Know how to make a proper egg cream? Fear not. Junior’s has glasses with the recipe inscribed right on them. And they are cu-ute!
The glasses have been around forever, but I just noticed them last weekend when I went for my latkes. Unfortunately, they are not on the Junior’s website. You can find the glasses or an egg cream kit (as above) online, but if you’re in Brooklyn, pick them up directly from Junior’s for 5 bucks.
Yes, 5 bucks. They each come in their own Junior’s box too. Can’t beat that!
Having grown up in NYC, I take many things for granted. Architecture is one of them. 45 years of seeing the same buildings. Why would I stop and look now?
Well, over the weekend I visited the Museum of the American Indian for the first time in the downtown location. Walked into the building and was blown away by the interior. Seriously, blown away.
The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the finest examples of Beaux Arts buildings in the city. The winding staircase! The rotunda with the huge skylight (it was leaking)! The marble everywhere! I’d be beyond thrilled to have a living room as nice as the ladies room.
Go visit. The museum is free because it’s a government building. Good museum too!
And look at all these other beautiful government buildings. I just pass them all the time. Maybe now I’ll stop and say hello.
When Travel and Leisure released their list of the rudest cities in America, New York wasn’t on top. Who beat us? Los Angeles! I recall feeling robbed when I read the article. We’re number 1! We’ll show those tanned bastards!
Well, someone is doing something about it. “Rude NYC” recently launched so we can all share our rudeness with each other and the world. People are encouraged to send stories, videos, photos and tweets.
Some examples:
From @TheCitizeNY on twitter – Frail older woman w/ luggage, getting on airport bus, asks driver for assistance. His reply: Not in my job description, lady.
Couple is taking a picture outside of a parking garage in Herald Square (weird?) homeless guy walks up to them and says to the man – “Dude, come on I could do better than her!” – Submitted by David J.
Woman is crying on the phone, walking slowly holding up sidewalk traffic, man decides to cut her off and says “GET OVER IT!” – submitted by Jim K
Psychic is trying to get me to come into her storefront for a reading in Midtown East back in the fall – I reject and keep walking, she says “you’re going to come down with cancer”. Ouch. – Submitted by Jane K.
Talented New York photographer and web developer Dan Nguyen has come up with a list of all the museums in the 5 boroughs. “Yeah, so?” You say. Well, it’s not just a list.
I Heart NY Museums is an interactive beta site which allows the visitor to view admission prices as well as addresses and hours. It looks kinda like a spread sheet with a map on top.
The focus is on price. Which museums are merely “suggested” donation and which are the most expensive? Are there free hours such as MOMA’s Friday evenings? It’s all right there in front of you.
Currently, there is no phone app. Nguyen is working on the data so he or someone else can make this awesome app.
During the holiday season, the MTA runs vintage subway and buses along certain routes at scheduled times. The cost is the same as any other ride. It just might not get you all the way to your destination. Click on the link to see schedule.The wicker seat trains stopped running in 1969. I am so old that I actually remember riding these a couple of time. I would have been 4 years old. They didn’t come often, but it was a treat when I got one. The lack of air conditioning was always fun. People sweating into the grooves of the seats. Ah, but they had overhead fans! And it was 35 cents for a token. Remember those little coin thingies they had before Metro Cards? Surely, you’re not THAT much younger than me!
If you’ve never been, the NY Transit Museum is one of the coolest places in Brooklyn. You can view these vintage trains and buses any time of the year.
One of our favorite restaurants in Brooklyn is Kush Cafe. We are regulars there, but admittedly, it’s been at least a month since we last ate there. So when we decided to go for brunch yesterday and saw that the gate and sign were down and paper covered the window, we freaked out.
The last few times we had eaten there, it seemed slow. My husband was all like “They didn’t survive the recession.” and “It’s our fault. They closed because we haven’t eaten there in a while.”
But don’t worry Kush fans, that’s not the case! After some extensive detective work (facebooking the hostess), I found out that Kush is closed for renovations and will reopen at the end of the month.
So, this is really a non-story. But just in case you were nervous like we were, now you know. And if you’ve never been, you should go so they do stay in business forever.
PS: While I was looking for images for this post, I came across Kush Chef Sammy’s private cooking website. “Moveable Chef” is his business outside of the restaurant. He will come to your home and cook for you or provide personalized menu prepared meals. Kewl.
If you’re anything like me, chances are you are making family or friends do all the work for Thanksgiving. You show up with 2 bottles of wine and some dessert. Know what I’m sayin’?
