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Monday, September 30, 2013

Take the Ferry to Dumbo

Once again, we found ourselves on our way to Dumbo for that excellent artist colony's annual Arts Festival and Open Studios, mainly to see two talented friends' work but also to soak up the local atmosphere of which there was plenty.

We decided to experience yet another of the city's ferries, this time the one from scenic Pier 11 (a destination in itself) on Wall Street to the Brooklyn Waterfront, via New York Waterway. 
 
In addition to the East River Ferry, NY Waterway operates all the ferries along the Hudson River and the Belford Ferry from Manhattan to New Jersey. Take the subway to Wall Street using your trusty senior Metrocard, then walk east a couple of blocks to the East River and Pier 11.  The fare to Brooklyn is a steal at $4 and on the way you can see Brooklyn's three bridges to Manhattan.
Do not confuse this humble low-priced ferry with the New York Water Taxi, which charges $28 for an all-day pass but also includes many stops around Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, the Intrepid, and the 9/11 Memorial. The whole trip takes 90 minutes but you can hop on and off to see the sites. There is no senior fare but those interested in taking this cruise should check Goldstar.com as it has half-price coupons periodically. The Water Taxi has the same colors as our beloved yellow cabs.
(Source: nycgo.com)
The Dumbo Arts Festival was attended by le tout New York--be on the lookout for these events (check nycgo.com/freeweekly and the New York Times) and get there early to scoop the crowds.
The most fashionable food trucks were there and people stood on long lines to sample their fare. Check out Jessica Festa's article at viator.com of "The Best Fall Festivals in NYC" for other events coming up.
(Source: thingstodo.viator.com)
This and other jaunts around town are ideal for our now just-about-perfect weather; take advantage of it--it won't last forever.

#retiredinnewyork
#thingstodoinnewyork
#falleventsnewyork

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Time to go to church

OK, so you're not a regular churchgoer--or, you are Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, atheist, etc. No matter, one of the best (and cheapest) ways to hear good music is at the many churches that produce cantatas, oratorios, masses, and other works. It is no secret that the best and most talented composers often lived by their day jobs (J.S.Bach) and/or commissions and gigs (Handel, Mozart) and although the music is religious in format and inspiration, it is universal in appeal and accessibility.And you can take a peek at some pretty nice architecture along the way.
(Source: St. Thomas Church)
Because the choristers and often the musicians are either unpaid or lightly paid, (and this I know as, in my youth, I was one of the very lightly paid soloists) the audience gets the benefit of huge ensembles well rehearsed that are otherwise only mounted with great expense in one of the city's concert halls.
(Source: nytimes.com)

Churches are wonderful places to hear gospel choirs during services
and certain Harlem churches, like the Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, are renowned for their music,
(Source: bboogie.com)
but do NOT walk out during the preaching of the gospel or you may offend the regulars. Music is considered an important part of these churches' ministry but keep in mind that these are religious services.

The great pipe organs in New York City are another reason to hang out at churches.  A comprehensive list of all NYC pipe organs has been undertaken by the New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists nycago.org/Organs/NYC/. Check here to find churches with fine pipe organs by borough and make time to hear one of the organ recitals, often on weekdays. Again, these are usually free.
(Source: organfriend.net)

Some of the best churches to hear Bach, Handel, Mozart, etc. are: St. Thomas Church, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Church of St. Paul the Apostle, Grace Church, Riverside Church, Marble Collegiate, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, St. Patrick's on Fifth Avenue, the New Mount Zion Baptist Church, and many others in all city boroughs. Take a look at your local church for its schedule of performances and also check the websites for the churches listed above. You will have to do your own research as there doesn't seem to be an overall calendar for church music around the city. If you find one, let us know. Better yet, compile one and share.
#retiredinnewyork

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Ode to Zabars

Now a tourist destination, Zabars has been our home away from home for decades. I can still remember part owner Mr. Klein hawking white peppercorns for $2 a bag; enchanted by his spiel, I bought one.

(Source: nytimes.com

In 1945, it was one small storefront; it has now taken over all the faux-half-timbered buildings on the block.
(Source: images.businessweek.com)
If you haven't been there, why should you go? and what has this got to do with retirement? Well, the reason you should go is the same one that would make you go to Harrod's Food Halls if you were in London. What this has to do with retirement is that you can take a day just for this and visit--it's vaux un voyage as they say in Michelin.

