A Block That Looks as It Did About 1930

I am absolutely obsessed with this blog: http://www.scoutingny.com. I cannot seem to stop reading it. Written by a film location scout, he scours the city finding obscure architecture, Manhattan oddities, and seriously makes me want to get out on foot for days and look up.

When I was about on page 6 of his posts, I ran into an article about a street in Manhattan that still resembles its 1930s decade of life. Following that link to NYTimes.com, I came upon a nice article. Check it out…..or maybe get out and finally see it as more than a street to get you where you’re going.

WEST 46TH STREET between Fifth Avenue and the Avenue of the Americas.

The Blizzard of 1888.

From The Tenement Museum

The Great Blizzard of 1888 banished New York’s overhead electric and telegraph lines underground, forever changing the face of the city. 

During the late 19th century, New York’s rapid growth spawned a tangle of electric and telegraph lines above the city’s streets. Between March 11 and 14 1888, a historic blizzard deposited 23 inches of snow on New York City. The towering piles of snow, driving winds and bitter cold shuttered businesses for nearly two weeks and damaged property to the tune of approximately $25 million.

The weight of the snow and ferocity of the winds also snapped the city’s power and telegraph lines, which confounded cleanup efforts. During his inaugural address in 1889, newly elected Mayor Hugh Grant vowed to rectify this situation by burying lines below ground. After battling cost-conscious electric and telegraph companies, Grant finally forced the lines underground in the fall of 1889.

The Nutcracker- NYC Ballet.

I highly recommend, especially if you appreciate dance or Christmas in New York, to go see Balanchine’s The Nutcracker performed by the NYC Ballet. I saw it on a weekday evening specifically for its lower ticket price, but was just as dazzled as a five-year-old little girl with ribbons in her hair. Any age would be moved by the familiar Tchaikovsky melodies and the Waltz of the Flowers choreography.

My favorite moments would have to be the famous pas de deux with heartwarming strings, and the Arabian coffee piece with the tickling sound of bells.

A great Holiday present to myself, and I recommend you do the same.

Total strangers can touch, too.

From Very Short List

Richard Renaldi spent the year asking total strangers to touch. Then he took their photos.

I think the result is pretty interesting, and certainly made me pause for a couple moments between work projects. 

Click here to see more.

This was my greatest cab ride, ever.

This is obviously not my video, but I had the privilege of being in this mans cab, full with the Madonna hits, and the wonderful words of happiness to spread all the around the world, one New Yorker at a time. He loved my dimples, too!!

He calls his wife his Queen, and I think this man has got it going on! Hopefully one day you will get to ride with him, he doesn’t give out any contact info, because he says, “You only get Happy Cabby once in your life.”

🙂

Free Dance Classes this Sunday in New York

There is a dance class series that I take part in occasionally at my local Bally’s. I recently received this information from them about a bunch of free classes happening this Sunday. Take a look, and take advantage!

“CREATIVE JENIUS WANTS TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE DANCERS WHO SUPPORTED US DURING THE SUMMER DANCE SERIES! TO SHOW OUR APPRECIATION AND CELEBRATE OUR NEW FALL SERIES WE’RE HAVING FREE CLASSES ALL DAY THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19TH!!

BALLY TOTAL FITNESS

PENTA LOCATION

139 W. 32ND ST. (6th/7th) 

THE CLASSES WILL BE EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR FROM 1PM-6PM AND WILL BE TAUGHT BY OUR FALL SERIES TEACHERS:

NICK MORIN

OHHH

DS

TOMMY FERGUSON

ERIC NEGRON

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD AND COME ENJOY A FULL DAY OF FREE CLASSES!

ALSO—COME JOIN ERIC @ HIS NEW CLASS TODAY @ 1PM (WORLDWIDE PLAZA) AND OUR SATURDAY DOUBLE HEADER FEATURING NICK & ERIC @ 3PM (WWP)

WHILE YOU’RE HERE…CHECK OUT THE LATEST CLASS VIDEOS: 

TOMMY CLASS – 10.1.08 

ERIC NEGRON CLASS – 10.14.08 

DS CLASS – 10.14.08 

OHHH CLASS – 10.15.08 “

This is amazing. Spend the night at the Guggenheim.

