World of Gray

If you want to experience the gritty side of New York City, ride the subway, the ultimate tesl of will, fortitude and tolerance. Better yet, try it on a hot summer day where the non-airconditioned subway platforms are suffocatingly hot and virtually intolerable.

And it is gray.

You can spend your time waiting on the platforms by reading or perhaps observing your surroundings in various shades of gray - the concrete, chewing gum or perhaps the charcoal gray of the subway tracks themselves and the occasional rat in camoflauge gray. In this world of gray, we have brightly lit subway cars each with its own captive audience trapped for periods of time in steel boxes, subject to all and any who want to sell goods, rant, beg, preach, or perform in any number of ways.

The appearance of singers is met with a variety of responses. Some riders, bored with the every day grind, welcome music as a pleasant break from the monotony. Others, perhaps engaged in reading, listening to music of their own or just enjoying some "quiet" time, resent the intrusion, analogous to cigarette smoke in public/common spaces.

And, of course there is the issue of quality and selection - there is no standard of quality for subway entertainment and unlike any other media delivery system, it can't be turned off or the music selection changed.

I found the a capella group in the photo to have been much better than average. However, I had the feeling that I was in the minority who enjoyed this band of wandering minstrels, who timed their routine, moving from car to car after each number and collecting money. Perhaps I was just in the right mood at the right time, because for a moment, I found a little relief in a world of gray ...

Note: For a hysterical bit by comedian Lewis Black on gray days, go here.

BAPE, Wangsters and Hypebeasts

A story was already forming in my mind as soon as I saw this Billionaire Boys Club shop in SoHo at 456 West Broadway. I was going to write how, in my experience, you can not manufacture or create a cachet, a sense of exclusivity or a cult following. That these things have to develop organically over time with proven product or content.

That the name of this store reminded me of Members Only jackets and the belief that the mere proclamation of exclusivity was enough to confer it. Ironically I have learned that there is a cult following for Members Only jackets.

But perhaps the nature of time itself has changed and the definition of natural evolution.

There is a lot of talk online amongst marketers about creating BUZZ - i.e. the very thing that traditionally was something that came naturally as a product, service or company proved itself over time. But no one has the time or patience for natural evolution. And there is the reality of an extremely dynamic world market with rapidly changing tastes, global competition, love of new things and technologies to display everything instantaneously.

Can you brand, market and with enough muscle, jump start an image and reputation? It certainly has been tried with varying degrees of success. One big key of course is the leverage applied using notable figures, either as customers or the company ownership. Another technique is to limit quantities and sell at high prices. These ingredients obviously do not guarantee success, but as a business model, it makes more sense than a me-too approach and competing on price against established merchants.

Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream are two lines of high-end sportswear established in 2005 by Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes and Nigo, designer of the clothing line BAPE and founder of the company in 1993. So, to further complicate this story, we do have some legacy here, not just overnight buzz.

In reading reviews about the Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream, I became lost in an endless chain of hypertext links of brands, products, stores, people and words unknown to me. A review from Yelp.com:

Yes folks, this even outdoes the BAPE toilet paper as an all time low. ... A virtual ghost town of hypebeast products and overstaffed employees was all I witnessed.

So I need a new vocabulary. Once I learned that BAPE, A Bathing Ape, is a clothing line, SoHo store and an adjective, and I learn the meaning of hypebeast, my education is far from complete. Looking up BAPE in the Urban Dictionary returns seven definitions including:

A Played out Brand by Nigo from Japan, rocked by wangsters and hypebeast.

Now I had to learn what wangsters are. Fortunately, I have review sites, forums, blogs and the Urban Dictionary. I have a lot of reading to do :)

Note about the store: The ground floor features Ice Cream and the second floor, which resembles the interior of a space ship, carries the Billionaire Boys Club line. The prices are extremely high - Tees for $80-$100, hoodies for over $200 ...

Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you travel through Harlem and observe the street signs, you will notice a number with dual names - an older and more familiar on top and the newer below. The city renames streets for a variety of reasons. Subsequent to 9/11, many streets were renamed to honor those firefighters and police officers who lost their lives in service to the city during that event.

Other streets are renamed for groups or individuals that are honored for their lifetime accomplishments. This can be most readily seen in Harlem where many major thoroughfares have been renamed to honor prominent black Americans. These names include major black activists and entertainers. On my recent excursion to the neighborhood, I caught some of the heavyweights and photographed the signs.

On December 29, 2008, Mayor Bloomberg signed legislations renaming 49 streets and public places in the five boroughs. Some of the prominent blacks include James Brown, Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Phipps Clark, Zora Neale Hurston, Samuel J. Battle, Ella Baker, Charles Hamilton Houston, Billie Holiday, Paul Robeson, Count Basie, A. Philip Randolph, Susan Smith McKinney-Steward, Shirley Chisholm and Marcus Garvey.

There is one glaring omission in today's photo collage. While traveling down 125th Street, Harlem's main crosstown street, I was distracted observing all the people, places and things and neglected to look up and photograph a street sign conamed with a man virtually synonymous with African-American civil rights. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Cozy

I've lived with steam heat all of my life in New York City and although the silent or near silent central heating systems of new homes (such as forced air) is vastly superior, the sound of steam on a cold winter's day gives comfort. I'm like a Pavlovian dog - I have been conditioned to the sound of steam and its association with warmth. Anyone who has been without heat for days knows how the sound of steam rising is literally music to the ears.

If you wonder why I say modern systems are vastly superior, take a look at my photo and story, The Dark Ages, here. Steam heat output is controlled in a very primitive manner with no thermostats to regulate temperature. Often apartments or offices are blistering hot. Turning off the system is not recommended or not possible, requiring windows to be opened mid winter. Valves often do not work properly or leak and radiators bang.

Most buildings in New York have their own boilers and provide their own steam, however, Con Edison, New York City's local utility, has the world's largest district heating system, and provides steam to 100,000 commercial and residential customers in Manhattan, from the Battery to 96th Street. Customers like the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the United Nations. Hospitals, like St. Vincent, make use of steam for sterilization procedures.

Steam is produced at five generating plants - three in Manhattan, one in Queens and one in Brooklyn. Water is boiled under high pressure to 1000 degrees F and is delivered at 358 degrees through a 105 mile system of pipes. Read more here.

Regardless of safeguards, there is inherent risk in such as system. There have been numerous steam pipe explosions in the city with fatalities and spewing debris, including asbestos, into the air. There has been controversy and talk regarding the feasibility of maintaining such a system.

One of most often asked questions is about the nature of steam rising from the streets of New York City. This steam is typically not from leaks, but from water making contact with the steam pipes and vaporizing. The steam is often vented through cones to prevent it from diminishing visibility for motorists.

For now, in mid winter, the sound of steam is always good news to my ears and only spells one word - cozy :)

About the photo - This Con Ed repair truck and crew were located on Grand Street, coincidentally in front of John Jovino Gun Shop which I have written about previously- see here.

Welcoming Committee

There is no doubt that the ambiance of shops in New York City will not often be like that of the small rural or suburban town. Places where you are spoken to on a first named basis, where your preferences are remembered, the owner is on hand, expertise looms large and people really go the extra mile.

However, I said not often, not nonexistent - I have featured many of these mom and pop establishments in this website over the last four years. You will find this type of place more often in the neighborhood shops in the outer boroughs where with a few visits and you are treated like a valued regular. I seek them out - the extra level of humanity makes New York City so much more livable.

Do you want that treatment as soon as you walk in the door? Head to the Mandolin Brothers at 629 Forest Avenue in Staten Island.

The accolades for this place, from amateurs, music stars to major media, border on the unbelievable. Things like: "One of the best guitar shops in the world." from The Boston Globe.

