NYC checker-cab food tour

My article on Famous Fat Dave's checker-cab food tour of NYC (link here) appears in the April issue of Lonely Planet magazine. I seriously enjoyed it more than I expected. Perfect if you have three others as a mini splurge that will get you into parts of the boroughs you wouldn't see otherwise. I've been in New York for 13 some years, and I ended up going to places I'd passed unknowingly for years in NYC. And I will definitely go back to that Yunanese place in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

NYC Fact: David Lee Roth Walking Tour!

It's a great walk. Beginning where David Lee Roth, way after leaving Van Halen, was busted trying to buy a $5 bag of pot in 1993, and ending at historic Cafe Wha?, two blocks south, where a reunited Van Halen played in January 2012. Cafe Wha? is owned by Manny Roth, David's uncle. Whole thing takes about four minutes. You'll love it.

See more 15-second videos on New York City here.

NYC Fact: Melville was a Terrible Travel Writer

Herman Melville is New York City's greatest writer. He was born here, at 6 Pearl St (now indicated by a plain gray wall and a plaque tucked behind a towering skyscraper in Lower Manhattan) and died here after three decades of obscurity.

Before he wrote "Moby-Dick," he was desperate for "tobacco money," so he turned to travel writing, capped in his 1849 book "Redburn." It was universally condemned. The London Britannia wrote that it he "seems to have taken up with the notion that anything will do for the public." Melville later apologized.

NYC Fact: New York's smallest island

U Thant Island -- a 100-by-200-foot granite outcropping in the East River -- is named for the former UN Secretary General. You can't go. Only cormorants, briefly, live on it (seen in video). But the closest you can get, as I learned on a guided ferry ride last year, is on the East River Ferry.

NYC Fact: Woody Allen's Bench

I likely moved to New York City because of Woody Allen films. The whole "Annie Hall" thing. But arguably his most famous New York scene is from 1979's "Manhattan," where Woody and Diane Keaton greet the dawn from a bench overlooking Queensboro Bridge.

For the first time in over a dozen years in New York, I went over to look at it today. The spot is on Sutton Square, at the very east end of E 58th St. There is no bench, but the wee park below has a few. And a guy texting in red.

NYC Fact: Midtown Oil Wells

NY-based German artist Josephine Meckseper created a couple 25-foot, Texas-inspired pumpjack oil well art sculptures, and plopped them in an empty lot on 46th St and Eighth Avenue, a block from Times Square. (See NY Times article.)

I went by today to see them, and if I could record it all in 15 seconds, to fit in the Tout format. (YouTube calls it 16. But I'll take it.)

The cab driver who pulled up to see what I was videotaping guessed the oil wells were owned by either "Pavoratti or George Bush... I don't know."

I miss this place…

New York City. Photo by Vivienne Gucwa, via

The last time I was there was in September of last year… the month this little blog was born.

It was just before I fell really hard in love with photography and capturing life with a lens.  And also just before I really discovered my own sense of style (blogging really helped me out with that, interestingly).

And now… now I dream of going back there, armed with my camera and a little more confidence.  Heck, you wanna know what I REALLY dream of?  A tiny little pre-war apartment on a tree-lined street of the Upper East Side, with scuffed wood floors and a little desk by a window with sunlight streaming in.

You know what’s funny?  Just to the left of my desk here at home is a window, and outside that window is the brick wall of our neighbor’s house. That’s all you see when you look out: brick.  And, oddly, it’s always been my favorite thing about this room.  Because brick reminds me of New York (remember our dining room?).  And sometimes, I pretend like I’m in that little NYC apartment that I know I’ll have one day, and I pretend like that brick outside my window is just the building next door.

It’ll happen one day.  But for now, it’s nice to dream.  :)

NYC's East River Ferry: Free to June 24

This week the East River Ferry has brought back regular ferry service to the 18-mile East River, which is a nice reminder that New York -- down deep, away from skyscraper canyons -- is a river city.

