Watch-Blog

An UWS Community’s Robust Commitment to Spiritual Needs and Social Responsibility
By Claudie Benjamin The West End Synagogue, at 190 Amsterdam Avenue, is distinctive in its commitment to combine traditional Jewish spirituality while addressing such immediate contemporary concerns like interpersonal relationships, the environment and antiracism,...

Digital Images & Volume Production: Upper West Side Copy Shop’s M.O.
By Claudie Benjamin Kunal Bose, owner of Upper West Side Copy shop on the 5th floor of 162 West 72nd Street, is proud that most of his employees have been with the business for 10 or 15 years. "We treat them well and they are loyal, excellent employees, "The first...

Diamonds, Serpents, Cameos and More
By Claudie Benjamin Lara Kornbluh, owner of Icon Style at 104 West 70th Street, has years of experience and deep knowledge of the wide range of vintage jewelry she sells. That's true also of the carefully curated garments that range from eyeglass frames to shoes. All...

In his father’s footsteps on West 72nd Street
By Claudie Benjamin Pharmacist Shoukry Elfahawy came to New York from Cairo, Egypt in 1969 to make a better life for his family. Once earning the required NYS license, he acquired Bell Pharmacy in 1972, a business that was already established on the south side of...

Romance of an Eclectic Venue
By Claudie Benjamin Thursday Sugar Bar Open Mic nights have remained vibrant these past months. Undaunted by Covid challenges and restrictions, these exuberant sessions of talk, music and video clips have gained thousands of viewers via Facebook. Singer Songwriter...

Massage Therapy and Holistic Bodywork to Relax, Transform and Heal
By Claudie Benjamin For many though not all people, these pandemic months have been mired in high tension and lethargy. There’s a sense of lost time where one day slips into the other. Productivity wanes as anxiety rises and usable energy sinks, along with your...

WELCOME HOME Theatrical Audio Tour presents WP Theater’s past, present and future
By Claudie Benjamin Welcome Home, or Ten Tiny Snapshots of WP, presented by WP Theater, is an original work of theater in the form of an audio tour celebrating WP's past, present and future, and grapples with the question--what does it mean to return to theater? What...

Buffalo Horn, Gold & Titanium: Classy Frames for Finely Made Lenses
By Claudie Benjamin For some, elegantly simple eyeglass frames made of titanium or real gold might seem a bit “de trop”. But, not so much at all if you compare the look and quality of eyeglasses to a luxury car purchase of say, a BMW or a Mercedes suggests...

A Fine Cup of Tea: Relaxing and Restorative
By Claudie Benjamin Though New York City is where she worked for two decades in corporate finance, this one-time resident of the Ansonia, who has most recently been living upstate with her artist husband and children, Elina Medvedeva brings an enticing undefined...

Young, Health-Conscious & Entrepreneurial
By Claudie Benjamin 24 year old Moe Nagi is part owner of the newly opened Hungry & Healthy Marketplace on West 72nd Street. Moe started college in Fresno CA and is completing his degree remotely at NJ City University. Moe’s father Najid, also a partner, plays a...