It is the repository of every single kind of cheese known to humankind
(Source: guidepal.com)

and the place where you can find 17 different kinds of smoked salmon and have it cut wafer thin by one of a team of fish slicing professionals.

(Source: quiteallright.blogspot.com)
Blue Mountain coffee, Kalamata olives, cloudberry jam, Mont St. Michel cookies--it's all there.
(Source: mobilemunchies.blogspot.com
  
(Source: prweb.com)
 It's an appetizing store that takes you back to a time when all food was fresh and weighed for you by real people, where you can see stacks of empty caviar tins outside on New Year's Day but where you can also get the best price on your rye bread. 
(Source: preserveamerica.com)
#retiredinnewyork
#zabars
#thingstodoinnewyork
#cunyseniorcitizensprogram







Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Back to school but this time for fun

Did you know that as a senior citizen you can attend classes at all 24 schools of the City University of New York tuition free? And "senior" in this case refers to anyone 60 and over. You too can enjoy a class with one of the many famous people who teach at the CUNY schools.

(Source: archive.constantcontact.com)
That's right-- courses at City College, Queens and Brooklyn Colleges, the College of Staten Island, Hostos, Kingsborough and La Guardia Community Colleges and and every other senior and community college in the system. The CUNY Senior Citizen Program for residents of New York State makes the resources of this great university available to you.
(Source: wikipedia.com)
There are a couple of caveats-- the courses are audit only. This means no tests, no papers and no grades- ( and therefore no excuses) - you can do it for the sheer love of learning. And of course there has to be room in the class for you. Not every course is eligible either but that still leaves you with more learning opportunities than you could possibly use. The fees come to $80 per semester but you need to check each individual college for availability. You register as a non-degree student for undergraduate courses, keeping in mind that some of the schools, especially the senior colleges, require a high school diploma. You are usually limited to six credits or two courses.

(Source: nydailynews.com)

Ever wanted to find out about police procedures? Try John Jay College of Criminal Justice with its courses in forensic science. Interested in business? Try Baruch. Or how about a class in music at Queens College's Aaron Copland School of Music?


Don't neglect the community colleges. Queensborough Community College, for example, has the Kupferberg Holocaust Center and the QCC Arts Center, while the Bronx Community College's My Turn program offers extras like the pool, gym, library, tennis courts and a private beach!  And BMCC at the bottom of Manhattan has wonderful courses like how to write your autobiography and special classes in learning computers, oil painting, and yoga. Again, space has to be available.

(Source: theatlantic.com)
To find out what the college near you has, first go the www.cuny.edu website and look for your nearest school. Then type Senior Citizen Program into the search box and start looking for your favorites. But be quick about it--Hunter has already closed out applications for the fall 2013 semester but you can apply for spring of 2014.


(Source: nytimes.com)
#retiredinnewyork
#backtoschool
#freetuitionatcunyforseniors

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Night at the Opera - Update

OK--as Monday is Opening Night at the Metropolitan Opera, I checked back to see if new instructions on Rush seats had been posted. They are now and a helpful associate gave me the information which I will pass onto you.
 
(Source: new-savanna.blogspot.com)

The big news is that the weekday and weekend programs will continue. Weekdays, Rush seats are available to anyone day of performance BUT if you are a senior you just call (212) 362-6000 that day and you can order them on the phone. They cost $20 and are in the Orchestra and Grand Tier. Exclusions are Opening Night, New Year's Eve, etc.
(Source: muppet.wikia.com)
Weekends, you have to enter the lottery. Go online any Monday morning before 10 am and register for tickets for the following weekend. They are $25 each and can be bought for all performances except galas and opening nights of new productions.
  
(Source: dbcovers.com)

They have the site up now for both the Rush tickets and the senior weekend tickets. Go to: metoperafamily.org/metopera/Rush/ for weekday Rush tickets and metoperafamily.org/metopera/contests/drawing/index.aspx for the weekend ticket drawing.
 (Source: twi-ny.com)   The Rabbit of Seville
You may have to wait a bit on the phone but hey, you might catch a well-known friend in one of his big roles.
#retiredinnewyork
#metseniorrushtickets
#metopera

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Are you smart enough for this game?

