W42ST issue 23 - We're 2, and it's thanks to you!

w42st ISSUE 23 NOV 2016

we're

2

FREE PICK ME UP

AND IT'S ALL THANKS TO YOU!

dvirsieown

HE'S HOT and HE'S HERE

WE

HK

THANKSGIVING goes local

INSIDE

Caroline on comedy; what it's REALLY like to be a poll worker; tyler mount's fangirl faves; top tips for selling your apartment; hell's kitchen real estate as you've never seen it before; marathon fitness ... and dogs!

Thank you.

Seriously. Thank you. From the heart.

W42ST magazine is two years old this month and it’s entirely down to your support that we’ve grown to become the voice of this community we’re bursting with pride to call home. Other people spreading the Thanksgiving love this month inlcude actress Shakina Nayfack and singer Drew Vision. We have tips to make your holiday table more healthy, tales of marathon heroism, the best of Broadway from Tyler Mount ... And sign up for my weekly email newsletter for chat and giveaways: http://bit.ly/letterfromruth.

CONTENTS November Edition

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PEOPLE 6 MY HELL’S KITCHEN

The founder of Caroline’s comedy club and of the New York Comedy Festival gives her tips for stardom – and for a post-gig cocktail.

8 FANGIRL

Ruth Walker

Tyler Mount’s Broadway obsessions in his first column for W42ST.

Editor, W42ST

10 DREW VISION THE TEAM THAT BROUGHT YOU W42ST

PUBLISHER PHIL O’BRIEN phil@w42st.com (646) 535-4407

EDITOR RUTH WALKER ruth@w42st.com (646) 847-9645

SENIOR ART EDITOR LEE CAPLE lee@w42st.com

SALES MATT LUNETTA matt@w42st.com (646) 535-2186

SALES BOB BRUNO bob@w42st.com (929) 428-0767

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR SANDRA MANGAN sandra@w42st. com

FOUNDING ED SIMON KIRRANE CONTRIBUTORS

JACI STEPHEN NACHO GUEVARA KERRY DONELLI CIERA COYAN CLAUDIA CHUNG IAN TD SMITH JEREMY KAPLAN JACQUELINE DONELLI SAMINA KALLOO

CHRISTIAN MILES SCOTT STANGER TYLER MOUNT EDUARDO PATINO MATT D’SILVA LISA MARIE FALCONE DANIEL YIM CHRISTINE FELLOWS

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher ©2016. Please note: Every effort has been made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions in this publication. However, if you spot one please accept our sincere apologies.

The poster boy for cool urban millennials on recording his album in a Hell’s Kitchen closet.

14 OUT OF DANGER

The true story of a refugee on his first night out in a Hell’s Kitchen gay bar.

16 I WAS A POLL WORKER

What it’s REALLY like to work on election day.

18 POSITIVE AFFIRMATION

64 PHOTO FINISH

When there was a fairground – not a pair of luxury buildings – at the bottom of W42nd St.

OUT 20 EVENTS

Our diary of happenings, from theater to dance to family fun, is the only guide you’ll need this month.

22 SHAKINA NAYFACK

The star of Difficult People on life in a porn theater, her love of musical theater, and transitioning from ‘he’ to ‘she’.

24 SOUND OF THE SUBWAY

Behind Broadway’s first ever a cappella musical – with the team’s worst ever transport tales.

EAT

Abused, abandoned, addicted, diagnosed ... and he’s never felt better about himself or his life.

26 Thanksgiving goes hyperlocal,

52 GALLERY

28 LIGHTER SIDES

Anyone with an eye for a picture and a half-decent cameraphone could have their work published.

thanks to Charlie Marshall and the state’s growers.

That Thanksgiving feast doesn’t have to be loaded with butter and sugar.

We have the best swaps that don’t 3

sacrifice taste. You’ll ask for second helpings.

32 STAFF SURVEY

The tattooed former grafitti artist who now creates works of art in Green Fig’s “Middleterranean” inspired kitchen.

36 BEER

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What Ciera Coyan missed this summer, and why she’s so thankful for Hell’s Kitchen ... and good beer.

37 WINE

Top pairing advice to make sure your wine and cheese go together like pumpkin and pie.

LIVING

22

38 CENTER STAGE

The only things you need to know when it comes to staging your apartment for the big sell.

42 FROM ANOTHER ANGLE

The neighborhood’s real estate gems ... as you’ve never seen them before.

Reasons (we’re not joking) to be grateful to your real estate broker.

54 OUT & ABOUT

The best cosplay pictures from New York Comic Con 2016.

24

55 JACI STEPHEN

In her new home in the lifestyle section, Jaci has reasons to be thankful ... and they may not be what you expect!

49 THANKS TO YOU ...

STYLE

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56 MARATHON STORIES COVER ARTIST Darius Woo is an architect who moonlights as an artist in NYC. Used tickets, envelopes, and receipts become a medium for his collages that celebrate the commonplace of life, and invite the audience to appreciate the unexpected beauty that can be found everywhere. www.darius woo.com Instagram: @darius.woo

Two runners, two very different reasons to be running this month’s New York City Marathon.

61 TWICE THE ADVICE

The twins tackle thorny questions from W42ST readers.

PETS 62 WAGGING TALES

Our favorite, most photogenic pups in Hell’s Kitchen smile for the camera. Get involved by emailing waggingtales@w42st.com with your dog’s vital stats. We’ll take care of the rest.

W42ST+ THE GUIDE

The essential guide to the very best of Hell’s Kitchen. This is where you’ll find everything from bars and restaurants, to nail salons, dog walkers, personal trainers and more.

Plus an illustrated map. Want to be included? Of course you do! Just contact bob@w42st.com.

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MY HELL’S KITCHEN

Know someone cool who’d make a great subject for My Hell’s Kitchen? Put us in touch, we’ll do the rest.

Email news@w42st.com

Make ‘em Founder of New York Comedy Festival Caroline Hirsch has discovered some of the biggest names in comedy.

Who is she tipping for greatness this year?

Photograph Nacho Guevara The New York Comedy Festival in a single tweet. You have 140 characters. Why should we go?

U spend way 2 much time checking your #twitter feed! Come laugh w/ us! We’re set 2 #MakeNYLaugh w/ 200+ comics in 60+ shows in 5 boros!

What will be your personal highlights?

Stand Up for Heroes. This marks the 10th anniversary of the event, which is a benefit for the Bob Woodruff Foundation. To date, we’ve raised more than $39 million to help create positive futures for our military service members, veterans, and their families. We’ll have Louis C.K., Jim Gaffigan, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, and Jon Stewart all performing. It’s a very special night for a very worthwhile cause.

And who are your all-time comedy heroes?

Robin Williams, Carol Burnett, and Mel Brooks.

Your original club was in Chelsea, then the South Street Seaport, before you moved to Times Square. Why the move and why here?

I wanted to be uptown in the heart of the entertainment business and saw an opportunity in the Times Square area as it was just developing.

What’s the best thing about the location?

It is centrally located and part of a great

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area in NYC. We have millions of people who visit. I love being in Midtown.

And the worst?

The worst thing right now are the plazas which were created below W46th Street.

It has cut off the rest of the Times Square north of W46th Street.

We want to tempt you across 8th Avenue into Hell’s Kitchen – do you have a favorite neighborhood hangout?

Joe Allen is a favorite.

And a top tip for a pre-show dinner?

Always a great go-to is The Palm on W50th Street for dinner before a show at Caroline’s or the theater.

What about a post-show drink?

Playwright’s on W49th Street is a favorite with my customers and staff.

Which Caroline’s moments are you most proud of?

If I had to pick one – and there are a lot – it would be our 20th anniversary gala at Carnegie Hall back in 2003. I started my business as a small cabaret in Chelsea and to have seen the business develop and grow over the years and to have it celebrated by many of the great comedians who have played the club and gone on to be huge stars in the industry all come back at a venue like Carnegie Hall is very special and very humbling.

DIGITAL EDITION

How has the nature of comedy changed since you started in the business?

When I first started, a comedian was “made” when he or she performed on The Tonight Show. And you really had it made if Johnny invited you to sit on the couch after your set. Today, there are so many outlets for comedians. Beyond the plethora of late-night talk shows, there are the many cable networks, streaming services, YouTube, and social media. And it used to be the only places comedians would perform were comedy clubs and, for a select few, some theaters. Now, there are comedians who regularly play arenas like Madison Square Garden and, in the case of Kevin Hart, football stadiums.

Is there any subject that’s off-limits, laughs-wise?

I honestly feel that no subject is off-limits.

It’s all the in the way it’s presented and, often, when. I believe the old saying is true: tragedy plus time equals comedy.

But as long as sensitive topics are handled in an intelligent way, it’s OK. Using humor is a great way of dealing with touchy topics and laughter is a great emotional outlet.

Who are you tipping for comedy stardom?

My money’s on Michael Che to go the way.

And, since this is the Thanksgiving issue, what are you most thankful for right now?

That I live in the United States of America.

MY HELL’S KITCHEN BIO

Caroline Hirsch is the founder of Caroline’s on Broadway comedy club, and the New York Comedy Festival.

She’s credited with spotting the fledgling comedic talent of the likes of Jerry Seinfeld and Paul Reubens, but the first stand-up act she ever saw was when she sneaked into a 1967 George Carlin gig at The Bitter End in Greenwich Village.

She opened her first cabaret club in 1982, and in November 2004, launched the New York Comedy Festival.

She’s an active member of educational and charitable bodies, and was instrumental in creating the successful “Take Our Daughters to Work” initiative.

This year’s New York Comedy Festival runs November 1 through 6 and includes appearances from Trevor Noah, Bill Maher, Tracy Morgan, Bridget Everett, and Tim Minchin. www.nycomedyfestival.com CAROLINE’S HK PRE-SHOW DINNER Palm, W50th St - 7th/8th Ave POST-SHOW DRINK Playwright’s Tavern, W49th St - 7th/8th

Ave

“We’ll have Louis C.K., Jim Gaffigan, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, and Jon Stewart all performing.

It’s a very special night for a very worthwhile cause.”

DIGITAL EDITION

ALL TIME FAVE Joe Allen, W46th St - 8th/9th Ave

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PEOPLE BROADWAY ACTOR ALEX BRIGHTMAN

I’m still out of breath thinking about Alex’s performance in School of Rock, currently playing at The Winter Garden Theater. Not only is his voice out of this world, but his stamina on stage will make you think twice about your workout routine.

BROADWAY ACTRESS CYNTHIA ERIVO

The only thing stronger than this queen’s jacked arms are her vocal cords of steel.

Her performance alone of ‘I’m Here’ in The Color Purple, currently playing at The Jacobs Theater, is well worth the price of admission.

#FANGIRL Introducing the life and obsessions of Tyler Mount

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MUSIC OBSESSION BRAND NEW (BEN RECTOR)

Nothing makes me happier than a gushy love song with a driving back beat and a good old millennial whoop. If you want to know what’s on Tyler’s Spotify on “Repeat 1” – it’s this one. Mostly because the cast recording of Cats started to get old.

INSTAGRAM OBSESSION @JUSTINICKPGH

very month, Broadway’s most brilliant vlogger will bring you his favorite things, whether it’s his #1 tune on Spotify repeat, his latest crush, or neighborhood recommends. We’re hanging on his every word …

BROADWAY SHOW THE COLOR PURPLE

For the half of you that didn’t throw this magazine down already because I didn’t say Hamilton, let me explain. This show is life changing, and the single most impactful piece of live theatre I may have ever seen. Skip church and see The Color Purple instead. (It’s basically the same thing.)

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Alex Brightman just phew!

...

Broadway

ACTOR DIGITAL EDITION

What’s better than the hottest gay couple on this earth’s sweaty, shirtless photos? This just in: NOTHING! If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and follow Justin and Nick. Can you say “Hashtag Relationship Goals”?

PEOPLE YOUTUBE VIDEO CHANNING TATUM & BEYONCE ‘RUN THE WORLD (GIRLS)’

As a proud member of the LGBTQ community, I fully support anything that our president, Beyoncé Knowles, does, sings, or even touches. If you want a YouTube video that will make you scream for joy after the 5,478th view, look no further. PS Does anyone reading know how I can book her for my birthday party this December?

TELEVISION SHOW VEEP

If the idea of a woman in the White House doesn’t get you excited: A) You’re probably not reading this magazine, and B) You should start planning your move to another country. My secret HBO obsession, and one of the few programs that can make me spit a mouth full of wine in someone’s face during a first date (true story).

MUST-HAVE BEAUTY/ WARDROBE OBSESSION DR. DAN’S CORTIBALM

Ain’t nobody got time for chapped lips in the big city – and this is my secret weapon. I can honestly say it’s the second best thing to ever touch my lips, next to the time Zac Efron*

Broadway

ACTORESS

LOCAL RESTAURANT ROOM SERVICE

This is an oldie but a goodie. I love nothing more than great food, an elegant ambience, and prices so low that my coupon-collecting Texan grandmother, Tootsie, would even gasp. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a fancy-ass dinner (for the steep price of $8.99).

Cynthia Erivo = goddess

“This show is life changing.

Skip church and see The Color Purple instead.

(It’s basically the same thing.)”

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY FULL HOUSE Above: Those arms! That voice!

As an only child, the closest thing I had to siblings was my pet hermit crab, who eventually went on to kill himself, and my honorary sistas DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle. What I would do to be invited to that family reunion.

HOTTIE OF THE MONTH AARON TVEIT

asked me to make out with him. (*Zac Efron has never asked me to make out with him.)

Talent, charm, and a body to match – need I say more?

LOCAL BAR LIBRARY BAR @ THE HUDSON

I’d like to think that I’m refined, elegant, and classy (although some people who saw me Saturday night on 9th Avenue might disagree). I enjoy nothing more than a fancy-ass cocktail in a setting that is as close to a Harvard classroom as I’ll ever get.

Hottie of the month

OBSESSION GRAB BAG YOU ARE A BADASS

My bible, my most closely guarded secret, and the single most influential book I’ve ever read. If chilling poolside with Barack Obama or doing body shots with Oprah gets you excited, this is the book to make your wildest dreams a reality.

ABOUT TYLER Broadway fan girl turned YouTube star Tyler Mount is the creator of the wildly popular web series The Tyler Mount Vlog. Seen by over half a million people in 168 countries, former guests include Gloria Estefan, Jerry Mitchell, Perez Hilton, Laura Osnes, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, and many more of Broadway’s biggest stars. New episodes every Monday & Thursday at noon (www.TylerMountVlog.com, @TylerGMount)

DIGITAL EDITION

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PEOPLE

Drew

STORY

Poster boy for the cool millennial, Drew Vision has a special place in his heart for Hell’s Kitchen …

Words Ruth Walker Photographs Eduardo Patino

D

rew Vision is running late for our lunch. He’s on an important call with a major (MAJOR!) international brand, that wants to recruit this handsome, ripped New Yorker – the definition of cool urban millennial – to connect with its young audience.

There’s a definite buzz around this young singer/songwriter. 10.8k followers on Instagram. 22k on Twitter. Interviews in People magazine. A main stage performance at Essence music festival.

An appearance in a Beyoncé video. Hello!

This guy is tipped to go far.

Today, though, he doesn’t have far to go at all. Just a hop across W38th Street from what he calls Drew Vision HQ (his friend, adviser, and chief cheerleader Ron King’s apartment) to Casa Nonna, otherwise known as “the office,” where we’re having lunch. A starter of meatballs, and a herb chicken salad (no cheese for Drew – you don’t get a body like his by gorging on cheese). That voice though? That comes completely naturally.

“I started singing around five years old,” he says. “My entire family sings and plays instruments and stuff, so it was taught from very young. We had to do it in church. And we really celebrate each other, especially on the holidays. All the kids have to get up and do something. My little cousin, she wants to dance, so she gets up to do a dance, and we’re all Yaaaaay!”

The picture is of a perfect family unit.

But scratch the surface, and there’s more.

Born in Queens, his father “went away” when Drew was just five, and he was forced to grow up very fast. “My dad and

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“It’s really confusing with women, because they think I’m the guy to take home to mom, but it just depends when you catch me, because I might just not be that guy.” his brother were young,” explains Drew.

“They beat up a guy and killed him.” It was an accident, but both men went to prison for the crime. His uncle served 25 years, his father ten. “When he came out, he came back home and he’s been in our lives ever since. It’s not something I’m embarrassed to talk about,” adds Drew.

“It’s life.”

But those years were pretty intense, the visitations especially. His twin sisters crying. Mom crying. “It was the most painful feeling ever. Me being the only guy, I had to be the one to not cry.”

Then there was the pressure to bring some money home.

“My mom, her side of the family are Irish and everyone in that family went to college, got a degree, got a good job, really followed that formula. So around Christmastime, when all my uncles would

DIGITAL EDITION

come into town, they would always say, ‘So, where’s your degree? When are you going to college? What’s the plan?’

