Sunday dawns bright and cool, a perfect day to take advantage of the free Flatiron district walking tour sponsored by the Flatiron and 23rd Street Business Improvement District. It is a pleasant walk up Broadway from my apartment on 13th Street, and I join the tour group at the foot of a bronze sculpture of William Seward.
The group today is a diverse mix of elderly European tourists, students and young couples taking advantage of the sunshine. Our guide, a burly man with a steel-wool beard, greets us by holding up a postcard depicting a scene from 1908 and asking us to imagine the two ladies strolling down the street on a sunny day like this one. I try, but get distracted by the industrial truck parked where a hansom cab once sat.
Standing on a little traffic island in the middle of Broadway, our guide points out the original site of Delmonico’s restaurant, the gastronomic birthplace of Lobster Newberg, Baked Alaska and Eggs Benedict. As he describes waiters carrying dinners across Broadway to millionaire Leonard Jerome’s mansion on 24th Street, a young man rushes by with a cart of frozen dumplings. I watch a man feed a proliferation of pigeons, and learn about a sculpture of Chester Arthur, who became President after James Garfield was shot, earning the unflattering nickname of “His Accidency.”
Our tour circles Madison Square Park and ends under a tree in the park, where our guide says Gouverneur Morris once stood and devised the layout of New York City. Standing by some construction workers, Morris was inspired by the grid-like shadow cast by the sun shining on an abandoned sand sifter. There are no construction workers here today, but there is plenty of sun and a sand pit, where children play and impatient New Yorkers wait in a line that snakes around the park to the Shake Shack. After the tour, I debate joining the queue; all that talk about Baked Alaska has made me hungry for a milkshake.
Showing posts with label people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label people. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
election day in the flatiron.
The financial crisis has dominated headlines lately, but economic worries weren't the main issue for Flatiron retailers and customers this Election Day. "Business has been slightly slower than usual, but that's not my main focus in this election," Jlee Maldonado, 26, who works at Alma Salon and Spa on East 21st Street and voted for Obama, said. "My family is thinking about healthcare and education. I want to see the end of the war."
Obama's foreign policy was the deciding factor for Roseline Dipty, 28, a manager at the Universal Force Healing Center. However, the economic issue played a small role in her decision. "McCain's tax cuts just seem like what we're already seeing with Bush," she said. "Obama seems more focused on helping individuals, not corporations."
Hilda Davis, 51, who headed to the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park after voting, echoed Dipty's sentiments. "Obama just seems like he will create more jobs for regular people," she said.
But most agree that the economic issue isn't at the forefront of the election. Monica Gmochowska, a financial controller at Full Picture, one of the many Flatiron public relations firms, hasn't seen much change in business recently. She also doesn't think that the candidates' economic policies really matter. "Economic stimulus isn't so much about who the President is, but about Congress's actions. Bills have to pass the House and Senate first," she said.
Others were swayed by simpler reasons. "I have more good feelings about McCain," Amy Nelson, 21, a salesgirl at the East 20th Street pet boutique Trixie+Peanut, said. "I voted mostly on intuition."
Obama's foreign policy was the deciding factor for Roseline Dipty, 28, a manager at the Universal Force Healing Center. However, the economic issue played a small role in her decision. "McCain's tax cuts just seem like what we're already seeing with Bush," she said. "Obama seems more focused on helping individuals, not corporations."
Hilda Davis, 51, who headed to the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park after voting, echoed Dipty's sentiments. "Obama just seems like he will create more jobs for regular people," she said.
But most agree that the economic issue isn't at the forefront of the election. Monica Gmochowska, a financial controller at Full Picture, one of the many Flatiron public relations firms, hasn't seen much change in business recently. She also doesn't think that the candidates' economic policies really matter. "Economic stimulus isn't so much about who the President is, but about Congress's actions. Bills have to pass the House and Senate first," she said.
