Ending Your New York Summer Right

Maria Haymandou’s latest blog post

Just as quickly as it began, summer is almost over.  It’s time for your kids to start actually doing their summer reading, get their school supplies, because in less than a month they’ll be back in class.  Yet what are you going to do with that one month left?  If you live in or near New York, there are luckily some great final summer activities you can do before it’s time to go back to school.  Here are a few suggestions, taken from a great post on the blog Brooklynbased:

Alamo Drafthouse: Theaters like the Alamo Drafthouse and Nitehawk, which deliver food and drink to you while you’re watching the movie from the comfort of reclining chairs, have taken Brooklyn by storm.  But it’s easy to spend a lot of money there.  Luckily, the Alamo has “Kids Camp”, with special screenings that offer families an affordable way to watch movies together.  Choose your own ticket price, buy tickets online, and reserve your seats.  100% of the proceeds here go to Camba, which helps families in need.

DeKalb Market Hall: If the food at the Alamo Drafthouse isn’t for you, then the DeKalb Market Hall is located in the same building, and offers a wide array of options from all sorts of popular New York vendors that range from Ample Hills to Katz’s Deli.  If you’d rather not eat out, the market hall also features a surprisingly not-too-crowded Trader Joe’s for you to pick up food.  

Central Park: This Saturday, City Parks Foundation will be putting on their SummerStage Family Day, performing with radio show host Bill Childs.  Just get there early to claim a good spot!  

Robert Mann gallery: Through August 18, the Robert Mann gallery will be hosting an ice cream-themed photo show called “I Scream You Scream”, meant to evoke the feeling of summer.  The show isn’t meant specifically for children, but is still a great stop.  

Melt: The highline is a great spot to take anybody, and if you bring your children, you can take them to Melt on 30th street for a classic ice cream sandwich.  Melt also has a location at Dumbo if you’re in Brooklyn and would prefer to stay there.  

Box Art: Summer is all about making memories, whether it’s putting them in scrapbooks at summer camp or uploading them onto a Facebook album.  Brooklyn-based Box Art Photos will take your favorite photo and create a 5×5 handpainted wooden box with the original photo adhered to the front.  

Puppet shows: If you’d rather your kids experience live entertainment, there’s still time to catch the “Reluctant Dragon” puppet show, based off the 1898 short story by celebrated childrens’ author Kenneth Grahame.  It tells the story of a sonnet-loving dragon who befriends a young boy.  It might be a good idea to read the story to your kids aloud first; the language is dated for sure, but it’s great for putting them to bed.  

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Getting Into the Summer Spirit

Maria Haymandou’s latest blog post

Just as you think spring is finally here, looks like it’s now summer!  So to make sure that you get the most out of this season before it’s over, you want to get into that “summer spirit”.  This can often be difficult, especially when work schedules get in the way.  I recently read a post online about some great tips to get into the summer spirit.  Here are just a few of them:

Make a playlist: There are so many great songs that either remind you of or talk about summer.  And the best part is that a few of them are actually good songs!  A good rule of thumb is to find songs that make you feel happy, relaxed and sunshiney.  

Sort your seasonal clothes: As the weather warms up, it’s time to take those summer clothes out from the back of your closet.  Sort through your warm weather clothes and think about what you’re excited to wear.  Keep an eye out for sales that could help you add to your summertime outfit selection as well.  But more on that in a bit…

Get some summer clothing: If you live by the beach, then you’re doing yourself a disservice by not going to beach.  To motivate yourself to visit the beach, one great tip is to get some new summer clothing: a swimsuit, new flip flops, a new shirt, etc.  

Read some “summer books”: Sometimes a good beach book is just the thing to get you in the spirit for the warm weather.  They don’t need to be serious or particularly acclaimed, just something that you’ll enjoy and won’t take a lot of energy to get through.  The summer is about relaxing and enjoying yourself, so read something relaxing.  

Plan a trip: One great thing about New York City is that it’s just around the corner from plenty of great weekend trips with plenty to offer: beach trips to the Jersey Shore or the Hamptons, hiking trips to the Poconos or the Catskills, and that barely scratches the surface.  But you can think bigger than a weekend trip a train ride away: maybe take a week to another part of the country or the world.  If you plan on something, it will get you more excited for the summer.  

