Watch-Blog
Hydrangeas That Take Your Breath Away
By Claudie Benjamin As any gardener, even a window box gardener, knows, gardens take time and care. The deliberately planned artless chaos of an English garden is no exception. Kieran O’Connor, Superintendent of the Astor Court at 205 West 89th Street, explains he’s...
Hands Over Heart for Expanded Jazz Venue
By Claudie Benjamin Dr. Herb Goodheart, a retired dermatologist, lives on West 105th Street with his wife Karen. Walking Molly, their cockapoo, Herb passed Smoke at 2751 Broadway recently and saw Paul Stache, co-owner of the music venue standing by a window of the...
Jake’s Fish Market Remembered by Bobby Santangelo
By Claudie Benjamin When Bobby Santangelo first came to work at Broadway Farm, it was as an experienced fish man. He was never a fisherman, “I like to keep my feet on dry land.” Born and raised in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens, he says “if someone...
Take Out Your Sword and Slice a Croquembouche
By Claudie Benjamin Among many ways in which Zoom has become part of life, it’s now integrated into the daily management of Mille-Feuille, a go-to destination that is French accented in every way. For starters, the Parisian style bakery cafe transports the sweetest...
Mid-Century Style, Black-List & Dairy Restaurants
By Claudie Benjamin Writer/Cartoonist Ben Katchor produced his thought-provoking and awe-inspiring The Dairy Restaurant, a book of witty illustrations and text in 2020. It's the only book on Dairy restaurants. Read it. It’s timeless. As described in The New York...
Gentle Eagles
By Claudie Benjamin They don’t quite have the look of doves. But the four small white marble eagles who stand on the recently restored fountain in the Belnord courtyard look pretty gentle. Certainly, this is true in comparison with fellow sculpture Eagles and...
Myofascial Release: A Gentle Treatment for Chronic Pain
By Claudie Benjamin When Leslie Daley was a teenage gymnast she had a terrible fall. She recovered. But, a few years later when visiting colleges, she had the frightening experience of having her neck muscles lock, “I couldn’t turn in either direction.” Normal...
Judge Not?
Image via New York Times Community Board 7 to vote on West-Park Presbyterian's hardship application. TUESDAY, JUNE 7th beginning at 6:30 It is NO SECRET that the congregation of West Park Presbyterian has applied to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission...
Rebounding as Clothes are Dry Cleaned Again
By Claudie Benjamin Joseph Lee graduated from Rutgers University as a communications major. The financial crisis of 2008 made jobs scarce. Joseph was lucky that his father, Albert Lee, had the well-established J’s Cleaners dry cleaning business with multiple stores in...
One of the Last, Fast Disappearing Appetizing Shops
By Claudie Benjamin Seeking a mid-century venue with traditional foods that have made a subtle transitional nod to accommodate the contemporary palate, look no further; Murray’s Sturgeon Shop at 2429 Broadway offers the quintessential New York experience. “I’m the...