Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
On June 27, 1959, the original “West Side Story” closed at Winter Garden Theater New York City after over 730 performances. The musical production, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, was inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet and consisted of two acts and fifteen scenes. The musical, set in the West 50s and 60s of the Upper West Side neighborhood during the mid-1950s, explores the rivalry between two teenage street gangs – the white working-class Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. When Tony, a member of the Jets, falls in love with Maria, sister of the Sharks’ leader Bernardo, chaos ensues.
Pay tribute by watching the 1961 film adaptation or check out an online exhibition of the original West Side Story,West Side Story Birth of a Classic, on the Library of Congress website.
- Erin Marino
No Comments | Posted on June 27, 2012 | Categories: From the Blog, History
tags: Erin Marino, today in new york history
JUNE 26TH 1919 – First publication of New York Daily News
On June 26, 1919, The Daily News of New York began publishing. The first U.S. publication to be printed in tabloid form was founded by Joseph Medill Patterson, an American journalist and publisher. The fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the U.S., the publication has since won ten Pulitzer Prizes. It is now owned and run by Mortimer Zuckerman, a Canadian-born American businessman and current editor-in-chief of magazine U.S. News & World Report.
NY Daily News Building, 1930
JUNE 27TH 1959 – Original “West Side Story” closes on broadway
On June 27, 1959, the original “West Side Story” closed at Winter Garden Theater New York City after over 730 performances. The musical production, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, was inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet and consisted of two acts and fifteen scenes. The musical, set in the West 50s and 60s of the Upper West Side neighborhood during the mid-1950s, explores the rivalry between two teenage street gangs – the white working-class Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. When Tony, a member of the Jets, falls in love with Maria, sister of the Sharks’ leader Bernardo, chaos ensues.
Pay tribute by watching the 1961 film adaptation or check out an online exhibition of the original West Side Story, West Side Story Birth of a Classic, on the Library of Congress website: www.loc.gov/exhibits/westsidestory/introduction/.
1 Comment | Posted on June 26, 2012 | Categories: From the Blog, History
tags: Erin Marino, Today in New York
Strolling through Riverside Park on a sunny afternoon, my girlfriends and I stumbled upon the Hudson Beach Cafe, an outpost of restaurant P.D. O’Hurley’s. After ruling out the possibility of the outdoor bar being a mirage, we seized the rare opportunity to enjoy some beers (legally) in the park. After a few rounds we gave in to the slightly overpriced menu of salads, burgers, wraps and sandwiches. Minimally decorated, a bunch of outdoor tables with optional umbrellas and a well-stocked wooden bar, it has a laid-back backyard feel. Pros? Enjoying a couple rounds of cold beers in the park on a beautiful day. Cons? Pricey fare, lack of toilet paper in the public bathrooms.
Hudson Beach Cafe
Riverside Park
Riverside Drive at West 105th Street, New York, NY 10025
#917-370-3448
Hours: Seasonal Apr-Oct: Mon-Thu, 4pm-10pm; Fri-Sun, 11am-10pm
Subways: 1 at 103rd Street
Payment Methods: Cash, Credit (American Express, MasterCard, Visa)
No Comments | Posted on June 18, 2012 | Categories: Attractions, Dining, From the Blog, Native's Pick, Upper West Side
tags: beer, Erin Marino, Park, summer
A vegetarian feast at Zen Palate
Ever since asian-fusion restaurant Zen Palate opened its third location in my Upper West Side neighborhood, I have become a devout costumer. The fare is equally delicious as it is health-conscious, a rare combo. And the atmosphere is laid-back, clean and modern inside, with the addition of two outdoor spaces, weather permitting. Did I mention they have a full bar? Always a plus when convincing a wary friend to tag along – after their meal, they’ll be hooked! A meat-loving friend of mine couldn’t believe how savory the dishes were. She’s now a regular costumer too.
Still not convinced? The Zen Palate restaurants have won numerous awards including Awards of Distinction by Zagat Survey and AOL CityGuide‘s #1 Best Vegetarian Restaurant and #1 Best Healthy Dining Restaurant in NY. It has also been listed in Food Networks’ top 5 Best of Far-East Favorites in the U.S.
Read the complete post »
No Comments | Posted on April 26, 2012 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog, Upper West Side
tags: Asian fusion, Erin Marino, healthy, vegan, Vegetarian
Erin – our resident vegan eater – has prepared this gluten-free, vegan recipe for vanilla wafers with chocolate chips. Enjoy this latest installment of Vegan Treats with Erin!
The finished product!
