Notes from the Neighborhood
Council Member Arrested
Compiled by Megan Finnegan Bungeroth & Aspen Matis
In a deliberate show of solidarity with community and union leaders during last week’s Occupy Wall Street “Day of Action,” uptown City Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito was among those arrested in a group of fellow civilly-disobeying protesters.
“I’ve been supportive of it since the inception,” Mark-Viverito said of the Occupy Wall Street movement. “It’s resonating with people because of the injustices, and the inequality is so great.”
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Baking is Art at Soutine
Madge Rosenberg has baked in her 612-square foot bakery at 70th Street and Columbus Avenue for 28 years, where children stop in on their way to school to pick up one of her famous croissants and celebrities order extravagant cakes, such as an edible volcano created in honor of L. Ron Hubbard.
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Life Is Sweet for Mr. Chocolate
Jacques Torres has made a name for himself in the New York chocolate world, first as pastry chef for Le Cirque and then for opening six specialty stores throughout the city.
His passion for chocolate is evident when you walk into his shop at 285 Amsterdam Ave. Sample his chocolate-covered Cheerios and Wicked Hot Chocolate, and you’ll get an idea of why his shops are so popular. When he’s not giving cooking demonstrations for charity, he serves as the dean of pastry arts at the French Culinary Institute.
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From Riverside Drive to the Yangtze River
Meet Sharon Huang, executive director and founder of Bilingual Buds, a Mandarin Chinese immersion school tucked away on Riverside Boulevard. Inside, teachers and students are growing silkworms, eating rice dumplings and, of course, speaking in Chinese, in the only program of its kind in the neighborhood.
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Vintage Clothing Store to Close Upper West Side Doors
After 23 years on the Upper West Side, Allan & Suzi, a vintage clothing store at 416 Amsterdam Avenue is set to move from the neighborhood on April 30.
A Slice of Italy on the Upper West Side
Francesco’s Pizzeria has been dishing a piece of Italy to the Upper West Side since 1999. The pizzeria, at 186 Columbus Ave., has served such luminaries as Liam Neeson, Chris Rock, Jon Bon Jovi, Governor Paterson and Steven Spielberg.
As you enter the store, you can smell the homemade tomato sauce being cooked by Vito Rappa and his staff. It smells just like home.
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The Stories of Hell’s Kitchen
Block Association is rich in character and ‘characters’
The old New York of colorful personalities and a story in every apartment still exists on West 45th Street in Hell’s Kitchen.
“Part of what makes our community so rich is its cast of characters,” said Chana Widawski, vice president of the West 45th Street Block Association. “The people have such fascinating stories.”
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Seven Generations of Pleasing West Side Palates
Opened in 1941 at 67 W. 67th St., 67 Wine retained its name even after moving to its current location at West 68th Street and Columbus Avenue in 1966.
Actor David Hyde Pierce named it one of his favorite places in Manhattan in the New York Post. An episode of Sex and the City was filmed inside. It was also featured in New York Magazine’s Guide to 1600 Best Stores in New York.
Owner Bernie Weiser proudly runs the business his family created seven decades ago. He and his 48 employees will happily assist in selecting a bottle to serve at your next dinner party.
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