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Story of New York in 10 Objects

Story of New York in 10 Objects published on

The Leonard Lopate Show wants to know what 10 object you would choose to tell the story of New York. All objects must be able to fit inside a museum. Include a brief description of why you think the object helps define New York City.

The deadline for submissions is today at 5 pm. Then, you’ll be able to vote on your favorite objects.

Here’s my list. What’s yours?

1. Subway token. Watch me date myself now. I remember when a subway token went from 35 cents to 50. I remember the big ones with the Y cut-out.

2. Bagel. Few places make real bagels anymore.

3. Slice of pizza. The ultimate NYC fast food. Hmm, maybe I should add a hot dog cart, but I don’t eat hot dogs.

4. Handball. Everybody always talks about stickball. Well, I never played stickball. For my generation it was always Chinese handball. Chinese can be played against any wall, no court needed.

5. Broadway playbill. Preferably “The Odd Couple”, a New York favorite.

6. Egg Cream. Nice and foamy.

7. Knish. Yeah, it’s all about the food. S’ppose we can do a knish/hot dog cart if you insist.

8. Diner menu. Diners. Another dying breed.

9. Spray paint can. To be displayed with a remnant of an old subway car, please.

10. Shortline bus ticket. Every summer weekend during my childhood, we would catch the Shortline bus up to The Catskills. Borscht Belt bungalow colonies and resorts were as New York as the city itself. But as a child, I was always mesmerized by the walk through Times Square and the Port Authority bus terminal. Trannies, hookers, Black Panthers and Jews for Jesus all one big happy NYC family. It was like something out of Taxi Driver.

Reclaiming Our NY Accents

Reclaiming Our NY Accents published on 2 Comments on Reclaiming Our NY Accents

Most of my life I’ve been slightly embarrassed by my New Yawk accent. People now tell me it’s not that bad, but I remember traveling as a kid and everyone knew where I was from the minute I opened my mouth.

New Yawk accents are dying out, so I’m kind of proud to have one these days. I love to guess which borough people are from or to try to decipher if they’re from Lung Iyland or New Joisey.

Love or hate the accent? Check out this film “If Knishes Could Talk“. There’s a screening tomorrow night at The Brooklyn Heights Cinema. Tickets here.

“If you don’t like the way I tawk, f*ck you”.

New York, New York:The Movie

New York, New York:The Movie published on 3 Comments on New York, New York:The Movie

I totally forgot that the Frank Sinatra song “New York, New York” came from a 1977 film of the same title. And remember that Liza Minelli did the original version?? Hate to say it, but Liza kind of blows Frank out of the water with this one. Watch it until the end. Goosebumps. Agree?

New York Over The Holidays

New York Over The Holidays published on

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Here’s a list of ten, count ’em, ten things to do in NYC over the holidays. A couple from my very own childhood.

1. Dyker Heights Lights. Yeah, I wrote about it yesterday.

2. Walk down (or up) 5th Avenue. Sounds pretty lame, but my mom took me every year when I was a kid. We started at the park and headed down to Macy’s (ok, not 5th). We saw the tree and stopped for hot chocolate. Do the shop windows even still have moving decorations? I haven’t been since I was a kid. Too touristy.

3. Chinese and a movie on Christmas day. It’s how we Jews roll.

4. Support your local markets. Forget the department stores and buy handmade. Great list of holiday crafts shows at Markets of New York. Oh, don’t forget to visit the most important one…the one I’m doing!

5. Go for a swim. New Year’s Day, as always….with the Polar Bears.

6. A John Waters Christmas at BB King. Don’t know anything about it, but if it’s John Waters, its’ got to be…interesting.

7. Enjoy beer and latkes at the 92Y in Tribeca. December 22. $18 in advance. $22 at the door.

8. Kwanzaa celebration at the Musuem of Natural History on December 31. Song, dance, spoken word.

9. Take a holiday tour of the Louis Armstrong House in Corona, Queens.

10. Couldn’t miss The Bronx! Attend the holiday train show at The NY Botanical Gardens.

Yeah, I missed Staten Island. So, sue me.

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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The Morning After

The Morning After published on 3 Comments on The Morning After

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Tree down in Bed Stuy.

Hurricane Irene hit parts of the East Coast pretty hard and it caused some damage to the outskirts of the city. At least 21 deaths have been reported as a direct cause of the storm although some were caused by camping and surfing during a hurricane.  Still, for the most part, borough New Yorkers were disappointed in themselves for believing the hype.

