Classic Mr NYC

Over the years I've blogged A LOT about the various islands that make up the archipelago of NYC. In fact, my coverage of this great topic has been exhaustive as can be seen here.

Well, as usual, Mr NYC  was ahead of his time because New York Magazine has just released a huuuuge article about the various islands of NYC -- complete with histories of each, pictures, and video. It's a great, deep dive that makes you look at NYC in a new way.

Just proud I thought of it first!

(Some) Justice for Eric Garner

31 Desbrosses Street

In NYC, quite literally, there's history around every corner.

Every block, every acre, every inch of this town has a unique and fascinating story all its own, stories that relate to each other (obviously, since they're all in the same town) but also separately because there are so many areas, so many neighborhoods, so many spots, where combinations of people -- businesspeople, community leaders and concerned citizens, elected and government officials along with societal trends, market forces, political decisions, and Mother Nature herself -- shape and re-shape and re-shape them over the years, decades, centuries and millennia.

Volumes could be written about the history of each square mile of NYC.

And one was! A man who grew up at 31 Desbrosses Street in Tribeca wrote a fascinating story about the history of that street and that building going all the way back to the time before Man. It's a fascinating microcosm, a historical thimble, about one place that tell the greater history of NYC and America. It's what you might call the ultimate deep-dive into the ground of NYC.

You should read this article and also listen to the author's interview with Alec Baldwin on his podcast. You'll learn ever more things about this city, thing you never knew you wanted to know.

Searching for Mojo

Sincere apologies for the lack of blogging, my job/life has gotten extra busy lately -- in a good way, but still time and energy consming. Also, quite frankly, there hasn't been anything especially too fun blog about -- Jeffrey Epstein, the vile summer weather, and the current socio-political environment is so depressing that it's killed by mojo.

But I'm going on vacation soon and Fall is Coming so hopefully the mojo -- and more frequent blogging -- will return!

Also, this (this man, the bro of the Guv, sure has his mojo!):

"The Irishman": Coming to Netflix

Hal Prince RIP

Legendary Broadway director Hal Prince has died at the age of 91. You might say he didn't just write a chapter but several chapters in the history of the Great White Way.

What shows did he direct? 

Caberet, Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Evita, Fiddler on the Roof, and, oh yes, The Phantom of the Opera -- amongst many others. 

If he had only directed one or two of those show he'd be fondly remembered but a run like that is probably unmatched in the history of musical theater. Hal Prince made Broadway, this city, and our culture a richer place. What a legacy.

Throwback Thursday: A Hebrew Proposal 1993 -- FUNNY S%^T!

Kurt Andersen on WTF and Mr NYC

More than a decade ago the writer and broadcaster Kurt Andersen did an interview for this blog. A native of Omaha, he came to NYC in the 1970s and became a real success story -- he worked as a journalist, co-founded the groundbreaking satirical Spy magazine with Graydon Carter, and wrote books. He has also hosted the very popular public radio show Studio 360 for a long time now.

Recently Kurt made a great appearance on Marc Maron's WTF podcast and it's worth a listen. Several of the things he talks about in the podcast he talked about in his interview with Mr NYC more than a decade go. It feels so good to be a forerunner. 

The Mystery of the NYC In'N'Out Street Burger

"Friends" @ 25

This fall marks the 25th anniversary since the premiere of Friends, the eternally popular sitcom about six wise-cracking vaguely beautifully people who live in a vague-like NYC and who all seem vaguely to be in their twenties and thirties.

I remember watching the very first episode the night it premiered so the fact that it's not a quarter-of-a-century old makes me feel, well, old as F. 

Friends was a great show but not a great NYC show -- the city existed merely as literal window-dressing, none of the characters looked or acted like real New Yorkers, they lived in apartments they couldn't have possibly afforded, and the show barely seemed to even acknowledge the city at all. Honestly, they should have just set the show in LA -- it would have been more accurate.

That hasn't stopped some people in this city from cashing in on the Friends NYC connection -- this fall there will be a "pop up experience" in SoHo that recreates the world of the show -- Central Perk, the apartment, the whole thing. If you want to part with your money for this, be my guess. And if you feel later on that you were gypped ...

... I'll be there for you.