Brainy games, like chess, bridge and even Scrabble have been around so long they don't raise an eyebrow. But what about the games that claim to keep your brain active and healthy? Do they work?
(Source: etcconnect.com)

I like to play the incredibly nasty four deck Spider Solitaire and Scrabble against the computer. This despite the fact that the computer keeps coming up with words like cuif, gox, and valonia. And really how many seven-letter words should you be able to get in one game? Yet I keep playing. Why, I ask myself? is it delayed onset masochism or just the need to hit my head against the wall until my head or the wall breaks? Most of the time, I lose, but when I win....
 
(Source: biterebels.com)
Chess is undoubtedly the king (or queen) of games but after being beaten five times in a row after three moves, I decided I might need a different kind of brain to conquer this game.
(Source: forbes.com)
Bridge, especially duplicate, is not for the faint of heart as you need to learn the basics and keep on learning, learning, learning. Not a bad thing. Many famous and handsome people have played bridge
(Source: theegyptquiz.com)
so you certainly can too.

Of course, there are the ever popular computer crosswords and the newer Sudoku, which can be played at any level and these can be pretty addicting. Most of us recall when a well-known actor was forced to leave the plane because he was in the middle of Words with Friends and wouldn't stop for take-off.
 
 (Source: theverge.com)
But back to other so-called brainy games. For research purposes, I tried a few games at the AARP website. Here are the results. By the way, even at the free AARP site, you will have to contend with ads like "Before your colonoscopy" and "Drivers over 50 who switch their car insurance." You can also adopt a manatee.

They have versions of all the classics--poker, backgammon and crosswords. But for the real stuff, go to the site called Brain Games at aarp.org/health/brain-health/brain_games/ and rummage through them. Supposedly, the brain functions they improve are memory, attention, language, executive and visual-spatial. They even show you which part of the brain you are training. Entangled Figures is so hard that if you can do it, you don't need it.



I loved Split Words (these are by happyneuron.com) probably because I could do it. You pick your level of difficulty and when you finish, the computer pats you on the back and makes suggestions about how to improve your game. Shapes and Colors is wickedly challenging.You will have so much fun you won't even notice your brain getting bigger.

 (Source: wallaceandgromit.com)  
#retiredinnewyork
#braingames

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.


It was true when Will Rogers said it and nothing much has changed since then. After finding our names on the primary petition as candidates from our 91st Election District, we decided to accept the honor --more phone banks, petition signatures, and long meetings in very warm basement halls--who could resist?

We asked if our names would be on the ballot and were told they would not. That's because we would be deemed elected as we were running unopposed. And let me tell you  if you're going to run, unopposed is the way to do it.

Flash forward to the meeting of the Manhattan Democratic County Committee to which all Manhattan Democrats who won their primary were invited. We were invited so we figured we won our primary.

We knew we represented the 91st Election District but oddly we couldn't find it at the meeting anywhere. Eventually we were sent to our 67th Assembly District. Then when we looked for our names alphabetically we learned the list was by Election District. But, as Democrats, we realized this was business as usual.

(Source: theamericanmaverick.com)

Everybody was there--the elected and the unelected, the successful and the unsuccessful candidates—it seems nobody ever disappears in politics.

This was our first such meeting and it was a hoot. Young people, seniors like us, people on walkers and pushing strollers--people in wheelchairs-- a true cross section of our borough--real grass roots democracy with a small “D.” Plenty of motions, seconds and votes strictly by parliamentary rules; it was highly controlled chaos--elections of the Third Vice Chair were greeted by shouts of “yeah” and “what was that?”
The same folks were coming back indefatigably the next night to elect judicial leaders. The roll call of names was the list of ethnic and national migrations to this country--in a micro kind of way it was very moving. We thought if they could do it so could we and, by the way, so can you. We heard from runoff candidates for Public Advocate and many other County Committee people we never knew did things. We signed the sheets and I expect we'll be called to do more volunteer work and that's ok.

Local issues like housing for the elderly, public schools, street lights, neighborhood overdevelopment --they’re not national but they are our own back yard so I say, go to a meeting of your local Democrat or Republican Club and get involved.


(Source: shutterstock.com)

You'll hear the latest about what’s happening in your New York State Assembly District, the New York City Council and the US House of Representatives directly from your elected officials at those meetings.

It's a privilege to see our system at work and work is the operative word here. They can't govern without us. So go--it's fun and you'll like the people--they're a lot like all of us.

#retiredinnewyork
#engageinpolitics