“On my dad’s side of the family, although they were musicians and understood, they only did it for church, and the fact that I wanted to do secular, worldly music, they couldn’t understand that either. So I didn’t have much support except for my sisters and my mom.”

The result is an incredibly tight bond. His family are his rock; his biggest fans. But he’s had to do his fair share of McJobs to pay his way.

There was the inevitable flipping of burgers (his old boss at McDonald’s is still one of his tightest friends).

“I also worked in a pet store – I sold puppies to people,” he says. “And I bartended on the Circle Line party boat for two or three years. Any holiday, fourth of July, when everyone else is together having fun, I’m bartending. You make a lot of cash. But when people get drunk towards the end of the party, that’s the worst. We had a few jumpers!”

And he sings in three bands – weddings, bar mitzvahs …

“I get embarrassed about it sometimes,” he says. “But then people’s faces light up when I tell them I do weddings. It’s something that makes people happy.

They’re like, ‘So, wait, you play people’s first dance?’ It’s special.

“One thing that happens way too often is that people end up falling into the stage or spilling their drink on to the stage. And for some reason, it’s usually the grandmother who’s drunk, and when she falls, the whole

Opposite: Don’t let appearances deceive: he may turn up for a business meeting on a skateboard, but this guy has a sharp mind and fierce focus.

continued over

COMMUNITY

DIGITAL EDITION

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PEOPLE

room stops because everyone’s like, ‘This could be serious. Is she OK?’ And she gets up and continues dancing.

“That’s happened so many times.

“Then at the end of the night I seem to be a target for the bridesmaids. A lot of the weddings are in areas that I can’t get away from very quickly. So they assume I’m staying at the hotel up the block. And I’m not. I’m driving two hours back home. I’ve gotten a lot of business cards that way.”

Wait, there’s more. He’s also an indemand model (with the likes of Coach, Adidas, and he’s shooting with Smirnoff the week we speak).

The result of all this graft an entirely self-funded young musician. Drew Vision is making it on his own terms, with a combination of charm, good looks, and unashamed hard work. And when he couldn’t afford a recording studio for his third album, Ron’s walk-in closet on W38th

DIGITAL EDITION

Above: Drew feeling chilled in Hell’s Kitchen.

Street made a pretty good alternative. “He called me one night,” says Ron. “He was hemming and hawing, and I said, ‘You either have something to say or something to ask, so spit it out.’

“He said, ‘I don’t have the money to rent a studio, so I want to ask if we can record this album in your house.’

“I’m not in music but I asked, ‘Don’t you need, like, a sound booth with grey egg crates on the wall?’ and he said, ‘Well, you have a walk-in closet full of suits that achieves the same thing.’”

Drew adds: “Tom Ford suits at that!”

Ron told him: “I’ve seen Straight Outta Compton and that cannot happen in my house. I go to bed and 11 o’clock, it can’t be a party.”

And, true to his word, within 12 hours, Drew had turned up on W38th Street, complete with speakers, keyboards, laptops. “In my closet there was a bar stool and mic stool and mic, cords coming out of my closet into all the machines. I went to work every day,” says Ron, “and he went to work recording.”

“I’d ideally have loved for it to take, like, three months,” says Drew, “but we did it in a month.”

The result is The Balance, a beautiful blend of the diverse sounds that influenced him growing up. “My dad used to listen to Babyface. My mom was really into SWV, ‘90s music. Then there was Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross ...

“I have a lot of old school, soulful roots, but also some classical influences, because my dad’s family are really churchoriented. I went to school and studied opera, so had to sing in German, Italian. I’m just very diverse.”

But if the record labels can’t quite classify him, and the business contacts can’t quite square the circle of the singleminded entrepreneurial brain and the turning up for meetings on a skateboard, it’s no easier for the ladies.

“It’s really confusing with women, because they think I’m the guy to take home to mom, but it just depends when you catch me, because I might just not be that guy.

“Everything’s moving so fast,” he adds.

“We’re here once, so be happy – happiness is a choice. I have songs about making the world a better place, and about love, then I have songs that are about sex and one-night stands. It isn’t all one thing or another. It’s the balance.” www.drewvision.com

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PEOPLE

Sexual

OUTLAW Charlie was beaten and left for dead by his own family. His crime?

To be gay. Matt d’Silva takes him on his first night out … out

I

f you happened to be in Boxers or Ritz in Hell’s Kitchen a few weeks back and some overexcited man patted you on the nose, I apologize.

Charlie (as he will be known, as he’s a refugee waiting for his papers to be processed and needs to remain anonymous) was having his first night out in a long time, letting his hair down, having one of those moments where you finally get to be around like-minded people.

It was a night of a lot of firsts for him. Not only visiting a gay bar in New York, but a gay bar ever. Charlie fled his home country almost two years ago.

He’s from a very small country in central Asia, one of the former states of Russia where being gay or lesbian carries with it a death sentence, not at the hands of the law, but your own family.

Two years ago Charlie had a good life. He worked as an engineer for a large firm, had completed his Masters and travelled the world.

He was considered an expert in the field and much respected.

But one night when he visited his family for dinner, his father, uncle, and two other male relatives announced they didn’t approve of his lifestyle. He had brought shame on them all. He must be killed.

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He was taken out and brutally beaten, sustaining numerous broken bones, torn muscles and ligaments, and ruptured organs, then left for dead. Incredibly, he was found by a couple who took him to a local hospital. But his injuries were so severe, he had to be flown to a hospital in Paris to recover.

For many gays and lesbians around the world, this is the reality, especially in countries that were former states of the Russian Federation, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, where homosexuality has been outlawed.

Last December, Charlie resettled in New York. He’s recovered from his injuries, learned English, started to teach soccer (his passion) to local kids and is now waiting on the approval of his paperwork so he can find work in his adoptive country.

Much of this is thanks to a charity that provides legal assistance, education, health care, and a place to stay while men and women like Charlie try to build a new life in a new country that accepts them for who they are.

The Robert Daniel Jones Memorial Shelter in East Harlem is currently the only shelter in New York City specifically for asylum seekers and refugees.

DIGITAL EDITION

The organization provides eight guests with a six-month stay while they wait for asylum or for work authorization.

So a couple of months back it was Charlie’s birthday, his 30th.

There was a small party at his donor’s house and, after a couple of glasses of prosecco with the director of the shelter, Sydney Kornegay, Charlie thought he was ready to be introduced to the gay community in New York City.

Which is how, a few weeks later, we spent the night watching someone discover the joy of simply being themselves, in an environment that is non-judgmental and accepting of their sexuality.

You could see it on his face that, for the first time in a very long time, he was relaxed. Well, the five Long Island iced teas could have contributed to that. But Charlie chatted, laughed, tried to flirt (patting men on the nose) and danced.

If you’re interested in helping out with The Robert Daniel Jones Memorial Shelter, visit the website rdjrefugeeshelter.org. They have a Tuesday night potluck dinner, Friday night movie night, or you can simply donate.

Follow Matt D’Silva on Twitter @MattDSilva

COMMUNITY

“Being gay or lesbian carries with it a death sentence, not at the hands of the law, but your own family.”

DIGITAL EDITION

15

PEOPLE

That time I was a

HELL’S KITCHEN POLL WORKER

It takes all kinds of people to oil the wheels of democracy.

Claudia Chung goes along for the ride

T

o be an official poll worker, you must take a four-hour training class and pass an exam. The classes are held throughout the city in school cafeterias and church basements – just like Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. The length of the class isn’t the worst of it … but the idea that I might actually fail!

My class was held at a church rec room on the Upper West Side. By the time I arrived, cliques had already formed into two distinct groups: retired people who thought they were helping democracy, and poll worker lifers who do it every year for the cold, hard cash. I didn’t fit in with either, so I sat next to another outsider, a guy named Neil. He said he was an immigration lawyer who was curious, as his clients were immigrants who dreamed of one day earning the right to vote too.

Everyone was handed a thick manual, then the teacher read out loud from it for four hours. We were paid $100 for sitting through this. It’s kind of like having to sit through a presentation on timeshares before you’re allowed to hit the beach and have a drink. Only the elderly paid attention.

Vote for ...

Batman and his running mate?

ELECTION DAY Call time on voting day for poll workers is 5am. My site, at a Hell’s Kitchen elementary school, was already bustling when I got there. I looked for my coordinator.

“Hi,” I say when I find her. “I’m Claudia.”

“Good morning Claudia,” she said stoically. My coordinator took her job very seriously. “Where should we put you?” She

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DIGITAL EDITION

PEOPLE looked around the room for a few seconds and zeroed in on table 13, where only two workers were stationed.

“You can work here.”

But before our coordinator or I could say a word, the woman sitting at the table immediately said: “Nope.”

It wasn’t a “Nope, we are all set,” or “Nope, our third worker is in the bathroom.” It was a nope you say to your butcher when the quality of the meat is questionable. The coordinator ignored her and walked away.

The woman at the table was the roundest person I ever met. Her head was a perfect sphere, her eyes big brown marbles above a fist shaped nose. Even her hands were round like bear claws. Not the animal, but the pastry. And when she smiled, she had these two little fangs on the sides of her teeth that you would expect on a baby bat, not a middle-aged woman.

She did a neat trick with one of her two false front teeth. She could swing one up like a doggy door, and swing it back in place with her tongue. And she did this all day long. Voter or no voters, her tooth swung back and forth, back and forth.

That wasn’t all that was annoying. One moment, you would be having a civilized conversation with her; then without warning she became mean and tried to make you cry.

She was the busiest person who did nothing. Her knees hurt too much to lift anything. Her cataracts prevented her from reading anything properly. When it came to tally up the votes, she proclaimed: “I am no good in math.”

When a voter came to our table, my job was to find their name, get their signature, number the ballot and initial each box. Her job was to hand me the ballot sporadically when she felt like it. And then yell at me to go faster. “Let’s go! Move! Move! Move!”

The voters looked at me with pity, until she started yelling at them too.

“You here for 13?” she’d scream even before they reached our table.

“Yes.” “You sure?”

“Yes.” “THIRTEEN?!”

“Uh, yes.”

“Fine. She’ll get you right here,” she said,

“They had become poll workers with the best of intentions.

They started the morning excited and hopeful to be part of the democratic process. But as that day progressed, they started to lose their twinkle.” pointing towards me while swinging her front tooth back and forth, back and forth.

Poll workers get hour breaks for lunch and dinner. I took my supper break at 5pm.

When I got back, Tooth Lady was fighting with a fellow poll worker, a woman wearing a red matching tracksuit that said Georgia across the chest in rhinestones.

Our coordinator sternly said to us: “No fighting in front of voters!”

“What happened?” I asked.

It seems Red Tracksuit had covered for me while I went to dinner. And during that time, ballots were handed out with what appeared to be a light dusting of Chex Cheese Mix – the snack some workers had enjoyed that afternoon. The machine rejected two ballots. One voter

DIGITAL EDITION

Above: We’ll just leave these here ...

filled out another one, but the other voter had handed his cheese-mix stained ballot to a scanner assistant and left. His vote had to be void.

We never found out whose orange fingerprints were on those tainted ballots.

There are upsides to poll work, including celebrity sightings. I saw Mr. Finch from A Person of Interest (actor Michael Emerson and fellow Hell’s Kitchen resident) voting.

And for a minute, we thought Jamie Lee Curtis came in too. But it turned out to be a lookalike.

I also worked with a former typewriter repairman who lived in a rent stabilized apartment in the west 80s. He smelled of B.O., which Tooth Lady would point out every few hours.

“You stink!” she’d declare. “Yup. Stink.”

He just ignored her. He also fell asleep at the desk. But he was the most knowledgeable and capable of all of us, and without him, I’d have been completely lost.

When another male coordinator screamed at him for not initialling the ballot books properly [“You are fucking up!

We ain’t gonna get paid if you do this kind of shit. There are no short cuts!”] he just looked down, silently and patiently waiting for him to finish. You can’t embarrass someone who is already broken.

At other tables, there were a few poll workers dressed to the nines – jacket and tie for the men, and maybe a smart dress for the women. They were usually older, and had become poll workers with the best of intentions. They started the morning excited and hopeful to be part of the democratic process. But as that day progressed, they started to lose their twinkle.

But at least we had all done our bit for democracy. And got paid $200 for the day’s efforts.

At 9pm, the polls closed, and I walked out with Tooth Lady.

“Bye,” I said. “Get home safely.”

She waved her bear claws at me and replied: “I hope I never see you again.”

Well, she was entitled to her point of view. That’s America for you.

Make sure you use your vote on November 8!

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PEOPLE

Life

DO-OVER Abandoned, abused, addicted, diagnosed … then came the hard climb back to health and happiness

Words Ruth Walker Photograph Nacho Guevara

F

riends. Health. A great job. Stephen Keough is grateful for all the usual stuff. But mainly his health. And the friends who saved him.

World AIDS Day is December 1, and as he looks back on 18 years of living with HIV, he’s beyond grateful that he’s survived abandonment, abuse, attempted suicide, addiction, diagnosis … and has come out the other side laughing, larger than life, and finally accepting of himself.

“I guess my story starts when I was eight. That’s when my mother walked out on us,” he says. “She left me and my brother and sister, and took her older daughter with her.” He never saw either of them again.

“I feel like that’s what really started my spiral into anxiety and depression and addiction.”

His father remarried a couple of years later, but his relationship with his stepmother was not a good one. And when he graduated high school, he came home to find a packed suitcase on the street.

He became a born again Christian, joining the Nazarene church. But, while the church community loved him, they didn’t love his gayness. There was the sense that he somehow needed to be “fixed.”

So, at the age of 21, overcome with a sense of worthlessness, he tried to kill himself. He ended up in a lock-down psychiatric unit. “It was the scariest moment of my life,” he says. “I remember thinking, ‘Stephen, you can either die here or get your shit together. That was the catalyst that changed my life. I started accepting the fact that I’m gay – It was like a weight off my shoulders.”

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A promising dancer, he took an about turn and trained as a hairdresser. He built a name, a reputation, moving to New York from California at the age of 23. The boy had big dreams.

“I thrived here. I was done with suburbia, I wanted to reinvent myself.”

Working in a salon on the Upper West Side, Broadway connections led him to work on a show called Company at Roundabout Theatre, starring Jane Krakowski. “It was an amazing experience.

I’d finally found where I belonged. I loved being around artistic people.”

After Company closed, he was hired for, first, Big, The Musical, then the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Then came the gig of his life. Chicago was about to be revived on Broadway, starring Bebe Neuwirth and Ann Reinking (Neuwirth eventually won a Tony for her role), and they needed a hair supervisor. A senior role.

“I didn’t know it was going to be as successful as it turned out to be,” says Stephen. “I was there for nine years and it was the most amazing experience of my career. I’ve done a lot of shows since then, but that was the thing. I was in awe of these people.

“I was living the dream, I looked amazing, I was working out, I was in my early 30s, I thought I was set for life.”

But he was partying as hard as he was working. And it took just one taste of cocaine to get him hooked. “I’ll never forget. I was at Splash, a gay bar, and I was off to the races. I literally could not get enough of it. I became a coke head. I’d go to bed on it, I’d wake up on it.”

The roller coaster continues. He lost his

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This page: Stephen’s having a blast.

“I still love people, but I feel I love me more, and it’s time to start living my life as the positive, happy, joyful person I am.”

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PEOPLE dearest friend to an unexpected illness, then his father died after a short battle with cancer. The drugs? They were the only thing that numbed the pain.

He’s convinced it was this – and the bad decisions he made while high – that resulted in him contracting HIV in 1998. He remembers hearing the diagnosis. “It was horrible,” he says. “At that point it was still considered a death sentence. I was sitting there planning my funeral.”

The news threw him deeper into addiction. “I figured, if I’m going to die, I might as well die on top. I stopped existing, stopped showing up. I looked at myself in the mirror one day and I was gray. I started bawling. What happened to my life? What happened to who I was? I went from cloud 9, great career, to the lowest of lows.

“I started doing it so much I wasn’t showing up for work. I forgot to go to work for two days because I was so high.”

His colleagues and employers at Chicago had watched the car crash from the sidelines, and enough was enough.

They took him into the office and told him he was fired. But first: rehab.

“Getting sober was difficult. I was known as the fun gay boy that everyone loved. But unless I was on something, I wasn’t comfortable in a social setting. And all my friends were addicts. My fun friends.

My drunk friends.”

He’s now been clean for ten years. He takes his HIV meds every day and the disease is undetectable. “I’m still a carrier.

And it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve learned to accept that. I’ve only now been able to say, ‘You know what? It’s OK.’ For a long time it defined who I was.

“I feel, honestly, the best I’ve felt in years.

I spent so much time and wasted energy worrying about if I was pretty enough, if I was built enough, gay enough … it’s overwhelming to have all these feelings of not being accepted.

“I no longer worry about what people think. I still love people, but I feel I love me more, and it’s time to start living my life as the positive, happy, joyful person I am.”

His career’s taking off and, on a personal level, he’s joined Empire City Men’s Chorus and is dancing again.

