Watch-Blog
A Pink Hammer
By Claudie Benjamin “If you come in asking for a pink hammer, it’s likely that two more people will come in asking for pink hammers,” says BasicsPlus Store Manager Rafael Villar. He explains the hardware store’s commitment to flexibility and to being in sync...
Safeguarding Cash, Gold, Jewels and More
By Claudie Benjamin Richard Krasilovsky, the owner of Empire Safe Company, Inc., earned a Master's Degree from Antioch New England graduate center in Keene, NH, (1975-1977) focusing on environmental sciences with an emphasis on education. Rather than continuing his...
Yes, Please: A Slice of Pear Tart
By Claudie Benjamin You certainly know Citarella as a purveyor of high-quality fish and fine meats. But, have you tried the pastries? You must! Sweet connections are the domain of Citarella’s Corporate Chef Carolina Perego. Her first professional love was creating...
Artifacts
By Claudie Benjamin It may seem unusual for an apartment house lobby to use and display artifacts of its past. But then the Ansonia is no ordinary building. Demetrios Mitsopoulos has been the Concierge at the Ansonia for 21 years. He arrived at the historic building a...
Greek Traditional Menu Plus Innovation in a Classy Setting
By Claudie Benjamin It’s not by chance that you feel comfortable at Elea no matter where you've settled yourself. The restaurant essentially offers three venues in one at their just off-Broadway West 85th address. The menu is available throughout the restaurant. But...
63rd Street Kids
By Claudie Benjamin Everybody knows the Charleston rhythm. Most have some idea about the look of the dance. [1] The Charleston has been filmed in at least a half dozen films and captured in hundreds of photos including an iconic image of Josephine Baker performing the...
Supportive Services: A Long-Time Priority at the Marseilles
By Claudie Benjamin 20+ years ago, in the early years when Cara Brussovansky, LMSW, Director of Clinical and Social Services, started working for the West Side Federation for Senior & Supportive Housing (WSFSSH), she was based at the Beaux Arts style Marseilles...
Growing Up Proud in a Community of Poor Immigrants on West 67th Street
By Claudie Benjamin When Vincent Calise came to New York around 1902, with his mother, sisters, Francesca and Nunzielle, and many fellow arrivals from the island of Ischia, a volcanic island near Capri, they settled near each other on West 67th Street, and Vincent...
The Runners-Up
By Claudie Benjamin Henry Hering, Anton Schaaf, Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, Furio Piccirilli —who were they? Mostly unknown today, these four sculptors, were well-known at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th Centuries. All put themselves forward and...
A Spot in the Sun
By Claudie Benjamin Dean Vogel never expected to fall in love with a dog. But, that happened and it changed his life. Going back about 15 years ago, the longtime Upper West Side resident acquired an 8-week-old Dogue de Bordeaux. He named her Daisy. Even from the...