I visited here recently because I had been hearing about the place for years. It was immediately clear on entering what all the fuss was about. Walking through the door I had an experience of the welcoming committee. The shop was extremely well staffed with friendly, knowledgeable sales people at every turn. I was encouraged to hang my coat, peruse and sample the wares by the owner himself, Stan Jay, who started the shop in 1971. The inventory is amazing and the roster of customers reads like a who's who of music. Read more about them at their website here.

You will find attentive staff at some of the chain stores with, however, two major differences - sales pressure and lack of expertise.

From the Mandolin Brothers website:

Widely known as one of the largest dealers in the world of vintage and new American fretted instruments, we are frequently recommended by Gibson Guitar Corp., Nashville, TN, when they receive inquiries about vintage and used instruments, and also by Martin, Fender, Guild, Gretsch, National, Taylor, Dobro, PRS and many other manufacturers .... We are recommended by many local music stores around the country and by manufacturers, libraries, museums, magazines, search engines and newspaper columnists. In business since 1971, we service the needs of over 225,000 players and collectors of American fretted instruments all over the globe.

Visiting Mandolin Brothers' showroom is like no other retail store experience you have ever had. It's as comfortable as being home, if your home were stocked with many hundreds of exceedingly high quality, original condition fretted instruments. Your questions are answered accurately and completely -- our greatest goal is to educate our customers to the differences between brands, models, styles, woods and appointments, so that they can make up their own minds based on having the information required to do so.

We treat every customer like a friend of the company.

It's all true. Like moving to a small town and getting the welcoming committee :)

Down on his Luck

I was not a regular watcher of the popular Western TV series Bonanza, but recently, while surfing TV, I stopped to watch a portion of an episode - I was curious as an adult to see the quality of the writing and acting. In this particular episode, the father, Ben Cartwright, was admonishing a son for being critical of a man who was "down on his luck."

Growing up in a family where excuses were rarely tolerated and in a society where taking responsibility for your own life and avoiding victim and entitlement mentality are mantras and truisms, the admonition in that show gave me pause for reflection and has precipitated a rethinking of human misfortune. Certainly many individuals can do more for themselves and there are cheaters. But sometimes there are mitigating circumstances and there is such a thing as bad luck - without really knowing the details behind an individual's descent into the streets, it is unfair to make blanket condemnations.

In New York City with frequent exposure to the homeless and disadvantaged, it is easy to become inured with their plight. If you read stories of the homeless, some of the life circumstances that led to where they are do give reason for thought. I have become more acutely aware of my good fortune.

The can collection center in the photo is located in Harlem at 144th Street and 8th Avenue (Frederick Douglas Boulevard) at the rear of a Pathmark supermarket. This was a no nonsense group of men working in frigid 14 degree weather with focus and fervor.

I was never drawn into the survival reality TV shows - no matter what "hardships" are meted out, there are no real serious consequences. For a real glimpse of survival, try the can redemption center where there is no helicopter waiting to deliver a pizza as a reward for the winner. Surely there must be at least one man there who is down on his luck ...

Kings and Castles

On October 28, 2009, in Content is King, I wrote regarding a common phenomenon in New York City - how you can't judge a place by its outward appearance. However, great places are not always shabby. Here, as elsewhere, packaging does not always deceive and sometimes you can judge a book by its cover.

Quality is never easy to assess, especially at a time when marketing and packaging have reached new zeniths. Many consumers are disappointed by expensive but inferior products that are riding on the coattails of company legacy. There are merchants who do strive to keep a consistency between product quality, packaging, imaging and retail store environments. Apple, with their award winning stores in Manhattan, is a good example.

When I was young, I had a morbid fear of hospitals. They were gloomy, scary places where impending doom seemed to hang over everything which. Information was shrouded in mystery and secrecy and the prognosis never seemed good. Certainly hospitals are environments that are defined by caring for those with a medical problem, but they do not have to be shrines to hopelessness and malaise.

Hospitals are changing dramatically in technology, facilities and care. Of course, these are not places where everyone is jumping for joy, but they are places where there is much more expertise, knowledge, effective treatment and hope - and you can feel a difference from the days of old.

Even robotics have entered the world of medicine. At the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, robots are not only used to perform surgery, they are also being used to make visits to patients and allow doctors to monitor them remotely.

NewYork-Presbyterian is a University hospital with two medical centers affiliated with ivy league universities: Columbia University Medical Center and the Cornell University Weill Medical Center (shown in the photo) which is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is the second oldest in the United States and one of the most comprehensive university hospitals in the world, with leading specialists in every field of medicine. It is ranked as 6th best in the country by US News and World Report. Admission to the medical school is one of the most competitive in the world. The acceptance rate is only 100 positions from nearly 6,000 applicants.

In Content is King, I told of a conversation with a physician at Gouverneur Hospital discussing NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital where he also worked. We agreed that it was like a country club in comparison. The atmosphere goes a long way to creating as positive an environment as can be reasonably expected.

The hospital is a member of The Planetree Alliance, an organization of hospitals in the United States. The nonprofit group, founded in 1978, is oriented to improved patient care. It's great that content is king and even better when the castle is well designed :)

White by Design 2

The beauty of a new fallen snow is very short lived in the city - this photo was taken as I have written this and already, most has has melted. Nature doles out its pleasures when it sees fit and in New York City, nature's bounty is often tempered. With a warm infrastructure and the masses walking, white snow soon becomes brown mush and/or melts away. There is little land or surfaces where snow can rest untouched.

On November 17, 2009, I wrote White By Design. That was, however, design by men and women. For the natural version, I invite you to enjoy this view from my window. Contrast it with the same vista taken in the autumn on October 29, 2009 when I wrote Wood, Glass, Brass and Trees - see here. Catch if you can nature's White by Design in New York City, because it is beautiful but fleeting :)

Head for the Hills

He was a little ungainly and awkward, like John Cleese's character in Fawlty Towers, Basil Fawlty. But unlike Basil, who though incompetent, is basically harmless, my innkeeper had a slightly uncomfortably mysterious side, like Norman Bates of Alfred Hitchcock's film Psycho.

The inn, in Southern New England, was perched on a hilltop and had extraordinary views. Most local residents were not even aware the place existed or that access to this hilltop with such exceptional vistas was possible, much less that an inn was perched atop the mountain. The place was atmospheric and had been hand built in stone by the owner's parents with a wonderful flagstone terrace.

I was compelled to book a room there. I just love the mountains. The innkeeper appeared to be the only one present and at night he disappeared to some unseen cottage on the property, or so he said. There were only two rooms in the inn and on my stay, only my room was occupied. The place was musty. Books were everywhere. At night it was pitch black everywhere and thought intrigued to explore, with my imagination running wild, I decided it best to stay in my room.

I spoke at length with the innkeeper on one occasion about hill or mountain lovers and he put it quite succinctly - there are hill people and valley people. If this is how humanity is divided, then I must be a hill person - I do love a mountain drive and the more precipitous the better. If a Michelin map to a European country I am traveling in indicates a difficult and dangerous road - that's the road I prefer.

The hilltop perch is what first drew me to the Tibetan retreat on Lighthouse Hill in Staten Island. Very few visit this remarkable place - and like my hilltop inn in New England, it is virtually unknown. See additional photos here.

The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art was founded in 1945 and officially opened in 1947 by Jacques Marchais (the professional name used by Jacqueline Klauber), a collector and expert in Tibetan art who acquired the largest collection in the Western world. She never visited Tibet during her lifetime and sadly passed away the year following its opening.