Here we all were home on a Saturday night with nowhere to go, tweeting and facebooking about the damn hurricane. “Oh, tornado watch!” What’s with that? We woke up to some leaves on the ground and maybe wet basements, yet the media was still telling us to stay indoors. Urban dwellers called the hurricane boring and lame while everyone else in it’s path was relieved their power was only out for one day.

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On Sunday morning, we went to Coney Island to walk the dogs, thinking it was safer than the park because there are no trees on the beach. Coney was pretty tame. There were plenty of downed trees along the way and many that are now leaning in dangerous positions which will need to be seen to. So be careful out there. I’ll bet there is still some danger.

One thing is for sure, many people on the East Coast put on a few extra pounds this weekend after staying home eating and drinking. Wonder if the shops are taking returns on all the batteries and candles that won’t be needed?

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Earthquake in Sensurround

Earthquake in Sensurround published on 1 Comment on Earthquake in Sensurround

*Warning. Some scenes may be reminiscent of 9/11.

Didjya feel it yesterday? Did you freak out? I was sitting on the garden level working away at my computer when the house started rattling. Sometimes I hear the rumble of the A train underground but the house never shakes. I stood on the landing where the parlor floor stairs meet the basement steps and wondered if my house was crumbling.

Then I was like “Wait. WTF? This is an earthquake.” Everything started waving around like a B movie dream sequence. If it wasn’t for the rattling, I would have thought it was a bout of vertigo.

I was about to run outside and ask my neighbors if they are feeling it, but then I remember this is 2011 and the internet has taken the place of real people. I ran back to my computer and looked at Twitter and Facebook. Sure enough.

Funny how New Yorkers are. We dubbed this “The NY Earthquake”. It’s all about us. The epicenter was in Virginia and it was felt up and down the east coast, but we weren’t going to let that steal our thunder.

So, what to do in case of an earthquake?

Well, I just stood there confused and waited to see if it was going to get worse. Correct move not to panic since this in New York and massive earthquakes just do not occur here.

But what if? It’s possible.

I did think of grabbing the pets and running down to the basement but I was confusing earthquake with tornado. And tornadoes are so last year.

So, I looked it up.

  • Stay away from large objects that could topple over.
  • Stay away from windows or anything that could shatter.
  • Get to the ground and cover your head.
  • Get under a table or piece of furniture. If you’re old enough, this may remind you of those Cold War duck and cover drills they had in some schools up until the 70’s.
  • If outdoors, stay clear of buildings that can fall. A bit difficult in NYC.
  • If driving, pull over.

I’ve not yet checked my foundation and brownstone facade to see if there are any new cracks. I don’t think I want to know.

Exploring Lower Manhattan

Exploring Lower Manhattan published on

Are you living in the US and thinking of taking an exotic getaway? Well, don’t! Why fly overseas spending thousands of dollars on air travel, food and entertainment when you can visit one of the largest, most extravagant cities in the world.

Certainly the most populous city in the US, NYC is filled with historical sites like The Museum of The American Indian and Battery Island. And these are amongst a huge handful of sites to see and activities to do:

• Brooklyn Bridge
• Federal Hall National Memorial
• Fraunces Tavern
• Governor’s Island
• Ellis Island (Statue of Liberty)
• Bowling Green
• City Hall
• Museum of American Finance
• Museum of Jewish Heritage

And much, much more! Despite budget, age or gender, NYC continues to enrich even it’s own inhabitants culturally, historically and financially. From Horse Drawn Carriage Rides to the Charging Bull, NYC will keep you busy around the clock.

Not to mention the abundance of tours. This includes walking tours, bus, water, air and self-guided. Amongst some of the most popular walking tours is the “Big Apple Greeter.” This tour is set up to help those that are new and unfamiliar to the city meet people. How it works: Newcomers are matched with a professional “New Yorker,” who will then guide them through subways, streets and local haunts. On the other hand, there is Helicopter Flight Services, INC, which takes approximately 20 minutes of your day to give you a magnificent view of Lower Manhattan.

Vacationers can find comfort at one of several accommodating hotels, like the Club Quarters on 52 William Street, or perhaps The Holiday Inn Downtown (138 Lafayette Street). And for families traveling with children, there are plenty of recreational parks, along with interesting museums to visit. Amid all of these really stands out Battery Park, along with The Children’s Museum of Arts.

Diversely split between Little Italy, The Financial District, Tribeca, Lower East Side, Soho, City Hall, Battery Park City and Chinatown, The city has a huge impact on global media, finance, art, research tech, education, fashion and more. For a more detailed list of the attractions and sites, feel free to visit Fodors.