Make a fresh outdoor meal: I love to cook, and one of the best parts of the summer is summer meals.  You can do anything from a unique meal to the traditional cookout.  Even in New York, where space is at a premium and a grill is rare at best, you can still make a great meal.

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NYC’s Floating Bars

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As May has started, New Yorkers can rejoice that it’s now officially and permanently warm weather-season for the next few months.  People are emerging from their hibernations and realizing that the weather is finally nice enough to justify going out to the water.  And even if most of New York’s waterways don’t really lend themselves to swimming, you can still find other ways to enjoy the water.  One of the best is a floating bar, which are now reopening for the season.  I recently read a page on TimeOut sharing the opening dates for all of these (most of which have already happened), so I thought I would share some of these spots:

Grand Banks: Docked at Tribeca’s Pier 25, this classy boat epitomizes the swankiness that characterizes the modern Tribeca: classy cocktails, oysters, plenty of heels and of course high prices.  But then again you get what you pay for.

North River Lobster Company: Few things say summer like a lobster roll.  Red Hook Lobster Pound and Luke’s Lobster are great, but you can’t really eat them on a boat.  Luckily, the North River Lobster Company lets you sail around the city for just $10, serving both beer and lobster rolls on deck.

The Brooklyn Barge: Located right next to Transmitter Park, the Brooklyn Barge is still pretty new.  Their 80×30-foot barge boasts a full barge, but the experience bleeds over onto land as well, with picnic-style seating.  The barge offers plenty of other experiences on the water, including scuba and sailing classes, vessel tours and paddle boarding.  

Frying Pan: The Frying Pan got its start as a Coast Guard lightship that sunk off the coast of Maryland.  However, it was salvaged and found new life as one of New York’s most famous boat bars.  That’s admittedly a pretty specific niche, but with its vibrant bar and great atmosphere, even in this field it stands out.  

Willy Wall: Willy Wall is kind of a pain to get to; you need a ferry to get there and requires a ticket to climb on board.  But it’s well worth the extra effort to visit, and is considered by many to be one of New York’s best summer secrets.  

The Crow’s Nest: If you find yourself stuck in the eastern side of Murray Hill, then the Crow’s Nest, set atop a boat-restaurant, should be worth a visit.  Looking over the skyline of Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn, it offers cocktails, burgers and a raw bar.

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Brooklyn’s Notorious Old Gangs

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With its brunch spots, specialty bars and artisanal food places, it can be easy to forget that Brooklyn was once a pretty dangerous place to live.  Rappers like Biggie and Jay-Z speak of a borough that up until pretty recently was riddled with crime.  But I don’t want to talk too much about the gangsters of the 90s, but rather those of the 1890s.  I recently read a post on the blog “Greenpointers” that talked about some of the more notorious gangs of Brooklyn’s past:

The Battle Row Gang: For nearly 20 years since their founding in 1870, the “scum of the Fourteenth Ward” (Williamsburg) hung out at McGoldrick’s saloon, located on Union Avenue a few blocks south of Union Pool.  They earned infamy in 1871, after one of their members killed a Brooklyn Police officer.  Their gang fights and crime-riddled escapades were followed religiously by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

The North Sixth Street Gang: “Skinny” Wilson started this gang in the 1870s, notorious for burglary and highway robbery.  Their leaders often spent time in Sing Sing, leading to a lot of turnover.  The gang members also had some pretty great names: “Goose McCue”, “Sugar Van Wagner”, “Matches” and “Gallows”, just to name a few.

The Meeker Avenue Gang: Made up of members of the North Sixth Street gang and veterans of Battle Row, the Meeker Avenue gang loved to trash saloons.  They were known to force entry into saloons to get free beer, and in 1873 got into a shootout with the police after invading a saloon at 333 Devoe Street and taking the owner and his wife hostage.

Gang of the Green: Starting off as an offshoot of the Battle Row Gang, the Gang of the Green hung out on an open lot between Bushwick and Greenpoint, from whence they got their name.  They were infamous for police fights, muggings and highway robbery.  