If you ARE that sucker who has chosen to do the entertaining and you want to save the turkeys this year, check out the NY Times Vegetarian Thanksgiving section. Loads of wonderful recipes. You may invite me over for leftovers, I’ll critique your cooking. Free consultation.
For those of you who prefer restaurants to a home cooked meal, here are a few places doing the veg thang.
Braeburn is doing a “Very Veggie Thanksgiving” as part of Zagat Presents. The dates are Nov. 16th and Nov. 25th. Looks like you should make reservations ASAP and specify the veg meal for the 25th. I don’t think that’s totally vegetarian. Dishes include herb gnocchi with roasted squash sauce and chestnut stuffing with slow poached egg and creamless trumpet royal soup with celery leaf. $70 includes wine pairing.
Counter in the East Village is serving maple herb roasted seitan with wild mushroom and sage gravy. They have a selection of organic wines. $50 per person, $75 with wine pairing. Seatings are 1-9pm.
Chelsea’s vegan Blossom Restaurant is charging $68 per person. Main course choices include phyllo-wrapped vegetables with traditional Thanksgiving sides or Seitan Kiev with brussels sprout cake and sauteed greens. Yeah, I want that NOW!
So, I was driving down 9th Street near Smith and I see this “Rant Van” in front of me. Curious little thing that I am, I googled them when I got home and sho’nuff, Rant Van is exactly as the name suggests.
The venting service is the brainchild of Mad Props Productions. I don’t know if they drive around and people flag them down like a taxi or if they park somewhere. This is the first I’ve seen of them and the video archives only go back to October.
A friend turned me on to this fabulous Vanishing Catskills site. Visual artist Raymon Elozua photographed the abandoned bungalow colonies and hotels around Sullivan and Ulster Counties. The site is easily navigated by type of structure or map.
From the site: “The desire for a new improved lifestyle, assimilation into the American melting pot, and the aging of an older immigrant population were underlying factors coupled with a time when air travel became cheaper and newer chic resorts and communities were springing up elsewhere spelled the end of the Catskills by the 70’s.”
That’s when my family started going there. From the mid 70’s to early 80’s, my parents rented a bungalow in a colony where all the other cousins stayed. The destinations changed every few years…there was Greenview in Spring Glen, Jan’s in Ellenville and Rosenblum’s in Spring Glen from what I recall. Some of the places (like Greenview) had already started to decay. But we had fun anyway.
My fascination with abandoned dwellings coupled with my history in the area has put Vanishing Catskills near the top of my obsession list this week. And the memories these photos triggered! OMG, I recognize that Homowack bowling alley! OMG, I helped my Grandma cook in kitchens exactly like that! (And see that pink and white chair? I have that set in yucky brown!)
Too bad my Grandma is rolling over in her grave whenever she sees me “cook” now.
We rented a truck and some guys last Friday to move the rest of our belongings from Beacon to Brooklyn. Anything left in the house was sold off in our moving sale on Saturday. Apart from a few leftover items that will be donated or dumped, the house is sitting empty, waiting for the new owners to come and make it a home again.
The sale was called for 10am on Saturday. We woke up early to get our personal belongings out of the way. As I sat on the toilet at 9am, the bell rang. And that was it. The early birds had arrived.
The first moving sale we had prior to putting the house on the market was in the driveway. This time, we had things from the basement all the way up to the attic and out to the garage, so we let people wander around.
My husband asked afterward if I felt violated having people rip through our stuff like that. Had we been given that extra hour to get a few more tote boxes out of the house, it would have been fine. But I had forgotten about some boxes in the attic. When I went upstairs in the afternoon, I found Alpine’s garbage scattered about the floor. I felt protective of her. There were a number of antique bottles that we took back from people. That’s a memory that stays together. Not for sale.
Then I saw we had left a box of old tax files up there. Hopefully, we weren’t visited by an ID thief because they could have gotten our social security numbers and birth dates quite easily. Yeah, that was a big no no. More important than any other expensive possession I grabbed out of the house.
The thing about these sales is people don’t respect your stuff. They don’t carefully go through boxes and closets. They scatter things about. I can’t imagine what it’s like to run an estate sale if you’re a child of an elderly or deceased parent, when it’s a lifetime of memories up for grabs.
I’m not saying I’m not the first one through the door at an estate sale! I love going through people’s old photos and keepsakes. It’s a way of honoring their lives.
Anyway, I don’t know what I’m going on about. We were in the house for 6 years. We were just getting rid of some old junk. I’m just getting sentimental about the house now that the transfer of property is becoming a reality.
