NY Archives - Page 2 of 5 - reclaimedhome.com

Fictional New Yorker Trivia

September 19, 2011 RH 3 Comments

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.

When Cugines Were the Hipsters of Brooklyn

September 16, 2011 RH 1 Comment

Grabbed this video from a friend’s Facebook link. It’s totally cugine, but I recognized some south Brooklyn places from my childhood.

What’s a cugine, you ask? If you lived in Brooklyn in the 70’s, you know full well. Saturday Night Fever and Jersey Shore types. They were the hipsters of that decade, meaning Brooklyn was crawling with them and people loved to hate them. You couldn’t get away from them.

My Dubliner husband thinks that whole “I hate disco” thing over here was a racist attitude towards blacks because they were mostly creating the music. I say it was a backlash against the cugines. Italian racism? Nah. Maybe the Italians started the ball rolling, but there were cugines of all backgrounds. They were breeding.

Brooklyn has evolved since the 70’s. Cugines still exist deep in the heart of areas like Bensonhurst. Now I look upon them with a smile. They keep it real and they ARE Brooklyn.

Maybe one day in the future, I’ll look back on transplant hipsters with a smile. Ya never know. Stranger things have happened.

10 Years. Never Forget or Move On?

September 9, 2011 RH

I complain about all the 9/11 coverage on this anniversary, but I’m just as bad. Can’t help it. The scab has been torn off. It’s easy for me to say “Time to move on” because I didn’t lose anyone close to me.

I did lose a part of me that day, as every New Yorker did. Don’t get me wrong. I know that it wasn’t only New Yorkers who suffered that Tuesday. It was America. And Muslims. And the world.

The east river kept me at a distance as I watched the towers burn. Lucky for me I didn’t witness people jumping, but it was close enough to violate all five senses. The site of the towers coming down. The burning smell that lingered for weeks. The sirens and crying and screaming around me. The dust in the air. We all felt it and tasted it.

“Never forget!” But where is that getting us? Can we start remembering the victims and the towers with a smile again? Why do the towers have to be about THAT moment? What about the time you went to the top? Or when you ate at Windows on the World? Or picnicked in near the sphere?

How about every time I got off the subway in the city and looked for those towers to figure out which direction I was heading in? Or when I looked across the water from The Brooklyn Promenade and realized how lucky I was that I had grown up with the most magnificent skyline in the world?

The Twin Towers were more than just 9/11. And those victims lived lifetimes before they were cut short. Why do we have to remember them as “gone”? Let’s just remember them.

Tribute to the Twin Towers

September 2, 2011 RH

Twin Tower Cameos from Dan Meth on Vimeo.

Cartoonist Dan Meth put together this montage of Twin Towers cameos. It’s a brilliant tribute that had me smiling through the entire video, until the end when I started sobbing uncontrollably.

Thanks to CNN for pointing us to it.

The Morning After

August 29, 2011 RH 3 Comments

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.

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?

Exploring Lower Manhattan

August 16, 2011 RH

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.

NYC in Odorama

August 12, 2011 RH

Scratch and sniff New York via Huffington Post

Why Hipsters Suck

August 11, 2011 RH 3 Comments

*Update: The video has been removed by the user. Guess he realized what an eejit he looked like when he sobered up. You can still view it via the Gawker link below.

I know, I know. The whole hipster hatred thing is old. But they ask for it, they really do! Case in point. This video of their lame subway party. Now, call me an old curmudgeon but if I’m paying my subway fare I just want to get from Point A to Point B without having to put up with this shit. Are you friggin’ kidding me? Go to a bar! Have a house party! Leave us alone!

If I see any of these kids on my A train, I’m gonna kick their skinny jean asses right back to Ohio. But oooh, I WOULD love to see them hop the A train in Bed Stuy and ride it towards Queens. Come on guys, make my day.

Via Gawker

Buy The Red Apple Rest Stop

August 3, 2011 RH

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.

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’.

A Diner for Every Borough

August 1, 2011 RH 2 Comments

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.

Old Flatbush Movie Theaters

July 25, 2011 RH 1 Comment

My mother is visiting for two weeks, so you may be seeing some odd “Brooklyn From Memory” posts. On Saturday we drove around East Flatbush and Flatbush were I spent my early childhood. The movie theaters were most recognizable because some still had marquees, but also…movie houses tend to stick in one’s mind, don’t they?

The Loew’s Kings Theater was is the only one we found that was still intact as a theater, as run down as it was. Upon further research, we found out that restoration is in progress and the plan is to re-open as a performing arts center by 2014. A happy ending for this one!

The Albemarle on Albemarle Road near Flatbush. Closed in 1984 after fire.

The Brook Theater on Flatlands just off of Flatbush is now an office building.

My long term memory must be pretty awesome because this Church Avenue theater became The RKO Keith in the early 70’s, but I remember it as The Kenmore. I was five in 1970.

We were one building off on Utica Avenue’s Rugby Theater. It was actually the structure to the left of the T-Mobile store.

Vintage NYC Summers

July 20, 2011 RH 1 Comment

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?

The Black Cowboys Ride Again

July 12, 2011 RH

When we dropped in for a visit on the Federation of Black Cowboys a few weeks ago, most were out at a rodeo in New Jersey. We were invited back last Sunday for their ride over to the beach. Here are some photos. The rest are on Flickr.

Gay Wedding Planning in New York

June 28, 2011 RH

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.

The Black Cowboys of Queens

June 20, 2011 RH 2 Comments

Over the weekend we ventured out to Howard Beach, Queens to hang with a buddy who’s a member of the Federation of Black Cowboys. Those are the guys you see riding their horses on South Conduit out near JFK.

Black cowboys have been part of American culture since the 1860’s, but the current incarnation of the Federation was born in 1994. The website is not currently being kept up. They do often welcome visitors, but check first to make sure it’s cool. When we showed up, most of the cowboys and cowgirls were at a Juneteenth rodeo in NJ, so it was a quite day back at the ranch.

This is our buddy Ralph. By day, he’s a heavy construction laborer, but much to his wife’s dismay, he spends evenings and weekends tending to his garden on the Federation’s 25 acre property.

“Mountain Man” was proud to show us the museum he’s been working on. Housed in one of the trailers, it has some very cool old western gear, but I winced at the animal skins, body parts and traps. He uses all parts of the animal, so kudos to him for that.

This “kid” is only 17 years old. He has his own horse and attends an agriculture high school right there in Queens.

The garden, barbeque pit and picnic area are just off the main road. Making the most out of the urban/rural experience!

Black Cowboys Flickr set

Page Header

Primary Sidebar