The Rainmakers: These guys earned their name by their preferred method to rob people: by throwing bricks and cobblestones at them.  They hung out under the docks along the waterfront of North 1st and 4th streets, not too far from the SoulCycle Williamsburg.  They stole from factories, barges and railroad yards.  They were frequently at odds with the area’s Jewish community, which led to a riot in 1904 when their would-be victims fought back.  

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Top 10 Pizzas in New York

Maria Haymandou’s latest blog post

When it comes to pizza, New York is home to some of the best in the world.  Since Italian immigrants first introduced pizza to New York City in the early 20th century, it has come to embody the city just as much as the Empire State Building or Brooklyn Bridge.  Across the country, there are various types of pizza, yet all New Yorkers know that New York is the true home to pizza in the United States.  I recently came across an article that features some of the top 10 pizza joints in New York, listed below:

John’s of Bleecker Street: With salty, greasy cheese and heavily charcoal-kissed dough, John’s is the quintessential New York City pizza, having captured the hearts and tastebuds of patrons since first opening in 1929.  This spot famously spurns toppings, and exclusively sells pizza by the pie.  With its faded murals and deeply worn booths that have held the butts of an unfathomable number of patrons, it feels more like a museum than a restaurant.

Don Antonio: This love letter to pizza dough is the product of Robert Caporuscio and mentor Antonio Starita coming together.  While people have tried and failed to bring the montanara pizza to the public, nobody does it like Don Antonio, with a topping of smoked buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes cooked in a wood burning oven.

Motorino: Part of the Neapolitan pizza revival of the early 2000s, this Brooklyn spot brings out well-recognized pizzas with plenty of chew and char to go around. The flavor of the crust allows the chef to play around with such out-there toppings as Brussels sprouts with pancetta and broccolini with spicy sausage and shreds of stracciatella.

Paulie Gee’s: At this rustic parlor not too far from Transmitter Park, Neapolitan pizza gets a major remake, with mischievous ingredients and a pun-filled menu.  They even feature a brunch pizza, with gouda and Canadian bacon doused in maple syrup.

Speedy Romeo: On the surface, Speedy Romeo feels like a clone of the well-loved Roberta’s; both serve neo-Neapolitan pizza in spaces that used to house cars.  Yet the pizzas have a particular bent, as evidenced by chef Justin Bazdarich’s use of a processed cheese called Provel that melts into a viscous cream.  While mozzarella is considered proper for pizza, Provel is definitely shaking up the game.

Roberta’s: Thanks to their independent spirit and creative toppings, Roberta’s has attracted plenty of hype and long waits from the likes of Bill Clinton and the crew of HBO’s Girls.  Pizzas get funky with everything; toppings, cheeses, sauces and dough.

Joe & Pat’s: This Staten Island institution, in business for over 50 years, is known for its legendary thin crust pizza; charred, thin, sturdy and supporting a special tang.  The cheese browns evenly to create a chewy, stretchy exterior.  While there are plenty imitators across the five boroughs, nothing can quite beat Joe & Pat’s.

Best Pizza: Calling yourself “best” pizza is a bold move, yet this shop certainly works to earn that moniker with expert craftsmanship and dogged individuality.

Totonno’s: Twice in the past five years, Totonno’s has been rebuilt; first from a 2009 fire and then from Hurricane Sandy.  Yet the 91 year-old Coney Island institution is still open, and keeps making good pizza.  With one of the most seasoned coal-fired ovens in New York, the pizzas all bear puffed, char-speckled crusts that support generous layers of sweet, herbal tomato sauce and melted fresh mozzarella.

Di Fara: Since 1964, Dom DeMarco has been holding court in this Midwood institution, turning out gorgeous pies that are made perfect by their imperfections.  Some folks will tell you to get there early, since you’ll otherwise end up with a two-hour wait.

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New York: Language Graveyard

Maria Haymandou’s latest blog post

Over the years, countless langauges have gone the way of the dodo, and as the world gets smaller and smaller, it’s likely that more will follow suit.

