROWING UP THAT NOT EVERYONE WAS PROUD OF THE CITY.
Lisa Neville: “But having places where people are aware of our history probably helps people feel better
about their community.”
THE COCKTAIL LOUNGE INSPIRED BY THE FIRST MAYOR OF SYRACUSE, HARVEY
BALDWIN. REPLICATES THE FIRST MAYORAL ELECTION, AND POSSIBLY THE FIRST POLITICAL
RIVARLY.
Michael Greene: “One of his political rivals at the time was Elias Leavenworth. That’s actually his portrait
right there. So, you know, we kind of just jokingly just kind of like, make it fun. I kind of have
created this idea that they were rivals, which was true to an extent.”
IN BALDWIN’S SPEECH, THE “HANGING GARDENS.” HE SAW SYRACUSE BECOMING A CITY THAT RIVALS NEW YORK CITY AND BUFFALO.
Michael Greene: “I think kind of building the narrative of the story of Harvey Baldwin or something, because
it’s a way to kind of tell the story of Syracuse in a way that people probably haven’t really
thought about before.”
BUT HERE… EVERY POUR… NOW COMES WITH A DROP… OF SYRACUSE HISTORY.
KYE’L TORAIN, NCC NEWS.
Harvey’s Garden ushered in Syracuse’s first self-serving beer wall two years ago. But what many don’t realize is what’s hidden away in the back of the establishment.
In the back hallway, “The Cabinet Room” is a cocktail lounge themed after the first Mayor of Syracuse. \
“Harvey Baldwin was the first mayor of Syracuse, and he’s the inspiration for the name of Harvey’s Garden. So, the idea of being, it’s kind of like, his secret room for his friends…,” said the owner of Harvey’s Garden Michael Greene.
The room styled after Syracuse’s first election is decorated with hanging vines and dimmed lights, a reference to Baldwin’s speech called the “Hanging Gardens.”
“All bordering territory will have been brought into a high and perfect state of cultivation and our beautiful lake, on all its beautiful shores and borders, will present a view of one continuous villa ornamented with its shady groves and hanging gardens,” said Baldwin in his speech.
The speech foreshadowed the growth of Syracuse from a village to a city, in which Baldwin envisioned Syracuse reaching the size of New York City or Buffalo. Now Syracuse is the fifth largest city in the state of New York.
The room also features various items that pay homage to Syracuse’s inaugural mayoral election. Behind the cocktail bar is a replica of the election results.
And you’ll be welcomed to that bar by a jokingly drawn-on portrait of Elias Leavenworth, a political rival to Baldwin.
The room looks to style itself from the election of the late 1840’s but now has become a forecast for the growth of Syracuse culture.
“In the last 20 years, there’s been a lot more pride in our city. It was, as a kid growing up here, people might not have been super proud of it and kind of felt like it was a smaller city,” said Lisa Neville, a longtime resident of Syracuse. “But having places where people are aware of our history probably helps people feel better about their community.”
Harvey’s Garden is continuing to grow The Cabinet Room and plans on using Syracuse’s history as the launch point.
“I think kind of building the narrative of the story of Harvey Baldwin or something because it’s a way to kind of tell the story of Syracuse in a way that people probably haven’t really thought about before,” said Greene.