“I want to tell people with addiction: you can get better, you can move forward, there is light at the end of the tunnel. But you have to want it. I survived all of it.”

Stephen sings with Empire City Men’s Chorus, December 6, The Church of the Holy Apostles (www.empirecitymenschorus.org)

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what’s going on in

NOVEMBER

Every day’s a play day with our guide to this month’s events on Broadway, Off Broadway and elsewhere.

Opens November 2 Kristen Chenoweth

Not Mondays The Encounter Golden Theatre

The audience journeys deep into the Amazon rainforest, following photographer Loren McIntyre as he stumbles upon an aboriginal tribe. www.theencounterbroadway.com

November 4-13 Chotto Desh New Victory Theater

From the streets of Bangladesh to the stages of London, follow a young man born the son of a cook but with dreams to be a dancer. www.newvictory.org

Thursday-Sunday The Babies St Luke’s Theatre

If you were ever a baby, had a baby, or just acted like one, this baby’s for you.

Follow these singing, dancing babies from womb to preschool. www.thebabiesmusical.com

November 7 Randy Rainbow Birdland

Get your election night updates with a side order of outrageous humor and non-partisan insults from the internet sensation that is Randy Rainbow. www.birdlandjazz.com

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

The Broadway babe performs her favorite show tunes and previews songs from her upcoming album, The Art of Elegance. www.officialkristinchenoweth.com

November 9 Zoë Lewis & the Bootleggers Laurie Beechman Theatre

An evening of prohibition era jazz, complete with flappers, crooners, cigarette girls, and bathtub gin. www.margaretmorrison.com

Opens November 2 Sweet Charity Pershing Square Signature Center

The classic musical by Neil Simon stars two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster as the sassy, diehard romantic dancehall hostess. www.thenewgroup.org

November 9-12 Liam Ó Maonlaí Meets Cassandra Wilson Irish Arts Center

The Irish folk singer and American jazz vocalist come together in one of IAC’s magical collaborations. www.irishartscenter.org

Not Mondays Love, Love, Love Laura Pels Theatre

Spanning more than four decades, this dark comedy is the story of what happens when free-loving 1960s teens face the harsh realities of modern life. www.roundabouttheatre.org

Not Mondays I Like It Like That Opens November 13 The Death of the Last Black Man ...

Pershing Square Signature Center

Full title: The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World, a jazzinfused rollercoaster of a play. www.signaturetheatre.org

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Every day Forbidden Fruit MAD Museum

Twenty-one porcelain sculptures by Chris Antemann, inspired by 18thcentury figurines but presenting a contemporary vision of seduction. www.madmuseum.org

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The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre The story of a family living in East Harlem in the early 1970s, when music was the proudest expression of El Barrio. This production takes the audience on a historical musical journey amid neighborhood volatility and social activism, and stars multi-Grammy-nominated Latin music superstar Tito Nieves. www.ilikeitlikethat.com

Opens November 17 A Dog Story The Davenport Theatre

A career-driven lawyer thinks he must be married to make partner.

First step: get a puppy to act as chick magnet. www.ADogStoryTheMusical.com

November 19 Lynda Carter: Long Legged Woman Jazz at Lincoln Center

The Wonder Woman sings pop, jazz, rock, country, and original songs with her all-star band. www.jazz.org

November 22-27 Alton Brown - Eat Your Science Not Mondays Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Opens November 25 The Illusionists

Booth Theatre

Palace Theatre

www.liaisonsbroadway.com

www.theillusionistslive.com

Back on Broadway after eight years, this classic tale of sexual intrigue stars Liev Schreiber and Janet McTeer.

Runners-up in America’s Got Talent, The Clairvoyants head up a show that transports audiences to the golden age of magic.

Not Mondays Heisenberg

November 24 Thanksgiving

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

Everywhere

Denis Arndt and Mary-Louise Parker play strangers thrown into a life-changing game after a kiss in a crowded train station. www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com

November 27-30 Laura Osnes Feinstein’s/54 Below

The two-time Tony nominee and Drama Desk winner gives a glimpse into the decisions and disappointments of life in show biz. www.54below.com

The Ethel Barrymore Theatre Songs, comedy, puppets, and potentially dangerous food demonstrations. We’re wondering what more a person can ask for from a night at the theater? Brown has even hinted at a distinctly Thanksgiving flavor to his performance, but you didn’t hear it from us, OK? www.altonbrownlive.com

If you’re cooking the turkey, we’re coming round to your house. Have a wonderful day with family and adopted family, wherever you are, and whoever you’re with.

December 1 Next W42ST out All over Hell’s Kitchen

Next month we’re all about gifts and giving. Let it snow! If you’d like to be featured in the magazine, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at news@w42st.com.

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OUT

Hear me

ROAR

Shrinking violet? Not Shakina Nayfack. She’s the trans actress everyone’s shouting about Words Ruth Walker Photograph Phil O’Brien

S

hakina Nayfack is a fighter, born from a long line of passionate fighters. There’s something about her genetic make-up that means she’s never been one to stand aside when there’s a cause worth campaigning for.

“I was brought up to combat oppression,” she says. “My great great grandmother killed a Russian soldier with an axe during the pogrom. My grandmother was a labor organizer for the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union in Chicago. My grandfather grew up in an orphanage and ended up becoming a lawyer who built laws to protect the working people. My mom was also an attorney who did a lot of work for juvenile justice and LGBT rights.”

So even if, as a transsexual woman, her gender wasn’t an issue, if that fight had been won and we were talking purely about her work – on stage with the self-penned autobiographical Manifest Pussy, as founder of the Musical Theater Factory, and on television in Hulu’s Difficult People – there would be something else driving that lively mind and keen social conscience.

“I’d have another cause ready to talk about,” she says, “whether it was immigration, or black lives matter, or poverty, or child labor, or sex tourism. I would find a thing that I cared enough about to use my platform for good.”

Now 35, she moved to the city from California five years ago and found herself living in a porn studio on W40th Street.

“I had a friend from college who became

22

On stage: In Manifest Pussy, the show about her transition. a porn star, and he had a studio that had 18 months left on the lease. He said, ‘Why don’t you just do something in the back and I’ll give you a set of keys.

“So I emailed some friends and we built a black box theater in the back of this porn studio, dedicated to creating new musical theater. It’s where I created the New Musical Theater Factory. There was porn being filmed, and musicals being made, and we’d share this space.”

Creating new musicals is really hard, she explains, and really isolating, especially for the writer. “If you’re a playwright and you want to hear what you’ve done, you just have to call your friends together and get them around someone’s kitchen table and

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you can read that play. But if you want to hear the musical you’re writing, you have to get a bunch of people together, you have to teach them all that music, then you have to hear it. You need space to do that, you need a piano to do that.

“Musical theater really saved my life as a young person,” she adds. “I can give you a chronology of my life based on the musicals I was listening to at the time, and why the shows were speaking to me, and what they were helping me with.”

The list runs from Annie, through Godspell, to her own Manifest Pussy.

“I often tell people: musical theater is not the thing I care about, but it’s the way I care about the things I care about.

Because it gives me the means I need to express myself about an issue and to build a community around an issue.”

Against this backdrop of new musicals and porn on W40th Street, Shakina would share a sort of makeshift bedroom with the porn star. He’d be there during the week. She’d live there at weekends. “We’d just change the sheets. Whatever. I did feel, ‘I’m living the New York life I read about!

I’m doing it!’”

And as she was building this community of artists around her, she was also building herself as a woman. In 2014, she crowdfunded her gender confirmation, raising $22,787 to travel to Thailand for the surgery, and when she came back, she moved into the studio full time. “There was no kitchen, no heat at night or the weekends, I used the public restroom that all the guests of the theater used.”

OUT

“Musical theater really saved my life as a young person. I can give you a chronology of my life based on the musicals I was listening to at the time, and why the shows were speaking to me.”

DIGITAL EDITION

At least there were showers. “Because, before it was a porn studio and a musical theater factory, it was a cage fighting gym.

Those showers had gotten more than their fair share of use from the porn company as well.”

Now she’s living in a Catholic home for women just a few blocks north. She laughs: “It’s an absolute 180.”

And Hell’s Kitchen, she says, is like living on campus. “Sometimes my friends and I will go to Five Napkin Burger and get a table on the corner and we’ll just hold court on a Saturday afternoon. We’ll sit there and people will pass by and we’ll say hi and give hugs. Over the course of an hour or two we’ll see 20 different friends.

And it’s so strange because people think this city is so huge and people think our industry is so huge, and it’s like living on a small college campus. I feel like I’m in a liberal arts institution housed in an urban megalopolis.”

Two years on from the surgery, Shakina can sometimes look in the mirror and still not quite recognize the person looking back at her. “People think of gender transition as starting one place and ending another, but I don’t think it ever really stops. It’s an ever-unfolding process, and comes with a whole host of things. Like style – learning how to curl my hair. I’ve made some serious fashion faux pas and had some really bad hair days. I’ve learned what works with my body, you know?”

And sexism. That’s new. “The first time I was asked who I was wearing, I was so baffled, because I was wearing some $20 dress I got at some Venice Beach boutique. And I’d just never been asked that. It’s been really interesting to step willfully into sexism as a trans woman.“ She recently toured North Carolina with Manifest Pussy, in protest of the HB2 “Bathroom Bill.” And she’s breaking down more barriers as the first transgender actress to play a comedy role, in Difficult People. “One of the things you can find in the history of any unrepresented identity that’s forging its way into mainstream media is that the easiest way people know how to do that is by eliciting sympathy.

This was true for black actors, Latino actors, this was true for gay actors, and now it’s true for trans actors.

“And what I love about Lola is that she’ll have none of that. There’s nothing sympathetic about Lola. She’s just a difficult person and she’s just as difficult as everyone else on the show.” www.shakina.nyc

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ARTS

Above: JamesAllen Ford, Russ Kaplan, Kristen AndersonLopez, and Sara Wordsworth.

S OUND OF T THE C ITY Broadway’s first a cappella musical dances to the beat of the subway Words Ruth Walker Photograph Phil O’Brien

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DIGITAL EDITION

he subway. Millions of bodies in varying stages of cleanliness rattling up and down the island, forced into often unpleasantly unwelcome, intimate proximity with each other.

In other words, a drama waiting to happen. And, in many ways, a metaphor for life and the irritating little obstacles it has a habit of throwing in our way.

Wouldn’t it be a great backdrop for a musical, thought Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Sara Wordsworth, James-Allen Ford, and Russ Kaplan, when they were all studying theater together at college?

Fast forward through graduation, careers, weddings, births ... and here we are, in Port Authority’s turnstyles, reflecting on life, love, and the A train, and a project

OUT

many years in the making. “All of us have worked on other shows and movies so we’ve had the chance to work with some of the best in the world and learn a lot,” says Kristen. In her case, those “other moves” include, Disney’s Frozen.

“We’ve all gotten better at what we do,” adds Russ, “and we’ve all grown up a bit.”

“And the world has changed.” That’s Sara.

They’re sitting in front of me now. And, if the kids from Fame, Glee, and Pitch Perfect could all get together in a room – grown up, a little more cynical, a little less shiny and new, a lot more messy subway journeys under their belts – I’d like to imagine it’d be a little like this.

“Art comes out of process,” says Kristen. “And when we were in our 20s we were all in an a cappella group called Bob

Ross Juice Box, which you may or may not have heard of. At the same time, we were also learning to be theater writers.

We had a lot of fun, these guys are my best friends, we’ve been at each others’ weddings, we’ve been at the birth of each other’s children … not ACTUALLY in the room … so writing this musical was just a great way to spend time together and talk about what we really cared about.”

She adds: “This was the musical I really needed to exist when I was a temp in my early 30s and thinking HOW HAVE I NOT GOTTEN ANYWHERE?!

“When you think about the energy of New York, you think of a bunch of people, eight million people, all trying to get somewhere, whether it’s financially, whether it’s career wise, whether it’s love-wise …

“Or just to Penn Station,” interrupts James-Allen, helpfully.

“It’s a land where people are going somewhere.”

Throw in some blues, some country and western, jazz, contemporary Broadway, pop, hip hop, a beatboxer, 300 pages of 11-part harmonies, and the a cappella arranger from Pitch Perfect, Deke Sharon.

Then add a treadmill running the length of the stage – “seats come on, seats go off” – with choreography by three-time Tony winner Kathleen Marshall – “she’s a master of keeping people from bumping into each other!” – and, ladies and gentlemen, please turn off your cellphones, we have a Broadway first.

But how come, when the Great White Way has hosted singing cats, roller skates, a helicopter on stage, and rapping founding fathers, there’s never been a bigtime a cappella musical before now?

“It requires a certain skill level and a certain design that is I think going to be unprecedented,” says Sara. “When we first started writing this show, a cappella wasn’t in the mainstream like it is now. As the Pitch Perfect movies came out and a cappella became more popular, we did kind of get nervous that somebody would beat us to the punch.”

“And there needs to be a reason, thematically, for it to be a cappella,” says James-Allen. “We found that reason to be that everyone in New York is sort of your back-up singers to your solo.”

Performances begin November 10, opening December 11, at Circle in the Square Theatre (www.InTransitBroadway.com)

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S UBWAY

STORIES Those rides are never dull …

ARA WORDSWORTH “One of my most memorable subway rides was the day after 9/11 and I went to James-Allen’s apartment. I lived downtown and he lived on 108th St – he’s still there – and it was that thing where you needed to see your friends, needed to see your people.

“I was scared to get on the train. But I remember that ride because people were really looking at each other. It was like we New Yorkers were in this together. It felt like a community on the subway.

“We’ve been working on this show for a long time and I can’t say 9/11 hasn’t influenced it. We were here in the aftermath of that – our first version of this was in the winter of 2002 and we wanted to say something fun and something positive about the city, something about the power of New York and the power of New Yorkers coming together.”

S

RISTEN ANDERSON-LOPEZ “I used to teach in the Bronx – I lived in Washington Heights – and I went through some rough neighborhoods.

So I was on the subway, and there was this guy next to me sort of tensing his thighs, releasing them, tensing them again, and I looked down and his fly was open.

“Without thinking – I couldn’t help myself – I took my brooch and went …”

She demonstrates a violent, downward stabbing motion.

“I got off at the next stop.”

K

AMES-ALLEN FORD “OK, if we’re doing bad ones, I was on the subway once and this little old man was being sort of bullied by this homeless woman. She was all up in his space – there was plenty of space – and I looked at her, and she said: ‘What you lookin’ at bitch?’ and spat …

“The spit didn’t hit me but the spittle sprayed …”

He demonstrates. The entire table groans.

“Yeah.”

J

R

USS KAPLAN “I’ve dodged some bullets I guess.”

CAN YOU BEAT THESE?

Send your subway tales to news@w42st.com

25

EAT

A L ' N I V I L L A C O L A VID table arket) to (fold-out) m r’s (e rm fa m ro F ing sorted – that’s Thanksgiv Falcone Words Lisa Marie

O

ne of my favorite places to eat in Hell’s Kitchen is The Marshal, a cozy neighborhood spot on 10th Ave between 44th and 45th Streets. Not only is the food delicious, but Charlie Marshall has made it his mission to reduce his restaurant’s carbon footprint by sourcing local produce and running it sustainably.

So if anyone knows how to keep Thanksgiving local, this is your man.

Charlie earned his culinary stripes in his parents’ restaurant on Lummi Island, Washington, at the age of 12, working his way up from dishwasher to server, until he went to college.

“After college I was right back into restaurants. It’s a huge part of my life and always has been. I LOVE cooking and creating, and feel blessed to be doing what I love for a living.”

For me Thanksgiving is all about the herbs. How do you get the most out of them?

“Basil and mint are tough – they brown in the fridge. With mint, wet a paper towel, wrap the herbs in it, then leave them in an OPEN plastic bag. With basil I just make pesto the minute I get it home then use the pesto as I need it.”

What can the rest of us do to keep Thanksgiving sustainable?

“Go to the farmer’s market! A typical Thanksgiving menu is in and of itself already representative of what we have available in the late fall in the north-east. In late November you are going to find pumpkins, apples, potatoes, hardy green beans, cranberries, etc in the market.

Don’t forget to order your turkey ahead of time from Dipaola in Union Square.

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DIGITAL EDITION

EAT Why the focus on sustainability?

Let's talk Thanksgiving.

What's on the menu?

“You’ll see Dipaola Farm turkey, roasted in the wood oven, wonderful mashed potatoes, and sweet potato kale au gratin too.

We do sweet potatoes topped with home-made marshmallows, late season green beans with fried onions, two kinds of cranberry sauce, and a litany of other TG favorites.”

Who are your go-to suppliers in NY? “Berried Treasures and Phillips Farm are two of my favorites, though a new farm in Union Square is Row by Row (Saturday’s only) and their stuff is just AWESOME. Ask questions – the advantage of going to the market is that you are usually talking to the person who literally grew and harvested your food themselves. They’ll tell you the best way to store and prepare. And if they don’t have something you need, they can often point you to a farmer who does.”

