Mr NYC

Jorge Posada Reties a Yankee

2012-01-25T18:08:00.000-05:00

Should Ray Kelly Resign?

2012-01-25T18:06:00.001-05:00

Ray Kelly been the NYPD Police Commissioner for ten years.

He claimed that he was not interviewed for a viciously anti-Islam film that was apparently being shown on a continuous loop to NYPD trainees. He said that his appearance in this film was from archival footage.

This was a lie and has been proven to be so. Now the NYPD has admitted it. Mayor Bloomberg himself has said that showing this film was wrong.

So should Ray Kelly resign?

Woody and Marty get Nominated

2012-01-24T22:11:00.000-05:00

Drumroll ... drumroll ... drumroll ...

Voice of God Announcer:

Woody Allen. Martin Scorsese.

Two legendary movie directors.

Two great New Yorkers.

Both past recipients of the Academy Award for Best Director.

Now both nominated in the same category again -- this time pitted against each other for the ultimate prize.

Who will win? Who will walk off with the trophy?

Will it be Woody?

Will it be Marty?

Or will it be someone else?

Find out this February at the 84th Annual Academy Awards!

New Yorkers are rude? Getouttahere!!!!

2012-01-23T20:07:00.000-05:00

According to Travel & Leisure magazine we are.

What's their criteria? Who knows!

Seriously, how can something like "rudest" or "nicest" city really be measured? Why kind of metric do you use to measure that? It's a totally subjective, random, anecdotal thing to determine. And how many people actually read this stupid magazine?

Hey, Travel & Leisure magazine: got to hell!

MUST SEE 2012 NFC Championship: Giants vs. 49ers Highlights [HD]

2012-01-23T18:42:00.000-05:00

Scandal! Society! Real Estate!

2012-01-22T16:38:00.000-05:00

The National Arts Club in Gramercy Square is an Old New York, Old Money institution where cultural highbrows like to congregate. I've been there a few times myself (heathen that I am) and I can tell you that it is a beautiful, classy, lovely place.

Not only that but they have a really great restaurant.

Problem: the place is in turmoil. It's former president apparently was a first-class hoarder who was misappropriating funds and taking over apartments at the club, costing it rental income, to store his stuff. It's a very weird, strange story full of ego and money and just downright odd behavior. This exhaustive story in the Times goes into it in detail. Hopefully everything will work out for the best.

Memo from NYC

2012-01-22T11:12:00.000-05:00

"South Carolina is too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum." - James Louis Petigru

Thank you, South Carolina.

Specifically, thank you South Carolina Republicans for giving Newton Leroy Gingrich a whopping victory last night in your state's primary. Now the former Speaker has the Big Mo going into Florida and future primaries and Willard Romney, the once inevitable nominee, has stumbled badly.

Thank you, South Carolina, for making it more possible for the most unelectable Republican candidate since Barry Goldwater to become the 2012 nominee. Barack Obama must be smiling this morning. Democrats must be smiling this morning.

Mr NYC is certainly smiling this morning.

Can you imagine if Newt Gingrich ends up running against Obama? If that's the case, I don't think Obama will even need to campaign. He can just point at Newt Gingrich, say to the country "You're seriously going to make this guy President?", laugh, and get the whole country to laugh with him -- and then go on to win a second term in a huge landslide.

Go Newt!

Occupy Wall Street: The Collector's Edition

2012-01-22T11:01:00.000-05:00

Ever since the Occupy Wall Street movement sprang to life last September, debates have raged about whether or not this is a passing fad or an historic change in the flow of American politics, economics, and culture. Needless to say, Americans Left and Right have very different ideas about the impact of OWS -- but it's made its mark, nonetheless.

And now it's being collected.

The New-York Historical society has been acquiring kitsch and knickknacks and stuff that has been produced by OWS: posters, news releases, lists of demands, and various odds and ends. So far they have about twelves items that they have indexed and produced here on the Vanity Fair website. It's interesting to look at but what's probably more interesting is whether or not one day there'll be an actual OWS exhibit or whether or not this stuff will put in some box in the bowels of the NYHS, to be forgotten about.

We shall see (or not).

S**t New Yorkers Say

2012-01-20T18:38:00.000-05:00

And then there were four ...

2012-01-19T18:45:00.000-05:00

... Republican city council members, that is.

Until today, there were five. But Peter Koo -- a Republican member from Flushing, Queens who was elected in 2009 -- is apparently planning to become a Democrat next week. That means the Democratic advantage of 45/51 will become 46/51. Not exactly an earth shattering political realignment but a change nonetheless.

Two of the four Republicans on the city council are from Staten Island, and their seats are as safe as can be. The two others are from Queens and are in seats previously held by Democrats. One of them (Ulrich) is pretty safe. The other (Halloran, who I've blogged about on here before) is probably the most vulnerable. Next year, we might end up with only three Republican city council.

A blogger can dream can't he?

Once more into the breach ... of contract

2012-01-18T20:13:00.000-05:00

Last year New Yorkers and tourists alike guffawed at the bloated mess that was the "Spider-Man" musical.

It was a $75 million train wreck of bad songs, confusing story lines, and accidents galore. It was shaping up to the biggest disaster in the history of Broadway and the clock seemed to be ticking on when it would close and all the investors would lose their shirts.

Then the producers got smart: they closed the show down, fired the director, Julie Taymor, brought in some new writers to fix the songs and story, worked out the kinks, re-opened it ... and the show actually turned out to be a success!

But this musical is far from having a happy ending -- yet.

Now the producers and Ms. Taymor are suing and counter suing each other for breach of contract. They are dumping emails and private information into publically filed lawsuits, bringing the whole nightmare back to life and giving this show -- which was just getting over its bad press -- even more bad press.

You gotta be a genius to do something this dumb.

And I don't know who's dumber: Julie Taymor, for suing the producers of a show that she almost wrecked, or the producers for not quietly settling with her and putting this whole situation behind them. It's not just about money, clearly -- it's about ego. What's really dumb, is that Taymor and these producers seem to want to drag "Spider-Man" down with it at just the moment its fortunes seems to be turning around.

Oh what a tangled "Spider-Man" web we weave when first we sue ...

A Giants Bet

2012-01-18T19:55:00.000-05:00

Daddy duties have prevented me from blogging lately but I did manage to catch the recent Giants/Packers game last Sunday where our hometown team beat Green Bay and landed in the NFC Championship Game. Big Blue will be playing against the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday and the heat is on: whoever wins goes straight to the Super Bowl.

Needless to say, I'm rooting for the Giants.

So is the entire City of New York and, of course, dear Mayor Bloomberg. He made a bet with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. If we win, San Fran will send us some sourdough bread and hang a Giant flag from a cab car. If they win, 49th street and Broadway will (hopefully temporarily) be named 49ers street and we'll be sending them bagel.

Interesting: the Giants and 49ers have a long history of playing against each other in championship games. The 49ers have a 4 to 3 edge over us -- something that will hopefully be evened out this Sunday.

Dolan named Cardinal

2012-01-08T13:13:00.000-05:00

NYC in 2012

2012-01-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

2012 is one of those years -- a Leap Year, a Summer Olympics year, and a presidential election year. It's going to be a busy, busy year in America and around the world (add to the list that this year is Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee or 60th anniversary on the throne for even more interest).

So what about NYC?

Hard to say. Nothing big -- like a mayoral election or political convention or Superbowl -- scheduled. Anything and everything "big" that might occur (like a World Series or the continuation of Occupy Wall Street) will happen by happenstance. 2011 taught us that A LOT of unexpected stuff can happen and to shape events. Only time will tell.

Talking about time, today is an anniversary of sorts: January 1, 2012 marks the 10th anniversary since Mike Bloomberg became mayor. Yes, that's right, he's been mayor for a whole decade now. It's getting hard to remember a time when he wasn't mayor. (If my kid had been born ten years ago when he became mayor, she'd be in the fourth grade by now. Scary).

So the Decade of Bloomberg is official. And there's only two years to go! Let's hope for him, and the city, 2012 all goes well. That'll be good for all New Yorkers.

Lynn Samuels RIP

2012-01-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

A little late in blogging about this but I was very sad to hear about the death of Lynn Samuels, the radio talk show host, who bounced around the airwaves of NYC for many decades.

She was a one of a kind, and a real New Yorker (or "Noo Yawka" as she would probably say). Her voice bled the city, her attitude and views were totally New York -- strong, in-your-face, honest, unpredictable, and one-of-a-kind. She an iconoclast: a woman in a man's business, a liberal in a conservative world, a screeching voice in an industry that rewarded smoothness.

We probably won't see her likes again in radio ever.

Lynn Samuels broke every rule and offended every sensibility -- and for that, she'll deeply missed.

Happy New Year NYC

2012-01-01T12:39:00.000-05:00

Well, well well -- it's 2012.

And NYC has never been better.

Yours truly is doing well too -- as a sleep deprived but happy new daddy.

I will be posting as much as possible over the course of this new year. Of course, the baby will take much of my time. But I'll always find time for you, my loyal readers. I'm just that great a guy.

Livin' Long Enough for the City

2011-12-27T20:36:00.000-05:00

As someone who just became a father a week ago, it was a pleasant surprise to read today that the life expectancy of babies born in NYC beats the national average. Babies born in our fair city can now expect to live an average of 80.6 years while babies born nationwide can expect to live 78.2 years.

That's amazing!

Proof that living in NYC is great for your health. Cheers.

Mr NYC is a Daddy

2011-12-20T19:32:00.000-05:00

Just a small note that my current and, probably, future lack of blogging is due to the birth of my Little Miss NYC yesterday.

Yes, as scary as the thought is, there is a wonderful little girl in this world tonight who calls the shlub who writes this blog Dad.

Thank you for all your kinds thoughts.

Classic Mr NYC

2011-12-17T09:53:00.000-05:00

The hit play from a couple years back, "God of Carnage", is now a movie directed by Roman Polanski, simply called "Carnage."

It was a huge success on Broadway. It'll be interesting to see how popular the movie is.

Yours truly went to see the play back in 2009 and posted a little review of it here.

Re-Imagine NYC?

2011-12-15T21:18:00.000-05:00

NYC is a place that always changes -- including geographically.

Trying to grasp how it has transformed over 400+ years is virtually impossible. The city's geography has evolved in countless ways. And it's not just the bridges and tunnels that have been built over the decades, nailing this city of islands together. It's not just the buildings that populate our skylines.

It's the land of NYC itself.

Manhattan was largely filled in by concrete, smoothing out the skinny islands rough edges. Wards and Randalls Islands used to be two separate islands until they were fused together. Same with the islands off the Bronx that were joined to form Orchard Beach. Central Park, Prospect Park, Flushing Meadows Park, etc. -- none of these green oasis existed until human beings created them. Our topography is a work in progress.