Others were swayed by simpler reasons. "I have more good feelings about McCain," Amy Nelson, 21, a salesgirl at the East 20th Street pet boutique Trixie+Peanut, said. "I voted mostly on intuition."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
modern heroes.
This Halloween, we’ll see the requisite superhero-wannabes roaming the streets, clad in their Batman or Superman costumes.
On Sept. 11, we saw real superheroes, in the form of police officers and firefighters, wading through the ash-covered rubble.
Seven years later, you can still find heroes by Ground Zero. Only today, they’re clad in blue track jackets – they are the volunteers at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center.
Where so many have (understandably) tried to move on with their lives and wipe out the memory of the acrid smell and black dust, these men and women dare to remember. They rehash their memories and experiences every day to help educate and inform others about Sept. 11.
If you think this doesn’t sound too daunting, think again. My journalism class went on one such tour this week, and as we listened to tour guide John Henderson describe the impact of the crash, looking at pictures of the destruction, and hearing the stories of the 2751 people who were murdered that day, it was hard not to tear up. And that’s just my reaction – and I was 12 and living in Singapore at the time, as far removed from the tragedy as anyone could be.
Henderson, on the other hand, was here, a little way uptown in Washington Square Park that morning. And now he shares with a dozen strangers memories that are obviously still fresh in his mind. “You have to read what’s on that panel over there,” he said during the tour, referring to a transcript of a voicemail message from a passenger on Flight 11 to his wife. “I can’t, because if I do, I’ll start crying in front of you and then I’ll feel silly.”
It must take a certain amount of emotional strength to do this job day after day. “There are people here who I give tours with and you can see their health deteriorating,” said Manny Papir, a volunteer docent and 9/11 survivor.
Henderson has volunteered at the Center since 2002. “People always ask me why I do this,” he said, counting off on his fingers. “One: It’s important. Two: I want it done right. Three: If you want something done right, do it yourself.”
“There’s always something you can do,” he reiterated, sounding not unlike Albert lecturing Batman to do his civic duty. “My wife is a hospice worker; she works with dying people. I couldn’t do that. But this? This, I can do.”
On Sept. 11, we saw real superheroes, in the form of police officers and firefighters, wading through the ash-covered rubble.
Seven years later, you can still find heroes by Ground Zero. Only today, they’re clad in blue track jackets – they are the volunteers at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center.
Where so many have (understandably) tried to move on with their lives and wipe out the memory of the acrid smell and black dust, these men and women dare to remember. They rehash their memories and experiences every day to help educate and inform others about Sept. 11.
If you think this doesn’t sound too daunting, think again. My journalism class went on one such tour this week, and as we listened to tour guide John Henderson describe the impact of the crash, looking at pictures of the destruction, and hearing the stories of the 2751 people who were murdered that day, it was hard not to tear up. And that’s just my reaction – and I was 12 and living in Singapore at the time, as far removed from the tragedy as anyone could be.
Henderson, on the other hand, was here, a little way uptown in Washington Square Park that morning. And now he shares with a dozen strangers memories that are obviously still fresh in his mind. “You have to read what’s on that panel over there,” he said during the tour, referring to a transcript of a voicemail message from a passenger on Flight 11 to his wife. “I can’t, because if I do, I’ll start crying in front of you and then I’ll feel silly.”
It must take a certain amount of emotional strength to do this job day after day. “There are people here who I give tours with and you can see their health deteriorating,” said Manny Papir, a volunteer docent and 9/11 survivor.
Henderson has volunteered at the Center since 2002. “People always ask me why I do this,” he said, counting off on his fingers. “One: It’s important. Two: I want it done right. Three: If you want something done right, do it yourself.”
“There’s always something you can do,” he reiterated, sounding not unlike Albert lecturing Batman to do his civic duty. “My wife is a hospice worker; she works with dying people. I couldn’t do that. But this? This, I can do.”
Saturday, October 25, 2008
hmm.
