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Lower East Side Tenements

Lower East Side Tenements published on

Loved this article and related video from the NY Times this week! 88 year old Rita Ascione lived at 97 Orchard during the 1930’s. If that address doesn’t sound familiar to you, it’s one of my favorite museums in NYC, the Tenement Museum. Here, she goes back to visit and kina hora, she makes it up those steps!

I have a soft spot for that intact historic structure and the Lower East Side in general because that area is where my great grandparents settled with my grandparents and my own parents for a bit before moving out to the boroughs. Just like most New Yorkers with immigrant ancestors.

The thing is….ugh….I’m old enough to remember these tenement buildings myself. I lived in a couple of them during my “flee Brooklyn to the city” phase. Bathtubs in kitchens. The real deal. Do they still exist? There must be some seniors living in rent controlled apartments that haven’t been touched in years.

It’s nice to see a bit of NYC history every now and then. It’s disappearing so rapidly.

NYC Man

NYC Man published on

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We lost one of our own here in New York. Lou Reed’s untimely death is dispiriting to everyone but it’s especially depressing when we grew up with this guy right in our back yards.

Reed was born in Brooklyn, grew up on Long Island and became the embodiment of the Lower East Side 60’s/70’s music and art scene. Surely there are thousands of Lou Reed tributes floating around right now, but being a photographer myself, I’d just like to share some of Reed’s images.

All photos via Steven Kasher Gallery.

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Manhattan is the New Brooklyn

Manhattan is the New Brooklyn published on

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Coming of age in Brooklyn in the 70’s and 80’s meant that you were a bridge and tunnel person.  Brooklyn was not the hip utopia it is these days. One had to cross the water into the city for anything resembling culture. Now Brooklyn is the place to be. It’s become more of a brand than a boro. Do you know how many dogs are named “Brooklyn”? A lot.

As you know, housing prices are just about up there with Manhattan now. Is it sustainable?

This past weekend was an eye opener for me that things may have gotten too extreme. Just a couple of personal anecdotes to share…

Ran into an old friend from Park Slope (as in born and raised). The guy has bucks. His family still owns a building right on the park. He was saying how he moved out of the neighborhood because he couldn’t take the sense of entitlement anymore. Now lives in Manhattan. I was thinking “Jeez, Brooklyn has gotten so snotty that you fled to the city?” It kind of makes sense when you think how it feels like to see your home town change so drastically. He doesn’t hold the same sentimental memories of the city because it was never his own community.

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Brooklyn Bagel, in CHELSEA!

My second epiphany came when I realized that I had to go into the city to find a real flea market. No, not some hipster artisan curated market, not that there’s anything wrong with, but somewhere to look for real vintage and antique items minus the Etsy sellers. Not that there’s anything wrong with Etsy sellers. I just wanted dirty old antiques sold by crusty middle aged vendors. Luckily, the Antiques Garage, Hell’s Kitchen Flea and 25th Street Market was just what I needed. In Manhattan, not Brooklyn.

Lastly, while wondering around the city, I couldn’t get over how many old people there were. Like even older than me. Way older! And then I realized that there aren’t really all that many old folks left in Brooklyn’s more popular neighborhoods. That seems appropriate enough to me, since I’m considering moving to the city myself when I get old and decrepit. Doorman building with elevator and terrace in the hub of the universe.

Or at least by the time I retire, it will be the hub of the universe once again. The circle is half complete.

1970’s NYC

1970’s NYC published on

W. 21st, Meatpacking District

Dirty Old 1970’s New York City is making the rounds on Facebook among friends I grew up with. It always brings a smile to my face to see images of the city of my youth that no longer exists. Their tag line? “For those who loved New York City before the 80’s took its balls away.”

Enjoy the pics.

Union Square. I remember shopping at this Mays up until the mid 80’s.

Times Square, of course.

Canal and Broadway. They knew from egg creams.

Under Brooklyn Bridge ramp, Dover Street

Under Delancey

Under Delancey published on

Under Delancey Street sits an unused trolley terminal. The Delancey Underground project aims to create a subterranean public park called “The Lowline“. Get it? Because it’s the opposite of the High Line.

It could be the coolest thing in the world, but it may never see the light of day (Literally. There will be daylight streaming in.) if it doesn’t get the funding.

Watch the Kickstarter video to learn more about it.

RIP Holiday Cocktail Lounge

RIP Holiday Cocktail Lounge published on 1 Comment on RIP Holiday Cocktail Lounge

Holiday Cocktail Lounge closed it’s doors for the last time on Saturday night (early Sunday morning). Original owner Stefan Lutak died in 2009 and everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the building was sold. Stefan’s sons George and Roman had differing opinions on the future of the bar, but neither one of them wanted to run the place.

Since Holiday was where I spent much of my time during the mid 80’s to early 90’s and since it was where I met my husband of 23 years, we couldn’t let it disappear without one last drink.

We weren’t the only ones who felt that way. The place was packed as people lined up outside. Multiple generations of Holiday patrons came back to toast the 47 year old bar that spurred numerous relationships. Seven of us from the old days grabbed a booth in the corner. We ran into several other people from back in the day. It was indeed like a reunion.

Roman Lutak was there all night, looking sad and relieved at the same time. The only thing missing was former bouncer Walter.

