Here Come The Cherry Blossoms

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Apr 28, 2005

One great attraction in our new neighborhood: the spectacular Brooklyn Botanic Garden - an easy walk, just a few blocks away.

Inevitably mis-pronounced as Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (or variations, thereof), I, too, have a problem remembering what's correct and confuse it with the one in the Bronx, whose proper name is the New York Botanical Garden; and, just to confuse matters even more, it used to be called the Bronx Botanical Gardens). Regardless, the BBG is a 39 acre floral paradise that was founded in 1910 on the site of a former ash dump. Today it is considered one of the finest urban gardens in the country. Located across Flatbush Avenue from Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has been a beloved destination for generations of New Yorkers.

It was a destination for us this Wednesday, as we had planned (before leaving for Florida) to visit the Garden with my sister-in-law, Alexis, her daughter (and my niece), Jessica, Jessica's husband, Eddie and their 2-year old daughter, Jordan. Eddie, particularly, had been wanting to see the Garden for quite a while. They would combine a visit to our new apartment (which he had not seen yet) with a trip to the Garden.

It wasn't a great day to be strolling outdoors - it started with heavy rains, then turned cool and cloudy. But by the time the guests arrived, Mother Nature was in a better mood: the clouds drifted away, the sun shone and the temperature climbed. We walked up Underhill Avenue, crossed Eastern Parkway and reached the newly-opened and rebuilt Eastern Parkway entrance. But we passed it by and continued our walk outside the Garden. I wanted to show Eddie the new, and controversial, Brooklyn Museum facade which marries an ultra-modern entrance to the staid, Greco-classical architecture of the main building.


The new front entrance to the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Love it or hate it? Photo by Jake Dobkin.


Not so bad on the inside looking out - it adds a light and uplifting feel to what used to be a gloomy and dark entrance.

I had an ulterior motive in mind in dragging them to see the Museum. Not as controversial as the entrance was the delightful new fountain installed adjacent to it. A computer driven, whimsical fountain that shoots columns of water into the air has been enthusiastically welcomed by children and adults alike. Here's what the New York Times had to say about it:

This building makes its own splash. New York is not a great town for fountains, but it has just come by a spectacular one. Created by WET Design, which is based in Southern California, the new fountain is the apotheosis of that delightful bygone genre of the department stores, dancing waters. Come for the fountain. You might even stay for the art.

Introducing my great great-niece, Jordan!


The dancing fountains at the Brooklyn Museum.


Jordan - likes the camera.

We hung out at the fountains for a while, watching the infinite variations play out. Fascinating. Then we turned the corner on the museum and walked down Washington Avenue entrance. Here we paid the admission, received a map and guide and headed inside. This was the beginning of the annual display of Cherry blossoms which we were eager to see.


Jessie, Eddie and Jordan.


Yum, a Haagen Dazs pop from the Garden Cafe.


And the result from said pop.

We hung out at the ponds in front of the striking, new Conservatory building, watching the goldfish with Jordan as she devoured an ice cream pop and her mom and dad toured the hot house filled with exotic, tropical plants. Then we walked to the northwest side of the Garden to see Cherry Esplanade. The Garden has 200 cherry trees with 42 species and varieties. Combining its size and diversity, the Garden's cherry collection is said to be unmatched outside of those in Japan!


Spectacular blossoms at the BBG!


The tulips are not too shabby either.

A note to you New York readers of this blog -- the blossoms were not quite fully opened on Wednesday. This weekend, April 30th, they should be exploding before your eyes. The subway goes right there. Don't miss it.

We sat for a while on the splendid lawn of Cherry Esplanade - the only place in the Garden where you're allowed to stretch out on the grass -- and for good reason: it was like lying in paradise. Jordan ran around in pure delight. And, equally delighted, I snapped away.You couldn't ask for better subject matter -- innocent youth and beautiful flowers.


Jordan discovers America, or a rock, anyway.


Cherry jubilee!


Another beauty, although a bit older than Jordan.

Sunshine State - III

Apr 27, 2005

Back in Brooklyn. Florida was a lovely change with warm weather and lush surroundings. Today, back home, it was cool and rainy, as if to let us know for sure - the vacation's over, bud.