The rustic complex of fieldstone buildings was designed by Marchais - the architecture, gardens, fish pond and terraces resemble a Tibetan Buddhist mountain monastery or gompah. You will also find sculpture on the grounds as well as bright-hued prayer flags. It was the first Himalayan style structure to be built in the United States and the first museum in the world devoted exclusively to Tibetan art. The Dalai Lama himself paid a visit in 1991. In addition to the museum's display of art and objects, there are classes and special programs. My first visit was for a Tibetan festival.

Of course the love of mountains as a building site is far from being my exclusive passion - Lighthouse Hill, along with nearby Todt Hill, has some of the most opulent homes on Staten Island. The preference of hills and valleys is replayed around the world by the well heeled - some will live in the valleys or by the ocean, while others, with a penchant for drama, danger and vistas, will head for the hills :)

Time Travel

If I asked if you thought this was colonial New England or the South, of course you would know it was a trick question - this is a website that features

New York City exclusively. Nonetheless, it is a shocking set of images to imagine within the five boroughs of new york city and I hope, like me, you are scratching your head in amazement and wonder where this could be.

For daily readers of this site, you guess we are in Staten Island - we just crossed the Verrazano Bridge yesterday. And you are correct.

My real mission here involved a number of destinations, but Historic Richmond Town was unknown to me and a complete surprise, suggested by a native when I asked if there were any historic areas. I expected to find a nice home or two - some small pocket or enclave.

I had no idea that Historic Richmond Town (established in 1958) is one of America's living history museums - like those found in Colonial Williamsburg or Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts where my family visited when I was young. Richmond Town was the former county seat and commercial center of Richmond County (Staten Island).

The concept of a living history museum goes back to open air museums that appeared in Scandinavia in the late 19th century, the first was King Oscar II's collection near Oslo in Norway, opened in 1881. The American style focuses more on lifestyle and generally depicts various trades and activities of the period recreated.

Historic Richmond Town dates back over 300 years to the 1600s, very old by USA standards. There are 27 buildings in the 25 acre village on a 100 acre site. Some structures are original to the village, others have been moved from other locations on the island. There are many styles of buildings here including outstanding examples of Dutch Colonial and Greek revival architecture.

There are many exhibits that can be seen in Historic Richmond Town - blacksmithing, tinsmithing, basketmaking, coopering, weaving, candlemaking, spinning etc.. There is the oldest standing elementary school in the United States. Here you will find a Dutch Colonial farmhouse, established in 1740 and the Print Shop, established in 1821. Historic Richmond Town houses one of the oldest operating printing presses in America. See their website here.

When I visited, none of the buildings were open or exhibits operational. When the weather gets warmer and the growth greener, I plan to do a more thorough visit. I always loved Time Travel :)

Secede

There are a number of reasons why it has been nearly 4 years and I have not featured anything from the borough of Staten Island. It is far, inconvenient and perhaps I was a little lazy. The photo explains another one reason. The current fare going to Staten Island across the Verrazano Narrows Bridge is $11 one way (it is free on the return trip) - that two-digit fare is just frightening. The bridge can be spectacular, however. See my posting on it here and additional photo gallery here.

Staten Island can be reached a number of ways. By auto, there are 4 bridges: three from New Jersey and the Verrazano from Brooklyn. There are buses via Brooklyn (and from Manhattan). Access from Manhattan can be had via the Staten Island Ferry (the fare is now free). I have taken the ferry many times, most often just for the vistas. I highly recommend it - see here.

Staten Island is decidedly suburban in feel compared to the other boroughs and it is the only borough without a subway system connected to the other boroughs - it is serviced by a fairly extensive bus system. But for real exploration of the hinterlands, it is best to have your own wheels.

Staten Island has had an interest in secession from the city for some time and in 1993, Staten Islanders actually voted to secede from New York City. Implementation was blocked in the New York State Assembly. In 2009, a new bill was introduced by state senator Andrew J. Lanza from Staten Island. New York City itself has dabbled with the idea of seceding from New York State. The issue of inequitable distribution of revenues back from the State is one of the primary motivations for these secession efforts. For Staten Island, the drama could well be called "If at first you don't secede."

For the time being, Staten Island is still part of New York City and there are a number of very worthwhile things to see in this borough and a few big surprises. You will see that here this week :)

Toll Note: Those using the E-Z Pass system get a discounted rate of $9.14 and Staten Island residents pay $5.48. There was some outrage in 2009 when the toll was raised of course, but as we all know, you can't fight city hall or secede :)

Fit-ty Fi

I enjoyed Wayne's World on Saturday Night Live the first times I saw it (for those not familiar with the sketch series see here). A friend at the time was incredulous that I would find such juvenile humor entertaining. But she missed the point entirely. The brilliance of the numerous skits was the accuracy of how they captured the sophomoric humor and thinking of many high school boys. The simple inane things that would be incredibly funny to them. Of course not every high school student finds the types of anecdotes on the show entertaining. Many are not ridden with an unsophisiticated sense of humor. Unfortuanatley, I was not immune to the plague.
At the time I was enrolled in the university we frequented the same all nite deli near our dormitory. There was one particular cashier who had a very distinctive accent and in a characteristic fashion would drop the "v" sound in five to become "fi" and drop the "f" sound in "fifty" to become "fit-ty." So we lived for purchases that had 5 or 50 in the total. Of course a dream total was anything that ended in 55, becoming our beloved "fit-ty fi" - a total of $1.55 for example was enough cause for jubilation. It had the feel of roulette - place our bets (items) on the counter and wait for the wheel to stop spinning and see if we our numbers came up. We won a single 5 or 50 often - the perfect game for impetuous youth. We were realists and we never aspired for a dream total like $5.55 - the odds here were quite poor and we rarely spent that much. Better to hope for a 5, 50 or 55.
It has been a very long time since this even entered my mind and I am proud to state that my sense of humor has become more sophisticated. But recently at dinner, the total was stunning that I could not help but think that this was the ne plus ultra of my youthful dreams. The unattainable. A total so perfect, we dared not think or speak it, less we live in perpetual disappointment and frustration. I had to recount this tale of course to my fellow dinner companions so they could fully appreciate the miracle that lay before us - a bill for $55.55 :)

Finger Painting

I never really liked finger painting, but between K-12 in the public school system where I grew up, that was my first and only exposure to art. At the time I entered university in New York City, I had never seen even one work of art or was exposed to any form of classical music or opera. Music class in grade school consisted of mass embarrassment with faces buried in songbooks, with a handful singing and the rest lip-syncing.

There were some art electives in high school, but not many boys are going to take an art class when the sciences are championed above all else and defended on the basis of utility. Of course preparing for the future is sensible, but somewhere in the education of an American student shouldn't there be some exposure to the fine arts, if only that it is part of what makes an educated person in a civilized world?

My first exposures to art in galleries and museums of New York City were not good. I did not understand what I was seeing or what art was. The explanations, interpretations and definitions were more vexing than my initial frustration, so I became defensive, seeing the world of fine art as one of impostors and charlatans. The fact that many artists are iconoclastic made matters worse - the lack of definitions and ways to measure art made it seem all the more whimsical and arbitrary to anyone inclined to numbers.

New York City has been a mecca for art and artists of every type for eons, and in time, a reasonable person begins to look at art seriously - only the most obstinate can live in this city and maintain a militant anti-art posture for long.

In the last decade, over 250 galleries have moved to Chelsea. Only vestiges remain in neighborhoods like SoHo. The more recent exodus has been out of Manhattan entirely to areas like Willamsburg and Red Hook in Brooklyn.

The gallery in the photo is located at 501 West 23rd Street at Tenth Avenue and was the work of architects G. Phillip Smith and Douglas Thompson. The building was a work in progress over ten years, starting with a vacant lot. The design was inspired by the projecting balconies and walled courtyards Cairo houses of the 17th century. The exterior of the structure was built from sheets of cold-rolled steel and glass - the interior uses timber framing, stucco and fiberglass. See the New York Times article here.

