Recycled Glass Curtains: Design Happens
Hanging Noose Lamp: Manolo Home
McPalin Signs in Park Slope: Brownstoner
Leaf Watch 08: Holy Hudson
Some Brooklyn Halloween Events: Green Brooklyn
NYC Transit Memorabilia
Hubby won’t let me get these groovy subway doors for our house. How cool would they look for a bathroom? And they’re only $175 for the pair!
Whether you’re a subway buff like Travis the Trannyboi or you just want to decorate your home with some cool sh*t, check out the MTA’s surplus material section. These items aren’t dirt cheap, but it beats Ikea. Or wherever you kids buy your decor these days.
Subway seat: $500
Polls: $25 each
Roll signs: $350
New Yawk Movies
Yesterday I listed my favorite NY songs. Today we’re going to the movies! What’s more fun than making lists? BTW, I couldn’t limit this one to ten.
1. Taxi Driver.
Scorcese’s finest movie and Deniro’s finest roll (sez me). A young Jodi Foster is brilliant and Harvey rocks it! Gritty NYC never looked so good. “You lookin’ at me?” Rent it now for campaign season.
2. Midnight Cowboy.
Ok, gritty NYC looks pretty authentic here. Don’t ask me why my parents were dragging me around Times Square when I was just a babe, but this movie brings back fond memories of some of the freaks I saw wandering around circa early 70’s. “I’m walkin’ here!” Shame Joe Buck is a Republican now.
3. The Odd Couple.
The series is all I lived for back in the day. I have to pay homage to the movie that started it off. Although Matthau and Lemmon were not as friggin awesome to me as Klugman and Randall, they were the originals and they were still fabulous.
4. Saturday Night Fever.
See my thoughts on the song. Did I ever mention that I danced on THE floor? It was in the 80’s though.
5. Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.
Soooo, they’re remaking this? With Denzel and Travolta, right? Sorry, but it will never be as good as the original. The cast was great, but the subway was the star!
6. Crossing Delancey.
First of my chick flicks on this list (more to come!) Totally sweet Lower East side Jewey movie. Her bubby reminded me of my own. And bubby’s friend who talks with her mouth full…also reminded me of family, unfortunately.
7. Dog Day Afternoon.
I can still watch this film over and over again. Filmed in Windsor Terrace! Serpico and Needle Park didn’t make the list, but Pacino was THE MAN!
8. The Warriors.
A cult classic. My friend’s dad wrote the novel and I lived in Coney Island, so how could I ever overlook this movie?
9. Moscow on the Hudson.
Guess it’s sort of chick flicky. Did anyone see this movie apart from me? Robin Williams as a Russian immigrant. There’s a scene in Moishe’s, formerly on The Bowery (if memory serves). They claimed to have the best egg creams. They were pretty good! So was this movie.
10. Moonstruck.
I didn’t like this the first time I saw it. It grew on me and now I can watch it over and over. Kind of like “The Wedding Singer.”
11. When Harry Met Sally.
I know. Real chick flick. But also real NYC. Need I mention the scene in Katz’s?
12. Arthur.
When you get caught between the moon and New York City…..Liza was great! And remember who played her father? The same guy who played Seinfeld’s dad!
13. The Producers.
I refuse to see the play. I want to remember it as it was. Mel Brooks is pure genius.
14. Rosemary’s Baby.
My parents took me to see this when I was really young. I wasn’t scared, but I was fascinated by Ruth Gordon. Worth seeing for The Dakota alone.
15. Out of Towners.
Again, Simon and Lemmon. Not very believable, but who cares? It’s funny.
16. Do The Right Thing.
Brilliant, brilliant film! My favorite Spike Lee joint. Shout out to Crooklyn, which was filmed around the corner from me.
17. The French Connection.
Of course. I think I only saw it once or twice though. Heaven’s forbid!
18. Splash.
Ok, total chick flick! I know. I don’t care. I loved it!
Least favorite NYC film: After Hours.
I sat through the entire movie asking “Why doesn’t he just f*in walk home?”
Etsy Halloween
Having a Halloween party? (Why didn’t you invite me?) Decorate your house with horrible, creepy artwork. Here’s some really cool stuff by talented artists, so no need to wait for Halloween. You can be terrorific all year round!
The above photo is a 46″ child prop doll by DL Marian. Price is $1025. She has less expensive work, but this one is my favorite.