“The advantage of going to the market is that you are usually talking to the person who literally grew and harvested your food themselves.”

If you could only use three spices for the month of November what would they be?

Such a hard one ... black pepper, marjoram and thyme.

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“My parents’ restaurant got much of what we sold from our farm. And because I grew up eating farm to table (before farm to table was a thing), it was natural for my first restaurant to be locally sourced. In New York there are so many local options, through the Union Square farmer’s market, GrowNYC’s Greenmarket program, and several farms that will deliver, that there really is no excuse for restaurants to be serving the kinds of things many restaurants are feeding their customers. I also think that when we eat locally, we’re forced to eat a seasonal diet, which is healthier. In spring we crave the fresh greens and leafy herbs that are available. In summer we crave the juicy watermelon and peaches that are in season, and in winter nothing sounds better than braised beef, root vegetables, and apple cobbler.”

The Marshal, 10th Ave 44th/45th St (www.the-marshal. com), and Dianne & Elisabeth, 10th Avenue, 45th/46th St (www.dianneandelisabeth.com).

Lisa Marie Falcone is a certified transformational nutrition coach, and the founder of Kale is my Karma. She is on a mission to help women nourish their bodies and eat more plants. She lives by the motto that good food should taste great and everyone deserves dessert! www.kaleismy karma.com

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NUTRITION

“Yes, bread is bread. But by choosing 100% whole wheat, you get a boost of fiber, which helps keep you feeling full for longer.”

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EAT

Nine simple swaps for

HEALTHIER HOLIDAY EATING Let’s face it – Thanksgiving is as good an excuse to Eat All The Things as any. But that doesn’t mean health has to take a back seat, says Samina Kalloo

W

e all know that one – if not the – best part of the holidays is the food. In fact, the turkey and ham aren’t even the real stars of the holiday feast – it’s the sides. From cranberry sauce to casseroles, side dishes are what REALLY make the holiday meal.

But don’t add copious amounts of butter and sugar to your recipe faves.

Some of these easy ingredient swaps prove you don’t have to sacrifice flavor to eat a little healthier during the holiday season.

1

Applesauce, you’re the boss Anyone who knows me as a home cook knows I often use unsweetened applesauce as a substitute for oil in baking. It’s a straight 1:1 ratio, so ½ cup applesauce for ½ cup oil. To put it in perspective, ½ cup oil contains around 960 calories versus a measly 60 calories for ½ cup of applesauce. That’s a potential savings of 900 calories in your recipe!

2

For butter or worse When sautéing vegetables or meat, skip the butter and use olive oil, which is loaded with powerful antioxidants and heart-healthy fats. Instead of greasing your baking dishes with butter, make your own olive oil cooking spray with five parts oil and one part water. Pour the mixture into a food-safe spray bottle and spritz on to baking dishes or pans.

3

Go Greek Vegetable crudité platters make the perfect finger food at holiday parties. However, the dip is usually what racks up the fat and calories. Greek yogurt makes a great substitute for part of the sour cream and mayo a recipe calls for. For a boost of protein and nutrients, try adding ½ Greek yogurt for ½ the other cream-based sauce in your dip.

4

Bread alert Yes, bread is bread. But by choosing 100% whole wheat bread (make sure that is the first ingredient on the food packaging) for your dinner rolls, you get a boost of fiber, which helps keep you feeling full for longer and keeps blood sugar at bay versus white flour, which can cause blood sugar spikes.

5

The dark side Turkey is one of the most straightforward, no-frills dishes at the holiday table. The debate comes in deciding which meat is healthier – dark or white. Ounce for ounce, white meat is the healthier choice and will save you about 25 calories and 2g saturated fat per 3oz serving.

6

Get stuffing Whole grains such as quinoa and brown rice soak up that delectable turkey flavor and pair perfectly with fruits and veggies in

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stuffing instead of bread, not to mention the fact that they’re gluten-free. My favorite combo is quinoa, butternut squash, dried cranberries and sage.

7

Lean, mean greens The popular classic, green bean casserole, is loaded with calories and sodium from canned soup and fried onions. Not the healthiest option. Opt for a lighter recipe by sautéing fresh green beans or Brussels sprouts with a little olive oil and finish with a dash of sea salt and black pepper. For crunch, toss in some toasted slivered almonds.

Opposite: Switch from white bread to keep your blood sugar under control.

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Do the mash The holiday feast offers many opportunities to load up on carbs, and mashed cauliflower is a nutritious, low-carb option.

Cauliflower can be prepared in the same way as mashed potatoes and, the best part: it has about quarter of the calories!

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Go crustless!

Unlike a pizza, where crust is a favorite, traditional piecrust isn’t always the best part of the pie – it’s the filling. So focus on creating a delicious filling and garnish it with a dollop of light whipped topping.

When baking without a crust, you’ll need to pour your pie filling into a greased baking dish and place it in a water bath about an inch high then bake accordingly.

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EAT

SUPPORT ACTS Healthy side orders and creative leftovers Whipped cauliflower mash

Cauliflower mash is super easy, low carb, and tastes delicious. I promise you won’t miss the potatoes, and most kids love it.

Ingredients 1 x 16oz bag of frozen cauliflower, steamed 1 heaped tbsp light cream cheese or soy-based spread 2-4 tbsp milk or dairy alternative 2 tbsp chopped green onion salt and pepper to taste

Creamy orzo with peas and cranberries

This creamy orzo is hands down one of my favorite side dishes for the holidays.

Healthy, colorful and easy to make. It can also be turned into a main course by adding some protein, making it a great dish to compliment those turkey leftovers.

Directions.

1. Place cauliflower and cream cheese in a food processor and process on high speed for about a minute.

2. Slowly add in the milk until desired consistency is achieved.

3. Pour into a bowl and top with green onions.

Turkey shepherd’s pie

Skip the sandwich and find some creative and delicious ways to use your turkey leftovers. This shepherd’s pie is made with cauliflower mash, veggies, and white meat turkey: low carb, guiltfree, and a fun take on the traditional shepherd’s pie.

Ingredients 3 cups of shredded white meat turkey or 1lb ground turkey breast 1½ tsp finely chopped fresh thyme 1 tsp chopped rosemary 1 onion, finely chopped 1 cup low sodium chicken broth mixed with 2 tsp cornstarch or all-purpose flour 1 large carrot, diced ½ cup frozen peas, thawed ½ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed 2 tbsp ketchup 2 cloves garlic minced 1 tsp olive oil ¼ tsp salt (optional) Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Heat the oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.

3. Add the garlic, carrots, and onions; cook until tender and beginning to brown, about five minutes.

4. Add the turkey and thyme and sauté for two to three minutes (if you’re using raw ground turkey, continue to cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is cooked through and lightly browned).

5. Stir in the ketchup and cook until lightly caramelized.

6. Stir the broth and flour together in a small bowl until smooth, then pour into the skillet. Cook until thickened, about two minutes.

7. Stir in the peas and corn and season with salt, if using.

8. Prepare the cauliflower mash (see previous recipe).

9. Finally, place ground turkey in a baking dish and spread mash on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden on top.

DIGITAL EDITION

Above: Creamy orzo with peas and cranberries (left) and cauliflower mash (right).

Ingredients 1 cup orzo 1 clove garlic, minced 1½ cups low sodium chicken broth 1 cup water 1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed ¼ cup parmesan cheese ¼ cup dried cranberries 1 tsp olive oil Directions 1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add the garlic and sauté until tender, about one minute.

3. Add the orzo and cook for two or three minutes, until the color starts to turn golden.

4. Stir in the broth and water and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until liquid is fully absorbed (drain any excess liquid if necessary).

6. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, peas, and cranberries.

Samina Kalloo is a registered and certified dietitian, freelance nutrition consultant, and mom. Connect with her on Twitter (@Samina-KallooRD / @cookingfortots)

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STAFF SURVEY

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STAFF SURVEY

Know anyone who works in Hell’s Kitchen who’d be great for the Staff Survey? Don’t keep them a secret, share the love with news@w42st.com

Knife, tattoo, spoon,

PENCIL...

Chef Gabriel Israel’s tattoos represent the things he loves – and cooking is top of the list Photograph Daniel Yim How does a graffiti artist and tattooist become a top chef?

Well, I was a chef first. Cooking was my first love, so my story is more like going from a chef to a graffiti and tattoo artist.

But I got into drawing because it helped me deal with being hyperactive and having dyslexia. Plus I really embraced street art and hip-hop culture. At around the age of 16, I started learning graffiti, first by tracing over graffiti pieces I liked, but then I developed my own style. Eventually I worked on graffiti projects with school, my city [Tel Aviv], and while in the Israeli army.

I even painted on the famous graffiti walls of Venice, California. And while serving in the army I had less time to cook but I became interested in tattooing, which a lot of graffiti artists turn to as a way to make money. I ended up taking a course to be a tattoo artist, got my own little studio, and tattooed for about a year and a half. But I still wanted to be a professional chef, so I moved to New York, enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America and the rest is history.

“The knife is drawn coming out of my vein to represent that cooking is in my blood, running through my veins.”

Art and cooking – are there parallels?

Food is a form of art – the way we play with ingredients to make the colors pop and play with the textures to stimulate the palate. So at the end of the day, cooking led to my interest in art.

right arm is filled with colored tattoos of what I love and also to represent what I do – there’s a knife, tattoo machine, spoon, and pencil. The knife is drawn coming out of my vein to represent that cooking is in my blood, running through my veins. On my left arm are black and gray tattoos that represent what I have overcome and what I want to accomplish in the future. My most recent tattoos are of a rose that’s dying and another more refined rose that’s blooming. The blooming rose represents the future and the dying rose is for what I’m leaving behind in the past. Also, my first is on my right hand of the word “vision,” then I got a tattoo on my back that says “determination.” When I reach the level of success I want, I’ll get a tattoo that says “success.”

OK, spill the beans on your own tattoos …

I can’t even count how many I have at this point – I just think about which parts of my body are covered. For instance, my

It's fantasy dinner party time, and you're in the kitchen. Who are you cooking for?

I’d like to cook for some people close to me who passed away and didn’t get a

DIGITAL EDITION

Opposite: Gabriel got into tattooing while in the Israeli army.

chance to try my food at Green Fig and see what I’ve achieved here: one of my best friends, my wife’s father, and my grandfather.

And what's on the menu?

The whole Green Fig menu! Especially the Not Kosher BBQ pork ribs, Om Kalthoum skirt steak, and gnocchi with charred eggplant and wild mushrooms.

Where else do you eat/drink in Hell's Kitchen?

I don’t have much time to go out but I want to try Empanada Mama when it reopens. My wife is Argentinian so we have to!

Do you have a culinary guilty pleasure?

Orzo with butter and salt, a dish my mom makes. It’s the best.

Your father got into cooking after a career in real estate. What you be doing if you weren't a chef?

I can’t see myself being anything else but a chef. Even if I were to be a tattoo artist again – and tattoo artists can make a lot of money – it’s still too much of a static environment for it to be my full-time profession. It’s something extra I do for fun but food is my real passion.

GREEN FIG (646) 449-7790 570 10TH AVENUE (4TH FLOOR OF YOTEL NYC) - 41ST/42ND ST www.greenfignyc.com

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COCKTAILS BARS/RESTAURANTS 1 5

GREEN FIG 570 10TH AVE greenfignyc.com

DIANNE & ELISABETH 644 10TH AVE dianneand elisabeth.com

3 4

3

2

4

6

5

AS IS 734 10TH AVE asisnyc.com

BAR BACON 836 9TH AVE barbacon.com

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ARDESIA Telephone Number 510 W 52ND ST ardesia-ny.com

THE STINGER Intercontinental Times Square 300 W 44TH ST thestinger nyc.com

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1

1

2

LIQUOR

STORES 34

1

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GRAND CRU WINE & SPIRITS

570 11TH AVE www.grandcruny.com

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spirit is handmade in small batches using 100% organic corn and quadruple filtered making it remarkably smooth and sippable. Enjoy Belle Isle Premium Moonshine on its own or as the foundation of your favorite cocktail. Choose from: l Original Premium l Honey Habanero l Cold Brew Coffee l Ruby Red Grapefruit l 100 Proof

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1

The Shiner

IMAGE: @RATEDRUWAN

Ingredients 2 tsp labane (aka labneh, yogurt cheese) 11/2oz Belle Isle Cold Brew Moonshine 1/ 2 oz Amaretto 2 drops chocolate bitters 1 drop lime oil 1 oz egg white Garnish Lemon peel twist Cinnamon powder

2

Directions 1. Dry shake liquid ingredients.

2. Shake with ice.

3. Serve in rocks glass.

4. Garnish with lemon peel twist. Dust with cinnamon.

Mixed by William Tacuri Green Fig @ Yotel NYC 570 10th Ave greenfignyc.com

Devil’s Rouge

Ingredients 2oz red pepper syrup 11/2oz Belle Isle Honey Habanero Moonshine 1/ 2 oz club soda 2 dashes lemon bitters Garnish Rosemary Sliced red pepper Directions 1. To make red pepper syrup, put 10oz chopped red pepper in a ziplock bag

with 4oz of sugar. Take all the air out and put the bag in hot water for an hour the until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup results.

2. Mix all ingredients together and shake hard.

3. Serve in a rocks glass, and garnish with rosemary and slice of red pepper (optional).

Mixed by Arturo Rodiles Dianne & Elisabeth 644 10th Ave dianneandelisabeth.com

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1/ 2

Fuzzie Sweater Ingredients oz Belle Isle Honey Habanero Moonshine 11/2oz El Dorado dark rum 2 slices fresno pepper 3/ 4 oz honey syrup 1/ 2 oz lemon juice

Directions 1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker.

2. Add ice.

3. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

4. Garnish with orange peel.

Mixed by Evan Porter Ardesia 510 W 52nd St ardesia-ny.com

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BEER

BACK IN the saddle

Oh, Ciera Coyan, how we’ve missed you! Welcome back to the hood

M

aybe this is normal, or maybe I’m accidentally admitting a deep psychological flaw, but nothing makes me love something more than leaving it.

I spent three months this summer living and bartending on Shelter Island (a tiny island in between the north and south fork of Long Island) and after I came home I took a month (OK, OK, I cut it short to four weeks) off drinking.

Both experiences reminded me of how grateful I am for New York City and for alcohol, two things that are so ever-present in my life that I often take them for granted.

In the spirit of the season, here’s what else I learned to be grateful for during this surreal summer in a place a mere 100 miles from Manhattan that seems to exist in another universe.

IMAGE: ADRIEN POTIER

CRAFT BEER New York City may have been a little late to the craft beer game, but we’ve more than made up for it. Unfortunately, Long Island might have missed the memo. Other Half, Grimm, even Finback were nowhere to be found. I got called a beer snob plenty while I was out there, and though I prefer “enthusiast,” my coworkers weren’t wrong. I had my first (and last!) Bud Light this summer. It was worse than I expected.

I could have cried when I came home and found an old Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout in my fridge.

BOUNCERS The bar I worked at was a place for getting drunk, bartenders included. I’ll admit that the tipsier I get, the more my, shall we say, sassy side comes out. One night after a

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few too many tequila shots, I pissed off a crew of early twenty-something prepsters in polo shirts by schooling them on bar protocol. When they started getting a little too aggressive with a local who came to my defense, I realized that I talk a lot of smack as a bartender because I usually have a bouncer to back me up. Since we couldn’t forcefully throw them out, my coworker defused the situation by performing an impromptu bottleflipping fire-breathing show. She was a true professional!

Right: A summer bartending in Long Island reminded Ciera how thankful she is for NYC.

“I had my first (and last!) Bud Light this summer. It was worse than I expected. I could have cried when I came home and found an old Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout in my fridge.”

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NEW ORLEANS BARTENDERS Most advertisements for bartending jobs in New York specify that NYC experience is necessary. Apparently these employers have never met bartenders from New Orleans. A few of my coworkers (and temporary roommates) hailed from Bourbon Street bars and they were unbelievable. From stories about shifts that started at 5am in 24-hour bars to the ability to charm the most insane customers to an apparent lack of need for sleep, these bartenders schooled the many other NYC bartenders out there.

They were truly a sight to behold.

JIMMY FALLON A semi-regular of the bar, I can report that the man can do some serious drinking and tips like his reputation depends on it. He was the ideal celebrity customer.

HELL’S KITCHEN Being back here with my amazing neighborhood regulars feels better than that first beer after four weeks of sobriety. (Alright, alright, if you must know, I only lasted three weeks. But still, about two and a half weeks longer than anybody expected.)

WINE

SOMETHING blue...

Our two favorite things come together in the perfect marriage.

Jeremy Kaplan plays matchmaker

C

heese and wine go together like Laurel and Hardy, beer and pretzels, ebony and ivory … it’s a romantic concept, and one that is celebrated anywhere cheese and wine are consumed.

But it’s not quite that simple.