"My mom worked at the Met Life building. So did Don DeLillo's mom. If you want to raise a kid who wants to be a writer, work at the Met Life in an office facing Madison Square Park."
- Pete Hamill
- Pete Hamill
pete hamill (!)
Pete Hamill, the respected writer, reporter and lifelong New Yorker, stopped by our journalism class this week to give us all a bit of insight into his world.
Grey-bearded and dressed in a casual but neat blazer and navy t-shirt, he settled into a chair at the front of the room. In his deep, calm, bedtime-story voice, he started talking about life in New York.
Hamill takes walks every day; they are his way of keeping a pulse on his city. He walks alone, or with his dog, and lets his mind explore. And then he writes. He writes to understand, to remember, and to share. He wrote his book "Downtown" for his grandson, who currently lives in Westchester, New York. “I wanted him to understand why this weird old guy with a beard had such passion for this strange city,” he said.
And he doesn’t write just for his grandson, but for children in general. “I want them to feel excitement – passion for this place we’re living in,” he said. “Kids will learn and they will go home and teach their parents.”
Hamill is currently working on a present-day novel.
Grey-bearded and dressed in a casual but neat blazer and navy t-shirt, he settled into a chair at the front of the room. In his deep, calm, bedtime-story voice, he started talking about life in New York.
Hamill takes walks every day; they are his way of keeping a pulse on his city. He walks alone, or with his dog, and lets his mind explore. And then he writes. He writes to understand, to remember, and to share. He wrote his book "Downtown" for his grandson, who currently lives in Westchester, New York. “I wanted him to understand why this weird old guy with a beard had such passion for this strange city,” he said.
And he doesn’t write just for his grandson, but for children in general. “I want them to feel excitement – passion for this place we’re living in,” he said. “Kids will learn and they will go home and teach their parents.”
Hamill is currently working on a present-day novel.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
the seven deadly sins.
In honor of everyone’s favorite October holiday – Halloween – here’s a list to help even the most straitlaced of us be a little sinful.
Lust
The Museum of Sex indulges our kinky side with exhibits like Sex Lives of Animals and Robots.
Gluttony
New York Times investigates Curry Hill, the area around Lexington and 28th known for its many Indian restaurants.
Greed
On Oct. 28, watch money fly at Swann’s Auction Galleries's Halloween-themed auction. Items for sale include handcuffs once owned by Harry Houdini (starting at $500).
Sloth
On Monday nights, kick back with a cocktail at Hotel’s Giraffe’s Jazz in the Grande Lobby.
Wrath
Vent your anger while getting a full workout at Ironflower's Wednesday kung fu and boxing class. The first visit is FREE.
Envy
On Oct. 25, envy the toned bods and decadent costumes of Le Scandal Burlesque's performers at Chris Noth's club The Cutting Room.
Pride
Be proud of yourself this month for attending the Community Emergency Response Teams’ free training course starting Oct. 23. Learn about disaster preparedness and volunteer to support your local community.
The Museum of Sex indulges our kinky side with exhibits like Sex Lives of Animals and Robots.
Gluttony
New York Times investigates Curry Hill, the area around Lexington and 28th known for its many Indian restaurants.
Greed
On Oct. 28, watch money fly at Swann’s Auction Galleries's Halloween-themed auction. Items for sale include handcuffs once owned by Harry Houdini (starting at $500).
Sloth
On Monday nights, kick back with a cocktail at Hotel’s Giraffe’s Jazz in the Grande Lobby.
Wrath
Vent your anger while getting a full workout at Ironflower's Wednesday kung fu and boxing class. The first visit is FREE.
Envy
On Oct. 25, envy the toned bods and decadent costumes of Le Scandal Burlesque's performers at Chris Noth's club The Cutting Room.
Pride
Be proud of yourself this month for attending the Community Emergency Response Teams’ free training course starting Oct. 23. Learn about disaster preparedness and volunteer to support your local community.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
life on the sidewalk.
What do you think of when you hear the term “street vendor?”