The building houses Jim Kempner Fine Art which specializes in contemporary art in all media and has shown world renowned artists since its opening in 1997. The courtyard currently features the sculptural work The Survival of Sirena (seen in the photo), by Carole Feuerman, part of her exhibition - Swimmers, Bathers, Nudes. I'm just really happy I can enjoy art in New York City and no longer have to do finger painting :)

Diamonds and Rust

Perhaps real estate brokers confuse platitudes with beatitudes when they often tell a client: "There are only three things to know about real estate - location, location, location." * This adage (or some variant) has become more an irritant than balm to the property hunter. If you are inclined to retort, tell them of the Hotel Earle on Washington Square. The Washington Square area has been one of the most desirable residential neighborhoods in New York City since the early 1800s, yet the Hotel Earle at 103 Waverly Place (at the corner of MacDougal Street) was in serious decline in the 1960s and early 1970s with a reputation as a very seedy boarding house. No one I knew at that time had even set foot in the place. It took not years, but decades, to become the respectable place it is now.

The Paul family purchased the hotel in 1973 and progressively made improvements to the Art Deco-style 150-room hotel. In 1986, the name was changed to the current Washington Square Hotel. In 1992, Judy Paul opened North Square Restaurant, a first class New York bistro at the hotel. From the Hotel's press release in 2008:

The Washington Square hotel was built in 1902 as a residential hotel named the Hotel Earle after its first owner, Earl S. L’Amoureux. The hotel occupied a single, 8 story, red brick building on Waverly Place, in the heart of affluent Greenwich Village, now an historic landmark district. In 1908, L’Amoureux built an identical, connecting building to create a grand apartment hotel, complete with reading rooms, restaurant, and banquet facilities. Four years later he added a ninth floor and, in 1917 he acquired an adjoining three story building, bringing the hotel to McDougal Street, at the northwest corner of picturesque Washington Square.

Once a staid, affluent community, (as depicted in Henry James’ Washington Square and The Heiress), Greenwich Village was becoming the center of New York’s Bohemian counterculture; reflected by the Beat generation who gravitated to the coffee houses and jazz clubs. The once grand hotel was allowed to deteriorate into a shabby apartment hotel, making it an attractive address for struggling artists, actors, writers and musicians.

Ernest Hemingway, Dylan Thomas, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Bill Cosby, Phyllis Diller, Bo Diddley, P.G. Wodehouse, The Rolling Stones are among the celebrities who have stayed at the hotel. Patricia Highsmith (inspiration for her short story “Notes From a Respectable Cockroach.”) Joan Baez stayed in room 305, with Bob Dylan, in the early 60s. In her love song, Diamonds and Rust, Baez says “Now you're smiling out the window of that crummy hotel over Washington Square.” John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas stayed at the Earle during a visit to New York City (which prompted them to write California Dreamin'). Norah Jones worked there previously as a waitress. Many former inhabitants of the olde Earle have seen both diamonds and rust ...

For the etymology of the phrase "location, location, location" as regards real estate, see the article here in the New York Times by wordsmith William Safire.

The Lomo Look

I do believe that there can be great value in de-emphasising the tools in many endeavors. Technology has advanced so far that in many fields it is very easy to get lost in the tools of the trade. In photography particularly, the number of devices and accoutrement is extraordinary and many photographers do become obsessed with the gadgetry.

There are numerous cameras in the "toy" camera category that have found favor with members of the photographic community and students. They typically were inexpensive plastic cameras, many produced as novelties and often produce strange and unpredictable results. Some cameras in this class will even display evidence of light leaks. Many, like the Holga, Diana and Lomo, have developed cult followings, owing to these photographic effects. The Diana was originally produced in the 1960s in Hong Kong and was a predecessor to the Holga which was made in China (first appearing in Hong Kong in 1982).

In 1991, two Austrian marketing students discovered the LOMO LC-A, a camera introduced in 1984 by a state run optics company in St. Petersburg, Russia. They became enchanted with the photographic results of the Lomo camera, which will show any combination of bright colors, somewhat garish, contrasty, images often with blurring and vignetting.

Use of low fidelity toy cameras can be a very useful exercise in learning to focus on the art of photography, training the eye and playing down the technology. There is no question that good work can be produced using low tech camera equipment and that conversely poor work can be done with top equipment. Some award winning photos were created using Lomos and other cameras of this class.

However, the bottom line with this type of camera is that you give up a lot of control - using it becomes an exercise in working with (or around) the camera's "flaws." If you are interested in controlling depth of field for portraiture, shooting in very low light with high ISO, achieving sharpness with high quality lenses, exposure compensation, white balance, etc., these types of cameras will show their limitations. However, the lack of control is not only their weakness but is also the appeal of these cameras. The fact there is a very distinctive Holga or Lomo "look" is a result of these cameras' anomalies or limitations.

Lomography is the trademark of Lomographische AG, founded by the two Austrian students, who in the early 1995 negotiated exclusive distribution of the Lomo LC-A. Lomography also distributes a number of low cost analogue cameras such as the Diana and the Holga.

The photo is from their new shop located at 41 West 8th Street. Lomography has 20 retail store/galleries world wide - the New York City shop is currently the only location in the United States. The shop sells cameras, film, accessories and books. It will be introducing on site film processing. They offer classes, workshops, and meetings each month. The store also features North America’s largest LomoWall, with 35,000 Lomographs on display. If you visit, you can see the equipment as well as examples of the photography and decide for yourself what you think of The Lomo Look :)

Orchards and Tenements

I have written about many merchants located on the Lower East Side, but not Orchard Street specifically - the central artery of the neighborhood running one way for eight blocks between Division and Houston Streets. The street is named for the dirt road that once connected the house of Lt. Gov. James De Lancey with the orchard on his 340-acre farm.

The neighborhood was first settled in the mid 1800s and known as Kleindeutschland (Little Germany) and later became a Jewish enclave.

The street, lined with low-rise tenement buildings with exterior fire escapes, typical of the area, has more recently been best known as a discount shopping district. Blue laws (repealed in the 1970s) prohibited Sunday shopping nearly everywhere in New York City, but owing to the predominantly Jewish population, Orchard Street was given an exemption since they were closed on Saturday for the Sabbath, giving a virtual monopoly for Sunday shoppers..

Some shops are still closed Saturday - on Sunday, the street is closed to vehicular traffic between Delancey and Houston Streets, transforming the blocks into a pedestrian mall. There is still a bustle of activity with shops specializing in clothing, shoes, leather goods, fabrics, jewelry and luggage, intermingled with newer shops, restaurants, boutiques and bars.

Orchard Street is home to a very unique dwelling. The building located at 97 Orchard, built in 1863, was boarded up in 1935 and unoccupied thereafter. See photo here. In 1988 it became part of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. This building is a virtual time capsule and a must see - it is an opportunity to see city living conditions of a century ago virtually intact.

Orchard Street and the Lower East Side has been an area in transition with numerous new trendy shops and upscale residences. Some have argued however that this has not been a classic case of gentrification with older businesses being displaced - the area has been in decline for some time and the newer merchants have been welcomed, even by many older residents.

The Tenement Museum is conveniently located next door to the superb il Laboratorio del Gelato (95 Orchard). See you there :)

Related Posts: Crossing Delancey, Go for a ride?, Sunshine Makes You Happy, Economy Candy, Eldridge Street, Doughnuts, Yonah Schimmel, teany, Pickles, Vegan Chic, Bluestockings, Colossal Misbehavior, il Laboratorio del Gelato, Fusion Arts Museum, Arlene's Grocery, Footprints.

Photo Note: The archival black and white photo shows Orchard at Rivington Street, circa 1915.