Languages have been disappearing or evolving since the beginning of time.  While some survive in one way or another through adopted loan-words or being incorporated into other languages (such as Latin), others fade away entirely as they become obsolete.  Often, people transition out of one language into another, either by choice or because they were forced to, which linguists refer to as a “language shift”.  Take, for instance, Irish Gaelic.  During the 19th century, it was widely spoken in Ireland and Newfoundland, where many Irish had settled.  As both places were a part of the English-speaking British Empire, however, Gaelic was viewed as “backward”, serving as an obstacle for advancement.  At the same time, the Irish Potato Famine hit Gaelic-speaking areas the hardest, and countless speakers either died or emigrated to English-speaking parts of the world, where they quickly assimilated and lost their language.  Gaelic-speaking parents often discouraged the use of the language among their children, until it looked like Irish Gaelic would fade into obscurity.  During the late 19th and early 20th century, however, something amazing happened: a revival in Celtic nationalism saved the Irish language from extinction, and it can now be heard once again throughout Ireland.

However, not all languages are so lucky, fading into extinction as their last native speakers die before sharing their language with other people.  According to UNESCO, about half of the world’s 6,500 languages are “critically endangered”, and could end up going the way of the dodo before the end of the 21st century.  I recently found an interesting article about a proverbial “graveyard” of dying languages, where many of these “critically endangered” tongues are spending their last days: New York City.

Since its founding nearly 400 years ago as a remote Dutch trading post called “New Amsterdam”, New York has been a linguistically and culturally diverse place.  When a French Jesuit priest visited New Amsterdam in the 1640s, he reported a total of 18 different languages spoken amongst the settlements’ several hundred inhabitants.  Nowadays, there are an estimated 800 different languages spoken in New York City’s 5 boroughs, including many that aren’t spoken anywhere else.

When we think of “endangered” languages, it’s easy to imagine some primitive dialect spoken by Stone Age-era tribesmen in the Amazon Rainforest or the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea.  However, New York City, particularly Queens, is home to many dying languages.  Jackson Heights, for instance, is home to a large Nepalese community, where immigrants from remote parts of the country congregate together to preserve their language and culture.  Many of them live within a few blocks of each other, and meet regularly for various social events where they chat away in their endangered dialect.  And in a place as diverse as Queens, many of these immigrants grow up speaking a variety of languages so that they can communicate with their neighbors, and it isn’t uncommon for somebody to grow up a polyglot.

Recently, two linguists and a performance poet set up the Endangered Language Alliance, an urban initiative for endangered language research and conversation.  There have been several languages who died in the streets of the Empire City over the years, and countless others who are in danger of following suit.  In recent history, there have been many communities that leave their homeland to settle in New York.  Take, for example, the Gottscheers of Slovenia, descended from ethnic Germans who settled in the Balkans in the Middle Ages.  Surrounded by Slavic-speaking populations, the Gottscheers remained isolated from other Germanic populations, and their dialect developed independently of German, so that it became unintelligible to German speakers.  In the aftermath of World War II, the last speakers of the Gottscheer dialect ended up in New York City, bringing their language with them.

Being the last speaker of a dying language can be a lonely experience; you have nobody to talk to in your native tongue.  Recently, the Endangered Language Alliance have been recording many other “endangered” languages they discovered in the streets of New York, such as Garifuna from Central America or Mamuju from Indonesia, recordings which could very well be the first ever digital documents of these languages being spoken.

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David’s Brisket House

Maria Haymandou’s latest blog post

While David’s sandwiches (such as the ruben shown here) aren’t technically considered kosher, which might deter some patrons, that doesn’t mean they’re any less delicious.

When Jewish immigrants began arriving to New York City from Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th century, they introduced the Jewish deli.  With knishes, matzoh ball soup and sandwiches piled high with pastrami, they created some of New York City’s most recognizable institutions, many of which have stood the test of time and have been continuously serving patrons as far back as anybody can remember.  While names like the Carnegie Deli or Katz’s are what usually come to mind when thinking about Jewish delis in New York, there are plenty of lesser-known, but no less delicious, delis that cater to hungry patrons.  One of these is a small counter deli in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, David’s Brisket House.