You can have a lot more fun with your cheese and wine party if you take the time to pair the right cheeses with the right wines. Keep in mind that, as wines are made from different grapes, cheeses are made from different types of milk, each having its own taste profile. Age comes into play as well, in addition to other flavors introduced, such as dried fruit, herbs, truffles and spices.

As with all pairings, both the cheese and the wine will taste better if you give it some thought. First, where is the cheese coming from? Can you pair that cheese with a wine from the same region? It makes sense that the foods and wines will naturally pair with each other.

But with access to wines from around the world, and with artisanal cheese being made everywhere, it can get a little more complicated then that. So here are some basic guidelines to get you started.

SOFT GOAT CHEESE Spreadable, soft, and fresh, when young, these cheeses are tangy. So look for a wine that shares some of that acidic flavor. Sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc come immediately to mind, and it’s safe to say the wines can come from anywhere in the world. But for the perfect pairing, try a nice, dry vouvray from the Loire Valley.

Goat cheese is popular in this part of the world, so it makes sense that the wines match nicely.

BLUE CHEESE Whether we’re talking gorgonzola, stilton, or roquefort, here we’re looking for something a little sweeter. I recommend riesling, as the sweetness of this grape will meld beautifully with the creamy, pungent, just sharp blue cheeses (though

cheeses you can find easily, and all have soft middles with edible rinds. These bad boys go well with wines that are fruit forward, such as grenache, or New World pinot noir from Sonoma or Oregon.

Neither the cheese nor the wine are particularly assertive so they can play nicely together in your mouth.

“When the wines are young, they are rather rigid and tannic. But these hard cheeses seem to take the edge off and they meld seamlessly. They sort of tame each other.” riesling from Austria or western Australia can be too delicate to stand up to these flavorful cheese bombs). Similarly, try kabinett or spatlese bottlings from Germany, because you’ll get the sweetness with a nice acidic finish.

SOFT CREAMY COW MILK CHEESE Brie, camembert, and raclette are three

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Above: Seeking the perfect tipple for that blue cheese languishing in the fridge?

CHEDDAR and OTHER AGED HARD CHEESES Cheddar is one of the most popular cheeses in the world. Made from cow’s milk, this, and a cheese like a lightly aged gouda, go really well with red Bordeaux.

These blends are usually made up of some combination of cabernet, merlot, and cabernet franc. Typically, when the wines are young, they are rather rigid and tannic. But these hard cheeses seem to take the edge off and they meld seamlessly. They sort of tame each other.

GRUYERE, EPOISSES and CHEESES WITH SOME FUNK Flavorful and exotic, these cheeses are often quite pungent. They are super cheeses, and they deserve to be paired with a super wine. I come back to pinot noir, but old world this time, from Burgundy – and if it has some bottle age, all the better.

I’m not a fan of flavored cheeses – most will destroy a good wine – but there is one exception: cheese with flecks of truffle is a special treat that works well with delicate red wines. A nice rosso di Montalcino made from sangiovese would stand in nicely.

And we’re just scratching the surface.

Be certain when you create your cheese and wine event to include plenty of fresh breads, plain, unflavored crackers, roasted nuts and dried fruit. Also, water, so your guests can clean their glasses between wines and cheeses.

Jeremy Kaplan, Veritas Studio Wines (www.facebook.com/veritasstudiowines)

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LIVING

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LIVING

Pets, toilet paper, and the

JOY OF PAIRS Beautiful apartment? Great neighborhood? Not enough anymore. Christine Fellows reveals the fearsome secrets to home “staging” …

W

e decided to downsize our lives, and in NYC that means one thing: moving! Time to sell the art deco dream we fully renovated over the last decade.

Seems easy enough: take stunning unique space, find real estate agent, and then buyer. Money changes hands and possessions change locations.

The first agent we interviewed said our apartment had nothing to offer but “the bones” of it. It was so design-specific, few would want it “as is.” She suggested we employ a stager – to the tune of $900 a room, not including storage or rental fees.

A stager’s ideal is storing your undesirables while renting you fancy new furniture, lamps, art, and rugs, often at increasing rates. They’ve done their part.

If it isn’t selling, it’s your fault – you’re hoarding their work tools from the next client’s apartment.

Making you feel insecure about all you own, right down to the paint on your walls, causes one to bristle, and with staging costs up to 1% of the asking price, you’ll want to toss them out as charlatans.

The only problem is, they’re right! Staged apartments sell faster and for more money than the “as is” version.

Being the frugal owner of a tidy secondhand store with the ability to source goods, I went DIY. We sought the advice of friends and met with a stager, Maggie Dror. After two advisory meetings, instead of paying Maggie for her labor, we paid her for her guidance. And here, at no cost to you, is what we gleaned: they key is to create a neutral space where people can project their aspirations. So start by renting convenient storage space. Then: Ditch your clutter. No knick-knacks allowed. Desks should have a mere suggestion of work. A few cookbooks or

.

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“One agent, who admitted disliking pets, asked if we would be willing to put our cat out on the building’s patio during showings.” a pretty appliance on kitchen counters suffice. Stash daily life items in a suitcase.

Your coat closet should not resemble the lost and found at a preschool. A stuffed cabinet screams: “I have no room!” Cut contents by 50%. Put only what belongs – i.e. winter boots and yoga mats – in the coat closet. Kitchen cabinets should be reserved for food and cookware, etc. Keep a near empty hamper. Stick to smaller product sizes.

Buy matching hangers or expect to be beaten by a wire one. Organize clothes by type and color. Shelves must be tidy with

Opposite: All clutter and anything deemed too personal was removed from the living room. Above: Only one pretty appliance should be granted counter space.

.

.

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LIVING little to nothing on floors. Pinterest that closet!

Always have a fresh roll of toilet paper and no magazines in the bathroom. It makes people think about ...

The same applies to your sponge, paper, and kitchen towels. Ugh! The drudgery of cleaning. Ensure they are new or put them away. Hang only pristine, solid-colored towels.

No food bowls or chew toys, no litter boxes, or cat trees permitted. Spot’s stuff causes clutter and can be gross. Not everyone likes animals. Some are allergic.

One agent, who admitted disliking pets, asked if we would be willing to put our cat out on the building’s patio during showings.

No, that’s one step too far. If your pet is portable, take Fido with you. Clean their areas well before all showings. Pick up Nature’s Miracle, a natural bio-enzyme odor neutralizer. I put it in a spray bottle and mist all Kitty’s areas.

Pairs, pairs, pairs = symmetry! Lamps, chairs, pillows, end tables, nightstands should all be in pairs when possible. And center them to your windows and walls.

Moving furnishings away from walls also creates a more open feeling. How can eight people flow through? Where are your bottlenecks? What needs to move? What goes to storage?

Remove any window coverings that hinder light. To create the appearance of bigger windows and higher ceilings, hang long drapes that remain open. And max up your wattage! LEDs break all the limits and keep cool.

Paint an accent wall. It completes a room, making it feel bigger while adding a modern touch. But keep it neutral.

Mirrors. Rooms look bigger and brighter with them. Put one close to your entrance.

Fresh flowers. Re-cut stems and refresh water every two days. Remove dying blooms before they cause others to wilt.

Get rid of family photos & personal art.

Every second a buyer is looking at your walls thinking about you, they’re not looking at your apartment thinking about them.

Use brand new whites. Your bed and bath should look like a hotel.

Always be ready to show. Take proper care of your furniture, appliances and floors. You want them to pop and shine.

In the bedroom, ensure something luxurious is on the bed: a faux fur blanket or boudoir pillows. A pair of well-matched bedroom slippers under the bed make it feel like home, their home. www.houzz.com/pro/maggiedror

. . .

.

. . . . . . . .

Clockwise from top: Christine spent $600 maximizing her outdoor space; two cushions = symmetry, which buyers love; a clutter-free hallway.

EXPENSES AND TIME Knowing we would list well over a year ago, and considering we have a garden, we first set out to maximize our outdoor space.

We spent $600 total over the last two summers. We then began to make any necessary repairs or replacements on our own. Once we were ready to stage, considering careers and other obligations, including a vacation, it took two months to get to market.

DIGITAL EDITION

Total staging costs: $1,600 Stager’s time and advice: $500 Lampshades, curtains and accessories, fabrics to “upholster” sad-looking furniture, decorative pillows, bed and bath linens, mirrors and paint: $860 Fresh flowers: $240 (approximated at eight weeks on market = $30 per week)

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PHOTO

ESSAY

Alternate

realty

Artists see our neighborhood’s most iconic buildings through different eyes 42

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PHOTO

ESSAY

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PHOTO

ESSAY

"When I was flying over in late afternoon with THE sun reflecting on THE building, it became this beacon at thE west side OF Manhattan."

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PHOTO

ESSAY

IWAN BAAN

L

ove it or hate it, the VIA57 building, recently completed by Danish architectural firm BIG on W57th St - 11th/12th Ave, provokes strong feelings.

But Amsterdam-based photographer Iwan Baan has shot the building from angles few of us will ever see it.

“Seeing it from the sky,” he says, “you really understand the unique qualities of the building in the context of NYC – how the shape of

the building works with the sunlight, bringing light into the apartments.

“When I was flying over in the late afternoon with the sun reflecting on the building, it became this incredibly visible beacon at the west side of Manhattan, a city almost dark, but VIA57 still reflecting the last light.

“Inside, you feel like you’re being on a ship, waiting to sail out over the Hudson.” www.via57west.com

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PHOTO

ESSAY

"The composition had an uncanny resemblance to The Millennium Falcon."

Federico Garcia

M

ost people call him Fede for short. Group creative director for an independent NYC-based advertising agency, he moved to the city from Argentina about nine months ago.

“Of course, I couldn’t help but fall in love with its amazing architecture.

Logically, I started taking thousands of pictures, as anyone would do.”

One day, while playing with a new app on his phone, he started manipulating “reflecting” images and the first “spacescraper” was born. “The composition,” he says, “had an uncanny resemblance to the Millennium Falcon.”

Now he’s growing an Instagram collection of images that have a similar

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sci-fi edge: the Hearst building for one (right), and Sky on W42nd St (above).

The process starts by finding a building that has a unique architecture, something that makes it instantly recognizable, “so I can surprise the viewer by showing them something they saw many, many times, but in a complete new perspective.”

It also needs to look clean against the sky. “That way, when I compose the reflecting images, the spaceship will appear in the middle of the frame, surrounded only by sky and clouds, as if it were flying.

“After that, I just publish it and try to write some funny headline for it!” @thespacescrapers

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PHOTO

ESSAY

" The timing was late afternoon in February, just a stunningly cold day with not a cloud in THE Sky."

PAUL MORRIS

N

ew York City-based Parson’s graduate Paul Morris comes to art from a publishing and advertising background. He’s had a key role in influencing fashion, trends and perspectives while working on publications including The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and George.

But his current focus is in the place where photography and graphic design meet, creating large-scale patterns from elements in urban landscapes – specifically in these startling images of Silver Towers

and River Place as seen from the Hudson River.

“I took the photographs from a boat,” he says. “The timing was late afternoon in February, just a stunningly cold day with not a cloud in the sky. I love these images as they become a surreal island of tranquility when the reality is that it’s an image of one of the busiest places on this planet.”

Paul’s images are available for sale at Maison 10 (www.maison10.com) and on his own website (www.paulmorrisartist. com)

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LIVING

Reasons to be

THANKFUL Find a great real estate agent and they’ll be on your Christmas card list for ever, says Ian TD Smith

T

hanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Having lived overseas for many years, it was always imperative that I brought together the people closest to me and had a dinner … even if it was a banquet in a dingy Shanghai dining hall. Having a national holiday devoted to reflecting on the family you were born with and the one you build over time, all coming together over heaping helpings of amazing food, is pretty fantastic.

As I built a real estate business, I always thought it was a special time for me as an agent to reflect and send thanks to my clients, but over the years I’ve also started to receive texts, calls, and cards from clients expressing their gratitude at finding the perfect place.

So this month’s column is all about reasons to be thankful for your real estate agent. We can get a pretty bum rep in NYC, but once you find a great real estate agent, it’s just like finding the perfect doctor, accountant, or lawyer.

“It is in our DNA to continue working for you until the job is done.”

WE WORK SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO Apartment hunts can be utterly exhausting. Most people are ill-prepared for the amount of research and difficulties that arise with finding a new place. Real estate agents go through significant frustrations we don’t think you should be bothered with, like vetting listings to find

out which ones are actually accurate, getting you that appointment on Thursday night (when they just had an open house the night before), creating comparative analyses on that unit you want to rent/ own, convincing the owner/property manager to take your 160lb great Dane, and so many others. Hiring an agent

is much better than you taking on the second job of conducting the arduous search yourself.

PROPERTY Watch

Above: Ian’s job doesn’t stop – even once he’s found the perfect place.

IMAGE: NACHO GUEVARA

LOCATION: 424 W49th St #6A Price: $1.5m Spec: Two bed, two bath “With private outdoor space and beautiful finishes, this place is gorgeous. Currently a little too high, I’d wait for another price drop or put in an offer as low as $1.25m.”

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WE DON’T QUIT ON YOU I have managed hundreds of agents in my time as a licensed broker and although I often hear from clients about how agents are unresponsive or don’t write them back, the vast majority of searches end with the client quitting the agent rather than vice versa. Most real estate agents are incredibly hungry and diligent people who get more doors closed on them than opened, it is in our DNA to continue working for you until the job is done. My advice? Find the right person who will work hard and has the experience to handle your transaction. Ninety-nine per cent of the time they won’t quit on you.

WE CONTINUE TO BE YOUR RESOURCE Real estate agents are typically well connected since we meet all kinds of people from all kinds of industries daily. Where we excel is knowing professionals that can be helpful to your home purchasing/selling/renting needs.

Lawyers, contractors, architects, nannies, movers … chances are your real estate agent can recommend more than a few of these as needed. I personally have connected hundreds of professionals to my clients many years after the transaction. We love being a resource.

My advice is to always review someone online, interview them, meet up and find someone that you can trust and can find that perfect place to live in and love.

Ian TD Smith is a licensed real estate broker. Contact him at ian@adomee.com

GIFTS FROM TURNSTYLE

ays g...

Holicdom are in s, Wrap up, get a load of the fall color and get your gratitude on

SIMPLY THE VEST

Meet Mulberry and Grand, aka husband and wife team Emily Guggino and Ayhan Kimsesizcan. Emily met Ayhan selling his photography outside the Guggenheim one sunny Sunday afternoon and, over the years, they’ve traveled the world meeting artisans and creating an exquisite collection of pieces. We’re in love with this simple leather vest. A fall essential. $87, Mulberry and Grand

CARVE THESE UP

The flavor of pumpkin is EVERYWHERE this season. When you need something a little different – is there is such a thing as TOO MUCH pumpkin? – dive into these bad boys instead.

Made from milk and dark chocolate ganache, covered in naturally orange-colored chocolate, then sprinkled with sugar and hand-decorated, all pumpkins should taste this good. $10.99, 2Beans Coffee and Chocolate

GOBBLE, GOBBLE …

Available in three sizes, our name’s on the 8oz monster. A solid, three-dimensional milk choccy turkey (churkey?), he looks almost too good to eat in his foil wrapper.

Almost.

From $5, Dylan’s Candy Bar

SWEATER GIRL

We all need to wrap up for winter, and our favorite pup is no exception. We’ll be keeping our little guy cosy – and cute – this season with Dog & Co’s Lion Dog Halloween costume. Trick or treat. $40, Dog & Co

50

DIGITAL EDITION

Sponsored page. All gifts available from TurnStyle, Columbus Circle www.turn-style.com

SPOON FEEDING

Fall is for snuggling up in front of the fire with hot chocolate, marshmallows … and more chocolate. The diet can wait till next year. We can’t get enough of these chocolate spoons from 2beans. Each pack contains three flavors: salted caramel, marshmallow, and spiced Mexican chocolate. Use them to stir your cocoa, or, heck, eat them all on their own. No one’s watching. $11.99, 2beans Coffee and Chocolate

WHAT A TROOPER!

British tweed. Faux fur. The result: a trooper hat that will keep the worst of New York’s frigid wind at bay. Available in black, brown, and beige. We’re getting all three. $65, Arth

FALL TIED UP

The Thanksgiving turkey is roasted, the carrots are buttered – and the table looks adorable, thanks to these decorated linen and felt napkin ties. $14, Dylan’s Candy Bar

THANKSGIVING SUPPER

Gastronomie 491 has Thanksgiving covered, with a Mediterranean twist.

Take its house-roasted turkey (with rosemary, thyme, garlic, and salt), and add roasted carrots with rosemary, plus a healthy, colorful side salad of kale, fennel, cranberries, and Italian pine nuts, and everyone will want an invitation to yours this year.

Turkey, $15.99/lb, carrots, $9.99/lb, salad, $12.99/lb

STICK AT IT

Milk chocolate. On a stick. Dip it in hot milk. Stir. Bingo! $2.99, 2beans Coffee and Chocolate

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51

GALLERY

#W42ST Hashtag your Instagram pics and they could star in the mag!