Our trip gave us the opportunity to visit different friends who are down south. In fact, a good part of our five days was spent visiting various friends. Of course, there were Bea and Walter, my aunt and uncle, of whom I've already written.

Stacey's parents' best friends were Pauline and Sydney Price. Syd is gone and Pauline, the former Brooklyn gal, then New Jerseyite, now resides in Boynton Beach. We usually drop in on her when we're down in those parts and this year was no exception. On Monday, we called her up and she said to come on over right away as she had a doctor's appointment later in the day. She joked, but only half-kiddingly, that doctor's appointments were the main activity of many seniors down here.

Last year when we visited, Pauline was sharing a rather luxurious condo with her daughter Susan. Susan got her own place since then and Pauline has moved into more modest digs in Boynton Beach. This puts her in the same development as her good friend, Monroe. Paul is on the 2nd floor and Monroe on the 4th. Very convenient.


We visit Pauline.

Pauline is one of those great people that you just love to spend time with. A sharp wit and a caring woman, she always made me feel welcome. Her friend, Monroe, is a very interesting chap. He's a very talented sculptor and that's evident in the work that is in both Pauline's and his own apartment. Besides that, he showed us a video tape in which he appears on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1953 as part of a 3-man acrobatic group: Los Gatos. Wow. We were impressed.


Monroe and one of his alabaster creations.


Another of Monroe's sculptures.

Our friends, Barbara and Mark, the so-called snowbirds, are down in Florida also. We always spend some time with them - either haunting the various crafts fairs or joining them for dinner. This time around we met them twice for dinner. The second time around we celebrated Mark's 58th birthday at J.B.'s On The Beach in Deerfield Beach. Nice.


Barbara and Mark - he wants to forget his birthday?

We ended our stay in Florida with a last lunch with my uncle and aunt. After lunch we hung out with them back at their house, took a last trip to the antique mall a few blocks away and then drove to Fort Lauderdale airport for our 8:35 pm flight on Delta back to LaGuardia and New York.


Stacey, Walter and Bea - after lunch at Mon Ami.

Thomas, our Georgian (the Georgia over there, near Russia) picked us up and dropped us at Underhill Avenue close to midnight. I tapped on the window and rang the bell to see if Pumpkin was still "talking" to us. She came running to the window, very happy, we think, to see us - she had been alone since last Thursday (our lovely neighbors, once again, visited and fed her on a daily basis). We were happy to be home - she was too - happy to have us home.


Pumpkin - happy to have some company again.

This Sunday - March For A Nuclear Free World!

Apr 27, 2005

This Sunday, May 1st, thousands will march around the world, demanding a world free from the threat of nuclear annihilation. In New York, on the day before the United Nations reviews the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, tens of thousands will march and rally for global nuclear disarmament and an immediate end to the Iraq War.

We will gather at the United Nations at 11 am - assembling on side streets off of First Avenue from 50th street on up.

Brooklynites can march with Brooklyn Parents For Peace who will meet at First Avenue and East 54th Street.

From the U.N. we will march to Central Park for a giant rally. Be there!

For more information: United For Peace And Justice.


Where will you be on Sunday, May 1st? Why not join your fellow NY'ers at 1st Avenue and 50th Street at 11am to demand a nuclear-free future and an end to the immoral war against Iraq?

Passover In The Sunshine State - II

Apr 25, 2005

Meanwhile, Pumpkin, our cat, waits at home for us. No concept of time. No knowledge of where we went, why, what we're doing. We're just not there, that's all she knows -- is it a day, a week, a year? What is a year?


Pumpkin, at home in Brooklyn. Waiting, waiting....

.....

The ostensible reason for this visit to Florida was to celebrate Passover at the home of our friend Al's house in Boca Raton. Al is our friend, but it's a friendship that developed through Stacey's brother, Peter. Peter and Al are good friends and that's the nature of our connection.

Anyway, we've been invited to Passover Seder at Al's house several times and this year again. Al's place in Boca is remarkable - a magnificent house that he designed and then furnished with beautiful and precious furniture, antiques and art work. There's a movie theater, a workout room, beautiful bedrooms, a library, a den, dining room and on and on. Sometimes, it's hard to find your way around - you can get lost. Surrounding this beautful home is an equally beautiful, pool that wraps it way, free-form, around the rear of the house. Beautiful plantings and tall, royal palms transform this into one of those Florida paradisical locations.