And now comes another idea that is both horrifying and amazing: building a land bridge from Lower Manhattan to Governors Island. You read that right: essentially extending Manhattan island downwards until it meets and then subsumes Governors Island -- as this picture indicates. It's a wild idea.

I don't know what I think about it. I like Governor's Island the way it is and needless to say the cost and controversy of doing something like this is so huge that I doubt it'll ever happen. But who knows? Maybe it will.

Recently this was discussed on WNYC and has always been the subject of some articles. Research it for yourself and see what you think.

Mitt takes Manhattan

2011-12-14T21:58:00.000-05:00

Apparently Republican Presidential candidate Mitt "I'll say anything, take any position, be whatever you want me to be, whore myself out to anyone" Romney was in town today. He was showing what a salt of the earth, man of the people he is by spending the entire day raising money from hedge fund billionaires.

It's probably a good thing that he was surrounded by these rich people, since they're probably the only people in NYC who'll vote for him.

As the great Matt Taibbi once wrote, Romney is an utter tool. He's as phoney a politician as I've ever seen and I really, really, really, really hope he loses.

Even though I didn't vote for them, I felt sorry for John McCain and Bob Dole when they lost their presidential elections because those two men totally devoted their lives (even their bodies) to serving this country. Not Romney. He's devoted his life to serving Mitt Romney. He was born to wealth, grew up wealthy, spent his life getting wealthier, never served in the military, had trouble getting elected to office and then, when he did, had trouble staying in elected office, and now he thinks he should be president.

Please.

Unlike McCain and Dole, if he loses the nomination or the general election, it will fill me with nothing but joy. Go Mitt! (To defeat!)

City Talk: Pete Hamill, author, "Tabloid City" Part 1

2011-12-14T21:43:00.001-05:00

City Talk: Pete Hamill, author, "Tabloid City" Part 2

2011-12-14T21:43:00.000-05:00

The Halloran Files

2011-12-12T21:12:00.000-05:00

A few times over this past year, I've blogged about Dan Halloran, NYC's strangest city council member.

Here's a weird, weird, weird guy. And a fraud. And a crazy zealot.

Recently, the Village Voice did a big article on Halloran which profiles just how odd this man in a position of power is. You should read it and can also check out my previous posts on this lunatic. Hopefully, as colorful as he is, he will no longer be in office after 2013. For now, however, let's enjoy the train wreck while it lasts.

Gotta Love New Yorkers

2011-12-12T18:42:00.001-05:00

Girl on the subway, yakking into her cell phone:

"So remember I told you that I applied for a job two weeks ago? It's to be the Assistant to the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary General of the UN ..."

Christmas NYC

2011-12-11T10:54:00.000-05:00

I love Christmas in New York City. A beautiful, amazing city becomes a huge holiday exhibit. Walk up and down 5th Avenue and check out all the decorated store fronts. There's the Rockefeller Christmas trees, the Salvation Army santas ringing their bells. In all corners of the city, the holidays make their presence known, with Christmas trees being sold on the corners, and decorative lights straddling the lampposts over the streets.

Not only that, but there's so much to do!

Shows, concerts, choruses, exhibits, ice skating! It's quite the holiday feast here in NYC.

So what's worth doing here in NYC? This little guide gives you some helpful tips of what's worth your time and money if you're spending the holidays here in NYC.

Make it a good one!

The Madoff Legacy

2011-12-11T10:47:00.000-05:00

Three years ago this weekend, the Bernie Madoff scandal broke.

The greatest Ponzi schemer of all time, a once respected investor and former NASDAQ head was revealed to be nothing but a huge fraud. He lost billions and billions of dollars, and thousands of people were financially destroyed. Madoff plead guilty right away and is now serving 150 years in the pokey. His family was shattered, a son committing suicide last year, his wife cutting him off forever. Their story is the subject of books, countless magazine articles, and a long 60 Minutes profile.

But what about their victims? What about the people trying to uncover the biggest financial crime in history?

Needless to say, this story continues. The victims are trying to rebuild their lives and finances, and hoping that the investigators will recover some of their money. Meanwhile the investigators have what has to be the most awful job ever. They are suing people who actually profited from this scheme -- and those people are suing back. They are dealing with victims' frustrations at the slow pace of the investigation (how could something like this possibly be fast?). And then there are the prosecutors who are still trying find out who else was in on this scheme and who else needs to be punished.

Some legacy, Bernie.

A legacy of pain. A legacy of misery. A legacy of destruction. And worse, a legacy where the only people who benefit are loners.

As I get older, I wonder about what kind of legacy I'll leave behind. What will I create (or not) that my family, friends, and others will have to deal with? Hopefully it will be something good. It might be something very modest (maybe nothing more than this blog) but at least I hope it will be something that makes them happy or least content. Hopefully it just won't be, like Bernie Madoff, a legacy of pain.

Cuomo, Legislature agree on middle class tax cuts

2011-12-07T17:58:00.000-05:00

Sleeping on the Subway

2011-12-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

Today I saw something that drives me nuts: people sleeping on the subway.

What do they think the subway is? Their bedroom?

Sadly, for some people, it is (I guess). But even most homeless people manage to get to shelters and sleep there or they do it on the streets. Most of the people who sleep on the subway clearly have a bed at home but I guess they just can't wait. What drives me nuts the most are people who fall asleep on the person sitting next to them. This has happened to me gawd knows how many times and it drives my meshughana. This is what I saw today. And just watching it makes me mad!

But most people like me wonder: how can anyone sleep on the subway anyway?

After all, the subway is always stopping and starting, stopping and starting, clack-clack-clacking away. People are moving about and talking, doors melodically opening and closing, announcements blaring, even babies crying and people singing ... it's a real party. So how can anyone sleep?

Well, a couple of doctors with too much time on their hands apparently decided to study it. It seems that people can sleep on the subway but just not very well (no kidding). There are five stages of sleep but subways sleeps usually only get to stages one or two -- the least restorative stages. So on top of annoying people and putting themselves at risk of getting mugged, subway sleepers are getting lousy sleep.

Wow, these doctors sure are brilliant.

Perhaps the MTA could create a sound-proof sleeping car with bunk bends. Then I just myself start sleeping on the subway too.

Transit Tidbits

2011-12-04T18:56:00.000-05:00

Here in NYC, transportation is a constant concern. Anyone who reads this blogs knows transit is one of my chief areas of interest -- and gripes -- about this town. NYC is the greatest city in the world yet getting around it is always a challenge. Just one of the many, it turns out, about living here.

Most of it is the fault of You Know Who -- but that's for another time.

Yet two stories this weekend highlight a couple of interesting developments in the never ending saga of NYC transit.

First, there's the fact that as bridge and tunnels tolls have increased, there has been a 4% decrease in the number of cars going across and through them. In the last year, as tolls have gone up, there are almost a million fewer vehicles going in and out of this town. Subsequently, ridership on public transportation has increased! Fewer cars, more people maximizing public transit -- who says there's no good news?

Second, as the economy lumbers back to life, one of the sectors experiencing growth in NYC is the "tech sector." Yes, good ol' Silicon Alley is back and better than ever! One of those great pieces of 21st century lingo is the "tech corridor" -- areas populated with tech company giants and start-ups that are linked by similar transportation routes. Most people probably think of highways in Northern California when they think of "tech corridors" but the one in NYC connecting Silicon Alley together is naturally on the subway -- specifically, the R train. New economy meets old infrastructure, I guess. Who knew the future of NYC's economy lay on one of its crappiest subways line?

Moving around this dynamic city is and always will be ... dynamic.

Memo from NYC

2011-12-04T10:26:00.000-05:00

Oh no! Catastrophe! This is a total disaster!

The unemployment rate fell dramatically.

Wait, that's bad news? Well yes -- if you're a Republican.

For the last three years, ever since Obama became president, the Republican have been doing everything they can to destroy the economy since they think this will make Obama a one term president. Never mind that it was a Republican president named Bush who created this economic mess -- as the one in office since the great recession began (actually, just before he took office), Obama has been on the receiving end of Republican blame for the bad economy -- again, never mind that the Republicans are the ones responsible for it.

But suddenly the unemployment rate fell from 9.1% to 8.6%. There have been 21 straight months of job growth. Things are looking (slowly, slowly) up. So obviously this is terrible news for the Republicans because, if this keeps going, Obama will be re-elected. And the Republican party will be totally discredited once again. It will show how wrong they've been about the economy and, well, everything and how Obama, despite his flaws and stumbles, has done well.

Bad news for Republicans.

Good news for America.

Mayor Bloomberg Thinks He's a Sovereign with His Own Army

2011-12-01T18:49:00.000-05:00

Jim Henson's Fantastic World

2011-11-29T19:06:00.001-05:00

We are all Jim Henson's children.

The brilliant creative mind that created the Muppets -- those furry talking animals with lots of attitude and lots of heart who loved to sing and dance -- has literally given generations of children countless hours of joy. Kermit the frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzy bear, Rowlf the dog, Gonzo, Scooter, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, the Swedish Chef, Statler and Waldorf, Sam the eagle, ANIMAL! -- we grew up with them, and now our children are growing up with them. The Muppets created a world we all wanted to belong to and where everyone was wanted.

Some day we'll find it ...

It's hard to describe how much I love the Muppets -- in fact, I don't know anyone who doesn't. And best of all the Muppets are back and bigger than ever with a new hit movie and a big exhibit here in NYC.

At the Museum of Moving Image through January, you can go to see "Jim Henson's Fantastic World" that explores the life and work of the man who left the world too early in 1990. Henson was a puppeteer, a filmmaker, a writer, a singer, a voice over artist, and a visual genius. He worked on Sesame Street in its early years, created The Muppet Show and their subsequent movies plus Fraggle Rock and also made movies like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. He had a unique vision that the world loves to this day.

What's great about this exhibit is your learn how much work went into Jim Henson creating his fantastic world. There are countless exhibits of his drawings and notes. Remember the great beginning to The Muppet Show? You get to see the original drawings that Henson did for it, seeing how he storyboarded the shots and the song lyrics to match them. The exhibit teaches you a lot more things about Henson that I'm sure you didn't know -- like that he had four kids, he was nominated for an Oscar in the 1960s, and he created Kermit the Frog as far back as 1955.

It's a great exhibit about a great man -- one that all us all should be grateful we had for as short a time as we did. He made us all a little bit more innocent, a little happier. He made all of us ... better people.

The lover, the dreamer, and me.

They come, they see ... they spend money

2011-11-28T21:19:00.001-05:00

One of the biggest businesses in NYC is the city itself. This town is quite literally a magnet, snapping tens of millions of people towards it each year.

In these hard times, tourism has become one of the few growing sectors of the NYC economy.

And oh boy, do they come. This year the number of tourists flocking into our city will top 50 million for the first time. Yeah, that's a lot of people. That's the population of Australia and Canada combined plus a few million. That's basically the entire equivalent of France. As big as our city is and as huge as our population is, it's virtually impossible to conceive how many people come here each year just to visit.

