NY Video Friday: Episode 24

Interested in some of the most valuable property in all of New York? Spies for the tallest building in the world? Robert lets us know the ups and downs of living on Wall Street. Obie winning playwright and actor Marc Wolf has an audio cameo.

What's an Assay Office?

NY Video Friday: Episode 23

Sometimes being passionate about something can get you into trouble. Let's watch as Robert finds a way to calm Elizabeth down. Marta, once again, tries to regale us with a lovely song.....

Wait'll I call my agent!

NY Video Friday: Episode 21

Controversy ensues! Do pearls come from Atlantic oysters? Watch Janice Goldberg and Robert exchange "pearls of wisdom."

What's in your oyster?

NY Video Friday: Episode 20!

Today's video takes us back down to Wall Street with an appearance by the lovely Ms. Elizabeth Rouse. We learn about mnemonics; and a question: "What does BMW stand for?"

Brilliant Mnemonic Wisdom? Beautiful Manhattan Waterfront?

Big Melville Whales?

Episode 18 of New York Video Fridays!

Think you're standing on solid ground? Maybe not...

What's the ugliest building you've ever seen?

New York Video Friday: Episode 16

Feeling a little off center today? Here's why:

Feeling a little more centered now?

United Nations, Part Four

United Nations, Part Three

United Nations, Part Two

United Nations, Part One

As the United Nations General Assembly convenes in New York this week, we will post our U.N. videos Monday through Thursday.  These were the last four videos from our Walk Across 46th Street.

Little Bytes Video: Park Avenue, Part One

Here's the latest video we uploaded on YouTube from our walk across 46th Street.

Little Bytes Video: Meat, Meat, Meat

Here's another of the videos from our walk across Forty-Sixth Street.  Ever wonder WHY New York became a city of steakhouses?

Madison Avenue...or Perhaps Crockett

Here's one of the videos from our walk across Forty-Sixth Street which we recently uploaded on YouTube.  This one has a few of my favorite jokes:  bubbles, Pringles and especially my post-it note approval of street names.

Little Byte of the Week: Tenth Avenue, The Concrete Jungle

Here's a Little Byte we recently uploaded on YouTube from our Walk across Forty-Sixth Street.  The beautiful photos were taken for us by Colin Winterbottom.

Arturo di Modica's Charging Bull

Just a refresher for those who liked Monday's photo:

 

We Never Stop Talking About the Middle Ages

My neighborhood is home to the city's Medieval Festival (see yesterday's post for pictures from this year's festivities), the Cloisters and the Tudor-influenced Hudson View Gardens.  At the top of Manhattan, as I claim in this video, we never stop talking about the Middle Ages.

The Obscene Elephant at the United Nations

The United Nations is back in session and hosting world leaders as they do every September.  We thought we would post our byte on one of the U.N.'s largest (and best concealed) pieces of art. 

For more on the history and architecture of the site, scroll down to the last four videos on our tour:  Crossing Manhattan at 46th Street.

Macy's and a Second Unclaimed Corner

You might remember this byte and the story about the corner Macy's refused to buy:

A fun story, isn't story?  Last month, however, while walking on Seventh Avenue, I was reminded that there are actually TWO corners on that block that don't belong to Macy's--the one on 35th Street.

This building was built in the 1800's.  Why didn't Macy's buy it when it was purchasing the rest of the block?  I'm sad to say I don't know, but will keep researching and update you when I do.  Or if anyone of you knows or is the mood to solve a mystery.....

Clutter in front of the Met

In January of 2007, when we first started shooting the Little Bytes, the Guggenheim was still under scaffolding and there were only two hot dog carts in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The rent paid to the Parks Department for those two carts exceeded $600,000 per year.  A reminder:

Today there's a small fleet of those carts.  Last year I wrote about the veteran who started selling from a third cart at the steps.  He paid no rent, charged less and ignored a stack of police summonses.  Others have followed his example.  Taking advantage of the same nineteenth-century state law that permitted veterans to sell in areas without paying rent, more carts have rolled up to the steps.  There are even claims that certain vendors are actually hiring veterans (rent-a-vets) to sit and sell their products so they can avoid paying the city rent.

Read the Adam Lisberg piece in The Daily News (about the eviction of the vendor who is $310,000 behind in his rent) or the Simon Akam article in the Times (about those who have moved in).

Update on Central Park Storm Damage

More than 200 trees were felled in that brief Tuesday storm. 

The Central Park Conservancy, already operating on a reduced budget, needs your help.

