Watch-Blog
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...
Upper West Side’s Diner Expert
By Claudie Benjamin The ultra-vintage Metro Diner at 2641 Broadway at the northwest corner of 100th Street was used four times as the setting for episodes of Pose. The groundbreaking FX TV musical series ran for four seasons, and focused on NYC’s transgender...
Hidden Gem
By Claudie Benjamin On occasion, Phyllis Samitz Cohen, Director of Public Art at the Municipal Art Society, stopped at Ben & Jerry’s at 2720 Broadway, the northeast corner of 104th Street and Broadway. More than savoring a chocolate mint ice cream, her purpose...
Lush Roses and Comfortable Old Shoes
By Claudie Benjamin As President of the New York Landmarks Conservancy, Peg Breen’s professional domain focuses heavily on bricks, mortar, stone, and policy related to conservation, history, and progress. Flowers provide a perfect balance, offering softness and color...
Movies that Spoke to His Soul
By Claudie Benjamin Dan and Toby Talbot defined what many Upper West Siders enjoyed most about going to the movies for decades. The couple ran the New Yorker [2409 Broadway, demolished], the Cinema Studio [1931 Broadway, demolished], the (individually landmarked)...
To Restore, or Not To Restore? That is the Equestrian!
Never before have stone horses caused such an uproar. Ever since 1965, many Upper West Siders have long been familiar with the landscaped playground at Stephen Wise Towers, located between West 90th and 91st Streets and cheerfully dotted with modern concrete animals....
