![]() "I don't have a visa to go to the East Side," he joked. Since then, he has become firmly entrenched on the Upper West Side. After completing his degree in 1972, David moved to New York. The art is in his blood: his father also made violins, and David showed me the wall of photographs of musicians who use violins crafted either by himself or his dad. Originally from Israel, he left for Italy in 1969 to study the art of violin-making. David laughed, and began to share his story. He had an excellent sense of humor, as well as a clear sense of wonder and joy that came through in our time spent together.As I gazed in wonder at a young apprentice who was busy at his desk working with both wood and strings, I commented to the others that this was reminiscent of Geppetto's puppet shop. "This is the last time: the next time they will move me," he said with a wry grin. ![]() He kindly buzzed us in, and it was then that we were able to truly appreciate his magical workshop and showroom.While showing us around, David explained that he had been on 54th and 62nd Street before moving to his present location. I then called the phone number that came up and introduced myself to David Segal, a violinmaker and dealer who has been servicing the musicians of Lincoln Center and the greater New York area since 1975. Always the inquisitive one, I attempted to find something to indicate what was happening inside this building, but it was not until we went to our cell phones and Googled "violin shop on West 68th," that we discovered the history of the half-hidden musical grotto. Glancing further, we noticed a man crafting a violin in the adjoining window. Some members of the Manhattan Sideways team and I were walking along 68th Street when one of the summer interns pointed out that a musician was playing a violin behind a semi-subterranean window. As our readers know, we love the term "hidden gem" at Manhattan Sideways, but it is rare that we find a place that fits the term as well as David Segal Violins.
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