Here are some of the stats, according to New York magazine:

Of the roughly 50 million visitors, roughly 10 million of them are from abroad and roughly 40 million of them are from the USA
The typical American visitors stays two days and spends less than $500
The typical foreign visitors stays a week and spends almost $2000
Ten percent of all foreign tourists are British
Visitors from Scandinavian countries spend the most money here
The fastest growing demographic of foreign tourists are Brazilians

As economies around the world boom and the dollar remains weak, foreigners love to come to NYC and drop coin. It's cheaper for them here than at home (if you can believe that). And surprisingly, most of the American visitors to NYC actually live about 30 miles from town.

Obviously, we love tourists. They pour tons of money into our economy and keep up afloat.

But is this a good thing?

The obvious answer is yes. Mo' tourists, mo' money. But there's always a dark cloud.

The dark cloud is that tourism is replacing real economic growth. Mayor Bloomberg himself says that in this article, apparently without any worry about it. But I worry. NYC's economy must always been dynamic, growing, evolving. We don't want to become a Venice or Colonial Williamsburg, a once great city existing purely on its historical reputation or famous sites. We want to be a thriving city, a metropolis on the move.

Also, as this article points out, tourism has boomed in the last several years thanks to a cheap dollar and low crime rates. But what if the dollar strengthens? What if crime goes up or there's another horrible terrorist attack? Then tourism will plunge and what will replace it then?

So when it comes to tourists, I say the more the merrier (and the more money, the much merrier). But let's also not turn into a city of navel gazers, thinking we're so great while the city crumbles about our ears. Let's create new businesses, attract new industries, and keep the city's economy dynamic. Then we'll really be something to see.

How the 1% Lives

2011-11-27T15:48:00.000-05:00

Much of the Occupy Wall Street protests have focused anger at the richest of the rich Americans -- the so-called 1% -- and how they don't pay their fair share in taxes. Basically, the argument goes, they don't pay enough and the government goes without much needed revenue to do the things that will improve our society.

"But that's not fair!" the 1% and their defenders shout. "The 1% pay the most in taxes!"

Not really. See today's huge article about how one of NYC's richest men -- Ronald Lauder of the Estee Lauder fortune -- cleverly hides his money from the government in legal tax shelters. It's really scummy and depressing. The loopholes and "donations" to various "charities" and foundations dramatically reduce the amount of taxes that so many rich people like Lauder have to pay.

Like most rich people, the Lauders of the world get to eat their cake and have it to. It's the best of both worlds really: the rich can boast that they are "oh-so generous" buy giving huge amounts of money to "charity" and earn brownie points with the public for how "good" they are. In reality, they're just reducing their tax burden, moving money around from a taxable entity to a non-taxable one. It's gotta be great to reduce your taxes and get free positive publicity instead paying your fair share and getting no glory.

Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

Call it vanity unfair.

Thanksgiving Day Parade 2011 Balloon Preview

2011-11-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

Classic Mr NYC

2011-11-22T19:28:00.000-05:00

Following up on my post below, I thought it would be cool to re-post a blog entry from last year about secret places in NYC. Needless to say, there's a lot! Enjoy.

An Underground Park?

2011-11-22T19:21:00.001-05:00

Ever since the Highline opened in 2009 -- and gave NYC its first park in the sky -- the idea of "re-purposing" city areas for parks or other public uses has become quite the urban vogue. NYC is very big but also very dense -- so making use of every inch of it and making it as great as possible is a very wise indeed.

So what not have a park right under our feet?

There's a couple of eager young engineers who want to design a subterranean park under Delancey Street. They want to hollow out a long buried, ancient trolley terminal (who knew those even existed?!) and make it into a park using fiber optics to channel natural light for photosynthesis.

You should check out this article about it and look at some of the designs -- they're quite impressive. This project is still very much in the planning/its-gotta-get-financed stage but, hopefully, it'll become a reality.

After all, NYC is a place that it's always re-imagining itself so why not?

Robert Moses Redux?

2011-11-20T12:25:00.000-05:00

Besides warping this city's infrastructure and destroying neighborhoods with his ill-conceived highways, parks, and other structures, the "master builder" Robert Moses also did this city another great disservice: he made the idea of huge public works scary.

Over the last forty years since Moses fell from power, New Yorkers have looked askance at attempts to build huge, city-altering projects.

Ten years after 9/11, Ground Zero is still a work in progress after years of financial and regulatory problems and squabbles. Recently the Arc Tunnel project connecting NY and NJ was killed and people both in New York and New Jersey don't seem to care. Moynahan Station and the Second Avenue Subway still remain frustrating out of reach. And now there is great debate over the Tappen Zee bridge which Governor Cuomo wants to repair but wants to do on the cheap -- which would mean not including any kind of public transportation improvements like a rail connector or pedestrian walkways.

Building big or re-imagining our city and our area's physical plant almost seems impossible these days.

Obviously it comes to down to money (i.e. taxes) and public will (i.e. political power). If New Yorkers aren't willing to pay the taxes or tolls for more public works, then our infrastructure won't improve. If we are going to punish politicians who want to raise the taxes and build these public works with electoral defeat, then our infrastructure won't only not improve -- it will degrade. Sadly, not only in New York but around the country, politicians have been getting elected by promising to kill things like high-speed rail and other public works. Clearly, not only in NY but elsewhere too, we're not going in the right direction in terms of our city and nation's physical plant.

This article makes this point and more. And it makes you wonder: do we need another Robert Moses? The man who got things done despite the politicians?

I don't think so but our city does need to get over its fear of building big. We need to clearly and soberly look at what our city's infrastructure problems are, come to a political and financial consensus about the work required and the costs it will entail, and then move forward boldly. We just don't need to do it the way Robert Moses did.

And this is what we need: we don't need more highways or bike paths -- we need more subways lines and light rail links. We don't need more public housing projects and luxury skyscrapers -- we need more affordable housing constructed in a way that compliments and doesn't destroy neighborhoods. We need to re-build our sewers and other hidden but vital infrastructure. None of this stuff is "sexy" but vital.

We need to build in a way that will make it easier for New Yorkers to live, work and get around this city -- and that will ensure our future.

Henry Rollins Letter to Woody Allen

2011-11-20T11:54:00.000-05:00

Woody Allen: An American Master

2011-11-20T11:52:00.001-05:00

Tonight and tomorrow on PBS, there will be a two-part "American Masters" documentary on Woody Allen. Premiering at 9 PM each night, it is billed as the most comprehensive look at "New York's mensch auteur", one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

I can't wait.

Anyone who has read this blog knows I'm a huge Woody fan. Perhaps that makes me a typical, boring yuppie New Yorkers but I don't care.

The breadth of his achievement is truly amazing. He has been making almost a movie a year since 1969, acting in many of them. He has written books, plays, and articles. Before he became a director, he was also a brilliant stand-up comedian. His influence is on generations of filmmakers and comedians is immeasurable -- he's influenced people who have influenced people. Woody Allen is truly a brilliant artist and few ever have or ever will reach his level.

A Madoff Speaks!

2011-11-17T19:54:00.000-05:00

On yesterday's Leonard Lopate show, Stephanie Madoff Mack talked about her life as a member of the most notorious family in America. Listening to this woman -- a daughter-in-law of the great Ponzi schemer who was married to his son Mark (who killed himself last year) -- is to listen to a victim trying to make sense of her shattered life. It's really emotional but I give Ms. Mack an immense amount of credit of speaking about it so honestly.

Garbo Walks!

2011-11-15T19:37:00.001-05:00

If you love old movies, then you must see the films of Greta Garbo.

The Swedish beauty was the biggest movie star of the 1920s and 1930s, and the first true international star. She went from being a silent star to the first big star of the talkies ("Garbo Talks!" was the tag line for 1930's Anna Christie, her first speaking part). During the Great Depression, Garbo took Americans out of their doldrums with such classics as Mata Hari, Grand Hotel, Queen Christina, Camille, and Ninotchka. I've seen them all and they are as entertaining as anything being made today. Not only that, but Garbo's sex appeal has transcended into the 21st century.

Garbo was gorgeous but also a first rate actress. She had an amazing, magical talent. Often she played in dramas and was the ultimate doomed femme fatal. But in 1939's Ninotchka, she gave what has to be one of the greatest female comic performances of all time.

She was beautiful, soulful, and funny. Also, she is immortalized in Cole Porter's song "You're the Top":

You're the National Gallery!

You're Garbo's salary!

You're cellophane!

Many have said she was probably the greatest female movie actress of all time.

And then, in 1941, she walked away from it all.

Garbo quit the movies and chose to live a private life. Occasionally she was tempted to return to the screen but it always came to nothing. Not only did she not act again but she almost never gave interviews, never went on TV, never made public appearances, and never wrote a memoir. Along with JD Salinger, she became one of the most famous of recluses.

In the early 1950s, Garbo moved to NYC where she lived until her death in 1990. Though she fiercely guarded her privacy, Garbo loved to take long walks around Manhattan and spotting her almost became a sport for New Yorkers.

Garbo's most famous line is from 1932's Grand Hotel where she exclaims, "I want to be alone!" And alone she lived in NYC for almost forty years.

Garbo spent her final decades in an apartment building on East 52nd street, just off 1st Avenue. It is at the end of a dead-end street overlooking the east river. For a recluse who wants to live in Manhattan, it's the perfect place because it's not easy to get to and is very private.

Recently, I was in the area and remembered that this is where she used to live so I -- having the time and interest -- trotted down the street and snapped a photo of her building. As you can see, it looks just like any upscale Upper East Side building. Elegant, but not as spectacular as its most famous deceased tenant.

And I noted something: considering that Garbo was one of the most famous movie stars in history and lived in this building for almost half her life, you might think there'd be a plaque or something outside the building commemorating her. After all, many other buildings where other famous people lived in NYC have such things. Some even name the street where they lived after them!

But not here. Not at all. You'd never know this was where she lived. Even in death, the great Garbo just wants to be alone.

Scenes from Occupy Wall Street in Exile

2011-11-15T18:49:00.002-05:00

So early this AM, Mayor Mike sent the NYPD to break up OWS and sent the protesters a'scatterin' 'round town. The purpose was ostensibly to "clean" the park but it was really just a power play -- the 1% cracking down on the other 99%. Think Bloody Sunday without the bloody.

But OWS regrouped quickly.

Around 9 AM, several protesters convened at Duarte Square on the corner of Canal and Varick streets. Yours truly was on the scene -- actually several stories above it at the time -- so I snapped some pics before going down observing it in the raw. So these pics are a Mr NYC exclusive!

This re-grouping turned out to be rather anti-climatic. They chanted a bunch and waved signs. The cops turned out en masse (many of them in riot gear) and intimidated the hell out of the protesters. Eventually, by the early afternoon, the protesters left. By 4 PM, it was as though nothing had ever happened and no one was ever there.