Maybe you think of the Sabrett hot dog cart on Broadway and 23rd Street. Or the fruit stand on the corner. You may imagine many things, but the image of a tall, white guy whose credentials include an Ivy League education and a Wall Street résumé is probably farthest from your mind.
Sean Basinski, 36, attended college at the University of Pennsylvania. And got his law degree from Georgetown. Before graduate school, he did time on Wall Street.
But between Wall Street and Georgetown, Sean Basinski hawked Mexican food from a pushcart on Park Avenue and 52nd Street.
Fending off Health Department officials trying to take advantage of his ignorance of vending laws, Basinski realized that street vendors – most of whom didn’t hold B.A.s from Penn – faced the same harassment every day. So after law school, he founded the Street Vendor Project, an association for New York’s 10,000 street vendors to organize and learn about their legal rights. “It’s like a union for street vendors,” Basinski said.
The SVP helps vendors deal with issues like police harassment and license scarcity. Merchandise vendors face a daunting waitlist for one of 853 licenses. The last time the waitlist was opened was in 1992. Due to the shortage of licenses, a black market emerged. According to Basinski, in a move akin to illegally subletting an apartment, a license holder can rent out his two-year license (which cost $200) for as much as $8,000.
It is easier for food vendors to obtain one of 300 required Health Department permits, but they have other problems. Held to restaurant-level standards, they are easy targets for Health Department officials. According to Basinski, a Nuts-for-Nuts vendor who leaves his window open to interact with customers could be slapped with a ticket for up to $1,000 for exposing his food to airborne contaminants.
While we may take the corner hotdog cart for granted, Basinski is quick to remind us of its importance. “[Vendors] liven up the sidewalks,” Basinski, who was recently awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study street vendors in Nigeria, said. “This isn’t LA, where we go to drive-throughs in our little boxes. In New York, the first person you talk to in the morning might be the guy that makes your coffee.”
Maybe you think of the Sabrett hot dog cart on Broadway and 23rd Street. Or the fruit stand on the corner. You may imagine many things, but the image of a tall, white guy whose credentials include an Ivy League education and a Wall Street résumé is probably farthest from your mind.
Sean Basinski, 36, attended college at the University of Pennsylvania. And got his law degree from Georgetown. Before graduate school, he did time on Wall Street.
But between Wall Street and Georgetown, Sean Basinski hawked Mexican food from a pushcart on Park Avenue and 52nd Street.
Fending off Health Department officials trying to take advantage of his ignorance of vending laws, Basinski realized that street vendors – most of whom didn’t hold B.A.s from Penn – faced the same harassment every day. So after law school, he founded the Street Vendor Project, an association for New York’s 10,000 street vendors to organize and learn about their legal rights. “It’s like a union for street vendors,” Basinski said.
The SVP helps vendors deal with issues like police harassment and license scarcity. Merchandise vendors face a daunting waitlist for one of 853 licenses. The last time the waitlist was opened was in 1992. Due to the shortage of licenses, a black market emerged. According to Basinski, in a move akin to illegally subletting an apartment, a license holder can rent out his two-year license (which cost $200) for as much as $8,000.
It is easier for food vendors to obtain one of 300 required Health Department permits, but they have other problems. Held to restaurant-level standards, they are easy targets for Health Department officials. According to Basinski, a Nuts-for-Nuts vendor who leaves his window open to interact with customers could be slapped with a ticket for up to $1,000 for exposing his food to airborne contaminants.
While we may take the corner hotdog cart for granted, Basinski is quick to remind us of its importance. “[Vendors] liven up the sidewalks,” Basinski, who was recently awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study street vendors in Nigeria, said. “This isn’t LA, where we go to drive-throughs in our little boxes. In New York, the first person you talk to in the morning might be the guy that makes your coffee.”
sidewalk success.