New York was founded not because of the chunky rocks that glaciers pushed to present-day Central Park, but the Hudson and the East Rivers. The first ferry to cross from Brooklyn to Manhattan began in 1642, back when the colony was Dutch. In 1776, George Washington fled with 9500 troops after the disastrous Battle of Brooklyn -- escaping from wig-wearing Brits at night through Manhattan; the war was saved, and all because of the ferry. By 1870, 50 million annual passengers took steamboats across the river. That service ended in the mid 1920s.

Run by NY Waterways, East River Ferry's rides are free through June 24. Afterwards, visitors can buy a day pass for $12, nice considering MTA recently suspended the one-day 'fun pass' for New York subways and buses.

To help plan a day, I put together this planner for some of the main ferry stops for Lonely Planet. Just a $4 ride from Wall Street to Midtown sounds better than the subway too.

I also got to speak on all the new ferry fun at a New York Waterways/East River Ferry event at Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn last night... right after Brooklyn mayor Marty Markowitz.

Hope he's not mad that I said I live/work in Queens.

76-Second Travel Show: 'Outtakes from Garfield Assassination Replica'

Episode # 049

F E A T U R I N G * 1 4 3 * B O N U S * S E C O N D S

It's been one year since the '76-Second Travel Show' probed every alley of New York to find the most worthy presidential experience to have for a president's day weekend in the Big Apple: and NAILED IT (with this).

Chester A Arthur is one of two presidents (George Washington being the other) to take the oath in Manhattan. Arthur did so because a guy called Charles Guiteau went and shot James Garfield for no apparent reason (enigmatically self-proclaiming 'I'm the stalwart of stalwarts' as he squeezed his trigger, twice).

Time hasn't been forgiving to Arthur, a man who pronounced his middle name ('Alan') with mock-French twist ('Alain'), had something like 50 pairs of paints, and frankly wasn't much of a president. But his former home, at 123 Lexington Ave in Manhattan, is now an Indian spice shop -- and you can get a 'Chester Arthur' sandwich (well, if you ask for one) upstairs in his former bedroom.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary, the 76 team held a party with a couple of the reenactors from the 0:13 replica of James Garfield's shooting (he'd die two months later -- you really might not want to know the details of exactly why he died).

We also dug up, from the 76 archives, some outtakes from the original video.

Enjoy. And remember. And definitely go eat one of those sandwiches.

The original:

Random Photo: Death of the Queens Igloo!

It's not your typical day when you look out the window and see an igloo. 'Actually it's not an igloo,' its creator, Joe Gindoff, told me. 'It's a snow house. Igloos are made of ice.' Joe, my neighbor in Jackson Heights, Queens, told me he's never built one before, but the excess snow and time to wonder -- he recently lost his job -- gave him the opportunity. 'I sat and thought about it, then went out and did it.'

Local news picked up the story after Joe spent the night in the house -- or at least till 3am (I know the feeling; I gave up on Quebec City's Ice Hotel at 2:30am recently myself).

Alas, Sunday Gindoff took a pick-axe to his creation, knocking its roof in. With temperatures set to rise this week, so have concerns from neighbors over a potential hazard in the private garden area. He understood.

The 'igloo' -- or 'NYgloo' as he called it -- has already paid dividends for him. Gindoff has been contacted to help build a 'three ton snowman' at Bear Mountain upstate. Sometimes just doing stuff -- like building an 'igloo' -- beats polishing off a new resume.

Talking 2011 on ABC News Now

Yesterday I appeared on ABC News Now to discuss some of the lists made in Lonely Planet's new Best in Travel 2011. Talked about Albania's Ottoman-era houses, Japan's $40 guesthouses, the notion of 'communism travel' and re-enactments from the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Civil War (here's my video on how they decide who dies first). Yes, I squeezed out a Will Ferrell movie idea and (not unrelated) Teutonic Knights.

(Mis)Adventures in NYC Part 2

Yesterday I promised pictures from the weekend of misadventure; today I will deliver. 

I never like to see tons of pictures of people I don't know from a trip I didn't take, so I will TRY to keep it to a minimum in case any of my readers are as cantankerous as I in this regard. 

Now, keep in mind that ALL of these photographs that I or my friend are pictured in were taken while we were still having fun during, like, the first 6 hours after our arrival - hence the bright and hopeful smiles. 