Storm Damage Update

 

"The staggering cost of clean-up is estimated at several hundred thousand dollars, but it is impossible to attach a monetary figure to some of the losses. "We had a wonderful chestnut tree at 100th Street and Central Park West," said Neil Calvanese, VP of Operations for the Central Park Conservancy. "Records indicate the tree was planted by the Park's designer, Frederick Law Olmsted, more than 150 years ago." The tree was devastated by the storm and will be removed."

To remind yourself how terrific the park is:

Teeny tidbyte from stormin' Cayce

Monday is a great day for a Saint(-Gaudens)!

In honor of the magnificent exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, we bring you a little history and some inspiration. Here's a lovely video from PBS to give a taste of Augustus Saint Gaudens:

For more info:

A New Yorker review of the Met Show

Thanks Justin Ferate (http://www.justinsnewyork.com) for these links!

Hold on,there's more:  to see the FIRST Saint-Gaudens in New York (and it's NOT in a museum) watch this:

A Sculptural tidbyte from statuesque Cayce, Bon Appetit!!

Its Philo's Birthday!

Philo T. Farnsworth

Born 19 Aug 1906; died 11 Mar 1971

American pioneer in the development of electronic television, taking all of the moving parts out of television inventions. Farnsworth was a 15-year-old high school student when he designed his first television system. Six years later he obtained his first patent. In 1935 he demonstrated his complete television system. Farnsworth's basic television patents covered scanning, focusing, synchronizing, contrast, controls, and power. He also invented the first cold cathode ray tubes and the first simple electronic microscope. The Philco TV manufacturing was named after him.Thanks http://www.todayinsci.com/8/8_19.htm

And where is New York's largest televison?  Yes, Yankee Stadium now, but where was it when we shot these videos?

Another tantalizing tidbyte from Cayce.
Don't watch too much TV!

Video Tour of Washington Square Park

After a recent stroll through the renovated Washington Square Park (pictures posted yesterday), we thought we would feature our two-part video tour of the park we shot in August of 2007.

 

These are from our tour of public spaces along Broadway from Bowling Green to Columbus Circle.

Hudson Heights, Part Ten: The Cloisters, Part Two...Stealing the Soul of France

A momentous day!  Today we post our 74th video, concluding the fifth video tour of the Big Apple.  This video series was conceived in November of 2006, written and shot throughout 2007, and edited and posted until today.  Cayce and I will be celebrating tonight and would like to thank all of the directors, actors, friends and viewers who helped make this project so enjoyable. 

This video was directed by Nona Lloyd and featured Nate Vaughn as George Grey Barnard; Berda Gilmore as his accomplice; Marc Wolf as the French Authority; and Luis Villabon as the Overzealous Gendarme. 

Berda Gilmore recently moved to Los Angeles from New York City where she worked and studied as an actress. Berda is having such a good time on the West Coast that she has been chronicling her adventures on her hugely popular website www.berdagilmore.com.

Nona Lloyd is now the General Manager of the new hot lounge, WATERMARK, located on the Jersey Shore in Asbury Park.  While it may seem that she's left the theater world, she's still using all of her producing and directing skills, every ounce of her creativity, and is sure to jump into "show biz" again.

Marc Wolf recently performed the world premiere of his new solo-show The Road Home: Re-Membering America at Huntington Theatre and Geva Theatre, directed by David Schweizer.  He received an OBIE and was nominated for the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his brilliant Off-Broadway performance of Another American: Asking and Telling at The New Group, directed by Joe Mantello.  www.marcwolf.com

Nate Vaughn

Luis Villabon is an NYC actor/singer/dancer/director.  He has appeared on Broadway in Cathy Rigby's Peter Pan as well as many Broadway National Tours, including A Chorus Line (Paul).  He is also Robert's Pilates instructor, so if you want that Westfield body, you know who to call!

 

Hudson Heights, Part Nine: The Cloisters

Every other Monday, we'll be posting the newest byte in our walk through Hudson Heights, my neighborhood in Upstate Manhattan, the stretch on the western ridge between the GW Bridge and the Cloisters.  The last Little Byte of the series will be posted on Monday, August 3rd. 

This byte was directed by Nona Lloyd.  Nona directed several of the Little Bytes up Broadway--between Madison Square and Columbus Circle.

Nona Lloyd is now the General Manager of the new hot lounge, WATERMARK, located on the Jersey Shore in Asbury Park.  While it may seem that she's left the theater world, she's still using all of her producing and directing skills, every ounce of her creativity, and is sure to jump into "show biz" again.