This fish head by Morbid Creations is an actual doll head that has been reworked. $100.
Aha! Here’s something affordable. For $18, you can get this photographic print with aged frame by Jenn Rose FX. The whole thing measures 4″x 4.75″, but what do you want for under 20 bucks?
The Grim Visions smiling head is sculpted mache clay over urethane foam core. This creepy dude will set you back a mere $45.
New Yawk Songs
I somehow discovered an 80’s video site yesterday and wasted far too much time! Caution: Click on the link at your own risk. I’m talking bands you haven’t thought about in 20 years: Fiction Factory, Icicle Works, Altered Images, Orange Juice, huh?
Anyway, since I wasted so much time on the site, I had to work it into a post. So, without further adieu, ladies and gentlemen, my favorite New York songs……1. No Sleep Til Brooklyn. Beastie Boys
It’s kind of been my theme song all these years, what with traveling back and forth upstate and all. Plus, I gotta love Brooklyn’s own Beastie Boys. One of those kids went to my high school (Yauch). I remember when they were a punk band, those little whipper snappers!
2. Stayin’ Alive. Bee Gees
Fact: I was a “Disco is dead” person by the time Saturday Night Fever came out and I didn’t see the movie until the mid 80’s. But I loves me some disco now! Ah, old school Brooklyn at it’s worst.
3. Fairytale of New York. The Pogues (Check out Matt Dillon in the video)
Ok, another one with some personal history. The song came out when my now husband was an illegal immigrant in NYC. The first year of our relationship was rocky, with some long distance thing going on when he returned home for awhile. I remember a Christmas in Dublin some 20 plus years ago, this song on the radio and the hubby promising me that next year, we’d both be in New York. And he kept his promise!
4. Native New Yorker. Odyssey
Yeah, baby, that’s right! Disco lives!
5. Two Billy Joel songs. New York State of Mind. Of course. Check out the video with that Jersey boy. Miami 2017. The evening of 9/11/2001, I remembered the lyrics to this song and it spooked the sh*t out of me. Then he played it at that Concert for NYC benefit. Oy. Powerful stuff.
6. New York, New York. Nina Hagen
Just because it’s so weird. Please refer to video above if you’re too young to remember Nina Hagen.
7. New York, New York. Frank Sinatra
Come on, I couldn’t leave out Sinatra! Hey, did they play this song at every Sweet 16 in the country or was it just a NY thing?
8. Rockaway Beach. Ramones
Hey, Queens needs some lovin’ too!
9. New York Fever. The Toasters
More high school alum band members. Fabulous ska band!
10. Avenue B. Gogol Bordello
Love, love, love Gogol Bordello. They’re so…..raw and alive!
Shout out for Hubby: Leonard Cohen’s First We Take Manhattan. I’m not a Leonard Cohen fan. You got a problem with that?
Obama Pumpkins
We’re not into decorating for the holidays, but this is a pretty tempting concept. Yes We Carve lets you download stencils so you can carve your very own Barack O’Lantern. Even if you’ve never carved a pumpkin before (Confession: I haven’t) there are instructions right on the site. And if you really excel at pumpkin carving, be sure to enter the contest by November 2nd. You can win an iPod Nano. Meet other pumpkin people! BYOP are taking place all across America as I write this. Go. Carve. Send me photos.
Flea Find: Aswoon
I worked the flea on my own yesterday so I couldn’t walk around with my camera and schmooze. But I did see something really cool on my way to get coffee!
Aswoon (that would be Susan Woods Studio) was part of the Greenjeans furniture festival. Their Dumbo showroom, which just opened in March, gets recycled just like some of the furniture material they use. The space is available for events and shoots.
But let’s talk furniture. Each piece is like a sculpture. I don’t know the cost (since I couldn’t schmooze) but I’d be afraid to use this stuff. I’d just want to keep it in my house and look at it. And keep it away from my pets, of course.
V Spot and What Not
If you’re not a regular reader of Brownstoner, you may want to jump to the end of this post because it won’t make sense to you. On the other hand, if you live in Brooklyn, you know from Brownstoner.
I confess. I’ve been a Brownstoner junkie since it launched in 2004. In that time I’ve gotten real estate tips, home improvement tips and scored some salvage from the forum. But most importantly, I’ve been entertained by the kooky comments.