The accommodations...



The Mansfield Hotel

Our room was clean and well appointed, but TINY. 



I've never seen such an itty bitty pedestal sink!  So cute!

Us...

 A pretty door on the side of an old church, 5th Ave

 Megan at Tiffany's - "that one right there!"

 LOVED this brick and that awesome sign in the background! 

In Central Park

 In Central Park (notice the cords and layers - yeah, it was like 87 degrees and humid as hell)

Met up for breakfast with an old friend living in the city... Shout out to Andrew!  It was great to catch up with you!

There were street performers everywhere we went...

This guy was playing the percussion, Stomp style

This dude had a creepy humpty dumpty puppet

 And this was a jazz band in Washington Square Park beside NYU

I wonder how many crustaceans we drank?  Click here to find out exactly what I mean by that.

My favorite things about New York City? The architecture, the history, the living, breathing ART that's all around you...

A faaabulous vine-covered building on the Upper East Side

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Almost every single thing is PURE MARBLE in The New York Public Library on 5th and 42nd.  It will take your breath away.

This is how New York dogs roll...

Yes, it is peeing right in the middle of the sidewalk.  I watched it toddle out of the door in the background and pop a squat post haste, as if it does this every single day of its life.  Poor dear has maybe never seen grass.

Ahh, the open air markets...

 



And last but not least, The Magnolia Bakery cupcakes...

How divine.

J

(Mis)Adventures in NYC - Part 1

***DISCLAIMER: If you are reading my blog for the first time, feel free to skip this post as it is uncharacteristically whiny and seriously lacking in material of any real value.  Unless you're planning a trip to New York soon, in which case you should definitely read it and take notes on what NOT to do.***

I know you're all just dying to hear about my fabulous trip to New York, but to be quite honest, I am almost at a loss for words to describe the disaster that was this weekend.  I thought about writing this post in the form of a Tuesday Ten list titled "Ten Reasons Why You Should NOT Be Envious Of My Weekend In New York" but, in actuality, I could only come up with nine reasons and, even though I make the rules on this here blog, a list of nine is seriously so not feng shui.  And we cannot have that, now can we.  

But really?  This picture pretty much sums up the entire weekend:

The trip started out OK, but things went from bad to worse fairly quickly.  First of all, the weather kind of totally and completely sucked and my dreams of wasting away hours in a breezy Central-Park-in-Autumn quickly gave way to the reality of a New York I had never experienced: a hot and humid city that read 85 on a thermometer but felt more like 95 in the breezeless corridors between skyscrapers and 100 in the Subway tunnels beneath the city. And speaking of the Subway, some of the train lines were closed for repairs, causing tourists like ourselves that little extra bit of anxiety to throw into the mix.  Awesome. 

On another note, many of us may think of THIS when New York City comes to mind:

For my less cultured readers, that's Carrie from Sex & the City 

Now mind you, this was actually my FIFTH trip to New York, but somehow I always seem to forget the pain and fall under the spell of my illusions that involve looking cute in stylish clothes and shoes while walking BLOCK UPON BLOCK UPON BLOCK of merciless concrete.  The picture above, my dears, does not reflect reality.  If you want to look cute like Carrie while vacationing in New York, plan on hiring a personal chauffeur or you WILL be in ridiculous amounts of pain for the duration of your stay following the first several blocks of walking in said "cute" shoes.  The blisters are also very unattractive. 

Basically, just find the ugliest but most comfortable pair of shoes you can find, and they'll probably be just perfect.  Trust me on this one.

So now you may be thinking, OK, big deal. The weather wasn't the greatest, the subway system was on the fritz, and you brought the wrong shoes - shut up, you were in New York. 

I might think the same thing if I were you, but let me just tell you a little bit about myself before we go on.  I am a bit of a control freak - I like to know what's going to happen to me well before it happens; I print out Map Quest directions to supplement my GPS; I carry an enormous purse because who knows when I might need a mace gun or a notebook or a camera or an assortment of over-the-counter meds.   And I truly DID study maps of Manhattan before leaving on this trip because it would be my first experience in New York without a big strong man and his so-called "man compass" to lead me anywhere I'd like to go. 