But it was a unique moment in NYC history, like being in Times Square on VJ-Day or at the Stonewall Riots or something. And I was lucky enough to gawk (and photograph) it.

Riot Police Clear Out Occupy Wall Street Camp - Nov. 15th

2011-11-15T18:34:00.000-05:00

The Corporate City

2011-11-13T15:21:00.002-05:00

The media today is obsessed with the Republican/Democrat, Red/Blue, Liberal/Conservative, urban vs. rural socioeconomic/political/cultural divide. The two America's at war with each other, pushing and pulling the country apart -- one America wanting to make us more like Canada (the liberal urban Democrats) and the other wanting to make us more like Mexico (the conservative rural Republicans). This "divide" is at the heart of the current narrative of American politics, with NYC as the capital of Blue America (and I guess the whole state of Texas being the capital of Red America but there are many contenders for that title I suppose).

But like so many simplistic generalities, this "narrative" is wrong. For NYC isn't really the bastion of liberalism that the media, the conservatives, and the rest of America think it is. And it's not just that we've just elected Republican mayors for the last 20 years (but that's part of it). It's that NYC has become, over the last thirty years, a corporate city, one where corporations and powerful private interests have acquired huge power over our city's government, dictating policies that affect our lives, all while eviscerating public power and crushing the middle while helping the rich.

Let the Free Market rule!

Ad increasingly, since the age of Ed Koch and Ronald Reagan thirty years ago to the time of Mike Bloomberg and George Bush and Barack Obama today, the Free Market has been ruling NYC and controlling its destiny like never before.

Private money has never been more powerful than it is today in NYC. Same is true in other "hotbeds of liberalism" around the country like Chicago and Washington, DC. I could go on here and give example after example of how NYC today is a Corporate City and how it's "liberalism" isn't quite what it seems. But the always great Matt Taibbi and the brilliant David Sirota have written about it in such perfect language that I will simply re-post some of things they said about it here.

First, Taibbi writes about Mayor Bloomberg, the ultimate corporate mayor, and how this incredibly reactionary mayor has thrived in "liberal" NYC for more than a decade:

[Bloomberg] is a billionaire Wall Street creature with an extreme deregulatory bent who has quietly advanced some nastily regressive police policies… but has won over upper-middle-class liberals with his stances on choice and gay marriage and other social issues.

Bloomberg’s main attraction as a politician has been his ability to stick closely to a holy trinity of basic PR principles: bang heavily on black crime, embrace social issues dear to white progressives, and in the remaining working hours give your pals on Wall Street (who can raise any money you need, if you somehow run out of your own) whatever they want.

He understands that as long as you keep muggers and pimps out of the prime shopping areas in the Upper West Side, and make sure to sound the right notes on abortion, stem-cell research, global warming, and the like, you can believably play the role of the wisecracking, good-guy-billionaire Belle of the Ball…

Second, David Sirota notes what Taibbi wrote and also looks at the corporate city as a wider American phenomenon. Sirota writes about how Chicago has privatized its public infrastructure, selling off highways and parking meters to private interests. The big city Democratic mayors have been trying to destroy public employee unions with the same zeal as Republican governors (Chicago again, and Denver). The charter school movement that has been funded by big private interests -- including Wal Mart! -- has spread in "liberal" cities like LA, New Orleans, and DC (which gave us the odious Michelle Rhee, the schools head who wants to destroy every teachers union in America). Many "liberal" cities have been slashing city budgets and reducing public services while refusing to raise taxes on the rich but offering huge public subsidies for stadiums, office buildings, and public/private ventures (always making the argument that this will "create jobs" and "raise tax revenues" for cities -- but almost never doing that in reality and in fact costing these cities money in the long run).

These are corporate cities if there ever were any, and NYC is at the forefront of it. But because our media is so obsessed with cultural issues over economic ones, a city is "liberal" if most of its people support abortion or gay rights or gun control -- not if its leaders are selling their people out to private interests and destroying the public sector. Sirota writes:

Though Taibbi was writing about Bloomberg specifically, his words aptly sum up what the American cityscape has become — yet more scorched earth in the successful assault of Limousine Liberals and Crony Corporatists on Lunch-Pail Liberals and Progressive Populists. In political terms, it represents the broader success of the transpartisan moneyed class in fully redefining “liberal” exclusively as “social-issue liberal” — without regard for economic agenda.

So when you look at Occupy Wall Street you see a movement that is simply angry at money and the corporate state controlling our lives and our destinies -- and it goes beyond any party, any mayor, any city. It goes to the heart of what NYC and America has become -- and it wants to fight back.

A good fight indeed.

Why'd They Call it That?

2011-11-13T14:30:00.000-05:00

In NYC, we have lots of bridges, roads, parks, streets, even whole neighborhoods named after historically important dead people.

But do we know who all of them are? Or were ...

LaGuardia airport is obvious. So is Washington Square. Madison Avenue is named after -- you got it -- James Madison. Lincoln Center? Take a wild guess.

But who was Van Wyck and why does he have a major expressway named after him? Same with Major Deegan. Who was Bruckner? Kosciusco? Who was the Tompkins in Tompkins Square Park?

Did they really name Astoria after the Astor family? (Yes!)

Did you know the Holland Tunnel was named after a guy named Clifford Holland who designed the freakin' thing?

Listen to this segment from Friday's Leonard Lopate show that explores the people named after many of the important structures and parks and areas of this town. It's surprising to find out who some of these people were and some of the arbitrary reasons why certain important things were named for them. (Bruckner, for instance, was a Bronx Borough President who used his mojo to give a major road his monicker.)

More surprising are all of the important people in NYC history who don't have stuff named after them. Like me.

As the saying goes, what's in a name?

NYC on TV

2011-11-13T14:19:00.000-05:00

There have always been a plethora of TV shows set in NYC. From I Love Lucy to All in the Family to The Cosby Show to Seinfeld, from Barney Miller to Night Court to Law and Order, NYC has had many lives and identities on the small screen over the decades. Like the city itself, there have been many different versions of this multifaceted city.

But how realistic are many of these shows? Is the NYC on TV the NYC in reality?

If you watch shows like Law and Order, NYPD Blue or Mad About You, you get a realistic sense of the insanity of life in this town. If you watch shows like Sex and the City or Friends, on the other hand, you get a very unrealistic, fantasy version of it -- NYC as playground, NYC has an ideal, not a place.

Don't take my word for it, however. Or don't let me be the last word. Instead, read this article from The Atlantic that takes a look at the shows set in NYC and determines there "realistic-ness" on a 1 to 5 scale. Some I agree with, some I don't but it's an interesting list and you should give it a look.

Mayor Bloomberg Speaks at Flight 587 10th Anniversary Memorial Service

2011-11-13T14:08:00.000-05:00

Kudos, Props, and Requests

2011-10-25T19:23:00.000-04:00

A lil' bit of blog bid'ness that I hope you, my sweet readers, will pay some sweet attention to.

First, if you check out my right-hand links, you'll see that I made some additions and subtractions. Added some new links, got rid of some dead ones, and re-arranged a few others. Browse and enjoy at your leisure.

Second, I'd like to request my great readers to send me any links to blogs or websites that are NYC-related so that I can add them to the link list too. If you have an NYC blog and would like it linked here, even better! Just click on the Comments and send me the link and, if it's cool, I'll include it here. Any other comments are welcome as well.

Third, I'd just like to thank the over 76 thousand people (and counting) who have stopped by this blog over the last four-plus years. The vast bulk of my readers are from the USA but there's also a strong number of visitors from the UK, Germany, Canada, Russia, the Netherlands, China, France, and the Ukraine. Considering that this blog is about NYC, a big international city, it's great to know that this blog has an international audience.

Keep up the great work!

Happy Birthday George Washington Bridge!

2011-10-25T19:08:00.000-04:00

The GWB turns a grand old eighty years old today.

Looking pretty good for an octogenarian.

Love everything about this structure except the traffic.

Here's to another eight years.

New York Neuroses

2011-10-25T19:03:00.000-04:00

Interesting article that looks very closely at the unique neurosis of NYC. What is it when we talk about "neurotic New Yorkers" exactly? This article attempts to explain why.

Full disclosure: I was actually interviewed for this article last week but my comments, sadly, were left on the cutting room floor. But it was an honored to be consulted and it's a good read nonetheless.

New York Broads

2011-10-23T13:23:00.001-04:00

"There ain't nothing like a dame!"

And there's nothing like New York dames -- or broads -- either.

Take these two very different but very interesting examples.

Liz Smith is probably the greatest gossip columnist in this town's history. She's been practicing her trade for decades (as I've written about here). Recently, Vanity Fair did a great short profile about her and how she's an only in New York kind of gal, how New York has made her what she is today. But she's not originally from here -- oh no, she's from Texas. But when she's a classic New York broad because she came here and conquered, she made this town her own and made her mark. This town may have made her but she also made part of it too. Tough as nails, smart as a whip, a living legend, Liz Smith is one great New York broad.

But New York produces his own great broads too.

Ellen Barkin has a been a prominent actress for almost thirty years. She's made classic movies like Diner, The Big Easy, Sea of Love, and countless others. And this year she won a Tony for the play The Normal Heart. But for all her fame and fortune, Ellen Barkin is and wants the world to know that she's a New Yorker first and last. You must read her hilarious and wild Twitter feed, where this famous actress bills herself simply as "Bronx girl." And boy -- does her Twitter have a Bronx attitude! She's a real talent and a real New York broad.

They don't make 'em like this anywhere else.

Haggerty Verdict

2011-10-23T13:09:00.000-04:00

On the Streets Where They Lived Revisited

2011-10-23T13:06:00.000-04:00

Add this to the culture file for NYC.

As much as we love the arts in NYC, we also love real estate. And hey, artists, they gotta live somewhere right?

Check out this website called Right Here NYC that lists that addresses and sometimes even has pictures of the various homes and apartments where some of the great writers, actors, musicians, and other artists who have lived in NYC over the years.

Where did you Jimmy Cagney grow up?

Where did Greta Garbo live during her reclusive years?

Where did Papa Hemingway live?

You can find out.

Old Friends

2011-10-23T13:01:00.000-04:00

Eric Clapton once wrote a great song called "Old Friends" where you opined:

Hello old friend ... Really good to see you once again ...

Speaking for myself, the greatest friendships are those based on nothing more, nothing less, than mutual affection. Not money, power, opportunism, or anything else -- just good old fashion trust. Those are the friendships that last the test of time, that weather every crises and the changes and vicissitudes of life. True, lasting friendships bow to nothing and no one and truly stands the many tests of time.

