Tag: New York City

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Back to the top!

I remember when I was 1989, I came to NYC with my parents and there were only a few memories I remember still to this day. One was driving from the airport through Harlem to my great grandparents house in Jersey and my parents yelling at me to keep my head in the window of the taxi, and not to bother the dealers on the street corners (they actually said don’t look at them). The other was the walk up the Statue of Liberty to the crown, and looking out over the rivers to Manhattan just before sun down. It was one of the most beautiful sites I still remember to this day.

After 9/11, the “smart” people of President George W. Bush’s Department of the Interior, declared under the guise of the fire, building and safety codes the narrow, 12-story spiral staircase with a low guardrail walk up to the crown off limits mostly for fear of more terrorists looking to deface, blow up or desecrate this national symbol.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar formally announced a reversal of this decision at a news conference this week on Ellis Island. “On July 4, we are giving America a special gift,” Mr. Salazar said. They are re-opening up the crown.

No more than 10 people will be allowed in the crown at a time, he said, and officials anticipate that will allow for 30 visitors an hour. He estimated that 50,000 people would be able to visit the crown in the first year and that the number would be increased later to 100,000 a year.

We can all thank Representative Anthony D. Weiner, a Queens Democrat who has been one of the most vocal proponents of giving the public back access to the crown.

In January of this year, Mr. Salazar climbed the 146 steps to the crown himself, joined by Mr. Weiner, Representative Albio Sires of New Jersey and Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey. When Mr. Salazar came down, he said of the experience: “One word: Awesome.”

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Burning Down the House

CBGBNO Covers!

That was Hilly Kristal‘s primary rule for CBGB’s on Bowery and Bleeker in New York City. Replacing Hilly’s on the Bowery, CBGB & OMFUG (Country, Bluegrass, and Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers) stood at 315 Bowery from its opening in December 1973 until it was closed on October 15, 2006. It was built as a venue for new and upcoming bands to the new york music scene, and ended up becoming the birth of American punk rock scene and was a jump off point for the careers of some of music history’s greatest bands and singers: Patti Smith Group, The Stillettoes (featuring Blondie’s Debbie Harrry), Blondie (under their original name of Angels & the Snakes) The Ramones, Mink DeVille, Talking Heads, Tuff Darts, The Shirts, The Heartbreakers, The Fleshtones and even the Police played here.

The Gorilla Biscuits, the Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Sick of it All, Reagan Youth, Warzone, and Youth of Today were all part of New York’s underground hardcore scene started at CBGB’s and kept the bar a float through the 80’s. In 2005, however, the Bowery Resident’s Committee had enough of Hilly and the CB’s crowd and worked to get them removed from the property without compromise. Succeeding in closing the venue for good on October 15, 2006.

I moved to NYC in 05, and never got a chance to experience a show in CBGB’s but I did participate in the ralleys and free shows in Washington Sq to help spread awareness and get support for keeping the venue open. I went last week to the Tribeca Film Festival and watched the only movie of the fest (for me): a documentary called ‘Burning Down the House” The Story of CBGB‘. The show was April 30th, and I had the opportunity after the show to hear a Q&A hosted by Matt Pinfield, with the director (Mandy Stein), Chris Frantz of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, Jesse Malin of Heart Attack and DGeneration, and Tommy Ramone of well… The Ramones.

Mandy Stein is the daughter of Seymour Stein, president and co-founder of Sire Records, who launched the recording careers of the Ramones, Talking Heads, and The Pretenders, among many others so it made sense she get access to all the people featured in the making of this film.

I sat solo in the theater surrounded by guests, friends and participants of many of the two dimensional people portrayed or interviewed in the film. It was a good film, not great, by film standards, however, the heart of watching the progression of CBGBs from hole in the wall nothing to, punk glory, to hole in the wall franchise and finally demise was a roller coaster of intense laughs and tears from an audience that was there and lived again vicariously through the digital frames.

[audio:http://www.snuhfiles.com/sound/ramones-teenage_lobotomy.mp3]
The Ramones :: Teenage Lobotomy

[audio:http://www.theyellowstereo.com/June/Talking%20Heads%20-%20Burning%20Down%20The%20House.mp3]
Talking Heads :: Burning Down the House

[audio:http://www.sickofitall.com/soia-nightoff.mp3]
Sick Of It All :: “Take The Night Off”

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Long week, get the body and stomach work done

Business is slow, yet my work is intensely busy; mostly trying to generate new business and convince customers it’s the right time to part them from their cash hords. E and I made an appointment at Lilly and Raul for some Qi Gong Tui Na body work. Ah such relief. It’s a great ladies and couples only shop on the 15th floor of an office building. We got a full hour in for $50 each.

Afterward, we headed to the basement of the same building for some Izakaya. If your not familiar with Izakayas, they are traditional Japanese after work drinking establishments, with excellent food. In this building, there’s Sakagura, one of the best establishments in New York City for this fare. I’ve been here several times and will typically will recommend it to people looking for good Japanese food (non sushi) and it’s a go to spot to take out of town guests.

From their website:

Sakagura was founded in 1996 and has become one of the top sake bars in the United States, attracting countless sake lovers. When you visit our unique location in the basement of a Midtown East office building, you’ll understand why we have earned the nickname “hidden jewel.” and why our customers say that walking into Sakagura is “like walking into Tokyo.”

We offer over 200 kinds of carefully selected sakes, various authentic tapas-style dishes, and homemade desserts.

I’ve had the majority of the menu and there hasn’t been one item I wouldn’t order again. There’s definately unique options but it does help to like foods like Beef Tongue and Raw Squid to experience the entire menu.

After a great massage and meal, the weekend was set for what ever happens. Great times.