But nothing prepares you for the streets of New York when you are as directionally challenged as I am, and this time?  There was no one to think it's cute and funny that I can't read a map to save my life.  My friend was actually considerably more competent than I was, but I still constantly felt lost and out of control and just plain stupid for not "getting it."  This paired with the fact that I am female and fast approaching "that time of the month" produced a less than desirable combination of factors.  And the icing on the cake?  Monday morning I wake up to THIS text from my husband (gray bubble is him, green is me):

That's right. Remember the first crisp day I mentioned in my list of favorite things about fall?  I missed it.  It was pouring rain and humid in NYC while back home they were throwing open windows and relishing a dry, cool, and cloudless 58 degrees. 

I never thought I'd say this, but I am SO glad to be back home in Texas.

Pictures to come tomorrow! 

J

I Really Shouldn't Be Writing This

I really don't have time to be writing this, nor will this likely be a very coherent post (sorry). Why?  Well, dearies, my mind is all a-swirl with happy thoughts and plans and panicky anticipation of the weekend to come - a weekend in which two directionally challenged (which might be the world's greatest understatement) girls will set out - alone - for a weekend in New York GLORIOUS City. 

I will be breaking out in a stress rash any moment now. 

So if you're the praying type, please send up a little request that:

1. We don't get lost and end up in a dark alley where lurks much evil and purse-snatchers

2. That we are able to exercise self-control and not spend a year's worth of income

3. That we will not gain 20 pounds worth of everything bagels and New York pizza

4. (and most importantly) That my home and dog-children will be intact upon my return as this is the first time my husband has been left to his own devices since our marriage.   

I will try not to bore you with many jealousy-inducing details about the trip, but I WILL be bringing my laptop so I imagine that there will be a braggy New York post or two.  I should at least post a few pictures of us as we bask in the sunlight and cool 70 degrees of Central Park in autumn. 

Hate me yet?   I would too. 

For your viewing pleasure, below is a picture I took in Central Park on one of my last visits, and I thought it looked cool and artsy (which was completely an accident).   

I promise to return refreshed and ready to produce many more blog posts that will be of more value to you than this one; have a fabulous weekend!!!

J

76-Second Travel Show's Greatest Hits

It's self-indulgent and unnecessary, but to commemorate the first 40 episodes of the '76-Second Travel Show,' I'm doing it anyway: 76-Second Travel Show's Greatest Hits.

PUTTING THE SYSTEM ON TRIAL
Manhattan Bridge's 100th Birthday

I'm still steamed that the city celebrated the centennial of this iconic, overlooked bridge two months ahead of time because, essentially, the weather's better. (Some videomakers didn't mind.) The 76 had other ideas -- going deep into the New Year's Eve snow, and commissioning an original song, to celebrate the bridge ON ITS ACTUAL BIRTHDAY. Because that's just the sort of birthday befitting a bridge like the Manhattan. And yes, we did clean up all that confetti.

BEST SUMMER SMACKDOWN/MULTI-MEDIA MIX
Love for Cold Travel


I've long last track of how many 'unreasonable' days -- or sightings of pants-staining butt sweat on subways -- we've had to endure this summer in New York. All I know is that winter is way underrated as a time to travel (or explore your own home). Media-wise in this ep, we were able to get in hand-drawn signs, telephone calls, a couple interviews and random Bulgarian footage in this one.

MOST HITS
Is San Francisco Better than NYC?


By far the most controversial (and viewed -- with over 10,000 clicks), this episode's simple question sent San Franciscans and New Yorkers onto the defense. One recent YouTube commenter lashed out, 'Is this guy for real?' Actually the SF/NY question remains is open-ended, never answered. There really is no 'better' in travel. And the video never claims it.

BEST 13-SECOND REENACTMENT
Chester Arthur's Pants


It didn't do well -- a trifle of exposure compared with some -- but the 13-second reenactment of 'the Shooting of an Ohioan President' remains my personal favorite moment in all 40 episodes (or any aspect of my career). AND, I think, the fun fact that you can order Lebanese sandwiches in Chester Arthur's former bedrooms (and that he had a pants fetish) is worth the price of admission. (No, I'm NOT the presidential assassin; that was handled by John M Whitaker.)

