Watch-Blog
Activists Attract
By Claudie Benjamin By the time Nina and Dan met in 2006, they both had explored activism in different ways. They met while each was working on a series of anti-war hearings. Dan was a reporter, writer and teacher. He had worked tirelessly on the battle for the...
Tip Your Hat, But Don’t Raise the Cap!
In her State of the State Address Gov. Hochul called for more housing And we support this action! There is a homelessness crisis and her plan offers several solutions which have merit--such as converting unused office and hotel space to residential use. We...
Gold, Silver, Diamonds: Buy, Sell Repair and Trade
By Claudie Benjamin “That’s one of my father’s,” says jeweler Maurice Paredes, as his wife Micaela, shows off the necklace she is wearing. The gold, Egyptian-inspired piece is dramatic. “We’re Peruvian, but Leo, my father, thought he should have been born in the...
Made for the Job
By Claudie Benjamin Hard to imagine someone more perfectly made for the work of a progressive activist in the NY Legislature than State Assembly Member Richard Gottfried. First elected in 1970, he will have held this position for 52 years when he retires at the end...
Assolutamente delizoso!
By Claudie Benjamin Venchi Cioccogelateria's pale green gelato is made from Pistacchio Verde di Bronte (nuts grown in a village on Mount Etna in Sicily). This is Venchi US CEO Davide Cravero's favorite flavor of gelato. It is also, he says, "our world-wide...
Colleague’s Letter to Governor Kathy Hochul
In Governor Kathy Hochul's recent State of the State address she outlined a number of ideas to solve the affordable housing crisis. While several ideas have merit and we can fully support them, we are concerned with lifting the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) Cap. What would...
Every Word is Precious at ChatterboxNYC
By Claudie Benjamin Located at 141 West 72nd Street, ChatterboxNYC was founded by Tricia Brown, Jackie Dolson-Shewchuk and Julie Silberman in 2008. Since then, they have grown into a vibrant clinic with six speech language pathologists who offer a specialized...
Hostelling International NYC Offers Visitors Echoes of History
By Claudie Benjamin It is the perfect time to celebrate the Victorian building at 891 Amsterdam Avenue. Not so much to mark the building’s 150 + years at this location, but now with the lifting of international travel restrictions into the US, Hostelling...
Japanese Grandmother’s Inspiration
By Claudie Benjamin People rave about the rice balls at Shinbashi 72. The excellence in preparation of the rice - a foundation of Japanese cuisine doesn’t happen by chance. “My Dad, Takeshi Katayama takes care of the rice starting at 8:30am every morning,” says his...
Henna Designs: Some Subtle, Others Flamboyant
By Claudie Benjamin A dragon, peacock or band of intricate lace drawn on your hands, arms, small of your back, base of your collarbone. What’s your pleasure? Shaira Halani who goes by Saira professionally, has been working as a henna artist and specialist in...
