Warburg Blog

I am a New Yorker 

I am a New Yorker 

I live in the five boroughs or on the Island or Upstate 

I went to Queens College

I may live hundreds or thousands of miles away 

Or I may live just over the GW Bridge 

But I am a New Yorker 

I am a New Yorker 

Whatever took me out of New York : 

Business, family or hating the cold 

did not take New York out of me. 

My accent may have faded and my pace may have slowed 

But I am a New Yorker  

I am a New Yorker 

I was raised on Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Rockefeller Plaza , 

The Yankees or the Met’s (Giants or Dodgers) 

Jones Beach, Rye Beach, Orchard Beach, Sunken Meadow or one of the beaches on the sound 

I know that ‘THE END’ means Montauk. 

Because I am a New Yorker 

I am a New Yorker 

When I go on vacation, I never look up 

Sky scrapers are something I take for granted 

The Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty are part of me 

Taxis and noise and subways and ‘get outa heah’ don’t rattle me 

Because I am a New Yorker 

I am a New Yorker 

I was raised on cultural diversity before it was politically correct 

I eat Armenian food,Greek food and Italian food, 

Jewish and Middle Eastern food and Chinese food 

Because they are all American food to me. 

I even eat those Bellie whoppers-White Castle’s

I don’t get mad when people speak other languages in my presence 

Because my relatives got to this country via Ellis Island and chose to stay   

They were New Yorkers  

People who have never been to New York have misunderstood me   

My friends and family work in the industries, professions and businesses that benefit all Americans 

My firefighters died trying to save New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers   

They died trying to save Americans and non-Americans   

Because they were New Yorkers.  

I am a New Yorker 

I mourn the loss of my beautiful city 

I feel and dread that New York will never be the same But then I remember: 

I am a New Yorker  

 

And New Yorkers have: 

Tenacity, strength and courage way above the norm.  Compassion and caring for our fellow citizens.  Love and pride in our city, in our state, in our country.  Intelligence, experience and education par excellence.  Ability, dedication and energy above and beyond Faith–no matter what religion we practice.  Terrorists hit America in its heart but America ‘s heart still beats strong.  Demolish the steel in our buildings, but it doesn’t touch the steel in our souls.  Hit us in the pocketbook but we’ll parlay what we have left into a fortune.  End innocent lives leaving widows and orphans, but we’ll take care of them because they are New Yorkers  

 

 

Wherever we live, whatever we do, whoever we are  there are New Yorkers in every state and every city of this nation.  

We will not abandon our city.  

We will not abandon our brothers and sisters  

We will not abandon the beauty, creativity and diversity that New York represents.   

We are New Yorkers  and we are proud to be New Yorkers 

  

 REMEMBER THE WTC 

Author – Vincent Pasquale, Maspeth , NY  

Thank you Vincent for allowing us to share this with 

our fellow New Yorkers all around the world. 

Only those that grew up or lived in NYC 

can understand the meaning of this:

THERE I S NO NORTH AND SOUTH. 

IT’S ‘UPTOWN’ OR ‘DOWNTOWN.’ 

IF YOU’RE REALLY FROM NEW YORK , 

YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONCEPT 

OF WHERE NORTH AND SOUTH ARE…

AND EAST OR WEST IS ‘CROSS-TOWN.’  

YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE AN EGG CREAM. 

YOU RIDE IN A SUBWAY CAR WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING 

JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE SEATS AVAILABLE.

 YOU TAKE THE TRAIN HOME AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY 

WHERE ON THE PLATFORM THE DOORS WILL OPEN THAT 

WILL LEAVE YOU RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE EXIT STAIRWAY. 

YOU KNOW WHAT A ‘REGULAR’ COFFEE IS. 

 IT’S NOT MANHATTAN …IT’S THE ‘CITY.’ 

YOU CROSS THE STREET ANY WHERE BUT ON THE CORNERS

AND YOU YELL AT CARS FOR NOT RESPECTING YOUR RIGHT TO DO IT. 

YOU MOVE 3,000 MILES AWAY, 

SPEND 10 YEARS LEARNING THE LOCAL LANGUAGE 

AND PEOPLE STILL KNOW YOU’RE FROM THE BRONX

BROOKLYN , OR LONG ISLAND , 

THE MINUTE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH. 

YOU RETURN AFTER 10 YEARS AND THE FIRST FOODS 

YOU WANT ARE A ‘REAL’ PIZZA FROM DENINOS OR  JOE & PATS, 

AND A  ’REAL’ BAGEL.

 A 500 SQUARE FOOT APARTMENT IS LARGE.

 YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE MISTAKEN IMPRESSION THAT ANY HUMAN BEING WOULD BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND 

A P.A. ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE SUBWAY.

 YOU WOULDN’T BOTHER ORDERING PIZZA IN ANY OTHER CITY.

 YOU GET READY TO ORDER DINNER EVERY NIGHT AND MUST CHOOSE FROM THE MAJOR FOOD GROUP MENUS: CHINESE, ITALIAN, MEXICAN OR INDIAN.

 YOU’RE NOT THE LEAST BIT INTERESTED IN GOING TO TIMES SQUARE ON NEW YEAR’S EVE. 

YOUR INTERNAL CLOCK IS PERMANENTLY SET TO KNOW WHEN ALTERNATE SIDE OF THE STREET PARKING IS IN EFFECT.   

YOU KNOW WHAT (AND WHERE) A BODEGA IS. 

SOMEONE BUMPS INTO YOU AND YOU CHECK FOR YOUR WALLET. 

YOU DON’T EVEN NOTICE THE LADY WALKING DOWN THE STREET

HAVING A PERFECTLY NORMAL CONVERSATION WITH HERSELF. 

YOU PAY ‘ONLY’ $230 A MONTH TO PARK YOUR CAR.

 YOU CRINGE AT HEARING PEOPLE PRONOUNCE HOUSTON ST .. LIKE THE CITY IN TEXAS   

THE PRESIDENTIAL VISIT IS A MAJOR TRAFFIC JAM, NOT AN HONOR.

YOU CAN NAP ON THE SUBWAY AND NEVER MISS YOUR STOP.

(this always amazed me.)

 THE DELI GUY GIVES YOU A STRAW WITH ANY BEVERAGE 

YOU BUY, EVEN IF IT’S A BEER.

THAT’S NEW YORK !      

YA GOTTA LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

It was  glorious Saturday morning, perfect for a brisk, invigorating walk.  Around 7:30 we left our GV apartment and walked a block to “Summer Streets”, which actually ran from the Brooklyn Bridge along Park Avenue connecting the avenues up to 72^nd Street. (Next Saturday will be the last of the summer).    Not a car, cab or truck in sight.  Just bikes, runners and walkers-like us. We walked all the way to 40^th Street to check out the dumpster “swimming” pools.

Six adults would probably feel like they were in a crowded rush hour subway car, but the 3 “pools” (3) were just perfect for city kiddies, happily splashing away at 8am on a sunny Saturday morning. On the return trip we took note of free skate rental tents, a free bike repair tent,

a bike rental stand and at 20^th Street a white picket fence closed off the street for “City Picnic”.  Inside were stands of samples of ice coffee, yogurt, organic carrots, protein bars, mango and berry drinks and tables and benches at which to sit and enjoy an impromptu breakfast.

What a grand way to savor a beautiful Saturday morning in Manhattan.

 

 

 

Bring your Sigg to keep hydrated, your hat to keep the sun off and your rejected electronics to keep the landfills uncluttered and and visit the Lower Eastside Ecology Center’s latest recycling events this weekend:

Saturday July 24, 2010 | 10:00am - 4:00pm
Essex Street, on the east side of Essex St btwn Hester St and Grand St, New York, NY 10002

Sunday July 25, 2010 | 10:00am - 4:00pm
Essex Street, on the east side of Essex St btwn Hester St and Grand St, New York, NY 10002

A while ago, I wrote about a way to make life easier for our mailmen, building staff and the environment by going to www.CatalogChoice.org  and opting out of receiving unwanted catalogs.  That site is getting better and better.  With over 1million users and 2059 catalogs on their “do not mail list”, it has expanded its value by  enabling users to stop getting direct mail solicitations and those annoying preapproved credit card solicitations.  I don’t know about you, but those are the letters I can’t just throw away, but must get out my shredder and shred before dumping.  Though more complicated than opting out of catalogs, it is worth it not to get those unwanted credit card applications.  

Someone emailed this to me a while ago.  I have no idea where it originally came from but it talks to me and I thought it would talk to anyone who lives in and loves this city.

Only those that grew up or lived in NYC can understand the meaning of this:

 There is no north and south. 

It’s ‘Uptown’ or ‘Downtown.’ 

If you’re really from New York, you have absolutely no concept 

of where north and south are…and east or west is ‘cross-town.’  

You know how to make an egg cream. 

You ride in a subway car with no air conditioning just because there are seats available.

You take the train home and you know exactly where on the platform the doors will open that will leave you right in front of the exit stairway. 

You know what a ‘regular’ coffee is. 

 It’s not Manhattan …it’s the City.’ 

You cross the street any where but on the corners and you yell at cars for not respecting your right to do it. 