Earrings by Lisa Clarke, $10.By any measure, Lisa Clarke is a New York success. At 45 years of age, she recently bought herself an apartment in Brooklyn. And a new car. A third-generation Barbadian, she takes an annual vacation to Barbados. So what has helped her obtain what many can only aspire toward?
A successful street vendor, Lisa Clarke sells jewelry on Fifth Avenue and 18th Street.
Clarke’s road to street vending was a long one. Brought up in Queens, she received her undergraduate degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She then spent years working retail for companies like Ann Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s. She designed her own jewelry on the side – delicate Afro-centric pieces made from hammered or stenciled brass.
When a project for QVC fell through, Clarke suddenly found herself out of work. To supplement her welfare check, she started selling her jewelry on a SoHo sidewalk. City law guarantees veterans vending licenses, so she brought her veteran brother with her, as it was impossible for her to obtain one of the 853 general vending licenses on her own.
While business was busy, Clarke often found herself harassed by police. Perched on the narrow sidewalk, she received multiple tickets for failing to keep her table the legal distance away from storefronts. Finding SoHo overregulated and overcrowded with competitors, Clarke moved her table to the Flatiron District.
That was five years ago, and she is still there today. Her regular clients are the district’s young working women, drawn to her self-described “funky, yet classic” pieces, which cost anything from $10 to $50.
For Clarke, the Internet is the next frontier. She hopes to find a larger market for her jewelry, while giving her regular customers easy access to new designs. She is also looking into renting a space from a small boutique. “I’ve made my success,” she said, “Now I just want to take myself to the next level.”
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
flatiron happenings
In these volatile times, a lot of us are feeling the pinch. But read about the Flatiron district in the news and you’d never know it.
So many new luxury condominiums are coming up in the area that even Dubai, a city where new buildings pop up more often than pictures of Paris Hilton in Us Weekly, is taking notice. Real estate prices continue to skyrocket, a trend we’ve seen for the last couple of years.
“Meltdown? What meltdown?” the New York Observer asks about the crowd at the new French restaurant Allegretti on West 22nd Street. New Yorkers may be losing money, but they haven’t lost their appetites as they chow down on gnocchi and other Provençal dishes at the Flatiron’s newest dining spot.
The party is still hopping in the Flatiron clubs. The area’s hot new restaurants, shops, and clubs have helped bolster the district's prosperity. But unfortunately, wealth isn’t the only thing that the new establishments have brought to the neighborhood. Clubs have contributed not only to a rise in rents, but also in disorder and occasionally, violent crime.
*
Seeing as most of us are now a little bit poorer than we were yesterday, here is a list of free events coming up in the Flatiron district. Hey, Alan Greenspan, it turns out that sometimes, there is such a thing as a free lunch.
Enjoy!
ART
From October 2: “Tadashi Kawamata: Tree Huts”
Look upward if you're in Madison Square Park: an art installation of small “tree huts” will be set up until the end of the year.
MUSIC
October 4: Sally Spring + Amy Speace and the Tearjerks
Part of a weekly Saturday concert series, these folk singers will be serenading the Flatiron crowd this weekend at 3 p.m.
FOOD
Fridays: Factory Fridays at Vere Chocolate Factory
You don’t need a Golden Ticket to get into Manhattan’s version of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Visit Vere every Friday from 12 to 6 p.m. for a free tour and chocolate samples.
PLAY
October 18: Fall Kids Fest 2008 at Madison Square Park
This day of family fun promises live music, snacks from Whole Foods, a pumpkin patch, and a kids’ Halloween Parade. If you are afraid of clowns, though, stay far, far away.
Saturdays: Rebel Waltz at Aspen
For a night of clubbing without ridiculous cover charges, head to Aspen at 30 W. 22nd St. for a dance party featuring a heady mix of everything from hip-hop to techno.
LEARN
October 15: Meet Councilwoman Rosie Mendez
Councilwoman Mendez of the 2nd Council District addresses key issues facing the Flatiron neighborhood. There will also be a complimentary breakfast!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