That's why it brought a tear to my eye to read this column last week about two Bronx men in their late eighties who have been friends for ... eighty years! They were both born in Ireland and knew each other as children. Both men then migrated to America and had lives here -- but remained friends throughout. Neither man became wealthy or famous but they had good lives as a gravedigger and a transport worker, respectively. Both married, had families, and the two old Irish friends would sometimes vacation in that workers Riviera known as the Rockaways.

It's a beautiful story. An eighty year friendship. And thought they've both lived in America for over 60 years, they still have their old country Irish brogues -- so whenever they speak to each other, they remember where they came from and how far they've come.

Sadly, one of them is dying of cancer and soon they will be parted. But there friendship will endure.

An old man passed me on the street today

I thought I knew him but I couldn't say

I stopped to think if I could place his frame

When he tipped his hat I knew his name

Cultah', cultah', cultah'

2011-10-23T12:46:00.001-04:00

The cultural life of NYC is so massive that there should be a TV show about it.

And now there is!

PBS has a wonderful show called Sunday Arts that explores the various aspects of arts and culture in our fair city -- be it music, dance, opera, theater, art exhibitions, creative profiles, or information about various artistic and cultural institutions and support groups in town. If you, like me, consider yourself a culture junkie and an NYC junkie, then this is the perfect show for you.

Hey, it's PBS so you know it's gotta be classy.

Also, if you love culture and NYC, you probably love ... wine! And PBS has a show about that too: Vine Talk, hosted by the great New York actor Stanley Tucci. Here you get to learn about new wines and see celebrities drink them. How classy is that?

Howard Stern as Clarence Thomas

2011-10-19T19:26:00.000-04:00

Twenty years ago this month, this nation was roiled by the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearings. The former law profession was accusing the Supreme Court nominee of sexual harassment and accusations and counter-accusations flew. Before Lewinsky, before the 2000 recount, before the Iraq War, this was one of those events that helped drive one more wedge into the political culture war that divides America to this day.

Back then, Howard Stern was a mostly local "shock jock" who also had a hilarious TV show on Channel 9 on Saturday nights. He did this incredibly funny, very politically incorrect send-up of Thomas in the summer of 1991 -- a few months before Anita Hill came forward with her allegations. This bit was inspired by the revelation that the very conservative Clarence Thomas has once smoked marijuana -- which Howard then turned into a comedy gold.

Watch this and laugh, and relive some history at the same time. It's Howard at his best.

2011-10-19T19:20:00.000-04:00

Fightin' da' power, knockin' dem boots

2011-10-19T19:19:00.002-04:00

Fighting for change is a wonderful, fulfilling thing to do. It gives meaning to your life and the lives of others.

It's also a really great way to score.

Ever since OWS began, it's not only helped shine a spotlight on the economic injustices of this country -- it's helped a lot of people get laid.

Apparently people are hooking up at OWS like crazy. Bankers, those of the evil 1%, have even been propositioning the hot chicks of the other 99%. Even some rich broads want to bang some of the OWS guys because, I guess, they're "dangerous." Left and right, liberal and conservative, Republican and Democrat, rich and poor -- hey, they all get horny.

And maybe that's the best way to unite these hopelessly divisive times : nookie.

It may be that, very soon, OWS will turned into a huge orgy. And, if it does, I'm sure that OWS will be more popular than ever.

Public Private NYC

2011-10-19T19:12:00.000-04:00

You must listen to this fascinating clip from WNYC today about the public/private spaces in NYC. Did you know that there are over 500 privately owned public spaces in this town?

500!

Oy vey.

Most, not surprisingly, are located in Manhattan but there are a few in the other boroughs. This segment also includes a wonderful clickable map of all of the spaces so you can see exactly where they are.

Thanks to OWS, the issue of privately owned public areas is coming to light.

It's just another one of those endlessly fascinating things about NYC that we should all know about.

Judgment Day!

2011-10-19T19:06:00.001-04:00

No, I'm not talking about the supposed end of the world which, according to that crazy preacher guy, is supposed to happen this Friday (I think it was supposed to happen a few months ago but didn't. Considering this guy's track record, I'm not holding my breath).

No, I'm talking about judgment day for John Haggerty, the Republican Bloomberg aid who provided "ballot security" (otherwise known as voter suppression) in order to help Hizzoner secure his third term. While providing this valuable public service, Mr. Haggerty allegedly stole $1 million of Bloomy's filthy lucre for himself. This has led to a widely publicize trial of Mr. Haggerty as well as a trial by press coverage of the very unethical way that the 2009 election was won. Now the trial is over -- and Mr. Haggerty's judgement day awaits.

While this trial hasn't turned out to be a New York City Watergate -- a full blown scandal that brings down a powerful leader -- it has, like Watergate, exposed the sleazy way that Bloomberg -- that billionaire "I'm not a politician" man of the people -- has gone about acquiring power.

Voter suppression. Money laundering. Legal loopholes. Free lunches to "supporters" to turn out at public hearings about extending term limits. Bribery.

No matter if this guy is convicted or not, it will be a judgment day for Bloomberg of sorts. How his money has corrupted the civic and political life of this town -- and if it will ever be the same again.

Idiot Rides Outside The Subway Car

2011-10-18T19:25:00.001-04:00

Third Time is not a Charm

2011-10-18T19:25:00.000-04:00

I've ranted many a time about how Mayor Bloomberg's third term has basically been a disaster. Now the media is catching up.

Read here.

Happy Anniversary OWS

2011-10-18T19:23:00.000-04:00

What a difference a month makes!

Occupy Wall Street has grown from a curiosity to a media event to a world-wide global phenomenon.

You know it's a real phenomenon when the abbreviation OWS is casually used, since the assumption is that now everyone knows what it is.

And OWS has changed the national debate. shining a huge spotlight on the issues of unemployment, corporate malfeasance, and the gap between rich and poor. OWS has stolen the Tea Party's thunder, with 54% of Americans approving it, and only 24% approving of the tea baggers.

Suck it Republicans!

The most amazing thing: this movement is only a month old. One little month. And considering how big it's become in such a short time, who knows where this could lead?

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

2011-10-16T10:33:00.002-04:00

A few months ago, I blogged about the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens. Believe it or not, NYC has a national park that's even bigger than Central Park, located on a salt water marsh not far from JFK Airport. When I blogged about it, I said that I had never been there but hoped to go. Well, now I've been there and can report that it's really quite amazing. Let my photos speak for themselves:

NYC Leads an American Spring

2011-10-09T17:00:00.002-04:00

Like many great things in America, it began right here in NYC.

A month ago, Wall Street was quiet. The streets of America were quiet. For the American power elite, everything was as it should be. Things were looking up! The political parties they had bought and the government they controlled were duly bending to their will. The hated President Obama's approval ratings were tanking and it seemed like only a matter of time before he would be replaced by their favorite whore, Mitt Romney. The richest 1% and their conservative Tea Party allies -- who only have contempt for the poor, the unemployed, the young, the dispossessed, the unlucky, basically anyone who isn't them -- were on the ascendant and these hated "others" seemed to be withering away. The country was going the power elite's way -- with them owning and controlling everything and the rest of us literally and metaphorically dying. Good times were here again!

Then the streets of NYC came alive and America soon followed.

And the American power elite is freaking out!

It's impossible to guess what the Occupy Wall Street movement will lead to. The American left has a poor track record of grabbing and holding onto political power for very long and affecting huge change. The American right is better at it since they're better financed, better organized, and, in many ways, better motivated. It's easier to get motivated when your afraid of losing something concrete (namely, huge wealth and a privledged position in society) then it is to get motivated about gaining something abstractly better (namely, closing the gap between the rich and poor and a better job). Machiavelli wrote about how the enemies of reform will attack more fiercely than the advocates of reform will fight for their cause since the enemies have a clearer idea of what they'll lose than the advocates have of what they'll gain. This is largely what the power game throughout time has been all about.

But at the moment the other 99% are striking back. The advocates of reform are on the march! They're organizing, making noise, and drawing attention to the grotesque economic disparities in our country and how our government is owned by and operated by the rich few instead of by and for the regular many. The poor and the middle class have done something that they usually have a huge problem doing -- changing the national dialogue, forcing the media to take notice, and scaring the heck out of our bought and paid for government. Right now it's called Occupy Wall Street but it's turning into an American Spring.

Oh, and is the power elite scared! The right wing/Tea Party/Republican Party/Big Media are having a conniption. They're swinging wildly, saying stupid things, unable to comprehend the power of the sleeping giant that's been awoken.

For example, the loathsome Republican Congressman Peter King recently said, "It's a ragtag mob." It even reminds him of protests in the 1960s which he didn't like since "it ended up shaping policy. We can't allow that to happen." I guess Peter King thinks civil rights and ending the Vietnam war were bad things! Such stupid, thoughtful statements are pure gold for Occupy Wall Street and makes Mr. King the epitome of a useful idiot. Keep up the good work Congressman!

The right wing counter attack has already began and hopefully Occupy Wall Street will ready the counter-counter attack -- and hang their opponents with their own words. Mr. King's words are a good start. So are those of pathetic presidential hopeful Herman Cain who said that if people are unemployed and not rich then it's "your fault." Yeah, try running for president saying that. See how many votes you get. Also wonderful is scumbag Congressman Eric Cantor who has called these protestors as "growing mobs" -- mobs that hopefully will turn into voters and will throw the likes of Eric Cantor out of office.

Mayor Bloomberg -- that billionaire-best-friend-of-the working stiff -- has called the protests "ridiculous." He thinks that people being upset about how their government and society is screwed up is just pure silliness. Yes, tell an unemployed person that he or she is silly -- and then count yourself lucky to walk away without a bloody nose.

Even worse is Bloomberg's girlfriend, the supremely arrogant Diana Taylor. Oh, this is one screwy broad. She recently said in an interview that President Obama has "a lot to learn," apparently because he doesn't completely (only mostly) sell his soul to business and has the temerity (again, only somewhat) to care about people who aren't multimillionaires like her. And Ms. Taylor says that she would have run against and beaten Senator Gillibrand last year but just didn't feel like it. See, she didn't just want to be one of 100 senators, that wouldn't be any fun. This kind of elititest, arrogant, "I'm rich so I know better," screw everyone else kind of stuff goes on and on in this interview. And in the end, Ms. Taylor thinks that what's wrong with America is that most Americans are morons. As the brilliant Alex Pareene of Salon writes: "Mayor Bloomberg, partner diagnose what's wrong with America: You."

Yes, you, me, and those Americans outside of the rich elite, those of us without powerful connections, those of us who just want to work for a living and live a nice life without killing our souls, yes -- we're the problem! Someone all of us blew up the economy in 2008 -- not the bankers on Wall Street or their employees in the government who let it happen. And these people wonder why Americans are pissed and what Occupy Wall Street gets bigger and more powerful everyday.

As I've said, I have no idea how Occupy Wall Street will play out politically or if it will change anything. Sadly, big money has a way of shutting down even the most forceful people powered organizations. But hope springs eternal.