The seder was Sunday night, but we spent a good part of the day on Saturday - just hanging out, lolling around and enjoying an abode that most people only read about.


Stacey, reading at the pool.


Peter, at the pool.


The pool-side of the house.


Beautiful flowers all around.


Stacey at the hot tub.


Peter and Lori Press.


The view of the pool from the living room.

.....

The next day, Sunday, Stacey and I returned to Al's house. Stacey was making matzah brei for brunch and the guests were waiting eagerly when we arrived around one 1:00. My friend Cary had arrived and we all hung out at the pool as the Seder preparations commenced inside.

At 7:30, with more guests having arrived (there were to be 15 of us around the table), we sat down and Al conducted an abbreviated service. The food was delicious and combined with very pleasant company and surroundings, Passover was a great success. Thanks Al!


The table was set beautfully.


Dawn and Al - pre-Seder.


Peter, Al and Cary.


Dawn and dad, Ralph.


Guests at the Passover Table.

For the rest of my Passover photos, visit my Smugmug Site. Click here.

Passover In The Sunshine State - I

Apr 24, 2005

We've been down in Florida the last few days -- invited to a Seder at a friend's house, we also got a chance to visit my aunt and uncle and other friends who are down here for the winter. And as nice as the weather's been back home in New York, the weather here is spectacular.

It's hard to put into words the feel of Florida weather. As you step outside, a soft warmth envelops you. The air is filled with a lush aroma, the result of the rich flora. It just feels easy. This reaction may bemostly psychological. For those of us residing winters in New York, a sudden disembarking from an airplane into the mild Florida weather is a euphoric experience. It brings back memories of shorts, t-shirts and sandals; a more laid-back, easygoing existence.


Stacey and a Banyon tree - outside our Hotel.

To be sure, Florida would not be my choice of a place to live: way too car oriented, an anti-social society with its lack of public neighborhoods and a prevailing ostentatious display of wealth (and its flip side - vast areas of grinding poverty) are some of the things that turn me off.

But a month down here in the middle of a New York winter is not a bad thing.

.....

We arrived Thursday on Delta Song - a quick, and very early 7:00 am flight from JFK to Fort Lauderdale airport. Picking up our rental car we had nowhere to go: it was too early to check in, too early to call family or friends. So we headed to Las Olas - the lovely and fancy shopping street in Fort Lauderdale for a walk and a look around. Food is no longer served on these east coast flights so we were ready for a bite to eat and had some nice sandwiches at Gran Forno, a bakery and cafe on the block.

After lunch, we checked in to our Holiday Inn in Boca Raton. We were going to head over to Deerfield Beach to visit my aunt Bea and Uncle Walter bu they called and cancelled: my uncle had not been feeling well; could we postpone lunch until tomorrow? So we visited the hotel pool, hand some cocktails at the hotel bar and then headed to dinner with our snowbird friends, Barbara and Mark. These two rarely eat home and so are familiar with all the good restaurants in the surrounds. We met them at Cafe Casablanca (we'd been there before with them) for a lovely meal at on a porch overlooking the beach and ocean in Fort Lauderdale. A little espresso afterwards at one of their coffee haunts and then back to the hotel for a well-needed sleep - we had been up since 4:00 am to make that early flight from JFK!

.....

The next day, Friday, we drove over to Bea and Walter's in Deerfield Beach. My mother's sister and her husband have been living down here for some 30-plus years. They have a sweet home in one of the older developments and, in past years, we've always stayed with them. But, not wanting to burden them with that chore, this time we opted for the hotel and some visits instead.

My Uncle Walter was feeling much better when we arrived and my aunt served us her famous spareribs for lunch after which we strolled around the development. It's so nice to visit them - before Florida they lived in Baltimore for many years, but when I was but a child, they lived down the block on West End Avenue and our two families were not only geographicaly close but often shared many wonderful times together. Their kids, Peter and Kenny -my cousins -were two of my closest friends on a day-to-day basis, and it was a sad day when they moved away. Uncle Walter left the Post Office for a new job in Baltimore with the Social Security administration and our two families were separated after all those years of close living.