Up until a few months ago, the trolls were getting out of conTROLL. It was laborious to sift through the junk and nastiness just to read a couple of interesting comments. Brownstoner finally put his foot down and the current situation is if you want to comment, you have to sign in. It’s all peace and love and understanding now.
Which brings me to last night when reader “Biff Champion” decided to throw a party at Union Hall to get to know some of his other anonymous blog junkies. Well, here’s where it gets confusing if you don’t read Brownstoner. You see, there’s this guy. At least everyone assumes he’s a guy because women aren’t that nuts. Anyway, he calls himself The What and he’s all financial doom and gloom. So, he predicted that October 16th would be the end of the world. And this was the end of the world party.
The What didn’t show. Or if he did, he didn’t make himself known. I got to meet Dave in Bed Stuy, Montrose Morris (Ok, I knew her already), Mr. B (that’s Brownstoner, ok knew him too….remember, he’s Mr. Flea), Pitbull NYC, Denton and others I was curious about. I would’ve taken pictures but I had to respect everyone’s wishes of privacy. The poor sucker in the photo above is Bob Marvin. He doesn’t care. He uses his real name.
We had a great time meeting a bunch of anonymous strangers!
After we left the party, we grabbed dinner at The V Spot, a vegan cafe we’ve been meaning to try. We only had entrees because it was too late for the works, but I must say, both dishes were excellent! They have live music on Fridays and brunch on weekends. Do you know how hard it is to get a non eggy brunch in this town? In any town? So, we’ll be back….even though my husband didn’t take the fill-your-stamp discount card because “Ah, we’re never in this neighborhood.” Whatever.
Weekender: Peep Some Leaves
‘Tis the season for leaf peeping! My guess is that this weekend and next will be prime. The leaves are looking beee-autiful already, so get your butts up to the country! But don’t take my word for it. Check out NY Fall Foliage for a peak report by region.
Do it the easy way. Just hop a ferry from the city. NY Waterway has a “Shades of Autumn” river cruise up the Hudson for $40. Circle Line does a fall foliage tour up to Bear Mountain for $45.
But of course if you have the time and bucks to get away from the city for the weekend, check yourself into a lovely B&B and live! Live like I never get to live! Do it for me.
If you’ve got a green/orange/red/yellow thumb, click on the photo link above for a planting guide so you don’t even have to leave your own backyard next year.
City Tech DIY Courses
Here it is! The run down of how-to classes being given by City Tech this fall/winter. Stop whining about getting ripped off by contractors and sign up now! Contact Debra Salomon for more info.
HANDS-ON HOME REPAIRS (8 individual sessions) HHT 078
Everything You Wanted To Know About Your Home (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Thurs, 6:30 to 9:30 pm, Oct 16 – Dec 7 No class on Thursday November 27
$35 for each class, or 3 classes for $95
“These hands-on workshops teach you how to make basic home repairs and avoid calling in a professional plumber, electrician, carpenter or painter. We’ll show you how to repair a leaking toilet, patch and plaster a wall, caulk your tub and bleed a radiator. Learn the basics of electrical circuitry, service panels and circuit breakers and how to install a light fixture. Find out how to plant a shrub or grow an indoor garden. You’ll learn to open valves and unclog traps, and become your own favorite handyperson.
“Beginners Guide to Tools
Beginners guide to tools and power tool safety.
October 16
Homeowner’s Guide to Basic Plumbing
Basic plumbing: How to fix a toilet, bleed a radiator, unclog a drain.
October 23
Plaster and Sheetrock Repair
Repairing drywall, patching plaster, hanging shelves.October 30Electricity 101A primer on electricity, wiring and fixture installation.
November 6
Basic Carpentry
How to fix a door that sticks, repair a window sash, install a molding and hang a towel bar.
November 13
A Gardner’s Handbook: Inside and Outside
Finding the beauty of plants in your backyard, or place an orchid in a sunny window and be amazed when it blooms. Gardening soothes the spirit and creates year round color, both inside and outside.
November 20
Floating Floors and Ceramic Tiles
When it comes to laying a floor, the secret is in the preparation. Learn how to create a level surface, do a dry run of your pattern, and install a floor that will last for years.
December 4
Hanging Wallpaper
Wallpaper hides a range of flaws and is easy to install once you get the hang of it.We’ll show you how to remove old wallpaper, clean the residue, and line up strips so the pattern blends precisely.