In June of this year, I wrote about how happy I was that gay marriage was legalized in New York and how unthinkable this was just a few short years ago. But I also wrote about how the next front in the war for social justice, now that the war on gay people in New York was won, was ending the war on the middle class and the poor. I held out hope then that something might happen on this front, I just didn't know what it might be. Sadly, I had no good ideas myself.

But Occupy Wall Street was just the spark I was looking for, and hopefully it will only continue to get more powerful and, a year from now, affect the elections and government policy. Hopefully something good for the middle class and the poor is coming and enemies of reform will be crushed. The tide is turning on the power elite's war on the rest of us.

Here in the streets of NYC, the battle has been joined.

2011-10-09T15:57:00.000-04:00

Blogging Again Soon

2011-10-09T12:33:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the week long silence -- life has a way of happening to interrupt blogging. However, I'm planning a few new great posts that I hope to get up soon.

Oh, and I plan to have LOTS to say about Occupy Wall Street and the unintentionally hilarious reaction to it. As it always has, history is happening on the streets of NYC -- and this blog plans to be a part of it.

The Bloomberg Way

2011-09-28T19:04:00.000-04:00

Whatever you think about Mayor Bloomberg's tenure, even those who approve of it will confess that he is a supremely arrogant man. He knows best. He's smarter than everyone else. Anyone who dare challenge or criticize him is considered stupid, irrational, and pitiful.

And the people who work for him are exactly the same way.

Right now a fellow named John Haggerty is on trial for allegedly stealing $1 million from Bloomberg 2009 campaign. This Republican operative apparently siphoned off some dough being channeled through the creepy Independence Party so that he could buy a house. Sleazy. And illegal.

So his only defense is to put the Bloomberg way on trial -- to reveal the casual attitude that Bloomberg operatives have to the millions upon millions the billionaire mayor sloshed around to secure victory. Hey, money was everywhere, everyone had their hand out, and I took mine! It's a thin defense at best yet it's all he really has.

But what's even more revealing is how arrogant and mean these people are. Patti Harris, the first Deputy Mayor, earns almost a quarter million dollars a year but also operates Bloomberg's charities. The reptilian Kevin Sheekey, a former Bloomberg Deputy Mayor and campaign manager accuses Democrats of "always" injecting race into political campaigns (maybe because, you know, it's always an issue you scumbag). These people just have no shame.

The Bloomberg way is the art of arrogance. It's the "I know best, screw you" attitude that pervades his administration. It's the highhandedness and disconnected insensitivity that we have to endure from him and his people.

And this is one New Yorker who is sick and tired of the Bloomberg Way. 2013 can't come soon enough.

The Casinos are Coming! The Casinos are Coming!

2011-09-27T19:23:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe. There already here, sorta (they're called "racinos" -- racetrack casinos).

It's yet another way for the state to raise money without raising taxes on the wealthy -- because, you know, we can't do that. Instead, we just need to take suckers for a ride.

Read about it here.

Occupy Wall Street Protesters Maced/Pepper Sprayed by NYPD

2011-09-27T19:17:00.000-04:00

Eat and Drink in Williamsburg

2011-09-25T18:14:00.000-04:00

Continuing with the food themes of today, I would be remiss in not pointing out that, when it comes to eating and drinking in this town, Williamsburg is a world all its own. (I would be remiss in not pointing out that I have personally spent next to no time in Williamsburg. Therefore I am not an expert on food and drink in this 'hood. But that doesn't mean I can't point out to my faithful audience what a great place it is to go to eat, drink, and make merry in). To whit:

The Village Voice has a great article on something called Smorgasburg, an outdoor food festival held every Saturday through November. The article gives some great advice on some of the best food items you can get there -- and man, do they look scrumptious!

Also, yours truly went to a bar recently in Williamsburg called Berry Park. Now I'm not much of a bar hound but, whenever I find one in this town that I like, I feel the need to give it "props." Unlike crampy, noisy bars in Manhattan, Berry Park is a big, open space (I think the building used to be a factory). It has a huge downstairs area and, even better, a great roof deck with a gorgeous view of the Manhattan skyline. They have a great selection of beers and the people who work there are very friendly. There are lots and lots of bars in Williamsburg and I'm sure many others could tell you about other great places but, if you're ever in need of a bar in this neighborhood, you can't go wrong with Berry Park.

Finally, the nation appears to be falling in love with waitresses from Williamsburg. A new show on CBS called 2 Broke Girls appears to be a big hit and it is about ... guess what?

If any of you can know of other great eating and drinking options in Williamsburg, please feel free to share!

Classic Mr NYC

2011-09-25T17:58:00.000-04:00

In the City of New York, there are lots and lots of restaurants.

Of them all, the very best is called Per Se.

Three years ago yours truly go to eat there.

Here is my story.

NYC as City State

2011-09-22T18:49:00.000-04:00

Centuries ago in Europe, many parts of the continent were divided up not into countries but city states. Basically these were politically autonomous regions dominated by a single city that were, for all intensive purposes, countries. Many of these were in Italy: Venice was a city, Florence was a city, for example. There still a few in existence in the world, namely Singapore and Monte Carlo.

What these city states lacked in land and population, they more than made up for in economic power. They were places where their wealth came not from plundering their natural resources but in unleashing their human ingenuity.

New York City is not, technically speaking, a city-state. Heck, we're not even a state in the United States of America! We're a town like any another in this country, at the mercy of a state and the federal government. But New York's economic and cultural power, plus our status as a city where anything and everything is possible, gives our city an international prestige that crosses all domestic and foreign boundaries. The image of New York as a distinct, amazing place makes it almost its own country.

When the terrorists hit us on 9/11, they chose NYC for a reason. It represented the zenith of American economic power -- and they wanted to damage it.

Obviously they failed. And in the decade since then, NYC has only continued to develop as its own kind of country. We see in our nation's government total dysfunction thanks to the corruption of big money, scorched earth politics, and ideology run amok. But in NYC, we have a government that is, for the most part, politically functionally, uncorrupted, and sane. And with an influx of population from around the world, more and more talent floods into our city every day, growing the city's prominence.

Our city is the world -- not just the nation's -- but the world's financial, fashion, publishing, theater, broadcasting, and legal capital. Plus we compete strongly in areas that seem to be the domain of other big cities, namely film and television as well as technology. With so much power, New York can't help but to be see almost as city state. And as the world become only more of a global village, cities matter more than ever -- and NYC, London, Paris, Tokyo, Rio, and others will matter as much if not more so than the countries they are contained in.

A few years ago, I blogged about this phenomenon of NYC as the "international city." Mostly what I write about here in the provincial lives most of us New Yorkers live, or about New York as an idea, a philosophy. But sometimes I look at NYC as a world leader, a city state of sorts. And I was ahead of my time!

A huge article in The Atlantic this week looks at Mayor Bloomberg and NYC as a world leader, a country of its own, very much in the same vein of my blog post from almost three years ago. As the rate of global interdependence speeds up, it will matter as much who is the mayor of these world capitals as much as who is the leader of those nations. The leaders of these cities will wield enormous power not only over their cities but over the global community centered in them. Call it a power shift or a paradigm shift -- in globalization, cities matter now more than ever. In this new world, the city state is rising and NYC is, as always at the forefront of an important change.

Faceoff at 55 Wall St.

2011-09-22T18:00:00.000-04:00

End of the Parking Meter

2011-09-22T17:59:00.000-04:00

Those upside down, bulbous metal posts that line our streets -- called parking meters -- are withering on the urban vine. The last one was officially removed on Monday and the plan is to remove them city-wide very soon. In their place, we will have Muni-meters, boxes where you can use coins, dollars, debits or credit cards, that will print out a small ticket that you then display in your car's windshield.

Yet another sign o' our times.

As I opine on here often, the city is changing before our eyes in ways big and small, and in ways we could never have imagined a few years ago. Parking meters were one of those things that were just ... there ... as though they'd always been there and would also be there ... as though they'd grown naturally out of the asphalt.

No they are no more. The only place you'll be able to see them soon will be in museums. We'll be telling our grandchildren about them and they'll have no idea what we're talking about.

So farewell parking meters -- you had a great run taking our money and forcing us to look for coins. You'll always have a small place in my heart ... even if it's for no good reason why.

The Mystery of Marble Hill

2011-09-19T20:34:00.001-04:00

When you live in NYC, you don't so much live in a big city as in a small city -- one of the 300 or so small cities that make up NYC. With the exception of Greenwich Village and Long Island City, we call these small cities "neighborhoods."

Many of our neighborhoods have distinct identities, the very name of which conjure up different ideas of what NYC is: think Soho, Astoria, Park Slope, Riverdale, the South Bronx, the Upper East or Wide Sides, Bay Ridge. Lots of New Yorkers identify as much with their neighborhoods as with the city as a whole. The neighborhood makes the New Yorker, or so you might say.

So what do you do if your neighborhood has an identity crises?

For once, I'm not talking about gentrification or the gutting of middle-class edgy New York for the blandness of rich New York. I'm talking about a specific neighborhood that, depending on who you talk to and depending on what map your looking at, doesn't know which borough it belongs to! It is betwixt and between, an orphaned neighborhood.

Welcome to Marble Hill. This neighborhood is tiny and, physically, is part of the Bronx. It's right across the river from the northern tip of Manhattan. It has a Bronx area code, a Bronx zip code, it is serviced by the Bronx. As what borough they live in, most Marble Hillers will say that they live in the Bronx. But it's not part of the Bronx! Legally, it's part of Manhattan. If you look at a map of NYC, you'll see a little slice of the Bronx cut-out. People who live in the Bronx are forced to go all the way downtown to serve on jury duty. They vote for the Manhattan DA and Borough President and Manhattan City Council members.

But here's where it gets really weird: there are literally buildings and schools that fall into both the Bronx and Manhattan. There are businesses that also straddle both boroughs. It's truly bizarre -- and gets legally and politically complicated.

So how did it end up this way? Because more than a century ago a small river ran around this area and it was claimed by Manhattan. But then the river was filled in and it became landlocked. And yet, legally, it was stayed in Manhattan.

There are some people who want to change this and it probably should just be absorbed into the Bronx. But in the meantime, let's celebrate this neighborhood that belongs to two boroughs -- just another example of keeping NYC interesting.

History Down the Block

2011-09-18T13:21:00.000-04:00

When you walk down the streets in NYC, you're really walking through history.

I'm not just talking about the historic sights or tourist attractions. I'm not talking about passing great buildings like the Empire State or places like Fraunces Tavern. I'm talking about the homes and businesses that make up our neighborhoods, and the people and families that live and have lived there, sometimes for generations. Together they tell the story of our city.

And that history surrounds us -- and we interact with it daily.