My mother's sister - my Aunt Bea - she never ages.


Uncle Walter - in good spirits.


Bea and Stacey - we went for a walk.


In front of their house in Deefield Beach.


The photographer with his uncle and aunt.

Bea and Walter are the model of a loving relationship. Dedicated to each other, loving and caring, they have been blessed with an enduring, peaceful and long-lasting marriage. My uncle, at 90, is slowing down a bit but remains witty and pleasant at all times - the perfect host. My Aunt Bea seems to go on forever - young and vital and well informed (and opinionated) about the world about her. It's always a joy to visit and spend time with them.

A truly beautiful couple - my uncle and aunt.

Tomorrow: Seder at a very beautiful and big Boca Raton house.

I Bike To Manhattan For Dinner With My Friend

Apr 18, 2005

Coincidental to the beautiful weather is my annual bout of seasonal allergies. Around about the age of 48 or so, I, who never had an allergy in my life, developed terrible springtime suffering. Many people have told me, and doctors confirm, that around that age, people's hormones change and one can develop allergies that never existed before. So I'm one of those people. Symptoms? Sneezing, headaches, heavy-head syndrome, post nasal drip and the most horrendously itchy and crazy-weepy eyes. They get so bad that the lower lids get chapped from the tears. Sometimes, it feels that I have a tablespoon of sand in each eye. Bad. Real bad.

This typically lasts a month, starting in April and ending in early May. The last two years, however, has seen a fading of my symptoms. Either I'm passing out of the phase that began some ten years ago - or, for whatever other reason - rain or lack thereof or some other unknown (to me) combination of weather conditions, the last two years were not bad at all.

This evening of this very beautiful day, I got onto my bike at about 5:30 and pedaled over the Brooklyn Bridge. Destination: Battery Park to meet my dear friend Lonnie. We were to have dinner at a lovely restaurant at the very southern tip of Manhattan: the American Park Cafe.

This was a lovely restaurant (but pricey) with an added outdoor deck and bar perched on the edge of New York Bay - with vistas of the skyline to one side and the bay and the Statue of Liberty to the other. Spectacular - and an added bonus that the deck and bar had a less expensive menu and live music. What a great New York place to have a drink, some light bar food and watch the sun set behind that other state across the Hudson River.

Trouble was - the restaurant is gone. Finished. Departed. In its place - the very expensive Battery Park Gardens restaurant. And -- no more deck with its moderately priced menu. Too bad - We've enjoyed many wonderful sunsets at its predecessor.


The beloved Brooklyn Bridge bike/ped path. Hey you drivers, stuck in your cars -- wouldn't you rather be walking or biking?? That's the Manhattan Bridge towers in the background.


One of New York's great, great places -- the Brooklyn Bridge bike/ped path. That's the Woolworth building with the pointy top.


A view from the Brooklyn Bridge uptown to the Manhattan Bridge and the Empire State building. Specatcular, no?


I just love the different views and angles of this fabulous structure.


The Bridge, the Statue, Sunset.

I called Lonnie to alert him - he was still at work. That was fortunate (but also a little upsetting as he was supposed to have been downtown already) because I could arrange to meet him at a new location. I suggested Azafrán, a tapas place, on Warren Street in Tribeca. I gave Lonnie the new subway stop at which to detrain (Lonnie is geographically-challenged and I'm his matt-quest.com when he needs directions). While he was coming downtown, I was biking uptown, along the Hudson on the beautiful path that runs between the luxury apartments of Battery Park City and the river. It's one of my favorite city places.

The sun was setting and the Manhattan skyline was glowing in its light as I turned off the path and headed to the restaurant. I couldn't resist a shot of the fabulous old Woolworth builidng, this time viewed from the west side.


The Woolworth building - reflecting the fading sunlight.