Ingredients
2 ½ cups oat flour
1 cup vegan sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup canola oil (or coconut oil)
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or lightly-coat baking sheets with a non-stick baking spray, like pam). In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add canola oil, applesauce and vanilla extract – stir with a spatula or spoon until the dough is smooth. Drop the dough by the teaspoon (or tablespoon!) onto prepared baking sheets, about one inch apart. Flatten each cookie slightly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 5 minutes, rotate pans, and bake for another 5, or until cookies are golden brown. Let cool on baking sheets for about 15 minutes. Enjoy!
- Erin Marino
No Comments | Posted on April 22, 2012 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog
tags: Baking, Erin Marino, Recipes, vanilla wafers, vegan
Trees abound!
NYC is often thought of as a concrete jungle, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have our fair share of nature! Writer Erin Marino snaps a picture of a springtime stroll in Riverside Park, one of the many, many parks the city has to offer. Now that it’s spring has fully sprung, make sure to get outside for picnicking, frisbee tossing, and general hoopla!
No Comments | Posted on April 6, 2012 | Categories: From the Blog, Upper West Side
tags: Erin Marino, Park, parks, Riverside
One of the pieces from Jillian Kate's most recent collection
Meet fresh-faced Jillian Kate – model, designer, blogger, and fashion’s current wild child! You can check out her laid-back California style clothing line, Under The Table, and her frequently updated (and addicting!) blog.
Name: Jillian Kate
Age: 23
Hometown: LA/Tokyo
Current city: LA/Tokyo
Occupation: Model/Designer/DJ/Stylist/PR/Blogger
Read the complete post »
2 Comments | Posted on April 4, 2012 | Categories: Fashion, From the Blog
tags: Erin Marino, fashion, funky fantastic, Jillian Kate
Delicious and vegan chocolate peppermint muffins
Here’s another easy and vegan and gluten-free friendly sweet – they’re technically muffins, so you won’t feel guilty grabbing one for breakfast (lunch, dinner and dessert!). The addition of peppermint (mint extract) is totally optional, it adds a little kick to the muffins but they are delicious with or without it. Raw nuts to garnish is also a possibility, as is adding chocolate chips to the batter. Read the complete post »
No Comments | Posted on March 21, 2012 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog
tags: Baking, Erin Marino, muffins, vegan
Louis Capone and Emanuel Weiss
On March 4, 1944, New York crime boss Louis Capone was executed by electric chair at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, NY. Capone was buried in Flatbush, Brooklyn, at the Holy Cross Cemetery.
Born in 1896 in Naples Italy, Louis Capone (no relation to Al) moved to the United States with his family and grew up in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, later moving to Brownsville as an adult. While working at his Brooklyn pasticceria, an Italian cafe, Capone built relationships with the locals, including future gang leaders. Aside from serving up coffee and pastries, Capone operated loan-shark operations, was involved in labor racketeering, and had close connections with Detroit Michigan’s Purple Gang and infamous mobster Joe Adonis (1902-1971).
Because of his friendships with gang leaders and mobsters that frequented his cafe, and his Italian background, Capone was recruited to be part of Murder, Inc., a network of Jewish and Italian contract killers, directed by crime figures Louis “Lepke” Buchalter and Albert “Mad Hatter” Anastasia. After many years as a feared hitman, Capone was convicted in 1939 of the first degree murder of business owner Joseph Rosen, a potential witness of another hit. In 1941, after years of legal appeals, he was found guilty and sentenced to the death penalty along with his two accomplices, director Buchalter and Emanuel Weiss.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia
- Erin Marino
No Comments | Posted on March 4, 2012 | Categories: From the Blog, History
tags: Erin Marino, mobsters, today in new york history
A view of the Martha Washington.
On March 2, 1903, the first hotel exclusively for women opened in the Rose Hill neighborhood of Manhattan. The Martha Washington Hotel, at 30 East 30th Street between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue, had various notable residents in its years, including poet Sara Teasdale and actress Veronica Lake. Although the 400-plus rooms spread among 12 floors were exclusively for women, men were allowed to eat and mingle with female guests in the hotel’s restaurant and tea room. One man lived in the building full-time, Arthur M. Eager, the hotel’s proprietor, although with his wife, daughter and mother-in-law. The room rates started at $1.50 per day for a single. The building has since been home to other hotels, including the current Hotel LOLA.
Image courtesy of 14to42.net
-Erin Marino
No Comments | Posted on March 2, 2012 | Categories: From the Blog, History
tags: Erin Marino, Hotel