I've lived in two neighborhoods in NYC -- Morningside Heights and Astoria -- and in both there are people who have lived there for decades, if not all there lives. They remember the old stores, the old buildings. They remember when there was a movie theater on that corner, a fish store on that. I remember the old mom and pop drugstore that sadly went out of business -- replaced by the chain drugstores. But I'm heartened that Chinese laundry that opened in the 1950s is still there.

And there are still some of these old businesses hanging on in our city. In this era of chain stores, franchises, and mega-marts, these are defiant stand-outs that have managed to survive the corporate onslaught. A great article today looks at how some of these small businesses have hung on while the neighborhoods they exist in have changed -- some for the better, some for the worse -- but how they have all kept the history of their neighborhoods alive. We should be thankful and grateful that they have.

Of course, nothing lasts forever. Some day all of these businesses will be gone. History will be replaced with more history (hey, even Borders is going out of business so not even the big stores are immune).

Of course, nothing lasts forever. Some day, all of these businesses will gone. For example, the original Ray's pizza is closing in Little Italy. Not the Original Ray's Pizza or Ray's Original Pizza or any of the countless Ray's knock-offs -- no, the original Ray's Pizza that's been a hallmark of its neighborhood since 1959. This was an iconic pizza shop, a place where New Yorkers of all stripes went to get a slice. No more. On September 25, it will close. And a little bit of NYC's history will be lost.

Riots in the Streets! So says our mayor

2011-09-18T11:13:00.000-04:00

On the Street where George Carlin Lived ...

2011-09-15T18:55:00.000-04:00

Many a time on this blog, I have quoted and paid tribute to the brilliant, late comedian George Carlin. He was a legendary comedian, pushing social boundaries that most of us didn't even know existed, saying things most of us would never dare even to think about let along say out loud.

His place in history was secured in the 1970s when his "Seven Dirty Words" monologue challenged FCC guidelines that ended up in a Supreme Court case, and then in 1975 he was the very first host of "Saturday Night Live." Over the decades he influenced and inspired every comedian who came after him and his insights on the insanity of American life made him the Mark Twain of his time (in fact Carlin was posthumously awarded the Mark Twain Prize for comedy).

Carlin was an American original -- and a native New Yorker.

Best of all, he grew up in Morningside Heights -- my neighborhood! (I've only mentioned that on this blog a couple million times.) Now there is an effort underway to rename a part of 121st street, the street where Carlin lived on Morningside Drive, after the late genius. This effort is, not surprisingly, something that Carlin would have mocked and pointless vanity. But his daughter Kelli is supporting this drive and so are many others. Thus far, almost 3,500 people have signed this petition, including yours truly. It is a petition to Community Board 9 in Morningside Heights, formally requesting that this name change be considered. And I greatly encourage all of my readers all over the world to sign this petition as well.

Oh, and while some might thing this re-name is a bit silly, consider this: Carlin was a life long, avowed atheist and yet he grew up, as all of us Morningside Heights natives did, in the shadow of Riverside Church. So a street bearing the name of an infamous atheist just down the block from a house of worship has a certain irony to it -- and it's something that I'm sure the great one would have approved of.

Sign it now!

On the streets where they lived

2011-09-14T20:14:00.001-04:00

In the early 1940s, the world was changing. Like now, it was a crazy time.

We were at war. We were coming out of the depression. America was still reeling from the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the death camps in Europe were still a secret. One of our greatest presidents, FDR, was in office as was one of NYC's greatest mayors, Fiorello LaGuardia. For everyone in NYC and around the world, life was at a crossroads.

But then, as now, life still went on.

Vendors sold hotdogs, people drank in bars, children played in the streets, and ships came into port. The routines of life and economy were and are perennial.

Between 1938 and 1969, a photographer from Indiana named Charles Cushman came to NYC many times and took some of the best photos of this city that you could ever hope to see. He had a beautiful Kodachrome camera -- which took lush color photographs -- and he took lots of them.

This article contains some of the Cushman's best photos of NYC in 1941 and 1942. You have to see them to believe them, they are truly breathtaking. You can also see more of the other NYC pics he took on a Flicker page here. They're really amazing.

The 9/11 Windfall

2011-09-13T19:42:00.000-04:00

Fascinating article in the Village Voice about people who have literally profited over the last decade from 9/11. What was tragedy and heartbreak for many became filthy lucre for some.

Our former mayor is the most famous example of 9/11 profiteering (he apparently is now worth $52 million -- wow!). But this exploitation of tragedy for profit goes way beyond him and includes companies that have gotten sketchy tax breaks to move to downtown Manhattan, "witnesses" to the attack who has gone on the lecture circuit, and the abuse of government contracts by shady security companies. There's also a myriad of strange "charities" and "non-profits" that have raised money off the attacks in order to "help" the victims, etc. It's been quite a cash cow.

Oh, and did you know that the 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero is not a national memorial? No, it's a private, profit-making enterprise. And the people who run it are earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year! There's even, I kid you not, 9/11 wine. Yes, you read that right.

The greatest tragedy in our nation's history has become a big business for many. Some people are evening calling it blood money -- but I'm not quite prepared to go that far.

Still, it's a tribute to the unending power of greed. The lust for money is never sated. Even this great tragedy was seen by many as a chance to cash in. These people aren't doing anything illegal (well, as far as we know), they just have no sense of decency and see everything as an opportunity to wheel and deal and make a quick buck. Hey, it's the American way.

Politics ain't beanbag

2011-09-13T19:23:00.000-04:00

There's a special election for Congress in Brooklyn and Queens today. The polls close in less than two hours. It's a very conservative district and it'll probably go Republican tonight. That would be awful for NYC and America but these are crazy times. After all, a Democrat won a special congressional election in upstate New York this past May for a seat that had been Republican for eons. So anything is possible these days.

These days, what's up is down and what's down is up. Everything's a mess.

The race is between Democrat David Weprin, who has proven to be a lousy candidate, and Republican Bob Turner, your typical Tea Party scumbag. This race basically comes down to this: the district is very old, very conservative, very religious, and very racist. Therefore they hate President Obama. So they think that by voting for this Republican they'll hurt and embarrass the president. Simple as that.

And, wouldn't ya know, the filthy Republicans are up to their usual dirty tricks. Apparently the Turner campaign is jamming the Weprin campaign's phonez and now the Turner campaign has -- ready for this? -- "served papers" on the Weprin campaign challenging the election results -- and the polls haven't even closed yet! So the narrative the Republicans are trying to set up is this: if we win, great; if we lose, it was voter fraud. Republicans have always been sore losers and now they're sore winners! Scary.

But if the Democrats lose this one, they'll have no one to blame but themselves. They ran a lousy candidate and a lousy campaign. Weprin failed to effectively show what a lying fraud Turner and Weprin made gaffe after gaffe. The good news is that this district is probably not going to exist after next year so, whoever wins, he'll have a short career in congress. And that's the only good thing about this awful, miserable election.

Bloomberg on Curb Your Enthusiasm

2011-09-12T20:50:00.000-04:00

Mr NYC Looks Back

2011-09-11T10:17:00.001-04:00

If you'd like a to look back at how 9/11 has been remembered or referenced on this blog, please click on this link and you'll find a variety of posts over the years. I hope they shed some light -- and boost our sorely sad spirits on this day.

National Sept. 11 Memorial: A Look Back

2011-09-11T10:14:00.000-04:00

The Arrogance of Power

2011-09-04T18:17:00.000-04:00

Mayor Bloomberg has managed to avoid most of the ugly, petty scandals that dog so many politicians. His money and popularity, for years, kept him above reproach. But his popularity has plummeted and his share of problems have increased (Cathie Black, the snowstorm, City Time, etc.). Now, for the first time in his decade in power, Bloomberg's has been revealed to be just another politician.

Last month, Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith resigned, allegedly because he wanted to go back into the private sector and because he was ill-suited for the job. He is widely blamed for screwing up the December snowstorm response and he seemed more interested in fancy ideas instead of the nuts and bolts of governing. So when he resigned it was shrugged off by Bloomberg and the press as, "Oh well, it seemed like a good idea at the time but it just didn't work out."

But that wasn't true.

Turns out, Goldsmith resigned because he was arrested in DC in July for domestic violence. Now that's bad but what made it worse was that Bloomberg covered it up! He lied to the public at the time, said basically, "The guy's resigning because he's unhappy in the job and we don't like him anymore." Bloomberg NEVER revealed the real reason and it dribbled out in the most sleazy manor.

And what's Bloomberg's response now that scandal has been revealed? Total indifference. He basically says "Oh, I didn't want to embarrass the guy so that's why I didn't reveal it. But I liked him and would have kept him in the job anyway." Bloomberg flunked the basic lesson of Political Scandal 101: it's not the crime but the cover-up. Had he just said at the time the real reason why Goldsmith resigned, then there would be no scandal. It would be out he goes and that's the end of it. Shameful.

This shows you who Mike Bloomberg really is at his core. He is supremely arrogant man. And this is the arrogance of power in action: protecting your friends, and yourself by extension, by deceiving everyone else. It's wrong -- and our mayor should be ashamed of himself.

Au Revoir NY Press

2011-08-31T21:26:00.000-04:00

I'm a little late in blogging about this but a week ago today the last issue of the NY Press was published.

I'm sure your shrug of shoulders or your "What's the NY Press?" thought is one of the reasons why it's gone under. The era of free "alternative" weekly newspapers is so very twentieth century. In this media age, such papers are dinosaurs. That asteroid called the Internet came crashing down and eradicated its kind.

Boo-hoo.

Personally I'm not that sad. Actually, I'm kind of happy about it. I know on this blog that I rant about how depressed I am whenever anything in this city closes or disappears -- bits and pieces of old NYC going away -- but this case is an exception. First, the NY Press was not a great, or even a particularly good, newspaper. It was little better than a college newspaper and, compared to some college papers that I've read, even worse. So this is no great loss to the culture. Second, I sent them an article several months ago, hoping they'd run it, but they never did. It wasn't any worse than most of the stuff they put out so I don't know why they chose never to run it, and I never got an explanation (not that this was any great loss to the culture either). So I'm glad that whoever chose not to run it is probably out of a job. Obviously it'll never run now but I wasn't holding my breath anyway.

However, putting my feelings aside, the NY Press did have a pretty good run (1988-2011). Twenty-three years for any publication to last ain't bad, particularly in an expensive and crazy media environment like NYC (it was around almost as long as The Phantom of the Opera).

The newspaper began as a New Journalism-contrarian-conservative-mean spirited "alternative" to the "alternative" Village Voice. No liberal pansies them -- oh no, they were "real Americans" giving it to NYC "straight." Needless to say, their glory years were the 1990s when Bill Clinton was president and they loved, loved, loved savaging the otherwise popular in NYC commander-in-chief. Like all good conservatives, the paper was also totally hypocritical too -- when they weren't screaming about liberals undermining "traditional values," they were publishing graphic articles on sex and running ads for escort agencies.