I had given Lonnie new instructions - get off at Chambers Street - he was coming from Times Square. I arrived at the restaurant, just around the corner from the subway, only to find that it's closed on Mondays. Not to despair - this is Manhattan - enough restaurants, it's said, that you could eat in a new one every night for the rest of your life and not repeat a visit! A block of so away was Mary Ann's Mexican, an old standby - this was their Tribeca branch. The original was a bit uptown in Chelsea at 15th Street and 8th Avenue.
I rode around the corner to find my friend standing at the subway exit, on his cell phone, talking away. Although he was off from work - apparently he was still on the job. Dinner was nice. After an espresso at a Starbucks and then a leisurely, and long, walk up to Washington Square - he walking and I walking and rolling my bike alongside. Lonnie hailed a cab. I mounted my trusty bicycle and pedalled home, this time across a very lonely Manhattan Bridge, and home. A beautiful night out on the town.


Lonnie - he's always on his cell.


A very lonely Manhattan Bridge bike path on my ride home at 9 o'clock.

Where Have You Been?

Apr 18, 2005

"Where have you been?" he asks. You mean "Where have I been?" Em ... OK. I've been here and there, round and about. With the nicer weather, outside a lot and losing the desire to write. But, feeling guilty, and not wanting to disappoint my legion of Blog-er-ees, and having a few spare minutes, and wanting to put off some intense manual labor which calls from my backyard, I'm trying my hand at this post.

Saw a great and very moving play last week: Nine Parts Of Desire. A one-woman show at the Manhattan Ensemble Theater (55 Mercer Street; 212-947-8844). Created and acted by Heather Raffo; she portrays nine different Iraqi women and brings them to life in front of your eyes in one hour and fifteen minutes of intensely emotional drama. Carved from interviews of real Iraqi women over a period of 11 years, the playwright, half Iraqi herself, endows her subjects with respect and dignity. We can feel the horrors of the war through the eyes and experiences of each of these women. While this is not an anti-war play in and of itself, one cannot see it and walk away without feeling the anguish and terror that these women have experienced at the bloody hands of Saddam Hussein and the American terror that has followed his regime.

Particularly moving was Raffo's portrayal of an Iraqi doctor, herself a cancer victim, as she relates to us the enormous number of breast cancer cases she has seen in young Iraqi girls - toddlers and pre-teens - the result of depleted uranium bullets and ammunition so widely used by U.S. forces in Iraq and now littering vast areas of that devastated country. Another woman who, day and night, stands in testimony outside a demolished bomb shelter, now takes her daughter's name as her own, the daughter and so many others having perished inside at the hands of American smart bombs that were unleashed on the civilians inside.

This is a fast-paced play as the actor, who establishes a great rapport with her audience, takes us from one woman to the next and back again. By the play's end I felt as if I actually knew these women and that they had been telling their stories of horror and woe directly to me. If you're able to get tickets, this is a play that I highly recommend.


Heather Raffo plays nine different Iraqi women in Nine Parts Of Desire.(Photo: Joan Marcus)

Namedropping

Apr 11, 2005

name-dropping Noun. - the practice of casually mentioning important people in order to impress your listener; "the hard thing about name-dropping is to avoid being too obvious about it"

.....

We saw David Rothenberg's Namedropping at the Mint Theater last night and it was delightful. We're a long-time fan of Rothenberg who hosts a Saturday morning radio show on politically progressive, listener-supported WBAI (99.5 on your FM dial in NYC; also streaming live on the web - click here. )

Namedropping is Rothenberg's recollections of elbow-rubbing with various luminaries of the stage and screen who he worked with for many years as a publicist for various Broadway producers. But, belying the title of the show, there's not a hint of egotism here as David relates his stories in a very self-effacing and genuine manner. On the other hand, the audience gets true-to-life glimpses of Peggy Lee, Sir John Gielgud, Joan Fontaine, Charles Laughton, Lauren Bacall and so many others as he allows us to share his experiences with the stars he's worked with over the year. The set is simple: David on stage,on a stool, talking to his audience as he might be talking to a small group of friends around a dinner table. The only props - some photos that he displays from time to time showing him with this or that leading lady or man.

Tune in on Saturday mornings at 8:30 to see if you can get some tickets for this thoroughly enjoyable show at the Mint.


Our neighbors, Rock and Diane, with Stacey at the Mint Theater last night.


David Rothenberg at the Mint - dropping names.


David and photos - after the show.


A group of us with David in the lobby of the Mint -
he gave us some "juicier" bonus stories in the lobby after the show.