December 11
Gargoyles and Griffins
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I’ve always wanted a haunted looking home. It’s coming along nicely due to years of neglect (that’s a whole other post), but what I really want is scary gargoyles and griffins to keep watch over my creepy looking house. And what better time to start shopping (or dreaming) than Halloween?
An authentic salvaged piece is the way to go. Two problems. They are heavy and they ain’t cheap! But if you can afford it and you’re able to secure it so it won’t fall on a passerby’s head, here are some tips on where to purchase them.
Check any and every local salvage yard. It will save you the cost of shipping. Go Antiques has some nice listings, as well as Ebay. A google search brought up Sarasota Salvage. They seem to have a few pieces at decent prices. Again….the shipping could end up doubling the cost.
If you want to cheat, who will know? Especially if the statue is sitting high atop your home. Gargoyles.org or Garden Statue Shop are just two of the many places to purchase new stone architectural detail. Just make sure to get them in time to scare away those annoying trick or treaters.
Green Gossip aka Wednesday Linkorama
W’s niece Lauren launches eco-fashion line: Eco Chick
Chrissie Hynde opening veg joint at WTC? Supervegan
Top 10 Green Celebs: Ecobites
Green Porn with Isabella Rossellini: Treehugger
Retarded Green Celebrity Practices: Cracked
Muddy Cup Now In The Wine Biz
Y’all know Muddy Cup, right? I know you upstaters do. Well, a new wine bar opened up in Beacon and it turns out the owner is the Muddy Cup guy, Jim Svetz (and probably partner Brian Woodward too, but, oops, didn’t get that info).
Photo: Angelika Rinnhofer for Maykr
So here’s my review:
The name is “Chill”. No. Just no.
The decor is comfy and relaxing. Dimly lit. Maybe it’s a bit “80’s lounge” but what would I know? I stopped going to bars after the 80’s so I have no idea what they look like now. Anyway, thumbs up.
The Drink. Well, they are new so I don’t want to rip them a new one just yet. But they call themselves a “wine bar”. They have a choice of maybe 5 reds and 5 whites to choose from by the glass and one sparkling wine. No bottles. No good wines. Not that I’m a connoisseur or anything, but if I’m going to a wine bar, it would be nice to try decent wines. Plus, why not have bottles of wine and champagne for groups celebrating events and such?
They have beer too. Bottles of Heineken, Corona, Coors and Bud. They have a small selection of microbrews including a blueberry beer. Again, they are new. Perhaps they’ll develop a better selection than Joe’s Irish Pub.
The Food. “Chill” offers panini and cheese plates. My friend ordered a panini from owner Jim and never got it. When she asked the bartender, he didn’t know what she was talking about. Granted, it was a busy Second Saturday and Jim isn’t part of the wait staff. He’s the owner and he was just schmoozing and helping out. So, it was funny. Well, it wasn’t my panini or my stomach, so I thought it was funny.
Can’t complain about the prices. I had a small bottle of sparkling wine that cost $7. I got 2 large glasses out of it. It was good enough to finish the whole bottle.
Artisan Wine Shop is located right across the street. I’m hoping there will be some kind of deal worked out here where they can get some decent wine. Owners Mai and Tim are my BFFs (I guess because I’m in there all the time). I’m gonna have to have a chat with them.
I’m going to be an NYC snob and say the place is like The Muddy Cup….for the masses. Hey, Muddy Cup is successful, so what do I know? My prediction is that you may see “Chill” popping up in Your Town, USA real soon.
PS: I have to say this….Both Muddy Cup and “Chill” have sponsored Obama events here in Beacon and they are on Team Blue. So, I really want to like them!
The Kitchen Designer Reawakens
The Kitchen Designer was one of my favorite go-to blogs when I started Reclaimed Home a year ago. That was until one day the founder, Susan Serra, decided she had to like, work instead of blog. I just received an email from Susan and guess what? She’s been blogging again!
The email was about Hansen freestanding kitchen furniture. Designed by Danish architect Knud Kapper, it’s 100% eco friendly and now represented in New York by one Susan Serra aka Kitchen Designer.
Check out Susan’s small kitchen tips and green kitchen tips. And let’s hope she keeps up her blog this time. Oh, snap, no I di-in’t!
Enjoy Your Columbus Day!
