Truman Capote began his classic novella “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” with the words “I am always drawn back to places where I have lived, the houses and their neighborhoods.” I have always associated Capote’s Manhattan with the Upper East Side, as his heroine Holly Golightly, the eternal party girl, lived on East 71st Street. Now although Capote may have written about being drawn back to this particular neighborhood, I doubt very much that he would recognize much of it today, were he still alive. Change is imminent of course, and Manhattan in particular is subject to a flurry of such. Just the same, there are delightful pockets that have remained quietly and blissfully out of another time and retain a classic air. The Upper East Side harbors many places representing New York as it used to be, to be found in a rare cluster around Lexington Avenue, at 70th Street, stretching up into the 80’s.

Neil’s Coffee Shop on 70th Street immediately heralds a glimpse back into a simpler time offering simple diner fare; one look at the neon sign, red brick façade and lantern sconces tells you this is really retro, not retro-redux. At 73rd, well-heeled ladies blithely swing their Payard bags filled with freshly baked confections but may glance just the same in windows of mainstay antique shops such as Hadley’s and Burke’s. Perhaps they are oblivious to the Paul Mole Barbershop across the street, shaving faces and giving trims since 1913. The dark wood interiors, strops, straight razors and shop chairs of yore all indicate a singing quartet may be ushered out at any time. As with many venues on this stretch of time travel, the awnings have been updated, but the businesses have maintained their old charm.

Faded glory was noted with the recent demise of Headington Liquors (which Frank Bono bought back in 1964) and the Skyline coffee house on 75th –the exterior trimmings, like fondant cake frosting, are extant—but you need only venture further to Eisler’s Chemists on 79th to witness tradition, still standing.

As you stroll up Lexington, the buildings recede, becoming scaled-down versions of their contemporary upstarts. Brownstones hug intimately, cheek by jowl and there’s nary a misplaced high-rise, needle tower or overblown glass apartment complex. Grand prewar apartment buildings assert themselves instead, as if they had skipped over from Park Avenue. One building that did actually make the leap from across town is Mary’s Beauty Shop on 80th Street: this glorious structure had its original designs sketched out for a tony spot on 5th Avenue but after the stock market crash of ’29 the plans were relocated to (the less expensive) Lexington locale and built there. Although Mary’s had an interior makeover in the 50’s, little else has changed since then. Salon fixtures such as the beauty stations and mirrors are still period perfect.

Church-goers flock to the Unitarian Church of All Souls across the street, which has welcomed visitors since 1819. A different house of worship on Lexington and 82nd is J. Leon Lascoff and Sons, dubbed the ‘Cathedral of Pharmacies,’ apothecaries since 1899. Before over-the-counter drugs were prescribed, Lascoff, himself called the ‘Father of Pharmacies’ ran the first pharmacy ever to be licensed by the New York state board. In fact, Lascoff was instrumental in writing up the pharmaceutical by-laws that are still in effect today. The rich woodwork remains as does the unexpected, delightful gothic revival storefront, which showcases traditional apothecaries’ globes of color-infused notions.

If all this legwork is making you long for a place to take a load off, the Lexington Candy Shop on 83rd might be just the perfect place for a rest stop. The neon sign displays a steaming cup of coffee but inside this old-fashioned luncheonette, you can also still get a malted or an egg cream, which they’ve been doling out since 1925. And they do serve breakfast, too—I wonder if Holly Golightly ever ate there?