New Haarlem vs Bleecker Street
Side by side. Scored honestly.
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Side by side
Comparing the originals — price, breadth, listed-note depth.
Opens with dark-roasted coffee cut through by clean, slightly medicinal lavender — an unusual pairing that reads more barbershop-meets-café than straightforward gourmand. The heart softens as praline and vanilla start building a caramelized sweetness, while sandalwood provides a creamy, woody anchor. Patchouli is present but restrained, adding depth without going earthy. The dry-down is rich and skin-close, projecting moderately before settling into a warm, sweet, woody sillage that lingers for hours — best suited for cold-weather evenings and anyone who wants something edible but not cloying.
Bergamot and lemon open bright and clean, almost soapy, with lavender smoothing any citrus bite within the first few minutes. The heart settles into a soft geranium-and-lavender accord that reads as freshly showered skin rather than floral. Vetiver and oakmoss keep the dry-down from going purely sweet, adding a low, slightly earthy backbone that gives the whole thing some backbone without demanding attention. Projection stays moderate — detectable but never loud — and the musk and sandalwood base lingers quietly for hours. — Warm-weather office wear or casual weekend use for anyone who wants clean and polished without complexity.
How they overlap
New Haarlem and Bleecker Street share 2 notes (lavender, sandalwood). The same note name doesn't always mean the same scent — different houses use different vanillas, different woods, different musks — but a multi-note shared spine usually does indicate genuinely-comparable wear character. The remaining notes (4 unique to New Haarlem, 6 unique to Bleecker Street) are where the divergence happens.
The buying decision
New Haarlem is the cheaper original at $195 compared to $295 for Bleecker Street — about 34% less. New Haarlem is built for fall/winter; Bleecker Street for spring/summer/fall. Pick by when you'd actually wear it. They sit in different families — New Haarlem is gourmand+oriental, Bleecker Street is fresh+woody. Comparison is more about preference than tradeoff.
Recommendation
If you're price-sensitive, New Haarlem delivers comparable territory at $100 less than Bleecker Street. If you want the specific character of Bleecker Street — the prose above is the better guide than the price — the premium is what you're paying for.