This was the month that Conan O'Brien visited Alvin Ailey, a spooky owl watched over its Hell's Kitchen habitat, and sunsets burned the sky a brilliant red (actually, that's not particularly unusual, but it made a great pic anyway). Remember, anyone can get involved in these pages. Just tag your images #W42ST and you might be the one whose photograph ends up in the next issue.

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DIGITAL EDITION

GALLERY

DIGITAL EDITION

53

STYLE

OUT & ABOUT

If it’s happening in Hell’s Kitchen, we’ve got it covered NEW YORK COMIC CON 2016

U

nless you happened to be hiding under a rock last month, you can’t have failed to notice that New York Comic Con was in the heart of the hood, and cosplay was the order of the day. Scott Stanger was at Javits shooting some of the best costumes - here’s our favorites.

IMAGES: SCOTT STANGER (WWW.SCOTTSTA.COM)

Clockwise from top left: Angemon; Mary Jane Watson and Spider-Man; Leeloo, Fifth Element; Skeletor and Evil-Lyn; Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Black Widow, and Raven; Gaara; the zombies have arrived!

54

DIGITAL EDITION

JACI STEPHEN

Friends, my home, the gays,

A SECRET RESTROOM ...

Gratitude? I hardly know where to begin

S

ince I came to America, I have become a bigger fan of Thanksgiving than I am of Christmas. Where the latter brings stress – planning, buying, arrangements, Santa (I still worry about those over-worked reindeer, not to mention my increasing concern that the fat, friendly guy in red is a little TOO friendly with the kiddies), the former instills nothing but gratitude in me.

I have so much to be thankful for. I am blessed in having been given a six-feet tall, slim body, and a 22-inch waist … sorry, I fell asleep briefly there. I am blessed in that, although I am only five feet tall with a torso the size of a hog roast, I have my health. I also have my family and incredible friends, many of them of over 30 years’ standing. And I am blessed in living in what I have come to regard as the greatest city on Earth, and in this glorious area that is Hell’s Kitchen: my solace, comfort, an endless source of immense laughter and fun, and a place I can truly call home. So, thank you, on Thanksgiving, in Hell’s Kitchen, for:

1

Mr Biggs, where the fantastic staff always make me feel welcome and where I have enjoyed the best nights communally watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, American Horror Story, and the Presidential debates with the guys supporting #TeamHillary. I am a gay man trapped in a woman’s body.

Sunsets over the Hudson that I see every day from my wonderful apartment at the sublime Gotham West.

And also, sunrise over the Hudson that I see reflected in glorious yellow and pink in New Jersey on the other side of the river.

Jeez! I live in New York! Manhattan! Who would not cry with joy?

The guys on the front desk at my building, who make the place feel like home every time I come through the door (sometimes, literally, depending on what time of day/night we are talking. OK, so I forgot it was revolving; we all make mistakes).

IMAGE: WALTER VAN DYK

2 3

demonstration to discover the secret of making it. Forty scrambled eggs later, I decided that buying it was the better option.

Sammy, who knows where the secret restroom is at Vodka Soda/Bottoms Up. I may be a gay man trapped in a woman’s body, but not when it comes to bladders.

8

My month in pics 1 Above: No wonder she’s smiling – Jaci lives in the greatest neighborhood in the greatest city in the world.

“This glorious area that is Hell’s Kitchen: my solace, comfort, an endless source of immense laughter and fun.”

4

Wine and liquor tastings with Chris at Grand Cru – and special thanks to American Express for footing the bill (because if it’s on a card, I’m not really paying, right?).

Everyone who talks to me – especially at Joe Allen, which I love with a passion. In Britain, a woman of my age is a social leper. I could develop rigor mortis sitting at a bar and it would be days before anyone would notice.

9th Avenue – my favorite street in Manhattan, possibly the world, not least for Citibank, who treat me like a longlost relative. They have the best service and staff of any bank I’ve ever encountered (and I’ve been through a lot). I want to go to their Christmas party *begs*.

The tortilla at El Colmado in Gotham West Market. I once went to a

5

6

I wasn’t optimistic about my medical at MediCentre on 42nd St - 9th Ave.

A brief trip to LA saw me in patriotic mode ahead of this month’s election.

2

So glad summer’s well and truly behind us.

Barbecuing was never my forte.

3

So great to bump into the fabulous Matt Goss – one half of Bros to ageing Brits.

4

Being naughty in Vegas.

5

7

DIGITAL EDITION

55

STYLE

As of 1/11/16 121,678 people are currently on transplant list waiting for organs. Of that number, 100,971 await kidneys (82%).

“If I had to train for an Iron Man to get ten more people to donate an organ, I’d have to do it. I really would.”

56

Every ten minutes another person is added to the national organ waiting list.

DIGITAL EDITION

STYLE

The thrill of

THE RACE This month’s New York City Marathon means more than a medal and a finisher’s T-shirt to these men Words Ruth Walker Photographs Christian Miles

T

hose of us who run do it for very different reasons. For fitness, sure. But often for something else less tangible. Something emotional. Perhaps even spiritual.

And when 50,000 people stagger along W59th Street on November 6, around Columbus Circle

towards the Central Park finish line of the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon, those reasons may be all that’s keeping them on their feet.

For Corey Zaretsky and Eugene Byrne, who live and train in Hell’s Kitchen, those reasons could hardly be more compelling.

COREY ZARETSKY

Y

ou just know Corey Zaretsky is a his kidneys failed. “Growing up, healthy kind of guy. He glows. The it was always a kind of joke,” says summer tan. The way he walks.

Corey. “‘Oh yeah, I’ll give you a kidney, And it’s true. He’s played baseball whatever.’ I didn’t know I was going to and trained his whole life. Running though? get to this point.”

“Running always used to be a punishment,” But when the time came, he didn’t he says. “I never had the mindset that said, ‘I even have to think about it. “If I wasn’t want to clear my head, I’ll go run ten miles.’” able to donate to him, I’d have donated And when the 26-year-old does it to a stranger,” he says. “Once run the 26.219 miles from you see the way it changes Staten Island to Central Park someone’s life … you see the this month, it’ll be for the impact it has. My brother’s 8,000 people die first – and last – time. “But a completely different every year waiting for it’s not about the time,” he person. He has a life.” an organ to be donated says.”It’s not even about Corey is running to raise – 22 people each day. the race.” money for the National Corey’s younger brother Matt was born with a rare genetic disorder called Nail Patella Syndrome. “He’s been sick his whole life,” says Corey. “This is someone who’s been a sick person from birth. He’s never known what it feels like to be healthy. But as far as his mindset is concerned, he’s a very inspirational, very positive person.”

In 2013, Matt’s condition deteriorated dramatically. He suffered repeated pancreatitis, his weight plummeted. Finally,

DIGITAL EDITION

Kidney Foundation. And, he says, “to show people you can donate an organ and still do whatever crazy stuff you want.

If I have to jump out of a plane to prove the point, I’ll do it. If I had to train for an Iron Man to get ten more people to donate an organ, I’d have to do it. I really would.”

And will his brother be there at the finish line to cheer him on? “He’d better,” laughs Corey. www.crowdrise.com/nationalkidney fdnnyc2016/fundraiser/coreyzaretsky

Opposite: Corey donated a kidney to his younger brother just two years ago.

continued over

57

STYLE “I know what pain is. This was something totally different. This stopped me in my tracks.”

EUGENE BYRNE

E

ugene Byrne was lying in his hospital bed after suffering a massive heart attack while running in Central Park when he overheard a roommate say he just wanted to go home, watch some TV, and pet his dog.

Hell no! That wasn’t the future Eugene had mapped out for himself. So he vowed there and then to run 15 consecutive New York City marathons. This will be his 15th.

He’s naturally athletic. Grew up swimming. Running. Playing rugby. But he took up road racing in 1998, when he became an assistant district attorney, as a way to manage the stress of the job.

“The heart attack,” he says. “They say they’re sudden, and it was. The morning of January 25, 2000, I got to the Bethesda fountain and my left elbow felt as though it was going to explode. I played rugby for nine seasons, I know what pain is.

This was something totally different. This stopped me in my tracks.

“I don’t remember walking out of the park, I only remember being in my

apartment, sweating profusely. The phone rang and it was a girl I was dating who was a nurse. I told her. ‘My arm, it’s killing me, I don’t know what it is.’

“She said: ‘Go to the hospital.’

“I said: ‘Maybe I pulled it, I don’t know …’

“She said: ‘GO TO THE HOSPITAL.’ “Then I got scared. I debated calling an ambulance. Then I realized I got a better shot of getting to 53rd and 9th if I walk in the right hand lane down 9th Avenue.

Because if I go down in the sidewalk, I’m just some stew bone to be stepped on. If I go down in the street, they gotta stop. Or it’ll be over quicker than I expected.”

He walked all the way to the hospital and strode right past security. “Last thing I remember I was pushing the door,” he says. “I guess I went down.”

He ended up needing a quadruple bypass – “they rewired pretty much everything under the hood” – and spent eight weeks laid up in hospital. Even coughing was an adventure.

But two years later, he was marathon ready. Four years later, he needed another

DIGITAL EDITION

15's a dream: Eugene is running his 15th consecutive NYC marathon after having a massive heart attack.

challenge, so he did an Iron Man. Then another.

Now recovering from a hip replacement, this marathon will be slightly different for the others. “I’m basically going to have to walk. And shuffle. I will finish – it’s just a matter of time. I’ve been working on a pace that’ll get me to about 20 miles, then nerves will take over. And sheer will.”

The other thing that will keep him going is the thought of his five-year-old daughter, Kelsey Ocean Byrne, born in Hell’s Kitchen and the apple of her dad’s eye. She’s now living in Ireland, which is where 62-yearold Eugene will go when he retires.

Will he still run for fun?

“I don’t know if there’s such a thing as running for fun,” he laughs. “I’ll probably return to swimming. I did the Brooklyn Bridge swim and came in second in my age group.

“But when you grow up as an athlete, it’s in your DNA. I’ll always have some challenge out there. I don’t know, maybe I’ll walk another marathon.” www.tcsnycmarathon.org

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STYLE

Twice the

ADVICE Dear Twins, I started dating a guy and it was amazing until he saw my ugly feet.

We were on our fourth date and getting hot and heavy when he said he had to suck my toes. When he saw my feet, he totally stopped said he wasn’t feeling well and left soon after. I’m hurt and mortified.

Should I call him?

Got a problem? Two heads are better than one. Meet our columnists, identical twins Kerry and Jacqueline Donelli

things you’re comfortable sharing with her, and save the other information for when you’re with your friends.

Dear Twins, My boyfriend and I have been dating for about four months and we’re pretty serious. The problem is his former girlfriend. She’s stalking both of us. We’ll find her walking behind us quite often, or when we’re at the movies we look around, and there she is, two rows behind. But she seems to particularly target me with nasty and vulgar texts, and she follows me when I go out alone. I don’t think I can get a restraining order because she hasn’t really done anything except annoy us, but it’s getting worse, and I’m getting worried. What should I do?

JACQUELINE SAYS The dude sounds a bit touched. He has a foot fetish. Don’t let it bother you a minute longer. It’s his issue.

KERRY SAYS Um, no. He sounds like he’s got a screw loose. He did you a huge favor.

Dear Twins, I’m a 16-year-old girl, and whenever I come home after being out with my girlfriends, my mom wants to know everything we discussed in minute detail. I love her, but there are a lot of things I talk to my friends about that I’d feel uncomfortable talking to my mom about. How can I tell her this without hurting her feelings?

JACQUELINE SAYS Stalking is called criminal harassment.

Don’t answer her texts. In fact, get another phone number. The first thing to do is call the police (dial 911 if you’re in immediate danger). Tell the police what’s happening.

Let them know that you fear for your safety and would like a restraining order.

There is information on support that they can provide to help you cope. Don’t wait another minute. Stalking can lead to serious violence.

JACQUELINE SAYS What’s wrong with simply saying there are things you prefer to share with your friends? I’m sure she’ll understand. She was a teen once herself.

KERRY SAYS I agree with Jackie. I’d report it to the police. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

When people behave bizarrely, you have to take serious precautions.

KERRY SAYS I disagree.There’s no need to hurt your mother’s feelings. Instead, discuss the

MEET THE TWINS

Kerry and Jacqueline Donelli are psychotherapists based in Hell’s Kitchen. They are also actresses (recently on Adult Swim’s Unedited Footage of a Bear), and filmmakers of the award-winning movie Titillating Steven. Their revamped website launches next month. Please send all letters to: advice@w42st.com.

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61

PETS FOOD

Wagging tales

These camera-happy canines took a time out from the morning stroll for a quick Q&A with W42ST

Henry Jones Humans’ names: Kyle and Brittany.

Breed: Beagle/dachshund mix.

Age: Four.

What makes me bark: When the bell rings, or loud noises from the TV. Three words that describe me best: Stubborn, caring, goober.

Confession: I tend to pee on the “No Dogs” signs.

Instadog: @houndee.clothing

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Bibi

Leo Human’s name: Jayshree.

Breed: Pure shih tzu.

Age: Six. What makes me bark: I bark at anyone at my door and other dogs.

Three words that describe me best: I’m a foodie, sleepy, and cuddly.

Confession: I get nervous and sad when I see suitcases.

Instadog: Hit me up @Leonardo123

Human’s name: Christine.

Breed: Shiba inu.

Age: Four.

What makes me bark: Strange noises in the hallway, needing assistance to be placed on the window ledge, and the building super.

Three words that describe me best: Cuddly, curious, friendly.

Confession: I used to knock over the garbage and would try to distract my mom from noticing it by being particularly affectionate.

Instadog: @divainu

Want to see your pup on this page?

DIGITAL EDITION

Luna Human’s name: Rolo.

Breed: A shih tzu mix.

Age: Seven months old.

What makes me bark: Big dogs make me bark cause I want to play with them, but I’m too small.

Three words that describe me best: I’m a very sweet, playful, and loving puppy.

Confession: I have destroyed everything from flip-flops to pillows, and even managed to bite on a ginger ale can and spray it all over the kitchen.

Instadog: @milonluna

Send it to waggingtales@w42st.com and we’ll do the rest.

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LAST WORD

PHOTO FINISH

W42nd St, 1934

IMAGE: PERCY LOOMIS SPERR © THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

R

oll up, Roll up ... If many Hell’s Kitchen residents see the end of W42nd St developing into a playground for the rich, they might be surprised to find out, it once hosted a fairground.

In the early 1930s – where Atelier and Sky now sit – a fairground used to arrive and take up space made available by the demolition of 10 four-story houses. The one last remnant of these dwellings today is 42nd Street Pizza Company.

This picture was taken on May 30, 1934.

Back then, this was Decoration Day – the forerunner to what we now know as Memorial Day (officially renamed in 1967).

The landmark McGraw-Hill Building (featured last month on this page) can be seen down the street.

The large advertisement in the picture

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Above: A funfair takes up the spot now filled by the Atelier and Sky buildings.

is selling movies at 10c in the morning and 15c in the afternoons at the Selwyn Theatre (now known as the American Airlines Theatre).

In the spring of 1921, Katharine Hepburn took her youngest brother Tom to the Selwyn to see A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, in which an actor faked hanging himself. The next morning, Hepburn found her brother dead from hanging in his aunt’s attic. He had tried to replicate the stunt – with tragic consequences.

This was recession time in America.

As one veteran Broadway critic protested, 42nd St (often called the Forty-Deuce) had become “cheapened and nightmarish.”

This photograph was taken by Percy Loomis Sperr. His incredible photo collection – taken between 1925 and

DIGITAL EDITION

1945 – makes up a significant part of the archive collection New York Public Library released to the public at OldNYC.org.

Percy was born in Michigan 1889.

His brother and sister were killed in their youth by meningitis, and the disease left Percy himself unable to walk. He had to use crutches to get around. He married and moved to New York in 1920, hoping to become a writer, using his photos as a backdrop to tell his stories. But Sperr found that while his pictures sold, his stories didn’t.

He wrote in 1934, “I am not much of a camera fan. My own interest is rather in the story than in the picture.”

But he died in June 1964 with his collections waiting to hopefully one day be rediscovered. This is just a peek! Go explore more at www.oldnyc.org.

w42 st + TCHEN • I K S HE ’ L L LL E H

EN • HEL H C L T I ’S K K HELL’ K I T EN • C H CH E IT

’S

NOVEMBER 2016

THE GUIDE N

NEW YORK

K ELL’S ITCHEN •H •

Fold-out illustrated map; guide to all the best bars, restaurants, sights, and shopping, plus essential local businesses and services

EAT

w42 st +

GUIDE LISTINGS

The essential guide to Hell’s Kitchen, from working out to eating out (and in) – it’s the business!