Togetherlessness

This scene in a restaurant is far from unique to New York City, but what particularly struck me was the absolute resoluteness and immediacy with which these two women wielded their phones after sitting down. One immediately began texting and the other speaking on her cell phone - they continued through the entire meal without saying a word to each other.

Reading through numerous articles and online forums, I was actually surprised to see what appears to be an overwhelming majority who find the use of cell phones at dinner (at home or in a restaurant) rude and unacceptable, including younger people. The reasons cited were many but most felt that eating is a social activity. Some also made the point that pulling out a cell phone during dinner makes a statement of relative importance - an insult to those who are physically there. Others however, stated that among teenagers particularly, texting and phoning maintains a continuity of contact with their social circles. The whole phenomenon has created quite a furor with many individuals seeking counseling.

A lot has been written since the rise of the Internet and cell phones about the nature of electronic communication technologies and whether they are tools that isolate or bring people together. Like any other tools, they can be used or abused. There are many individuals who, for any number of reasons, have a limited social circle and communication technology has allowed them to make new acquaintances. For some it is difficult if not impossible to have much live social contact with others, perhaps due to health issues or living in a remote geographical location. For others, communication with existing friends and family is broadened beyond the time they are able to spend together physically. One could also argue that in aggregate, all the new methods of communication - texting, calling via cell phone, instant messaging, emailing, video calling, voip - have increased communication.

Personally I try to limit cell phone conversations at dinner to receiving calls that are extremely important or where the caller will be difficult to contact. Like most things, this is a matter of degree and circumstance. People have answered landline phones during dinner for decades. In the case of these two women, they are both involved simultaneously and look quite happy sharing time together doing something they both enjoy. I'm sure the debate will rage on whether what we have here is rude, antisocial or perhaps a new form of social behavior -togetherlessness :)

Because I'm the Best, Part 2

Jim Murnak is originally from Pittsburg, PA. His interest in leather goes back to when he was 13, working with Tandy leather kits. Some university, including study in advertising at SVA, led to his work as an art director at Ogilvy and Mather. A large employee layoff and Jim began his career as a leather craftsman. A retail shop on Sullivan Street was followed by a number of loft spaces, where he manufactured and sold to the trade.

I occasionally dropped in on Jim in the 1970s at a number of his Manhattan locations. On one visit I was stunned at the level to which he had advanced, taking on products that were really unheard of for a self taught artisan. I watched him build leather covered wood attache cases - Jim was constructing the wood frames, covering with leather and installing brass hardware and locks.

At the time, there were a small number of leather artisans in New York City - most new each other and it was clear to all of us that Jim had reached the pinnacle of success, selling to the top retailers in the city like Bloomingdales, Crouch and Fitzgerald and Abercrombie and Fitch - at the time the most expensive retailer of goods in the city (Jim told me that Chinese imports essentially killed this business for USA manufacturers.)

On another occasion I found him lining handbags - standard for high quality finished goods, but an unthinkable "waste" of leather for those of us making leather products by hand. When I questioned him about what appeared to me to be rather indulgent, he said he was not making hippie stuff and his clients demanded this type of product finish.

Tracking him down was a simple find online. He has since settled in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn where he has been for many years and where I caught with him recently. He was congenial and welcoming as always and permitted photos and a follow up phone interview.

I was not surprised to see that he had found a few new high end niche markets - custom manufacturing gun holsters, pool cue cases and archery quivers. A passion and experience in an activity will always give an equipment manufacturer the inside knowledge and edge needed - Jim's father was a professional pool player and Jim has had serious interests in pool and in target archery.

Unfortunately, Jim also acquired an insider's guide to handguns after being held up at gunpoint in the subway in the 1990s. After obtaining a gun and permit, Jim found the quality of holsters subpar and began to make them. He can custom craft a holster for nearly any handgun using one of his forms - see here. He has also worked in Cordura nylon for some years making police training suits. Jim does business as Fist Inc. - see his website here.

In the 1970s, there were a handful of suppliers to the leather craft trade in Manhattan including Great Jones Leather. It is here that one day I ran across Jim who had come in for a pack of industrial razor blades. The salesman, who was also a leather craftsman, appeared to be stunned that someone else knew his secret for precision cutting. "Wow", he said "I use razor blades too. Why do you?"

To which Jim replied, quite confidently and as a statement of fact, "because I'm the best."

Because I'm the Best, Part 1

Many things were not so great in Olde New York of the 1970s - car windows broken for the theft of radios, vandalized subway trains, sanitation strikes, drug addicts, and perhaps the worst aspect, crime and a heightened sense of danger - I'm doubtful that even the most romantic or nostalgic wishes those things back.

But there are some things I miss and one is the character of small shops and the opportunity for nearly anyone with a reasonable idea or craft to stake out his or her claim in the retail environment. There are still a handful of small shops along some side streets, but rents are generally prohibitive for the lone artisan.

I was involved in the leather craft movement for some years and made routine visits to many small shops, owned and operated by a crafts person(s). Some were my clients, others just acquaintances. Nearly all of these shops are gone. A few artisans still remain in business - Dick Whalen of Native Leather (formerly Natural Leather) at 203 Bleecker Street and legendary sandal maker Barbara Schaum on East 4th Street.

I have been involved in product manufacture since those days and do pride myself on having some level of expertise using tools. However, some years ago, to perform a simple task at home, I made the mistake of asking a friend for scissors. She was an architect and I was appropriately reprimanded for not using an Exacto knife or razor blade. I was told those were tools of precision and no good crafts person uses scissors for the type of work I was doing. She pointed out that in the architecture firm where she worked at the time, the model making department used only knives and razor blades, and that scissors could only be found in the marketing department.

This was extremely interesting to me because one of my most memorable life experiences involved virtually the very same subject, only with a little more drama. I recounted the story for her. For that, however, you have to meet Jim Murnak. And we will do that tomorrow in Part 2 ...

Diner Be Aware of the Diner

My first apartment in New York City was in Chelsea on 22nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues. When my roommate read the ad, standing on the street at a pay phone with the Village Voice in hand, we had no idea what or where Chelsea was and even less what "renov brnstn with fplc" meant.

At $299 per month for a renovated brownstone with a fireplace, 14 foot ceilings and a skylit living room, what it really meant was that we were very lucky and had no idea of what we had. This was a beautiful, tree lined street, lined with rowhouses and walkable to New York University.

The Empire Diner was around the corner, but I did not fancy diner food at the time and it was not until last week that I actually stepped inside this diner and sat down for a meal.

The history of the "rail car" diner is a bit muddled - the origins of diners were rooted in the lunch wagon, however there were railroad dining cars which were deactivated from rail service and parked along train stations and used as diners. In time, diners were styled along the railcar lines, many using stainless steel and Art Deco elements.

One of the number of companies manufactured these railcar diners ws the Fodero Dining Car Company (1933-1981) of Newark, New Jersey, which built the Empire Diner. This diner is legendary with its striking exterior, roof mounted Empire State Building, its gleaming interior and beautiful Deco clock. It has been used in numerous films, referenced in song and has been frequented by a long list of celebrities: FDR, Charles Lindberg, Barbra Streisand, Al Pacino, Madonna, Will Smith, David Bowie, Steven Spielberg, Bruce Springsteen et. al.

This place has been tres chic for decades and is typically packed, inside and out (it has sidewalk seating in warm weather).

Food and service reviews are all across the spectrum and a reading of comments on a site like Yelp.com, for example, will show very impassioned reviews with one to five star ratings. A friend and I visited on a weekday, mid morning and the place was virtually empty. I can not speak of a typical experience here - they were overstaffed for two of us. The food is very pricey and the breakfast food we ordered was basic. But the Empire Diner is worth a look at if you are in the area.