Good brisket is hard to find, as it’s a cut of beef that tends to get a bit dry and tough.  Luckily, however, David’s earns the moniker of “brisket house”, serving up some of the most tender cuts of the cow in Brooklyn.  The brisket is also a principle ingredient in the deli’s signature “Brooklyn Cheesesteak”, made with heavily seasoned bites of brisket with peppers, onions and cheese on a sub sandwich.  In addition, their full-flavored, tender and rich pastrami is some of the best in the outer boroughs.  Whenever you order something, however, don’t forget to get a side of gravy with your sandwich to dip in; this feature, unique to other Jewish delis, gives the sandwich something on par with the LA classic “French dip”.

In addition to being a true hole-in-the-wall with delicious food, David’s holds the unique honor of being a Jewish deli run by Muslims.  It was originally opened by Jewish immigrants from Yemen and Russia, but was passed down to a Yemenite Muslim partner in the 1980s.  The new owner, nicknamed “David” after his newfound brisket house, turned it into his family business, and made it into something truly New York: a Jewish deli, run by Muslims with Brooklyn accents in central Brooklyn.  Unlike many Jewish delis, which close on Saturday for the Sabbath, David’s closes early Friday afternoon for Muslim prayer services.

Below is a video about David’s Brisket House, from the web series “1 Minute Meal”:

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The Return of the Elgin Marbles

Maria Haymandou’s latest blog post

Back in 1801, a series of frieze and pediment figures that decorated the Parthenon temple in ancient Athens were removed agents of the British diplomat Lord Elgin, many of which were later sold to the British Museum.  These “Elgin Marbles” are roughly equally divided between London and Athens, although they remain a spot of controversy for the Greeks, who believe that they rightly belong back in Greece.  While Greece had previously suggested taking legal action against the UK to reclaim the remaining Elgin Marbles, they have since ruled out this option, opting instead to pursue a “diplomatic and political” approach to retrieving the sculptures.

With this action, Greece has rejected the advice of lawyer Amal Clooney, who had previously urged Greece to take Britain to the International Court of Justice.  Greece insists that these sculptures, formally known as the “Parthenon Sculptures”, were taken illegally, and in recent years has pursued a high-profile campaign to return them, partially with the help of Amal Clooney.  Clooney reportedly submitted a 150-page report to the Greek government this week, urging it to formally request the repatriation of the marbles and take Britain to the International Court of Justice if they refused.  However, Greece’s culture minister, Nikos Xydakis, has stated that one country can’t go to court over whatever issue, and that the outcome is uncertain in international courts.  Nonetheless, he believed that attitudes towards the Marbles were changing, and would most likely favor Greece in a diplomatic approach.

For 30 years now, Greece has been locked in a bitter dispute over its demand for the marbles to be returned.  The British Museum has recently turned down a proposal by Unesco to mediate in the dispute, for which Xydakis condemned Britain of “negativism” and a “lack of respect”.  Back in December, the museum loaned one of the marbles to Russia for the first time for a display in St. Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum.  The Greek prime minister said that this decision was “an affront” to the Greek people.

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Wegmans Coming to Brooklyn

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The proposed Wegmans store in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

To people from upstate New York, The Wegmans supermarket chain has become a legend of sorts, serving high-quality food at a reasonable price.  Sort of like the chain Stew Leonard’s in Connecticut.  Wegmans has been expanding their operations for a while now, with 85 stores across the country.  but it looks like they’ll be arriving to New York City, specifically Brooklyn, in the near future.  For years now, officials from Wegmans have been looking for a suitable opportunity to crack the New York City market, and yesterday, they officially announced that the company will be starting construction soon on a 74,000-square-foot store, as part of a $140 million redevelopment project at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

As Wegmans typically has very large stores, officials wanted to find a site in New York City that could accommodate a store, which is difficult to find.  While the New York City location will be smaller than a typical Wegmans, it will remain very large.  According to David Livingston, a supermarket industry analyst, Wegmans probably considers a Brooklyn store as a safe bet; Wegmans doesn’t try to gamble, and will only go for what they think is a “sure thing”.  Currently, Wegmans largest store is the flagship 134,000-square-foot store in Pittsford.  The new Brooklyn location is expected to be on par with the newly renovated store in East Avenue, which is around 86,900 square feet, or the 80,000-square-foot location in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.  These smaller stores provided the experience necessary for Wegmans to plan the Brooklyn location, and most likely will influence future projects in tightly-packed city settings.  Nonetheless, developing new stores in large cities could take a while; while Wegmans doesn’t have a construction timeline or projected opening date for its Brooklyn location yet, it isn’t expected to open until at least 2017.