STYLE

EAT CHILL DINNER

W

At Nine Restaurant 9th Ave - 42nd/43rd St

Bar Bacon 9th Ave - 54th/55th St

W OUT

W

Bourbon Street Bar

Ñaño Ecuadorian Kitchen

W

White Oak 10th Ave - 54th/55th St

W

Westway Diner 9th Ave - 43rd/44th St

10th Ave - 47th/48th St

It’s worth the effort to walk a few

Established in 1988, this is a family

Ecuadorable! Quaint, Ecuadorian

more blocks! Home of the ALL

owned and operated restaurant.

eatery serving traditional dishes with

DAY Happy Hour + Oysters. Craft

A local favorite, you’ll always see

some modern flair. Family recipes

cocktails - Elevated “Pub Grub”

a familiar face enjoying the food

make Ñaño a special experience.

- Raw Bar - Daily Specials.

and the atmosphere.

www.nanobarnyc.com (646) 649-4678

www.WhiteOakNYC.com (646) 692-9247

www.westwaydiner.com (212) 582-7661

W46th St - 8th/9th Ave

Feel like you stepped into New

TIME FOR BRUNCH

Orleans’ French Quarter with gas

LIVING

lamps, wrought iron balconies,

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hurricanes and delicious Cajun fare.

(212) 245-2030 www.bourbonny.com

v{iv} Thai Restaurant & Bar 9th Ave - 48th/49th St Contemporary interior with

Cosmic Diner 8th Ave - 52nd/53rd St

W

Friedman’s

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Gotham West Market

Tick Tock Diner 8th Ave - 34th St

LUNCHBREAK

10th Ave - 35th St 11th Ave - 44th/45th St

Hourglass Tavern W46th St - 8th/9th Ave

classic Thai and traditional

PETS

Northern Thai dishes. Everyday happy hours with drink specials.

W

Truly fun and Vibrant place to be.

(212) 581-5999 www.vivthainyc.com

The newest and unique Thai restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen featuring Thai street food and specializing in Northeastern Thai dishes.

(212) 315-0555 www.esanation.com

HQ, serving up market driven global flavors. Limited hours: M-F 8:30am-6pm (happy hour soon).

Kodama Sushi & Japanese

W

W45th St - 8th/9th Ave

Noodies

Rustic Table W42nd St - 10th/11th Ave

Mediterranean breakfast and

North River Lobster Pier 81, W41st St - 12th Ave

lunch, fine espresso, homemade

Aaheli Indian Cuisine

pastries, fresh juices & refreshers.

9th Ave - 54th/55th St

Oovina

A unique hidden gem on 42nd.

9th Ave - 37th/38th St

(212) 244-0744 rustictablenyc@gmail.com

Route 66 Cafe

W38th St - 8th/9th Ave

9th Ave - 55th/56th St

Dafni Greek Taverna

Siri Thai

W42nd St - 8th/9th Ave

10th Ave - 45th/46th St

El Azteca

The Marshal

THE JONES

10th Ave - 44th/45th Ave

9th Ave - 52nd/53rd St

Il Forno 8th Ave - 44th/45th St

2

www.betterbeing.net (212) 858-9448

Enjoy a rustic selection of

9th Ave - 54th/55th St

Carbone

9th Ave - 52nd/53rd St

9th Ave - 39th/40th St

NYC’s #1 photoshoot caterers’ HK

Esanation Thai Street Food 9th Ave - 50th/51st St

Better Being 940

Aleef Coffee House W39th St - 8th/9th Ave

Atomic Wings 9th Ave - 39th/40th St

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Tulcingo Del Valle

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10th Ave - 46th/47th St

DIGITAL EDITION

Skylight Diner W34th St - 9th/10th Ave

Theatre Row Diner W42nd St - 9th/10th Ave

Azuri Cafe W51st St - 9th/10th Ave

Bombay Grill House 9th Ave - 51st/52nd St

China Xiang W42nd St - 8th/9th Ave

Chirping Chicken 9th Ave - 42nd/43rd St

City Kitchen at Row NYC 8th Ave - 44th/45th St

Curry Hut 9th Ave - 39th/40th St

El Rancho Burritos W45th St - 8th/9th Ave

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Green Nature Coffee House

Daisy May’s BBQ

Holland Bar

W42nd St - 10th/11th St

11th Ave - 46th St

9th Ave - 39th/40th St

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Kahve 10th Avenue

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Kahve 9th Avenue

Merilu Pizza Al Metro

9th Ave - 51st/52nd St

9th Ave - 52nd/53rd St

W51st St - 8th/9th Ave

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Kava Cafe

New York Sal’s Pizza

Iron Bar

W42nd St - 9th/10th Ave

10th Ave - 48th/49th St

8th Ave - 44th/45th St

Kee’s Chocolates

Uncle Mario’s Brick Oven Pizza

Ivy

W39th St - 8th/9th Ave

9th Ave - 49th/50th St

8th Ave - 55th/56th St

HERE FOR THE BEER

Juniper Bar

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10th Ave - 46th/47th St

Little Pie Company W43rd St - 9th/10th Ave

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Lucky’s Famous Burgers

Houndstooth Pub

W52nd St - 8th/9th Ave

8th Ave - 36th/37th St

11th Ave - 45th/46th St

W34th St - 9th/10th Ave

Fresh From Hell W47th St - 8th/9th Ave

Fresh, delicious food and juices, prepared in a friendly, neighborly way.

(212) 956-4355 www.freshfromhell.com

Gazala Place 9th Ave - 48th/49th St

Hell’s Chicken 10th Ave - 45th/46th St

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Jonny Panini NYC 9th Ave - 37th/38th St

Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen

Poseidon Greek Bakery

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REX Coffee 10th Ave - 56th/57th St

9th Ave - 56th/57th St

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Schmackary’s Cookies

McGee’s Pub

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9th Ave - 44th/45th St

W55th St - 7th/8th Ave

W45th St - 8th/9th Ave

Molloy’s Irish Pub

Snax Spot 9th Ave - 39th/40th St

W W W

AS IS

The Cafe Grind

10th Ave - 50th St

10th Ave - 43rd St

The Jolly Goat Coffee Bar

foods with happy hour weekdays

New York Beer Company

W47th St - 10th/11th Ave

Think Coffee

3-6pm.

www.asisnyc.com

9th Ave - 44th/45th St

12th Ave - 46th/47th St

Social Bar, Grill & Lounge

BURGERS AND PIZZA

8th Ave - 48th/49th St

Stitch Bar & Lounge W37th St - 7th/8th Ave

The Jolly Monk 9th Ave - 48th/49th St

Scallywag’s Irish Bar & Restaurant 9th Ave - 38th/39th St

9th Ave - 37th/38th St

The best Irish hospitality in Hell’s

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Kitchen. We offer delicious food,

Kiabacca 10th Ave - 45th/46th St

Paradigm Cafe

Featuring 20 specialty brick oven

9th Ave - 35th/36th St

pizzas and a high quality selection

Sushi Star

of rotating crafts at fantastic prices.

10th Ave - 47th/48th St

Vintner Wine Market 9th Ave - 46th/47th St

Zoob Zib 9th Ave - 35th/36th St

COFFEE & COOKIES

Rattle ‘N Hum Rudy’s Bar & Grill

Underwest Donuts

Manganaro’s Hero Boy

Tehuitzingo Deli & Grocery

W44th St - 8th/9th Ave W39th St - 8th/9th Ave

W42nd St - 11th/12th Ave

10th Ave - 45th/46th St

9th Ave - 42nd/43rd St

Mr. Biggs Bar & Grill

Craft beers & cocktails, speciality

Le Bon Choix

Taqueria Tehuitzingo

9th Ave - 49th/50th St

10th Ave - 36th/37th St

W36th St - 9th/10th Ave

9th Ave - 35th/36th St

10th Ave - 43rd/44th St

Lincoln Park Grill

La Panineria

W47th St - 10th/11th Ave

Lansdowne Road

W

8th Ave - 48th/49th St

Parada 47 Mexican

W35th St - 7th/8th Ave

Landmark Tavern

Old Country Coffee

W

House of Brews

live music every night, happy hour, great sport - it’s all here for you.

www.scallywagsnyc.com (646) 490-4803

Always interesting draft cocktails and wine on tap. Comfortable vibe.

www.kiabaccabar.com (212) 649-4675

Beer Authority

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The Pony Bar 10th Ave - 45th St

W40th St - 8th Ave

Neighborhood bar serving

Beer Culture

fantastic American craft beer.

W45th St - 8th/9th Ave

Our 20 “world class” drafts are

123 Burger Shot Beer

Blue Ruin

always rotating & our food is

10th Ave - 50th/51st St

9th Ave - 39th/40th St

42nd Street Pizza

Brickyard Gastropub

W42nd St - 11th/12th Ave

9th Ave - 52nd/53rd St

Capizzi Pizzeria & Wine Bar

Dalton’s Bar & Grill

9th Ave - 40th/41st St

9th Ave - 43rd/44th St

W

Amy’s Bread

City Slice

Dave’s Tavern

9th Ave - 46th/47th St

10th Ave - 51st/52nd St

9th Ave - 41st/42nd St

W

Frisson Espresso

Clyde Frazier’s

Heartland Brewery

W47th St - 8th/9th Ave

10th Ave - 37th/38th St

8th Ave - 40th/41st St

DIGITAL EDITION

tasty and inexpensive.

www.theponybar.com

The Waylon 10th Ave - 50th/51st St

Tir Na Nog W39th St - 8th/9th Ave

Valhalla 9th Ave - 53rd/54th St

3

Hell’s Kitchen

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

FLEA MARKET All New York originals, all in one place

T

he fall of 2016 has seen the most dramatic growth in the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market in decades. New York City’s oldest continuously operating outdoor market, located between 9th and 10th Avenues on 39th Street, continues to attract new vendors and shoppers from all over New York City – and all over the world.

In November, the market will feature the best vintage clothing the city has to offer, along with more new vinyl vendors, and antique and collectible dealers. The addition of local artists and craftsmen to the market has been an immediate hit, as are the fine arts and crafts sellers.

Just in time for holiday shopping, art vendors like Dawn Exton and David Pringle will be at the flea with their unique and affordable creations.

Dawn, a sculptor, designer, and writer, will be bringing all new original pieces from her industrial jewelry line to the market in November and through the holiday shopping season. Her original jewelry and collectible designs are inspired by the Manhattan skyline.

Dawn creates original pieces from stunning necklaces and bracelets to pill boxes and produces new, unique work constantly.

Among David’s creations are handcrafted wallpaper, and an unforgettable feathered evening clutch that caught the eye of New York’s premiere expert on flea market treasure and author of Markets of New York, Karen Seiger.

David creates handmade finials and drawer pulls from rare glass beads and Swarovski crystals.

Another new vendor to the market who will be selling beautiful handcrafted mosaic art pieces and jewelry during the

From left: Skateboards, handmade Tibetan silks, mosaic work by Judy Negron, and a musthave clutch, as spotted by Karen Seiger.

“An unforgettable feathered evening clutch caught the eye of New York’s premiere expert on flea market treasure and author of Markets of New York, Karen Seiger.” holiday season is Judy Negron. Judy is an artist, etcher, and painter (sometimes combining all three techniques in one work). She has exhibited nationally

Find us on www.facebook.com/hellskitchenfleamarket 4

DIGITAL EDITION

and internationally. Some exhibitions include: la Main D’Or, Paris; Assisi, Italy; Cadaques, Spain; and Museum of Modern Art Wales. In the US: NYU Gallery; Kathryn Markel Gallery; Prince Street Invitational; and Jadite Gallery, here in Hell’s Kitchen.

Her work is included in The Museum of Modern Art collection, the collection of Deepak Chopra, La Sirene restaurant, Taureau Restaurant, The Wine Escape, and many other private collections. A commissioned piece, Two Cats, can be seen on the facade of 447 W44th Street.

November’s markets are a big hit with littler shoppers too, who are always on the lookout for skull rings and skateboards, and new Tibetan vendors will be selling hand-made, one-of a kind silk-screen T-shirts.

@annexmarkets

@annexmarkets

West End Bar & Grill

Chimichurri Grill

Taboon

8th Ave - 48th/49th St

9th Ave - 43rd/44th St

10th Ave - 52nd/53rd St

W

Bricco Ristorante

Fish Bar

W56th St - 8th/9th Ave

Cara Mia 9th Ave - 45th/46th St

Trattoria Casa Di Isacco

Esca

SOMETHING SPECIAL

W43rd St - 9th/10th Ave

Uncle Vanya Cafe

Pier 81, W41st St - 12th Ave

Green Fig Yotel, 10th Ave - 41st/42nd St Shared dishes, locally sourced ingredients, perfectly crafted wine list.

ceiling, red velvet walls and chandeliers lighting up Josephine Baker portraits.

www.chezjosephine.com (212) 594-1925

11th Ave 42nd/43rd St

Pio Pio

W

Sangria 46

9th Ave - 45th/46th St

WINE O’CLOCK

Big Apple Market

Adella

9th Ave - 39th/40th St

W43rd St - 9th/10th Ave

10th Ave - 43rd/44th

W

10th Ave - 47th/48th St

9th Avenue Saloon

W46 St - 8th/9th Ave

La Vela Dining & Bar

PRINT Restaurant

W42nd St - 10th/11th Ave

5 Brothers Gourmet Market

The Ritz

9th Ave - 51st/52nd St

1920s Paris, with a blue tin

42nd Street Wine Loft

W51st St - 9th/10th Ave

K Rico Steakhouse

Return to the joie de vivre of

W

W34th St - 9th/10th Ave

Posh

W43rd St - 8th/9th Ave

W

BOYS & BARS

34th Street Wine & Spirits

9th Ave - 52nd/53rd St

Hakkasan

W42nd St - 9th/10th Ave

W54th St - 8th/9th Ave

W

Flaming Saddles Saloon

(646) 449-7790

Chez Josephine

9th Ave - 39th/40th St

EATING IN

11th Ave - 47th/48th Ave

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A true Hell’s Kitchen institution

Ardesia Wine Bar

serving USDA choice meats,

W52nd St - 10th/11th Ave

poultry and groceries at super low prices. Serving the

Pocket Bar NYC

W46th St - 8th/9th Ave

neighborhood since 1991.

W48th St - 9th/10th Ave

(212) 563-2555

It may be little, but this wine bar packs

Staghorn Steakhouse

a powerful punch.

W36th St - 8th/9th Ave

www.pocketbarnyc.com

TO GET YOUR HELL’S KITCHEN BUSINESS LISTING IN OUR DIRECTORY

Tartina 9th Ave - 45th/46th St

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Brooklyn Fare W37th St - 9th/10th Ave

Cellar 53 Wines & Spirits 10th Ave - 52nd/53rd St

Clinton Gourmet Market 10th Ave - 45th/46th St

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Empire Coffee & Tea Company 9th Ave - 41st/42nd St

Esposito Meat Market 9th Ave - 37th/38th St

Wine Escape W44th St - 9th/10th Ave A cozy, intimate wine bar with Mediterranean tapas & wines

Hell’s Kitchen

from around the world.

www.wineescapenyc.com (212) 262-7000

COCKTAIL HOUR Barcelona Bar 8th Ave - 54th/55th St

Get one of these in your window

Press Lounge 11th Ave - 47th/48th St

Social Drink And Food Yotel, 10th Ave - 41st/42nd St “Middleterranean” inspired dishes,

Email us at sticker@w42st.com

perfectly crafted wine list.

(646) 449-7790

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Grace Wine & Spirits

W

Grand Cru Wine & Spirits

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Gristedes

10th Ave - 43rd/44th St 11th Ave - 43rd St 8th Ave - 53rd/54th St

Healthy Market Deli 10th Ave - 45th St

Hell’s Kitchen Brewtique 9th Ave - 39th/40th St

International Grocery 9th Ave - 40th/41st St

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Manhattan Plaza Winery 9th Ave - 42nd/43rd St

Mazzella’s Market 9th Ave - 47th/48th St

W

Ninth Avenue Vintner

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Odyssey Wine & Spirits

9th Ave - 46th/47th St 10th Ave - 37th/38th St

TO SEE YOUR YOUR BUSINESS LISTED IN THIS SECTION, EMAIL BOB@W42ST.COM

DIGITAL EDITION

5

EAT

W

Ray & Frank Liquor Store

Manhattan Kayak Company

9th Ave - 48th/49th St

Pier 84 - Hudson River

Sea Breeze Fish Market 9th Ave - 40th/41st St

Simply Natural W43rd St - 9th/10th Ave

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Stiles Farmers Market W52nd St - 8th/9th Ave

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STYLE

Sullivan Street Bakery W47th St - 10th/11th Ave

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Domus Unaffected Living

W44th St - 9th/10th Ave Owners Luisa and Nicki work with

SUNAC Natural Market

artisans around the globe to

W42nd St - 11th Ave

source unique home decor items,

Terra Market

gifts and jewelry. Candles and

9th Ave -39th/40th St

cards make it a one-stop shop.