Courtesy of Douglas Elliman Real Estate Company, New York Luxury Rentals.

Buy The Red Apple Rest Stop

Buy The Red Apple Rest Stop published on

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Me and The Moms took a trip upstate for a couple of days last week. We drove the Old 17 Route so we could pass the Red Apple Rest Stop. The Red Apple was THE place to stop before the NY Thruway was built. Back when it took 5 hours to get to Sullivan County. It was still open up until 2007 when it became condemned.

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While we stopped to get pictures, there was someone else swinging by to have a look, remembering the place from his childhood. I wonder how many people go out of their way to check out the old rest stop. Could be a great restoration project and business venture.

The number is on the “For Sale” sign below. Just sayin’.

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A Diner for Every Borough

A Diner for Every Borough published on 2 Comments on A Diner for Every Borough

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Entertaining Jewish seniors (mom is visiting) means lots of diners. We hit diners in 4 out of 5 boroughs over the past two weeks. We only missed The Bronx, but I’ll include that anyway.

Staten Island. New Dakota Diner on Richmond Avenue was everything you would expect a diner to be. Parking lot, back rooms, booths. We met cousins here and ended up staying for 3 hours. The service was great. The bathroom was pleasant enough for my 3 hours of coffee refills. Know what I’m sayin’? The food was really good too! I had a wrap with fries. Neither boring nor greasy but jusssst right.

Manhattan. Hollywood Diner doesn’t have the greatest reviews on Yelp, but screw ’em. I like going here. The food is ok, but I love the atmosphere. Old school diners are hard to come by in the city these days and Hollywood is a no-frills Greek diner. Service is perfect if the manager is there to scream at his employees. It sounds like the old Saturday Night Live Olympia Restaurant skit. Cheezbuger, cheezbuger! Chips! No Coke! Pepsi!

Brooklyn. I’m not putting my favorite Vegas Diner here because I finally tried a place I’ve always wanted to go. Hinsch’s Confectionery in Bay Ridge is like taking a step back in time. The exterior is still intact from 1949 and the interior does not disappoint. The food is pretty average. I thought it was awesome that there were only a few old people in there who come everyday and know each other by name. Then I heard them talking and remembered what I didn’t like about Bay Ridge of the past. The conversation was pretty ignorant and racist, the waitress being the worst offender. “This President is brainwashing the kids today.”

Queens. Pop Diner in Elmhurst is not old school, but not a completely hip new style eatery either. The decor is pretty cool and the menu is more eclectic than your average diner. They feature Latin, Asian and Caribbean dishes as well as good ole’ eggs, wraps and burgers.

The Bronx. As stated, we didn’t get to The Bronx. I don’t even remember having a wonderful Bronx diner experience from my past. I chose Riverdale Diner to recommend just because I had to come up with something. Sorry, Bronx. I like you, I really do. Just didn’t get around to it this time.

Vintage NYC Summers

Vintage NYC Summers published on 1 Comment on Vintage NYC Summers

Weegee. Coney Island, 1940’s.

Ack. You kids today have it easy. Back in my day, the subway cars, buses and cabs were not air conditioned. Children slept on the fire escape (Ok, that was my mother’s era). You wanted to cool off? You opened a fire hydrant.

Check out Subway in Black and White. Brilliant!

Weegee again.

1977 Blackout during the city’s most memorable heatwave.

Yeah, I like my Weegee. What can I say?



Gay Wedding Planning in New York

Gay Wedding Planning in New York published on

I’d love to be able to say “We’re #1!”, but we arrived a little late to the party. We’ll forever be behind the Massholes. Ok, the superfabulous news is that we’re here now.

2011 is gonna be the Year of the Gay Wedding in New York. Surely, it will add a big boost for New York’s economy and a million and one new gay wedding businesses will pop up. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Back when wedding photography was my full time job I shot some same sex ceremonies. I just want to call your attention to some sites that always did cater to the LGBT community. Before it was cool. Or legal.

Purple Unions is a national wedding directory that’s been going for about eight years. It all started with Purple Roofs, a gay travel guide that features inns and destinations. Want to buy real estate from a gay friendly agent? Gay Realty Network has been around forever. Same folks.

Rainbow Wedding Network is another old school directory. Plan your wedding from engagement to honeymoon.

Liberty View Farm in Highland, NY was purchased by Billiam van Roestenberg in 1999. Although not listed as a “gay wedding venue”, Billiam is an activist and was one half of the first gay couple to be married in New York by Mayor Jason West of New Paltz back in 2004.

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