The opening of the Brooklyn Wegmans store will be anchoring a $140 million redevelopment project at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.  Steiner NYC, the developer of this project, was selected last year.  Previously, Wegmans had worked with Steiner to develop two stores in New Jersey.  Work on the site, which also includes the restoration of two historic buildings, is expected to start later this year.

Initially, Wegmans is expected to hire 450 people, including 150 full-time jobs, to work in the market at the Admiral’s Row site at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.  Overall, the Navy Yard project is expected to generate 1,200 total new jobs.  However, the total number of Wegmans jobs could grow to 600, with 250 full-time positions.  Wegmans will spend more than $2 million to recruit and train new workers from the area, which will include collaborations with community leaders in Brooklyn.  In addition to the $2 million spent on recruiting and training workers, Wegmans is committed to spending $150,000 over three years for community programs in the area.  The project will also be including 78,000 square feet of retail space, 126,000 square feet of light industrial and a 7,000-square-foot community facility.  Later on, another 100,000 square feet of light industrial space could be added.  Lucky for those future employees, Wegmans has been named one of the 100 best companies to work for by Fortune magazine for 18 consecutive years.

The Brooklyn Navy Yard was established in 1801, and served as a military facility for over 150 years. It’s now owned by the city of New York, and managed by the nonprofit Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp.  Currently, it has 3.5 million square feet of space in 40 buildings, which house over 300 businesses.  The Navy Yard is currently undergoing its largest expansion in 70 years, with plans for over 2 million square feet of new space to create up to 9,000 new jobs in the next five years.

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George Zimmerman Faces More Trouble

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George Zimmerman (left) and Matthew Apperson (right)

A couple of years ago, Americans across the world were outraged after George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who shot Trayvon Martin, was acquitted of murder due to the Stand Your Ground defense.  Many Americans didn’t agree with the ruling, and George Zimmerman has since become one of the most hated names in America.  Yesterday, he was nearly hit by gunfire by a certain Matthew Apperson.  In a bitter twist of fate, Apperson’s lawyer plans on using the Stand Your Ground defense, claiming that ZImmerman was waving his gun at him.

Apperson’s lawyer says that his client acted in self-defense when shooting at George Zimmerman.  Florida’s Stand Your Ground law allows residents to shoot, rather than retreat, if they feel threatened.  However, Zimmerman’s lawyer insists that Apperson was the aggressor, and had been chasing him with his car shortly before shooting at him.  He claims that Zimmerman had a legally-registered gun in his truck, but denied that he ever brandished it, and insists that the car’s tinted windows would have prevented Apperson from even seeing the gun.

Apperson hasn’t been charged yet with a crime, although the police in Lake Mary, FL, where the shooting occurred, have confiscated the two guns in his car, as well as a Glock owned by Zimmerman.  While the shooting occurred yesterday, somebody dialed 911 on Apperson’s behalf.  The Police insist that Zimmerman never fired his weapon, and they’re still trying to figure out what exactly sparked the shooting.  The shooting was recorded by investigators as an “aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, without the intent to kill”.

Life for Zimmerman after the Trayvon Martin trial has hardly been trouble-free; he has been accused of pulling a gun on his ex-wife and girlfriend, and throwing a wine bottle at another ex-girlfriend.  Apperson, according neighbors, is a fairly “grumpy” person who is very rarely around.  Before the shooting, there was bad blood between him and Zimmerman; back in September, Apperson claimed that Zimmerman had threatened to kill him after they got into a road-rage dispute.  Apperson also made an unfounded complaint to police that Zimmerman was stalking him.

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