However, like any place whose reputation is larger than life, and particularly in the case of a place that bills itself as the "Hippest Diner on Earth," let the diner be aware of the diner :)

DiFara

Generally, conversation about legendary pizza usually involve a lot of evaluations and comparisons of sauces and crusts. But in the case of DiFara Pizzeria, the conversation these days usually involves a lot of debate about the cost - $5 for one plain slice. It's funny that people are so passionate in this debate - on one New York Times forum, someone questioned why diners could not make an allowance for a pricey slice when the world of consumer goods is filled very disparate and often accepted pricing on luxury items and gourmet foods.

Perhaps it is the elevation of what is perceived to be a staple food item in tandem with DiFara being located in a working class neighborhood that makes the price such an effrontery to so many. Coming from Manhattan, I am used to pricing anomalies, so when my friend and I sat down to eat our slices, we tried to focus on the character and taste of the pizza and not on its value.

I had heard about this place, particularly after writing my story on John's Pizzeria on Bleecker Street, when readers commented on the contenders in New York City for their favorite pizza.

DiFara is located at a very busy corner location in Midwood, Brooklyn. The place is small and the walls are covered with awards and reviews. Lines are standard at DiFara, often one to two hours. On our visit, midweek and mid afternoon, we were lucky - there were no lines at all. We were able to chat with the owner and his daughter, Louisa who was managing the orders and register.

One thing that is particularly unique about DiFara is that every single pizza is still personally made by the owner/founder, Domenico DeMarco, 72 years old, who has been plying his trade here for 45 years. The owner hails from Provincia di Caserta in Italy, near Naples, birthplace of the modern pizza. After starting a pizzeria in Sunset Park Brooklyn with his brother, DeMarco opened at his current location in 1964 with partner Farina (hence the name DiFara).

DeMarco prides himself on the quality of his ingredients, imported from places like Israel, the Netherlands and Italy. The pizza uses three cheeses - Buffalo mozzarella from Caserta, Fior di Latte and Parmigiano Reggiano. His sauce is also homemade using San Marzano tomatoes from Salerno, Italy. The pies are topped off with olive oil and fresh basil leaves.

Is the pizza worth $5 for a plain slice? The opinions run the gamut with some saying no pizza is worth that while others think it is the best on the planet and worth every penny. You could spend your money more extravagantly - unless $5 is just too extravagant, why not try it and decide for yourself? :)

Location: DiFara Pizzeria is located at 1424 Avenue J, at East 15th Street in the Midwood section of Brooklyn. They are closed Monday and Tuesday (and occasionally at other times if DeMarco is unable to work).

Fire and Ice

I have seen fire and ice, and it was spectacular.

Sunsets are a bit like Japanese restaurants in New York City - everyone knows the best one. In the case of sunsets, everyone has seen the most spectacular at special some time and place. So I am not going to tell you that I have seen the best sunset ever, however, I will say that this was the most remarkable sunset I personally recall seeing in New York City. While taking these photos, a woman ran out of a neighboring building into the frigid cold with camera in hand to capture the fleeting moments. See my entire gallery of photos here.

After a day of adventure seeking with a friend, Red Hook, Brooklyn was on our late day agenda. We were not looking for a sunset, but as we approached the waterfront at dusk, I had a sense that something good lurked around the low rise building known as the Beard Pier Warehouse. We explored the southeastern side of the warehouse, which was extremely nice, but I was getting antsy knowing that the sun was rapidly setting on the other side.

A UPS truck blocked our exit on the narrow roadway which flanks each side of the pier building. Waiting to back out of the one-way street was like watching the sands of time.

Have you ever driven around a corner or bend in the road where an extraordinary vista is suddenly revealed? This was our experience as we crossed a small alley on to the west facing side on Beard Street Pier and nature's full glory burst into view. As I scurried to the water's edge, I was equally stunned to see what at first look appeared to be an array of white glass - they were in fact smooth stones covered with a layer of ice. The red-orange sun illuminated the arched cast iron doorways and red brick of the pier building. The whole set looked like an installation art piece entitled Fire and Ice ...

A Small World

I have often dreamed of living in some small French village where everything is on a very human scale. Where old men gather in the town center and play boule, there is no traffic, everyone knows everyone and even the outsider is greeted like family. Where people really care and will go that extra mile to help. And the quality of one's life is the measured by his or her relationships.

A place where time is stopped, there is no sense of urgency and things are done deliberately.

There are many places like this and I have seen them. However, to live in a small town, I would miss all the things New York City has to offer. So at times, foolish that I am, I try to find a microcosm like that in New York City. If you look hard, you can find a place where it's a small world after all.

At Precisions RCs, the metaphor becomes literal - the diminutive size of the place is matched by its scale models, mostly radio controlled (RC) for the serious hobbyist. Here, in this tiny shop, you will find an inventory of radio controlled airplanes, cars, helicopters and boats. There are also trains, rockets and plastic models. The owner carries a line of current models, an online business and also specializes in many discontinued models - of interest to the aficionado. I accompanied a friend from out of town who has an interest in RC planes and purchased an out-of-production wood frame model.

Technology has made a huge impact in this hobby as in most other areas of our lives. Although nitro-powered engines are still manufactured and sold here, there has been a shift to electric engines/motors for many types of RC models - fuel and maintenance free.

The value for the dollar is amazing - the result of a combination of technological advances and asian manufacture. The owner demonstrated an amazing little RC helicopter which can be flown indoors (photo lower right), controlled by a sophisticated multi channel radio - all for only $100.

What I enjoyed most was the clubhouse atmosphere with valuable floor space given over to regular visitors. When we arrived, four men were sitting at tables in the tiny shop. We were immediately welcomed and included in the conversations. Many of the customers are members of the flying club which meets at Floyd Bennet Field see my stories and photos here and here.

Everything conspired to send one message - that even in New York City, you really can find a small world :)

Note: Precision RC is located in a small two-story building (see the outside here) at 2306 Bath Avenue in the Bath Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn. Bath Beach is located in southwestern Brooklyn along Gravesend Bay.

Hearts of Palm

I didn't know exactly where I was or the reason for going. But, like many social expeditions in college, we often traveled in packs with an ill-defined leader, led to some unknown location for reasons unclear. Not that any of this information was really withheld, it was just that we really didn't care, because we had confidence that the outing would be an adventure.

It was a party of sorts and was most likely somewhere on the Lower East Side, where rent was never the problem, only the decision to live in a war zone. Places could be rented for as little as $60 per month, and, yes, even at that time, in those dollars, it was very affordable - that amount of money could be earned in one or two days in an unskilled job - something impossible in today's market.

A woman, who I believe was Brazilian, offered me a long white object from a can. As she slid it out, it reminded me of Vienna sausages which I ate from a can as a child (and which I loved). These, however, were some type of vegetable with a texture not so unlike an artichoke.

But I never knew what they were called and finding these was not going to be easy. I suspected that they were of South American origin, but at the time, international foods were a relative rarity, relegated to some small section of the supermarket, with each store having what appeared to be a whimsical selection of goods.

There were no Korean green grocers with all things imaginable. Delicatessens were the convenience stores of choice and for those of us coming from anytown USA, these all night delis were nothing short of miraculous. We were ecstatic to have places opened 24/7. The selection of packaged or canned goods, however was very limited. Fruit would typically consist of a Rome or Delicious apple of unknown age behind glass in the center of a showcase - no one was expected to actually buy it, but at least that food group was represented.

So it was in this environment that the identity of that smooth, silky, ivory colored edible plant remained a mystery for years. A small, nagging, unclosed gestalt. Until I met an older woman from Puerto Rico who, from a loose description, immediately identified the suspect as hearts of palm (or palm hearts).