Sadly for them, however, the 2000s brought tougher times. The presidency of their much beloved George W Bush turned into a disaster -- it was one thing to attack a president they hated but it was another thing to have to defend a president everyone else hated -- thus exposing the bankruptcy of the conservative ideology they had been peddling all those years (which I'm sure disillusioned their readers). Their best sex writers left. The economy sucked. The founder and owner Russ Smith eventually had to sell the paper and the new owners had no vision, no plan to keep it relevant in the Internet age. Worst of all, the NY Press was one of those papers under constant crises -- writers and editors were constantly coming and going, they had feuds with one another that went public; it got vicious. Then the money ran out.

And the rest is history.

So au revoir NY Press. You're a victim of circumstance. You're not the first and certainly won't be the last to bear the brunt of these tough times. But I'll admit it -- the only thing that makes me sad about your closure is that you're not taking the New York Post with you.

The 9/11 Decade

2011-08-31T20:49:00.000-04:00

"There's nothing intelligent to say about a massacre." -- Kurt Vonnegut

Ain't that the truth. The proliferation of words, words, words -- to steal from Shakespeare -- eventually drench and make muddy whatever meaning they are meant to convey.

The banality, senselessness, pure stupidity of great evil acts speak for themselves.

So is the case with 9/11. In the years since the event that changed the world, billions of words have been written about what it meant then (tragedy, national unity), what it led to (war, divisiveness, neo-McCarthyism, etc.) and what it means now (who knows?). But who knows what any of it means?

That is why I applaud New York Magazine for it's 9/11 Encyclopedia. It takes the tragedy and breaks it down -- person by person, event by event, issue by issue, controversy by controversy -- and gives snippets about each while, at the same time, not bombarding the readers with psychologising. Instead, it's just the facts -- and it lets the readers find the meaning of 9/11 for themselves.

Kurt Vonnegut would be proud.

Classic Mr NYC

2011-08-30T19:16:00.000-04:00

Remember Seinfeld?

Of course you do. Even more than a decade after it went off the air, you can still hear New Yorkers quote their favorite lines to one another. Its spirit will never die.

So it was more than appropriate that, back in 2007, one of this blog's first interviews was with Kenny Kramer, the real life man behind the legend.

You can read it here -- and one or two things that the real Kramer reveals will surprise you.

Hurricane Irene in NYC

2011-08-29T18:26:00.000-04:00

It's over

2011-08-28T15:18:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Irene has come and gone. Now NYC goes through the process of assessing the damage, pumping out as much of the water as possible, and getting back to normal.

I don't know what it was like overnight but, from our vantage point, the storm didn't seem all that fierce. There were certainly some heavy winds and rain but nothing that seemed life threatening. I heard some reports about power outages and such, but apparently there was nothing massive.

Last night, around 9 PM, I went out in my neighborhood to see what was going on. It was raining and windy but nothing severe. However, you could feel a weird vibe in the air -- people were waiting, scared, nervous, even exciting -- everyone wondering what the impact of this hurricane would be. There were some people on the streets but not a lot, some businesses were closed but most that would be open at that hour were open -- bars, laundromats, even a burger place (that had a sign in the window that said "Don't be a bitch, Irene -- which I'm sure hurt the storm's feelings). By the time I got home I had a feeling that everything would be alright -- and, so far, it seems to have been.

Anyway, the great storm of 2011 has come and gone. We live to tell the tale. Sadly, however, mass transit is still suspended so many of us might be stuck into tomorrow. Go here to find out what the status of your subway and bus lines is. Hopefully, by tomorrow, everything will be back to normal.

Come on, Irene

2011-08-27T17:15:00.000-04:00

Actually, please don't.

But it will anyway. Yes, Hurricane Irene has made landfall, currently battering North Carolina and Virginia and is, at this moment, headed towards NYC. Tropical storms will be beginning soon and, tomorrow morning, the hurricane itself hits the city. Yikes.

Millions of fingers are crossed around town that somehow this storm will be blow east at the last minute and spare us -- or, at least, spare us the worst of it. But at the moment that seems unlikely. Right now the wife and I are hunkered down, with food and flashlights and drinking water to spare. Also, we have a good-old fashioned Walkman and emergency radio on hand. Let's hope we won't need any of this stuff. We shall see.

The state and city governments are, at the moment, currently going crazy trying to prepare the city and evacuate people for this thing. Sadly, some nudniks are staying put, insisting that the storm won't be that bad and that they'll just ride it out. Let's just hope they're right -- but I don't think so.

Remember: only call 911 for emergencies. For any other stuff, call 311.

Also, check the right-side of this blog for links to the state, city, and federal governments for more info. (I knew when I put them there four-plus years ago they'd come in handy one day. Go me.)

Obviously you should keep watching NY1 or listening to the radio for updates. Mayor Bloomberg and other officials are doing a good job keeping the city informed about what's going on. I'll try to jump on here as often as possible and, once the storm is over, I'll certainly blog again. In the meantime, stay safe, stay dry, stay sane; let's prepare for the best and hope for the best (or wait, for a moment I thought I was Georg W. Bush -- I mean ... you know ... you know what I mean).

The creepiest local 1980s ad you'll ever see

2011-08-27T16:56:00.000-04:00

Earthquake!

2011-08-23T15:39:00.000-04:00

About an hour and a half ago, NYC felt a tremor from the earthquake in Virginia that sent a ripple up and down the East Coast.

People were scared!

Buildings were evacuated!

The mayor went on TV!

It was a really doozy!

Actually it wasn't. It was more like a big sway. The Big Sway of 2011. After about 45 minutes calm was restored. Heck, the subways didn't even stop running -- and considering that the subways get snarled the moment a drop of rain touches it, you know it really wasn't that big a deal.

So all in all, the earthquake here in NYC wasn't all that, you know, earth shaking.

Peacock Flies Back to NYC Zoo

2011-08-09T17:58:00.000-04:00

Views from the High Line - Friday, August 5, 2011

2011-08-07T14:20:00.001-04:00

Hugh Carey RIP

2011-08-07T13:54:00.000-04:00

Word today that former New York State Governor Hugh Carey has died at age 92. Carey is regarded by many as one of the best governors of the modern era, saving the state and New York City from the fiscal crises of the 1970s. He was an adroit politician, negotiating and cutting deals that kept NYC from going bankrupt.

Last year, when the dysfunction in Albany was at its highest, I opined on this blog about how this state needed a Hugh Carey now more than ever. Well, we got Andrew Cuomo so perhaps out prayers were answered. We shall see.

Reading about his career, I'm struck at how people like Carey couldn't get elected today. He was not flashy or exciting. He wasn't born to great wealth or into a political dynasty. He wasn't a party machine hack. He was just a public servant to wanted to serve. And his record of service was outstanding.

Most of all, Carey failed the "guy I'd want to have a beer with test." He was a very odd person, fathering lots of children, married a very creepy woman for his second marriage, and eventually alienating all of his friends and allies. He was downright weird and, after he left office, faded from the public eye. Carey was all too human but he saved this city. And for that we should be eternally grateful.

New York Then and Now

2011-08-06T14:22:00.000-04:00

Recently on WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show (although they had guests hosts this past week) there were two very interesting segments about our dear city.

The first was on, of all things, the typography of the subway system. All of our subways signs have the same font: Helvetica. Yes, good old Helvetica, known in the world of typography as the font to end all fonts, the ultimate font. There was actually a very good documentary a few years ago about this very font called ... drum roll, please ... Helvetica. You should listen to the segment and then see the movie. You'll never look at a subway sign in this city again quite the same way.

Next up: the Roaring Twenties! NYC in the 1920s was a crazy fun time. It was also a transformative era. The War to End All Wars (also known as The Great War and eventually World War I) had just ended, and America -- especially NYC -- was ready to party. Problem: booze had just become illegal. Prohibition. But the economy was booming and the Charleston was the rage and folks wanted to drink. Thus the rise of organized crime, the Mafia, which provided the booze and broads and all the fun -- and for which American society has paid a terrible price. Another legacy of the 1920s: the rise of the mass media. Radio. Movies. Gossip columns. Neon lights. The city we live in today was shaped in the 1920s so you should definitely check this segment out.

Mr NYC

Jorge Posada Reties a Yankee

Should Ray Kelly Resign?

Woody and Marty get Nominated

New Yorkers are rude? Getouttahere!!!!

*MUST SEE* 2012 NFC Championship: Giants vs. 49ers Highlights [HD]

Scandal! Society! Real Estate!

Memo from NYC

Occupy Wall Street: The Collector's Edition

S**t New Yorkers Say

And then there were four ...

Once more into the breach ... of contract

A Giants Bet

Dolan named Cardinal

NYC in 2012

Lynn Samuels RIP

Happy New Year NYC

Livin' Long Enough for the City

Mr NYC is a Daddy

Classic Mr NYC

Re-Imagine NYC?

Mitt takes Manhattan

City Talk: Pete Hamill, author, "Tabloid City" Part 1

City Talk: Pete Hamill, author, "Tabloid City" Part 2

The Halloran Files

Gotta Love New Yorkers

Christmas NYC

The Madoff Legacy

Cuomo, Legislature agree on middle class tax cuts

Sleeping on the Subway

Transit Tidbits

Memo from NYC

Mayor Bloomberg Thinks He's a Sovereign with His Own Army

Jim Henson's Fantastic World

They come, they see ... they spend money

How the 1% Lives

Thanksgiving Day Parade 2011 Balloon Preview

Classic Mr NYC

An Underground Park?

Robert Moses Redux?

Henry Rollins Letter to Woody Allen

Woody Allen: An American Master

A Madoff Speaks!

Garbo Walks!

Scenes from Occupy Wall Street in Exile

Riot Police Clear Out Occupy Wall Street Camp - Nov. 15th

The Corporate City

Why'd They Call it That?

NYC on TV

Mayor Bloomberg Speaks at Flight 587 10th Anniversary Memorial Service

Kudos, Props, and Requests

Happy Birthday George Washington Bridge!

New York Neuroses

New York Broads

Haggerty Verdict

On the Streets Where They Lived Revisited

Old Friends

Cultah', cultah', cultah'

Howard Stern as Clarence Thomas

Fightin' da' power, knockin' dem boots

Public Private NYC

Judgment Day!

Idiot Rides Outside The Subway Car

Third Time is not a Charm

Happy Anniversary OWS

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

NYC Leads an American Spring

Blogging Again Soon

The Bloomberg Way

The Casinos are Coming! The Casinos are Coming!

Occupy Wall Street Protesters Maced/Pepper Sprayed by NYPD

Eat and Drink in Williamsburg

Classic Mr NYC

NYC as City State

Faceoff at 55 Wall St.

End of the Parking Meter

The Mystery of Marble Hill

History Down the Block

Riots in the Streets! So says our mayor

On the Street where George Carlin Lived ...

MUST SEE 2012 NFC Championship: Giants vs. 49ers Highlights [HD]