This sounds like the most interesting, romantic opportunity that I have seen in quite awhile. I can see myself running in circles, singing to myself (or whoever was lucky to come with me) and basically soaking up the gorgeous space with no one else around. Spectacular!

“Take part in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the night in one of the worlds’ most distinguished museums.  
 
From October 25 through January 6, guests can reserve an overnight stay inRevolving Hotel Room, a work 

of art created by artist Carsten Höller, at the Guggenheim Museum. 
 
Revolving Hotel Room is an art installation comprising three outfitted, superimposed turning glass discs mounted onto a fourth disc that all turn harmoniously at a very slow speed. During the day the hotel room will be on view as part of the Guggenheim’s theanyspacewhatever exhibition, which runs from October 24, 2008–January 7, 2009. At night, the art installation becomes an operative hotel room outfitted with luxury 

amenities.  

Rates, based on single or double occupancy, are:

$259 student rate on Monday evenings (with valid school ID)
$549 for Sunday and Tuesday–Thursday
$649 for Friday/Saturday
$799 on holiday weekends
 
Check-in: after 6:30 p.m. on arrival day  
Check-out: no later than 8:30 a.m. on departure day 

Guests will have access to a bathroom and shower and will be provided with towels, robes, slippers, and other bath amenities to make their stay comfortable. 
 
Continental breakfast will be served. 

Only adults 18 and older are permitted to spend the night at the museum.

Call 212 360 4373 and leave your name, phone number, and requested date of stay. You will receive a response within 48 hours of your call.”

The music of Connie Converse.

A very talented gentleman named Daniel Dzula and his friend David Herman are working to restore the voice of a lost 50s songwriter from Greenwich Village, Connie Converse.

(Taken from the Connie Converse fan page)

“Around 1949, Elizabeth “Connie” Converse dropped out of Mt. Holyoke College and moved to New York City to make her way as a musician. Over the course of the next decade, she wrote and recorded a body of truly unique, plaintive and haunting work. Some songs she recorded herself in her Greenwich Village apartment; some were recorded by friends enamored of her music, but almost none ever reached an audience wider than, as she once put it, “dozens of people all over the world.”

By the early 1960’s, despondent over the limited commercial success of her music, she decided to leave New York for Ann Arbor, Michigan where, in 1974, Connie wrote a series of goodbye letters to friends and family, packed up her Volkswagen and disappeared. She has not been heard from since.”

Daniel is working very closely with Connie’s family to restore and remaster this beautiful music to life, Click here to listen to some examples.

16 Handles, Fro-Yo with a twist.

I love the frozen yogurt fad that is taking over the city. It is everywhere. You have Yolato, down the block from Pinkberry, and across the street from Red Mango. And they all seem to have the same equation; choose your flavor, choose a crunchy cereal, fruit, or sweet topping, and pay a ridiculous price. I don’t feel so guilty eating it because of all the protein, probiotics, and non-fat goodness, but I do hate the elevated prices.

However last night, as I was on the east side, I ran into 16 Handles, a DIY frozen yogurt bar that in my opinion competes very well with the other chains. You can mix and match any flavor of yogurt, and any topping you want. And they have my beloved Mochi topping, and a huge buffet bar of choices that I could have gotten jiggy with. Granted, the price is still high, but being able to get your hands in there and create a Fro-Yo masterpiece is a great perk.

16 Handles is located at 153 2nd Avenue (between 9 and 10).

Ugly Betty shot taking over 28th St.

So, in the show Ugly Betty, which premiered last night, Miss B gets an unrealistically big dumpy apartment in the Flower District on 28th Street. Just so happens the place is adjacent to my work building. So I get to walk through amazing catered food, bored-looking PAs, and miscellaneous obstacles that litter 28th street during shooting.