Visits to various supermarkets proved successful. There was a bit of sticker shock - these were imported from Brazil and pricey (I have since learned that they were uncultivated at that time.) But I had no choice really and I purchased a can. They were as unique and wonderful as I remembered and became a regular (if infrequent) addition to my diet.

Of course now, hearts of palm are a common ingredient in salads and can be found in virtually any market. For me, seeing a can of these represents closure on a long affair, for everyone else, just hearts of palm :)

Food Bubbles

We are in what the online publication Slate calls a Cupcake Bubble, which they predict will soon be followed by a crash. I wrote about cupcakery Magnolia Bakery in September, 2009, however I was not aware of the true breadth of this craze - that it is a national and international phenomenon. Numerous articles have been written going back several years. There is a cupcake blog, Martha Stewart has a cupcake book and shops are everywhere - Sprinkles Cupcakes (international chain) based in California, Toot Sweet Cupcakes in Austin, Texas, Lovely Confections in Denver. Crumbs has two dozen locations with 18 in the New York metro area. Also in New York, there is Sweet Revenge, Babycakes and Sugar Sweet Sunshine. In Washington, DC there is Georgetown Cupcake, Red Velvet and Hello Cupcake.

This is not the first time that a food fad with shops specializing one product has taken New York City by storm. In the 1980s, gelaterias sprouted up everywhere and all closed in a short time. Today we have seen a similar thing with frozen yogurt shops such as Pinkberry and Red Mango.

A recent New York Times blog posting discussed the sustainability of cupcakes as a business and was accompanied by 99 comments. After reading these comments and several other articles, I see the numerous debates boil down to a few issues: 1) Can all these cupcakeries make it? 2) Is a cupcake worth $3-$4? 3) Why are they so fashionable at a time when health consciousness is at a zenith? and of course 4) who has the best cupcakes? In New York city alone there are many cupcakes shops -

Many find the confections much too sweet or just not healthy. Others see buying them at these prices foolish, particularly in an economic downturn. Others see it as a small guilty pleasure and comfort food, perfect for such times. Others counter that the entire restaurant business is built on paying for convenience and most things made at home cost a fraction of what is charged for the ready made equivalent. Business experts have entered the debate with most showing how this is a flawed business model. A few however do not agree. And there are many analogies and critiques of these analogies made with places like Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, Dunkin Donuts.

Cupcake bakers have used several business approaches - cupcake shops, online selling, wholesale distribution, trucks, kiosks or any combination of sales avenues.

The CupcakeStop is a mobile gourmet cupcake shop in a truck which frequents different locations in Manhattan on different days of the week. It is run by Lev Ekster; the cupcakes are baked by Manal Mady in Brooklyn. If you just want a small ..., they also offer a mini cupcakes for $1 as does Baked by Melissa who sells from a street kiosk on Spring Street in SoHo. Buying a tray of minis in an assortment of flavors is common solution to the flavor selection dilemma.

I love the street vending of food and mobile trucks such as the Dessert Truck or NY Dosas. Making foods available on the street is perfect for the visitor or native New Yorker on the run. Personally I find cupcakes a little too sweet, so an occasional tasting goes a long way ...

We Got Religion

When I first met a friend several years ago, in the course of our initial conversation, he referred to himself as a card-carrying atheist. Of course, I never thought he meant this literally, but in fact he proceeded to show me his membership ID for the New York City Atheists. Incidents like this and the urban environment with its iconoclastic populace would lead one to believe that the religious in this city must be a much smaller percentage than that found in the United States population at large. Surprisingly, the percentages are not so different.A recent 346 page report, Religious Change Around the World, was released in October, 2009 by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (if you are interested in perusing the report, you can download the document here.) The massive study, the most comprehensive analysis to date of global religious trends, reveals that religious change around the world is very complex and no simple conclusions can be drawn.

The percentage of citizens who regularly attend religious services is typically quoted as 40%, a number gleaned from surveys such as the Gallup Poll. This number is now in question, however, as individuals polled often answer in a way to reflect what they would like others to hear and perhaps believe themselves. Some studies have shown that the real number may be closer to 20%.

Although it is generally believed that scientists and doctors are less likely to believe in God or be particularly religious, the report shows surprisingly that the difference in religious belief between the scientific and non-scientific community is actually not that large. Also, in spite of declining church attendance and religious affiliation, studies show that there has been an increasing number of those who consider themselves spiritual. Many faiths are looking to repackage their religious practices to address the changing needs of their communities.

There are thousands of places of worship in the five boroughs of New York City - churches, synagogues, mosques. A small number are major attractions such as St. Patrick's Cathedral and The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Others, either architecturally and/or by the nature of an unusual amount of free land sThe Gothic masterpiece Grace Church is a good example - see here and here.
However, unless the doors are open or perhaps the scene is graced with a spring or summer wedding precession, most houses of worship remained unnoticed, competing as they do with commercial establishments. The church in the photo, although architecturally striking, lies amidst the hustle and bustle of 6th Avenue in the Village. Unusual elements made it particularly photogenic on the night photographed: open doors, interior illumination and Christmas trees flanking its massive columns and everything aglow including the rooftop crucifix. So, in spite of changing definitions and practices, in New York City, like the rest of America, we got religion ...

About the Church: St. Joseph's Church in Greenwich Village is the second oldest Catholic church in Manhattan. The Greek Revival structure was built in 1834. In 2005, NYU merged with St. Josephs and the church is now known as the University Parish of St. Joseph & the Catholic Center at NYU. The Catholic Center at New York University, previously housed in the Holy Trinity Chapel on West 4th Street, has been demolished. The property, previously owned by the Archdiocese, was sold to NYU.

Jungle Lovers

"What is New York City like?" I asked. My guidance counselor put his hands behind his head with elbows spread wide, leaned back and with great deliberateness and the authority of a worldly, street smart and experienced man, answered: "Have you heard of the concrete jungle, kid? Because that's what it's like. Between 23rd street and 59th street. It's a jungle. A concrete jungle."

With that and some college catalogs, I was supposed to make an informed decision about the merits of attending university in New York City, a decision that would shape my entire life.

I am not sure if his depiction of midtown Manhattan was intended as a deterrent, strong warning or just meant to impress me with his knowledge of this city, but we all know that if you tell a child not to do something, many will just be spurred on to do it. I was.

At 18, a jungle is just what I wanted. After all, I had read numerous African adventure books and even taken out a book in Swahili in high school in the event I found myself in equatorial Africa. If I couldn't have vines, monkeys in trees and tropical birds, then concrete would do fine. And like the jungle, New York City would be an adventure. That is what I wanted most.

A jungle is a great, even if overused, metaphor for New York City. It has a density of growth and at times and places can appear nearly impenetrable. Scary to some and exciting to those other who like a sense of adventure and the unexpected.

If you want to truly enjoy NYC, then treat it like a jungle. Just walk with your eyes open. Don't be afraid to interact with strangers and you will meet some incredible people. There are many treasure maps, both online and offline to New York City. Use them of course, but also cut a swath and blaze your own paths. Enjoy the adventure. Happy New Year, jungle lovers :)

Thank You Mr. Dupal

I imagine there are people who don't like butter. I am not sure I have met any and doubt that you will find many here at Ceci-cela. I love writing about a place like this - there is no worry that I will disappoint you. Along with other places like Cones, the Doughnut Plant, Eileen's Cheesecake, Raffetto's, Il Laboratorio del Gelato, this place uses only the finest ingredients and is run by a hands-on, uncompromising artisan, Chef Laurent Dupal.

Ceci-cela is only a couple of blocks from my office - we began patronizing this pastry shop long ago and it quickly became our regular place to get our cakes for birthday celebrations in our company.