BEST REWORKED BILLY JOEL LYRICS
Billy Joel's Long Island


It willfully defies the 76-second limit by the longest shot imaginable -- it's nearly 7.6 minutes -- but following Billy Joel's lyrics across mid-way Long Island, with a fun group of contest winners including BrooklynNomad, led to meeting some unforgettable characters and meeting Julie Chang of Fox 5 NYC. More importantly, I'll never hear 'Scenes from an Italian Restaurant' quite the same way again.

UN-MADE MOVIE PROXY/OVERUSE OF TELEPHONE
Vikings vs Pirates


Hollywood refuses to ask a key hypothetical question of our past -- who'd win in a fight, Vikings or pirates? -- travel, once again, comes to the rescue with Viking/pirate sites chipping in.

COOLEST THING I'VE DONE
Goes to Sesame Street


I first learned of 'uptown' and 'brownstones' on Sesame Street. Finally I got to visit the source. And to quote Ciccone Youth, it felt like seeing New York for the first time.

BEST FAKE RUSSIAN/SWISS ACCENT
$10 Luge Lessons


Anticipating an mass mockery of luge during the Olympics -- and a few days before the tragic death of one luger in warm-ups -- I went Ponce de Leon on a question NBC's exhaustive Olympic coverage over the decades never bothered to ask: where can you luge? Turns out Michigan rules the day. And, at ten bucks, the best travel deal outside of DC's free museums. So 76 HQ is happy. (Though we're all still waiting an answer regarding Apolo Ono's inexcusable 'soul stripe.')

QUICKEST PRODUCTION
Is Marco Polo overrated?


In the very first episode, the 76 template was conceptualized/focus-grouped/shot/edited/released in about 25 elapsed minutes, including artwork of the signs. Really don't want to confess how long the Billy Joel one took.

World Cup opener in Brooklyn & Queens

Work is no excuse for missing a key World Cup game, like the opening game in the first-ever World Cup in Africa. I split the game in two locales: spending the first half in Brooklyn's South African restaurant Madiba in Fort Greene -- a raucous, butt-bumping, shoulder-scraping SRO scene -- then the second Sunnyside, Queens' inviting Haab Mexican Cafe, where things were already tensers as I walked in a minute after South Africa took a (surprising) 1-0 lead. Things got looser after Mexican tied it up.

76-Second Travel Show: "Billy Joel Roadtrip Contest"

Episode #029
F E A T U R I N G * 3 1 * B O N U S * S E C O N D S

The 76-Second Travel Show wants to take you on a Billy Joel roadtrip in New York's Long Island to celebrate the 'guitar man's' 61st birthday on Sunday, May 9, 2010.

The trip begins from Brooklyn, NY, that morning and should be back around dusk.

The itinerary is mostly a secret (ie still being formed) and will include some food, a look at Cold Spring Harbor (which Billy named his first solo album after in 1971 -- though it was released too fast, by accident), the 'village green' where Brenda and Eddie hung out at in 'Scenes from an Italian Restaurant' (see this video done by Mexico City students) and a look at the 'miracle mile' from 'It's Still Rock'n'Roll to Me.'

To enter, just tell us what you think Billy Joel thinks of travel.

Two random winners will be picked on April 20.

76-Second Travel Show: 'Is San Francisco Better than NYC?'

Episode #028
F E A T U R I N G * 7 0 * B O N U S * S E C O N D S

Little known fact: Charlie Dickens was a travel writer. He did a romp across the US and summed up his whining take in a book (I have it, but haven't read -- I only assume he whines) called 'American Notes.' But more associate him with the head-rolling 'A Tale of Two Cities,' which opens up with Dickens' own Gettysburg Address-esque sound-byte: 'Things were pretty good, and at the same time not so good.' More or less.