You move 3,000 miles away, spend 10 years learning the local language and people still know you’re from the Bronx, Brooklyn , or Long Island , the minute you open your mouth. 

You return after 10 years and the first foods you want are a ‘real’ pizza from De Ninos or Joe & Pats, and a  ’real’ bagel.

 A 500 square foot apartment is large.

You are not under the mistaken impression that any human being would be able to actually understand a p.a. announcement on the subway.

You wouldn’t bother ordering pizza in any other city.

You get ready to order dinner every night and must choose from the major food group menus: Chinese, Italian, Mexican or Indian.

You’re not the least bit interested in going to Times Square on New Year’s Eve. 

Your internal clock is permanently set to know when alternate side of the street parking is in effect.   

You know what (and where) a bodega is. 

Someone bumps into you and you check for your wallet. 

You don’t even notice the lady walking down the street having a perfectly normal conversation with herself. 

You pay ‘only’ $230 a month to park your car.

You cringe at hearing people pronounce Houston St .. like the city in Texas   

The presidential visit is a major traffic jam, not an honor.

You can nap on the subway and never miss your stop. (this always amazed me.)

 The deli guy gives you a straw with any beverage 

You buy, even if it’s a beer.

 That’s New York , baby!      

ya gotta love it!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you ever wondered what you favorite Manhattan street or area might have looked like a couple of centuries ago?  Check out this really cool site to see the flora and fauna that existed in the 1600s?http://themannahattaproject.org/explore/mannahatta-map/

 

Making the most of our temporary exile in Brooklyn, I visited the new Richard Meier building on Prospect Park today and was quite impressed by the light and the airy feeling of the apartments complimented by the stunning city and park views everywhere.  Compared to Manhattan prices for a new, celebrity architect designed construction, the prices per square foot seem reasonable, finishes are happily upscale and the amenities are attractive.  Garage with indoor parking spaces reserved for tenants and a 3 story gym in the adjacent building with  direct access from the building make for luxury living. I would happily show you this and/or some of the other wonderful places I discovered!

 

It’s a must see! I saw it yesterday and I am just wowed!  The Cooper Union’s new building at 41 Cooper Square is even more astonishing to behold inside than outside.  Built around a 9 story atrium with a stunning lattice-like enveloping shield representing the unification of the 3 Cooper Union schools, the new building expects to achieve a platinum LEED certification.  Try as I might I could not find a picture of that atrium so the best and easiest way to see it is by making an appt to take a tour, Tuesdays (not holidays) at 12:30, by calling Christine Romero at 212.353.4100 or cromero@cooper.edu to book a space on a tour. The next available tour as of yesterday is at the beginning of July so don’t wait to book.

 

 

Did you realize that six kilometers is the distance many women and children must walk every day to secure water in the developing world? Or that only 1 % of water in the world is drinkable? To draw attention to those facts and many others concerning a looming water crisis, there are run/walks in 150 countries worldwide on April 18^th   sponsored by Dow and Live Earth. In a completely integrated effort, the events feature concerts and water education activities to ignite a massive global movement to help solve the water crisis. Here’s the link to a fun interactive registration site which shows all the runs worldwide http://liveearth.org/en/run . Type in your city or zip code to find a walk/run nearby.

 

From the site “The City that never sleeps will be coming together on April 18th as New York comes out to run Prospect Park at the Dow Live Earth Run For Water. Running or walking 6km makes the realities of water scarcity real.  Make sure you are with us as we highlight this world wide issue that affects all of us. THE ROOTS with special guest JOHN LEGEND will perform following the 6K run/walk.”

In commemoration of Earth Day, April 22, 2010, The Lower East Side Ecology Center (www.lesecologycenter.org ) in conjunction with Con Ed and 6 electronics manufacturers is collecting used electronics for recycling. You can bring any working or non-working computer, monitors, printer, scanner, keyboards, mice, cables, TVs, VCR, DVD players, audio/visual equipment, phones and PDAs to the following places from 10am-4pm rain or shine!

           

            Saturday, April 10               Tekserve

119 W 23^rd Street (6-7^th Avenue) Chelsea

            Sunday,  April 11                Travers Park           

78^th Street b/w Northern Blvd and 34^th Ave., Jackson Heights, Queens

            Saturday, April 17^th                Habana Outpost    

S. Portland Avenue and Fulton Street, Fort Greene, Brooklyn   

            Sunday, April 18^th               Morningside Park  

Morningside Ave b/w 113^th and 114^th Street, Harlem

            Sunday, April 25                 PS 29 Schoolyard 

Baltic Street b/w Henry & Clinton St. Cobble Hill Brooklyn