Ceci-cela was started in 1991 by master chef Laurent Dupal, now partnered with longtime friend and celebrated restaurateur Georges Forgeois. Dupal is, as would be expected, a well-trained and experienced French Chef - read about him here.

The shop is located at 55 Spring Street in NoLita (North of Little Italy). The secret of the survival of the character of neighborhoods like this is the smaller tenement buildings which permit limited retail space and prohibit larger stores or retail chains. Although rents do escalate and there are changing tenancies.

The exterior of this patisserie is quaint but unassuming. Inside it is a tiny narrow place with a Parisan ambiance. Congestion is common as regular patrons jockey for position in line. There is a cafe area in the rear for those wanting to eat on the premises. The bakery also does a wholesale business.

Everything I have had here is superb. You will find a full gamut of French pastries, cakes and tarts: elcairs, Napoleons, crème brulée, tartes, chocolate truffles, all manner of croissant, brioche, danishes and their classic tuiles. From the New York Times:

TRADITIONALLY, the tuile, the French almond cookie, is a curved concoction of butter, sugar, flour and almonds that is named after the rounded roof tiles found throughout France. The cookie bakes flat, and as it comes out of the oven, warm and pliable, it is wrapped around a rolling pin to give it the shape. But the tuile from Ceci-Cela is different.

''I make them flat,'' said Laurent Dupal, the chef and co-owner of the patisserie at 55 Spring Street, ''because they are very, very fragile.''

In the world of pastry making, fragility is often a sign of excellence.

The Ceci-Cela tuile is so buttery, and so delicate, that the moment you put it into your mouth, and touch it with your tongue, it begins to crumble into crisp, buttery, almond-flavored morsels. A near-perfect cookie, it can stand alone and be eaten by itself, one after another, until a half-pound box is suddenly empty, or used as an accompaniment to a simple summer dessert of fresh strawberries, mangoes or Asian pear.

The secret of its evanescence is to use ''as little flour as possible,'' Mr. Dupal said, adding, ''The way we make them is to whip the butter and the sugar and make them very light. After that we incorporate the egg whites, one by one, and then a little bit of flour, and finally the minced almonds.''

Our office favorite is the Paradise Cake - a lady finger and vanilla genoise cake with fresh tropical fruit mix. See the menu here.

I know after you sample their delectables, I will look like an expert in discovering the best kept secrets of New York City. However, let's give credit where it is due. Thank you Mr. Dupal :)

Dwanna

Her name was Dwanna - a twist on Dwayne because her father really wanted a boy. She was my sales rep for my catalog printing for some time and I had occasion to meet her once in person while she was on a business trip to the city.

When she called to tell me she was moving to New York City, I was quite happy. This could become a nice friendship. She would even be living with her boyfriend in my neighborhood. She had that southern charm, but was also an aggressive business woman and she had plans to make some serious money here.

But she was gone before I even had time to meet her here once. When I asked her why she was leaving so quickly, her answer could be summarized in two words - too hard.

I was shocked really - this was not an unambitious woman at all. But she said it was just too hard. Every little thing which used to be easy, whether laundry, getting groceries, traveling etc was just more work than she ever imagined. It wasn't worth it to her.

If you live in New York City, you know exactly of what I speak. If you want to live here, you had better be ready for an adjustment. Unless you have enormous wealth, you will be making a number of big changes - you will be walking and lugging. Unloading packages from a car or taxi in the rain, walking up flights of stairs, suffering unbearable heat on a subway platform in mid summer, worrying about your valuables wherever you go.

The typical, successful New Yorker who has adapted to life here is a survivor - resourceful, tough, able to switch gears quickly and turn on a dime. Someone who can see and leverage opportunity. That's why when the weather breaks for one day, musicians will gather in the park just like it's a summer day. We had a 50 degree sunny day on Sunday and these musicians turned up in holiday red. Today's photo captured them doing a spirited rendition of Jingle Bells.

The question is, not Clint Eastwood's "Do I feel lucky?" but rather "is it worth it?" Luck won't go that far here when it comes to day to day life.

When ever I have a tough time, tire of the machinations of ordinary tasks or think of leaving New York City for an easier lifestyle, I think of Dwanna ...

Veterans Memorial Pier

The best views of Manhattan are from the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island (including the ferry), the East River Bridges, Roosevelt Island (and Tram) and New Jersey. In Brooklyn, the BQE (see here) coming towards the city affords some of the most dramatic views of New York City, as does the promenade in Brooklyn Heights which is cantilevered over the highway.

Recently I was tipped off to spot by a Brooklyn native of a spot relatively unknown to those Brooklyn - the American Veterans Memorial Pier, aka the 69th Street Pier.

In 2005, a memorial was installed to honor the 283 residents of Brooklyn lost in the World Trade Center attack. Soaring 25 feet in the air, the “Beacon” memorial is shaped like a speaking trumpet. The device was once used by the volunteer fire brigades of New York City to transmit warnings to the crowd, and orders to firefighters, while also alerting neighbors of a crisis in progress. Made of bronze, the memorial features a beacon of light shining from the top that will be illuminated from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm daily. The design, selected through a competition, was designed and built by Brooklyn artist Robert Ressler and cast from bronze at Bedi-Macky, a foundry in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and the oldest in New York City, and best known for having cast the Iwo Jima Memorial.

The pier is located opposite 69th Street in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn. Beautiful vistas can also be had from Owl's Head Park, perched on a hillside overlooking the pier and the water.

Fishing is a popular activity here. Unfortunately, with the downturn in the economy, many are fishing more for sustenance than sport - numbers of fisherman have increases substantially recently and some families are eating fish caught here several times per week - much more than what is recommended. Warnings have been made about the high PCB and mercury content in the fish.

For decades there was ferry service from the pier to Staten Island - service ended after the Verrazano Bridge opened in 1964. The pier was originally built in wood but was rebuilt in concrete in the 1980s and again in 2000. The pier can also be accessed by the pedestrian/bike path which flanks Shore Parkway and the Upper Bay ...

Substance Abuse

In a city like New York, there is a lot of substance abuse. But it takes many forms and one that may not immediately come to mind are companies that oversell and underdeliver by taking what quality they have and abusing it through excessive marketing.

I want to believe that behind great companies lie great products. That reputations are built on merit. That marketing is a recent addition and that the maxim most businesses want to follow is the pithy undersell and overdeliver and that they understand the disappointment and bad taste left by a product where the operative was to oversell and underdeliver.

However, when a few raise their voices at the dinner table, soon everyone must do the same to be heard and a screaming match ensues. And so it is with an overcrowded marketplace of products and services. To undersell is perhaps to risk not being heard at all, regardless of the quality you have to offer. Developing a cult following for a product through word of mouth and evangelism is not the easiest to orchestrate. Companies like Apple have done well, however this approach is often initially an organic process, not part of a marketing plan.

Louis Vuitton is a company that was built on merit - quality of product and innovation. I cannot speak for the quality or durability of the product today - it is so pricey, I would be frightened to use it and it's stores display their wares more as works of art in a contemporary museum than product to be used. Bags run $1000 to $2000 dollars and their signature piece of luggage in leather is $6000. In my recent travels seeking out holiday windows, I decided to drop in to the Vuitton flagship store at 5th Avenue and 57th Street. The store is sleek and modern.

Louis Vuitton was born in France and began designing flat bottomed trunks in the 1850s. Even at that time, his distinctive designs were copied and the problem of counterfeiting remains today. Vuitton employs a full-time team of lawyers and investigators just to curtail piracy. Read more about the company here.

It is difficult if not impossible to find any company that flies by the quality of their content or products alone. Marketing and branding is absolutely part of the business model today, even more so with a legacy brand name. The question is whether any product lives up to its marketing. Perhaps some of you have experience with Louis Vuitton products and can let us know - is this still a quality product or a case of substance abuse?