OUT

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The MKT @ Mercedes House

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Veritas Studio Wines W45th St - 10th/11th Ave

Grishko Dancewear

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Westerly Natural Market

W50th St - 8th/9th Ave

www.domusnewyork.com (212) 581-8099

W54th St - 10th/11th Ave

Blocker Yoga www.blockeryoga.com Get your zen on with private or group yoga classes led by certified instructor, Brooke

(912) 313-9911 blockeryoga@gmail.com

HELLO GORGEOUS

Ada Salon 9th Ave - 54th/5th St

Albano Salon 450 9th Ave - 35th/36th Ave

America’s Hairstyle International Hell’s Kitchen Rolfing W51st St - 8th/9th Ave

LIVING

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market

Proven hands-on healing art for athletes, dancers & anyone

10th Ave - 48th/49th St

the city’s oldest flea markets. Year

and physical freedom.

De Lido Hair Salon

round, each weekend. Antiques,

(212) 307-5367 www.rolfingnyc.nyc

Dramatics NYC

W46th St - 9th/10th Ave

8th Ave - 52nd/53rd St W57th St - 8th/9th Ave

Erik’s Barbershop 10th Ave - 46th/47th St

PETS

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Housing Works Thrift Shop

and accessories is a favorite

TAGG

haunt for stylists, costumers

9th Ave - 48th/49th St

& girls about town.

Thrift & New Shop

9th Ave - 52nd/53rd St

W

David Ryan Salon

Enjoy a new level of well-being

mint condition vintage clothing

Glitz & Glory

Best Barber

experiencing physical pain.

9th Ave - 49th/50th St

www.fineanddandyshop.com

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An authentic NY experience, one of

Couture du Jour

jewelry, flasks, cards, books, gifts & more.

W50th St - 9th/10th Ave

W39th St - 9th/10th Ave

info@hellskitchenfleamarket.com www.annexmarkets.com

Ties, handkerchiefs, suspenders, socks, hats,

W45th St - 10th/11th Ave

9th Avenue Barbershop

vintage clothes, collectibles & more!

W49th St - 9th/10th Ave

NYC VELO

9th Ave - 37th/38th St

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W

W42nd St - 8th/9th Ave

9th Ave - 41st/42nd St

W54th St - 9th/10th Ave

Fine And Dandy

W54th St - 10th/11th Ave

Mid City Gym

42nd Nails & Spa

Champion Stamp Company

W47th St - 8th/9th Ave

W39th St - 9th/10th Ave

Rolates Pilates

9th Ave - 34th St

Delphinium Home

W

Mercedes Club

W43rd St - 9th/10th Ave

8th Ave - 55th/56th St

B&H Cameras

www.CoutureduJourNYC.com (646) 595-6351

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Mark Fisher Fitness

yoga + wellness retreats.

STYLE SHOP IT OUT

A well-curated collection of

Manhattan Plaza Health Club

Blocker. Also offering worldwide

8th Ave - 54th St

W44th St - 8th/9th Ave

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Grum’d Barber Shop W46th St - 9th/10th Ave

Hair 2 Stay W44th St - 8th/9th Ave

Hell’s Kitchen Barbers W56th St - 9th/10th Ave

9th Ave - 43rd/44th St

FIT FOR ANYTHING Al’s Cycle Solutions

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TMPL Gym W49 ST - 8th/9th Ave

TMPL includes over 40,000 square feet of state-of-the-art equipment,

10th Ave - 47th/48th St

25-meter saltwater pool, virtual

Cyc Fitness

reality spin room, customized

8th Ave - 44th/45th St

Danny’s Cycles - Hell’s Kitchen 10th Ave - 46th/47th St

Enoch’s Bike Shop

metabolic program and more.

(917) 521-6666 www.tmplgym.com

10th Ave - 36th/37th Ave

Jeunesse Hair Salon 9th Ave - 57th/58th St

Kolorbar W39th St - 8th/9th Ave

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Massage Envy W42nd St - 10th/11th Ave

Pura Dermatology W38th St - 9th/10th Ave

Rafik Barber Shop 9th Ave - 50th/51st

Liberty Bicycles

JCohen Chiropractic

9th Ave - 55th/56th St

W52nd St - 8th/9th Ave

Skintrade Tattoos W35th St - 8th/9th Ave

TO SEE YOUR YOUR BUSINESS LISTED IN THIS SECTION, EMAIL BOB@W42ST.COM

6

DIGITAL EDITION

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West Vibe Hair Salon

Signature Theatre

W46th St - 9th/10th Ave

W42nd St - 9th/10th Ave

The New Group

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

W42nd St - 9th/10th Ave

MUSICAL INTERLUDE Birdland W44th St - 8th/9th Ave

Ilona Lieberman Photography

Jazz at Lincoln Center

www.ilonalieberman.com

10 Columbus Circle

Ilona Lieberman Photography is based in New York. She shoots

Orchestra of St. Luke’s

editorial portraits, photojournalist

Ortal Mizrahi Photography

W37th St - 9th/10th Ave

ortalmzrhi@gmail.com www.bitly.com/ortalmizrahi (347) 592-7107

GET YOUR ART ON

weddings and relaxed modern family portraiture.

Alisa Krutovsky Graphic Design

(917) 566-6900 ilona@ilonalieberman.com

www.alisakrutovsky.com Graphic Design, Web Design,

VROOM

Print & Editorial, Illustration, Informational Design.

W

lisusha@yahoo.com

54th Street Auto Center W54th St - 9th/10th Ave

Cybert Tire and Car Care 11th Ave - 51st/52nd St

Balloon Bouquets of NY

W

W43rd St - 9th/10th Ave

Jay Cleaners 9th Ave - 43rd/44th St

M2 Organic Cleaners

Mo Lynch Photography

9th Ave - 54th/55th St

molynchphoto@gmail.com

Schwartz Luggage Storage

Environmental portraits, editorial,

W37th St - 8th/9th Ave

Vera’s Shoe Repair 9th Ave - 45th/46th St

READY FOR YOUR CLOSE-UP

features. Specialty-events at Madison Square Garden, Javits Center, Piers 92 & 94. Favorite

Westside Highway Car Wash W47th St - 12th Ave

OUT TIME TO PLAY Frames Bowling Lounge 9th Ave - 40th/41st St W42nd St - 12th Ave

www.behance.net/MauraLynch

Mud Sweat & Tears Space Ibiza

BROADWAY BABY Ars Nova Theater W54th St - 10th/11th Ave

Davenport Theater Ensemble Studio Theatre W52nd St - 10th/11th Ave

www.cmilesstudio.com info@cmilesstudio.com

fashion photographer committed to producing highly creative pictures with a unique look.

iguedur@gmail.com (773) 441-9455

original, affordable art made by local artists living with mental illness.

www.fountaingallerynyc.com ariel@fountaingallerynyc.com

Circle Line W42nd St - 12th Ave

Hudson River Park 12th Ave - 34th/59th St

Intrepid Museum Javits Center W34th St - 11th Ave

NY Waterway Ferry

New Dramatists W44th St - 9th/10th Ave

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SEE THE SIGHTS

W46th St - 12th Ave

W45th St - 8th/9th Ave

I’m a professional portrait and

Our gallery exhibits and sells

Sean Kelly Gallery

W50th St - 11th/12th Ave

Christian Miles Photography

9th Ave - 48th St

10th Ave - 36th/37th St

10th Ave - 46th St

www.nachoguevara.com

Fountain House Gallery

Lucky Strike

subjects--dogs and children.

Nacho Guevara Photography

W

12th Ave - 39th/40th St

PICK UP YOUR W42ST HERE

TO SEE YOUR YOUR BUSINESS LISTED IN THIS SECTION, EMAIL BOB@W42ST.COM

DIGITAL EDITION

7

Meet the faces of

SILVER TOWERS I n her one-bedroom apartment with views of the Empire State Building and the Hudson River, Tesa Lau hosts dinner parties a couple of times each month with the goal of connecting people.

Dubbed the “Cool Kids Din Din” (#coolkidsdindin), Tesa brings together friends, neighbors, and new people to engage in meaningful conversation over wine, cocktails, and a delicious meal she prepares.

Guests are expected to be open to meeting people, to be camera ready for her social media posts, and to leave their political correctness and diets at the door.

“It’s an intimate ambience,” she says. “My goal is to create a sense of community and to create a environment for thoughtful conversations.

“It’s an attempt to counter what I see in this culture of superficiality, one where we don’t talk to our own neighbors,” she says. “I worked hard to overcome my own insecurities, and now it’s easy for me to connect to people.”

Tesa is a connector both in her personal and professional lives. A part of the multi-platform, digital content boom for the last decade, she has been critical in strategizing and launching dozens of public initiatives and partnerships for four video and content ventures.

Currently, she’s founder and CEO of Accomplice(s), a 360-degree

Above: Tesa Lau is a digital entrepreneur by day, dinner host by night marketing firm. Her network includes a diverse mix of content creators, celebs, artists, athletes, and social influencers that have an audience of over 250 million across all major social platforms.

Tesa recently managed a multi-month 1893 (Pepsi) and

Caesar’s Palace campaign in Las Vegas, which sparked a national conversation. In her typical outgoing style, she encouraged her Silver Towers community to enter the contests. A fellow resident, as well as Joner Hall, Silver Towers Resident Relations Manager, both won the

SPONSORED BY

“My goal is to create a sense of community and to create a environment for thoughtful conversations.” grand trip prize to travel to Las Vegas for the event.

Tesa moved to New York City in 2010 and lived at Silver Towers for over a year. She was immediately drawn to the building for its pool – “one of the best lap pools in the city,” she says. After moving to the west coast, she returned to Manhattan, and Silver Towers, in February 2016.

Tesa came back for the luxury building, resort amenities and familiarity of the staff.

What has changed, though, is the neighborhood. Now there are so many more offerings available and an overall boost in the vibe of the area, she notes. Some of her favorite spots are the rooftop view of The Press Lounge, dinner at 44 & X or Pio Pio, and sampling the food and beverage options at Gotham Market.

Tesa’s next Cool Kids Din Din will be on Election Night. Whomever the American voters select, Tesa’s guests will still be able to expect a great night. @TesaLau

Our residents’ view ... as seen on Instagram #SilverTowers

Schedule a tour to find out why silver is the new gold: (212) 473-4242; reception@silvertowers.com; www.silvertowers.com

8

DIGITAL EDITION

The Daily Show 11th Ave - 51st/52nd St

Tom Otterness Playground W42st - 11th/12th Ave

VIA 57WEST W57th St - 12th Ave

STAYCATION

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414 Hotel W46th St - 9th/10th Ave

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Belvedere Hotel

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Candlewood Suites Times Square

W48th St - 8th/9th Ave

W39th St - 8th/9th Ave

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Cassa Times Square Hotel 9th Ave - 38th/39th St

Comfort Inn & Suites Times Square South

W39th St - 8th/9th Ave

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Comfort Inn Midtown West

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Comfort Inn Times Square West

W48th St - 10th/11th Ave

W44th St - 8th/9th Ave

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Courtyard Marriott

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DoubleTree by Hilton

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Econo Lodge Times Square

W37th St - 8th/9th Ave W36th St - 8th/9th Ave W47th St - 8th/9th Ave

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Element Times Square West W39th St - 8th/9th Ave

Natural light, open spaces & healthy options. Restore balance in the Big Apple.

www.elementtimessquare.com

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EVEN Hotel

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Four Points by Sheraton

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French Quarters Apartments

W35th - 8th/9th Ave

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Hampton Inn Times Square South

PICK UP YOUR W42ST HERE

W39th St - 8th/9th Ave

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Hilton Garden Inn Times Square

W42nd St - 6th/7th Ave

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Hilton Times Square

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Holiday Inn Times Square South

W42nd St - 7th/8th Ave

8th Ave - 38th/39th St

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Holiday Inn Express Midtown West

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The OUT NYC

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The Time Hotel

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Travel Inn

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Washington Jefferson Hotel

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Wyndham New Yorker

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Yotel New York

W48th St - 10th/11th Ave

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Holiday Inn Express Times Square

W39th St - 8th/9th Ave

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Homewood Suites New York

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Hotel Mela

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Ink 48 Hotel, a Kimpton Hotel

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Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites

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New York Marriott Marquis

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Quality Inn Convention Center

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Residence Inn New York

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Row NYC Hotel

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Skyline Hotel

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Staybridge Suites Times Square

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The Knickerbocker

W37th St - 8th/9th Ave W44th St - 6th/7th Ave

W42nd St - 10th/11th Ave W49th St - 7th/8th Ave W42nd St - 10th/11th Ave W51st St - 8th/9th Ave 8th Ave - 34th/35th St 10th Ave - 42nd St

LET’S DANCE Alvin Ailey Theater W55th St - 9th Ave

Baryshnikov Arts Center W37th St - 9th/10th Ave

LIVING FIX IT UP Adam 99 Cents & Up 10th Ave - 51st/52nd St

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American Home Hardware 9th Ave - 42nd/43rd St

Clinton Glass & Mirrors 9th Ave - 46th/47th St

Columbus Hardware 9th Ave - 55th/56th St

Epstein’s Paint Center W52nd St - 10th/11th Ave

Framing on 9th 9th Ave - 51st/52nd St

Fresh Cut Flowers W43rd St - 9th/10th Ave

11th Ave - 47th/48th Ave W40th St - 8th/9th Ave Broadway - 45th/46th St W36th St - 9th/10th Ave 6th Ave - 38th/39th St 8th Ave - 44th/45th St 10th Ave - 49th/50th St

W40th St - 8th/9th Ave W42nd St - Broadway

BUILDING MANAGERS AND CONCIERGES Would you like your residents to get copies of W42ST Magazine every month?

Contact Bob Bruno bob@w42st.com or (929) 428-0767 and we’ll deliver!

W

W

8th Ave - 51st/52nd St

W40th St - 8th/9th St W46th St - 8th/9th Ave

Hampton Inn Times Square North

Pick up your copy of W42ST at these residences and hotels.

TO GET YOUR BUSINESS IN OUR LISTINGS, TAKE OUT AN ADVERT, OR SPONSOR ANY OF THE PAGES IN W42ST+, WE HAVE A PACKAGE TO SUIT YOUR BUSINESS PROFILE AND BUDGET. Email bob@w42st.com or t: (929) 428-0767

TO SEE YOUR YOUR BUSINESS LISTED IN THIS SECTION, EMAIL BOB@W42ST.COM

DIGITAL EDITION

9

EAT

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Gotham Mini Storage 10th Ave - 38th/39th St

Jadite Custom Picture Framing 10th Ave - 46th/47th St

Matles Florist W57th - 8th/9th Ave

Prudence Design & Events W36th St - 8th/9th Ave

STYLE

Isaac Halpern

GO FOR BROKERS

Halstead Property I live in Hell’s Kitchen and I specialize in sales and rentals in the neighborhood. Contact me to find the perfect home for you!

(646) 641-0145 ihalpern@halstead.com

RENT OR BUY OUT

318W47 W47th St - 8th/9th Ave

Ian TD Smith TD Realty Corp As a native and long term resident of Hell’s Kitchen, Ian provides extensive real estate services to his neighbors in and out of the The Kitchen.

(917) 216-2771 ian@pocketbroker.co

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360 W43rd St

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420W42

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432W52

W43rd St - 8th/9th Ave W42nd St - 9th/10th Ave W52nd St - 9th/10th Ave

LIVING

535W43 W43rd St - 10th/11th Ave

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Addison Hall

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Crystal Green

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Emerald Green

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Gotham West

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Instrata at Mercedes House

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Manhattan Plaza

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Mercedes House W54th St - 10th/11th Ave

PETS

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Midwest Court

Coco and Toto

W53rd St - 9th/10th Ave

11th Ave - 51st/52nd St

W

One MiMa Tower

Pet Ark

W42nd St - 9th/10th Ave

10th Ave - 43rd/44th St

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One River Place

Petland Discounts

W42nd St - 11th/12th Ave

9th Ave - 49th/50th St

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Riverbank West

Pets NYC

W43rd St - 10th/11th Ave

9th Ave - 42nd/43rd St

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Silver Towers

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SKY

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The Armory

Westside Animal Hospital

W42nd St - 10th/11th Ave

W46th St - 9th/10th Ave

W57th St - 9th/10th Ave W39th St - 8th/9th Ave W38th St - 8th/9th Ave W45th St - 10th/11th Ave W54th St - 10th/11th Ave W43rd St - 9th/10th Ave

W42nd St - 11th/12th Ave W42nd St - 11th/12th Ave

PETS

W42ST

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The Helena

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The Helux

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The Orion Condominium

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The Park Clinton

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The Westport

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Two Worldwide Plaza

W57th St - 11th/12th Ave W43rd St - 10th/11th Ave W42nd St - 8th/9th Ave W52nd St - 10th/11th Ave W56th St - 10th/11th Ave W50th St - 8th/9th Ave

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Pure Paws Veterinary Care

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The Spot Experience

W42nd St - 10th/11th Ave W42nd St - 11th/12th Ave

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