Consider this sort of a linkorama with a sprinkling of snarky comments from the editor. Lots going on lately and I’m sharing my opinion whether you like it or not.
The Empire State Building sharing the skyline? Hmm, I can see both sides. Surely, this building IS the NYC skyline. Of course we want it to remain #1, especially since we lost #2 a few years back. The other point of view is that the skyline is constantly changing, so deal. Well, this is true too! Here’s my thinking….The ESB is an historic landmark. There are many landmarked districts in Manhattan. Why shouldn’t this building fit in with this historic neighborhood? So, build a tower that compliments the Empire State Building. No, that piece of shit in the photo doesn’t cut it. Back to work.
So, the Ground Zero mosque. 1. It is not located AT Ground Zero. The site was a Burlington Coat Factory a few blocks away. 2. It is not a big fat mosque but rather a community center with a prayer room. 3. There are already mosques in the neighborhood, at least one that predates the towers. 4. Would you prefer a Victoria’s Secret? Really? 5. If you answered yes to #4, let’s just agree to disagree because you probably have some racist tendencies.
Habana Outpost is sooo green. Oh, really? Just your buildings but not your food? Too bad there’s not much on your menu for a vegetarian to eat. Never been, because the menu is so meaty. That’s fine, but I don’t really equate dead animals with environmentalism. I’ll assume the meat is organic free range, but I don’t see where it says that. You’re doing a good thing for the community, so thumbs up on that.
Psychic medium Bobbi Allison is based in NY and Florida. My mother and I chose to visit her in Wantagh, Long Island, where she works out of a suburban apartment in a private home. She came highly recommended by a cousin. Not to be confused with the other cousins whom suggested the other psychic two years ago. Let’s just say that my family likes to keep up with deceased loved ones.
Bobbi charges $150 for a full hour. She’ll tape the session for you if you bring a cassette. This woman is gifted. She read three people back to back and although her energy was totally drained, she was right on target.
Ms. Allison crams a bunch into her sessions too. She fires off information quickly. Who’s M? Why did you have a falling out with J? Oh, I see a birthday coming up. So, who is your nurse friend with the children? I couldn’t keep up, but it’s on the tape and she takes notes so she can just keep going and her clients can figure it out later. About 45 minutes into the session I finally figured out who this M was (full name not given to protect the innocent) she kept talking about. Once I did, what he had to say really fell into place.
Bobbi asks the spirits not to see death, so no worries about really scary predictions. She sprinkles tips here and there on how to manifest goals and stay protected. The reading validations are fairly personal, meaning not things she can pick up from a google search or by asking too many questions. My husband’s family dominated part of my reading and she gave details, so I’m saying this chick is the real deal.
You want a reading? I think she gets pretty booked up, so do it waaaay in advance. You won’t be sorry!
The realtor decided to do a last minute open house, scheduled for this Sunday, August 8th. Weird that July was dead but August is picking up as far as showings and interest. Fingers crossed! Eight is my lucky number!
Go look at it. Spread the word. Each week this home sits on the market, one of my cats will go without food. So, save the kittens and buy this lovely Beacon house!!
1189 North Avenue in Beacon (that’s route 9-D south)
1-4pm
Kelly will be hosting the open house. Her cell is 845-401-6906
I shot this sweet Beacon Victorian last week for JonCar Realty, the same broker who’s listing our house. The seller and I got to chatting and it turns out they friggin adore my house but can’t put in an offer until they know theirs is going to sell.
I like the idea of this couple getting our house for a number of reasons.
1. They’ve restored their own old home and know what it takes.
2. They appreciate the work we’ve already done because, well, see #1.
3. They read my blog.
4. They are from Beacon, so they won’t be abandoning the house for the city after a few years (like us).
5. Our house is commercially zoned. A lovely Victorian with original detail up the road was sold to a lawyer a few years back and it was totally raped. Now it’s a vinyl sided law office. Damn shame, that is. I’d die if someone did that to my house.
6. Ok, here’s where I start tearing up. The wife said our house is her dream home. It’s always been our dream house and it still is. Just wish we could pack it and take it to Brooklyn. I want someone in there who loves it as much as we do.
Ok, enough about our house. So, here’s the house you have to buy:
A 1910 house on a quiet street. 3 BR, 2 Bath lovely restoration. 0.08 backyard already fenced for a dog, if you have one. Oh yeah, or kids. No work to do as far as I could see. Just move in and enjoy. $284,900.