The equivalent American two cities, at least on most people's travel-dream radar, are New York City and San Francisco. Huge draws for visitors, and a less-talked-about bounce between New Yorkers longing for a slower pace, coastal drives, great wine -- and some semblance of city life.

The usual routine goes -- New Yorker in late 20s, dissastisfied with career, moves to San Francisco, then guts new friends by constantly comparing things to New York. In some ways, the Ugly American gone domestic. 'This restaurant closes at 9pm -- are you serious,' said with only slight earnestness. 'This would never happen in New York.' And it wouldn't.

Most move back to New York within five to eight years. (I did.)

Sometimes I liken New York to a boss (gets things done, and sends you blissfully reeling when it, on occasion, notices you), while San Francisco is a pizza buddy (comforting, always there, great coffee and burritos, plus a 'robust' theatre organ scene featuring the priceless David Hegarty, no real risks -- other than grossness of large men at that nude beach beyond Golden Gate Bridge).

So, which is better?

76-Second Travel Show: "Travels on Live TV"

This doesn't happen often: three former Oklahomans and one Ocean State ex-pat sitting together on a stage before a national audience.

Lonely Planet and Self magazine teamed up on a solo women's travel piece recently, and I wrote some tips on beating loneliness on the road, and we were invited onto the Today Show's rowdy fourth hour.

--> See the segment

The whole thing was surreal. When I arrived 90 minutes early, a guard outside 30 Rock thought I was looking for tours -- 'no I'm really a guest' -- and directed me to the wrong building, but I got in fine and ignored the bagels and half-sandwiches in the green room, before being taken down to hair & make-up. My make-up person didn't care for me much. When I was thumbing the phone, she snapped, 'Are we done with that so we can get this over with?' Another woman stepped in to comb my hair. She seemed more committed to her job.

Heading back, I saw Ann Curry pass by in the hall, and I tried to rehearse lines we'd never need. Someone mentioned that Tyler Perry needed Gatorade in his dressing room -- he was on right before us -- then we were led sullenly up some plain gray stairs to the upstairs studio with a kitchen crew in progress for the next segment. 'You're going to be great,' Lindsey (Self's wonderful publicist) told us. A camera guy with a goatee noted that he was going to Tuscany soon. We waited.

Moments after Perry's interview was done, in burst in the unmistakable duo -- Hoda and Kathie Lee -- with big-time 'it's spring!' outfits on. Shook hands. I said to Kathie Lee, 'Hey, I'm from Oklahoma. That means there are three former Okies here...' and she put it together for me: Hoda was born in Norman, she studied in Tulsa, but at different times. 'But I'm older.'

And then it started.

Being on live TV feels like being in a boiling vice. It started off unexpectedly, we scrapped Thailand, dwelled on elephants, and flowed forward at a speed more quickly than practice back home. But it was fun, and seemed to come off fine.

Afterwards, Cristina Tudino (of Self, formerly from Rhode Island) and I walked in a bit of a daze -- 'did that just happen?' -- and talked about everything back in the green room. Then got zoomed off in a private car to our offices.

'Robert, you get car #12.' And I took it.

Some days are less usual than others.

Sorry I couldn't get to a 76-Second Travel Show video this week.

76-Second Travel Show: 'NYC's African Burial Ground'

Episode #027
F E A T U R I N G * 3 3 * B O N U S * S E C O N D S

One of the more fascinating recent New York stories was the discovery in 1991 of the African Burial Ground, a 6.6-acre site between the World Trade Center Site, Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian ramp and Chinatown in Lower Manhattan. During a construction project amidst the scramble of federal buildings just northeast of city hall, the site was found, including 419 graves from the only colonial-era cemetery of up to 15,000 Africans and African descendants.

It's since become a national monument, and a few weeks ago a museum opened at 290 Broadway. It's a small place, but tells a lot, with comparative graphs showing average lifespans of Africans and other colonials and shows many West African motifs, some of which were found in the 419 graves uncovered.

When I visited, I had the chance to talk with a few rangers as well as a visitor from the Central African Republic who couldn't believe she'd ever find something like this in New York.

Seems way overdue to me -- along with the Mall location for the National Museum of African American History & Culture in 2015 in Washington, DC.