Holiday was set to remain open until 4am and we intended to stay until they locked the doors, like we had done so many nights before. Unfortunately, a rowdy bunch of folks were getting aggressive with each other and they chased everyone out by 3am.

In our seven years of being there most nights of the week, we had never seen a fight break out. Roman said the same thing as we were leaving.

It should not have ended that way.

A toast to The Holiday in any case. Even though we grew up and moved on, it was always a comfort to know you were there. You will be missed.

1987/2012. Same booth.

Ireland in New York

Ireland in New York published on

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Did you know that there’s an Irish famine memorial in downtown Manhattan? It’s been there since 2002 and I just found out about it last weekend. And my husband is from Dublin. He found out about it a few days before me.

The cool thing about the 1/2 acre site is that the memorial “ruin” utilizes ancient stones and soil brought over from the west of Ireland. There are also stones that were brought over from each county, all inscribed with the county name.

The site is elevated so that it feels like an Irish hilltop rather than a Manhattan street. Pretty cool. Don’t take my word for it. See for yourself.

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Occupy the Future

Occupy the Future published on 2 Comments on Occupy the Future

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After three weeks of the Occupy Wall Street protests, we finally got down there over the weekend. Of course, we chose to go to Zuccotti Park the day the protesters were occupying Washington Square. Back at Zuccotti, it was pretty much just the campers and some musicians left. And lots of media.

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The occupiers chose to camp at Zuccotti because it’s not a public park with city curfews. The privately owned plaza stays open 24 hours per day and although owners, Brookfield Properties, aren’t happy about it, there hasn’t been much they can do about it.

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Right wing media outlets have been reporting that the protests are just a bunch of trust fund hippies. Left wing outlets point to the thousands of folks involved, including unions and churches. What we saw was something in between. Yeah, there are plenty of hippies! And there were older hippies too, those who protested back in the 60’s and just waiting for the day that this generation would wake up.

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Lack of diversity? False. Perhaps it started out as a young white-kid thing, but it is now a racially mixed group.

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Unsanitary conditions? Again, perhaps at first, but the campers have a janitorial crew and even a gray waste water system. It’s like a little sustainable village in that park.

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No clear message? The original message has expanded to include the liberal dream. Peace. Feed the hungry. You know, make the world a better place for everyone. Looks like people have had enough of the Entitled throwing their weight around. Their hope-or should I say-“our” hope has faded since the President is weaker than we had anticipated.

Occupy Wall Street is a bunch of fed up folks who want to change their future. As Elvis Costello put it, there’s nothing funny about peace, love and understanding.

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Fictional New Yorker Trivia

Fictional New Yorker Trivia published on 3 Comments on Fictional New Yorker Trivia

How much do you know about your favorite fictional New Yorkers? Answers will be posted in comments.

1. 100% plus extra credit without answering any other questions if you can figure out who the guy in the photo is. No? Here’s a hint. He was the voice for the opening credits of everyone’s favorite NY sitcom that ran from 1970-1975. If you still can’t get it, here’s another hint. November 13th.

2. Who lived at 328 Chauncey Street in Brooklyn?

3. What was the name of Harvey Keitel’s character in Taxi Driver?

4. In which neighborhood did Archie Bunker live?

5. Actress Marla Gibbs played which sassy maid?

6. The marble rye and chocolate babka from those Seinfeld episodes came from Schnitzer’s Bakery. Fictional name for a real bakery. Name the real Schnitzers.

7. Name Ratso Rizzo’s partner in crime.

8. Rita Moreno danced her a** off in West Side Story. What was the 1970’s children’s series she was in with Morgan Freeman?

9. Which movie featured a group of criminals using color name aliases long before Quentin Tarantino had it in Reservoir Dogs?

10. Name the Yiddish actress who portrayed Bubby in Crossing Delancey.

Free NYC: Governors Island

Free NYC: Governors Island published on

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Governors Island opened to the public in the early oughts while I was living upstate. I finally got a chance to visit over the weekend as there was an art fair I wanted to see.

The island, considered part of the borough of Manhattan, was referred to as Pagganck (“Nut Island”) by Native Americans. The Brits and Dutch each had control at one time or another. Starting with the Revolutionary War, Governors Island served as an American military base through just about every war until it switched over to the Coast Guard in the 1960’s.

So, who owns it now? Why, we do! In 2003 the federal government sold 150 acres of Governors Island to the people of New York, with the Island’s governance and funding jointly shared by the City of New York and State of New York. The remaining 22 acres was declared the Governors Island National Monument that is overseen by the National Park Service.

Enough history. What is there to do on Governors Island? Well, there’s a little somethin’ somethin’ for everyone. BTW, the art exhibit was excellent. Five four story buildings filled with some exceptional work.

I was impressed by the recycling effort on the island. Plenty o’ bins for trash AND recyclables which you don’t normally see enough in city parks. But not only that…some of the garden sculptures made from reclaimed materials are truly impressive.

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You know what the leaves on this tree are made of? Joint compound lids!

Kiddie park built from pallets, reclaimed house materials and more! Mini-golf! Trampoline school! A beach! Historic house tours!

The ferry takes 5 minutes and it’s free. Word of advice. If you visit Governors Island, wear comfortable shoes. Lots of people bike around the island. Bikes are allowed on the ferry or you can rent one. There are also trams for less mobile folk. Enjoy!

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