Finders Keepers: NOT IN NEW YORK CITY, NOT ON THIS DAY!

Is the NYPD really like the Mayberry PD? You may think I am joking or inhaling some really good stuff.

Remember Mayberry, the fictional North Carolina town from the 1960’s Andy Griffith show. Mayberry, a friendly and sleepy place had a two person police department starring Andy Griffith, as Sheriff Taylor, and his incompetent comic sidekick Don Knotts, as Barney Fife.

Mayberry was more about Otis Campbell, the town drunk checking himself in-and-out of jail to sleep off the effects of his binges before heading home. It was more about Barney handcuffing himself to the sheriff’s desk, or the naïve hayseed Gomer Pyle, the local gas station attendant, played by Jim Nabors serving as an interim deputy while Andy is away. Now wait! I am serious!

Forget about the TV cop shows - Kojak, NYPD Blue, CSI NY and others
They showed the tough, snide, no nonsense side of the NYPD. There is no comparison between the two. Or is there?

Flip the calendar back to late July. It is a million dollar day in NYC - sunny, brilliant blue skies and hundreds of people hanging out on Pier 84 (44th & 12th Ave.), the newly built pier part of Hudson River Park where I took my mother there to sunbathe and enjoy the generous river breezes. I never lie down on the grass but that day I did. We stayed until 5:30.

Later that night I reached for my phone, which I keep in a hip holster with a Velcro flap, to make a call. No phone! I knew I left it on the pier and promptly marched there. I sifted through trash bins, under trees, shrubs and benches. I asked the Park Rangers, the maintenance crew and the bartender at P.D. O’Hurley’s, the Irish café on the pier if it was turned in. Nothing!

Several times throughout the night I called my cell. It kept ringing. Every time it rang I saw my little three year-old LG, which fits nicely into the palm of my hand, floating inside a half empty 20 ounce cup of coke at the bottom of a garbage can covered with greasy French fries and mustard or ketchup from the burger/hotdog joint next to the pier.

At the insistence of Suzanne Barlow who challenged me to start this blog, I held off from calling Verizon to deactivate it. Every time I called my cell it always rang through to voice mail.
That did not stop me looking for a new phone online.

Monday 9:45 am I received a phone call Officer Diego Feliciano of the 10th Precinct in Chelsea. While on duty at 25th/7th Ave. a woman gave Officer Feliciano my phone. Instead of tossing it on the dashboard or in the glove compartment of his van he thumbed through my cell contact list. He tried six people before getting my home number.

When I answered he said “This is NYPD…” and before he finished I said, “You have my phone. Where are you? I’ll be right there.” He replied, “Don’t bother.” Instead Officer Feliciano drove his van to my front door and delivered it to me personally.

My lucky day in small town NYC.

Photo: Rudi Papiri

Funny Store: TIMES SQUARE RELIC THRIVES ON LAUGHTER AND MAGIC

Filled with pranks, jokes, magic toys, and much more, the Funny Store is the last old-time novelty shop in Times Square. Every inch of this emporium of laughs and tricks, no bigger than a Manhattan studio, is crammed with fun items.

As I entered the store one morning a dancing George Bush puppet greeted me singing Louis Armstrong’s song Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen; Little Johnny-Boy, a figurine wee-wee squirter sprayed me; a foul-mouthed Polly-the-Parrot insulted me; a black spider-on-string dropped from the ceiling landing on my shoulder; and a trap crunched a twelve inch rat - fake, of course.

The store carries old favorites - hand buzzers, whoopee cushions, blue mouth candy, itching powder, bleeding knives, squirting doorbells, disappearing ink, spy glasses, room stinkers, flaming wallets and a magic coloring book which changes blank pages to colored objects by saying Abracadabra.

The number one item, is actually number two - a large mound of rubber turd. He sells security badges, custom made newspaper headlines, ID cards and passport photos. At Halloween the store becomes costume central with its huge collection of masks - Feddie Kruegger, Michael Jackson, Trump and many celebrities.

Times Square, the Great White Way, known for its movie houses, theaters, clubs but novelty/magic shops, arcade playlands, burlesque joints and flea and dime museums share in the area’s history.

Few are more familiar with this than Arnold Martin, The Funny Store's 47-year-old manager, who began working in Times Square as a 14-year-old from Queens.
"I was fascinated with magic and silly things," he said. "I first saw a magician perform at Macy's in Queens. He noticed how spellbound I was and gave me a free pass to watch him at the American Theater of Magic in midtown. Soon I was selling novelties and demonstrating tricks at its souvenir counter."

It opened a new world for him. There he met Lady Esterline, the Ringling Brothers sword swallower, Otto and George the ventriloquist, Tommy Laird the magician and Congo the Witch Doctor, who walked on broken glass and ate lit cigarettes. “It was a carnival with ten bizarre acts,” he said.

With his dark horn-rimmed glasses, large eyes, short, black wavy hair Martin could pass for a computer geek except he is extremely personable and friendly. He resembles the comic actor, Arnold Stang, star of radio, television, famous for his twangy voice and his early 1960’s commercial "Open Wide for Chunky." At six-foot-three, he towers over the diminutive Stang.

Martin is not a magician but give him a deck of cards he becomes a slick Coney Island barker as he delivers his spiel - "Everyone can do these tricks. Just step right up, pick a card, any card, put it back into the deck - top, bottom middle - anywhere. No special skills required. Read-the-instructions once, be like me. Read them twice, be twice smart as me…."

The original Funny Store opened on the corner of 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue in the early 1950's. It closed in the mid-eighties forced out by the city’s redevelopment plans for 42nd.

Martin moved to the Fun Emporium on Eighth Avenue near 42nd Street. When the Emporium lost its lease, it moved one block north and opened shop at the Playpen Theater, formerly the Cameo Playpen Adult Theater and renamed the Funny Store.

Martin explained the store's unique arrangement with Playpen. In the mid-nineties the city passed a law that stated the X-rated business of an adult store cannot exceed 40 percent of its operation. Funny Store and a camera shop fulfill the city's 60 percent requirement as non-adult business.

The Funny Store attracts tourists, local people and Broadway professionals who shop for props, makeup, human hair, beards, masks and costumes. Clients include cast members from The Producers. Jersey commuters shop for adult toys for their bachelorette parties Mary Poppins, Drowsy Chaperone and other shows.

Actor, stand-up comedian Gilbert Gottfried, ventriloquist Jay Johnson, magicians from the Monday Night Magic Show and radio host Joe Franklin are regulars. Martin has appeared on the Howard Stern show.

If you need to shed the winter blues drop in and let Martin entertain you.

The Funny Store - 693 Eighth Avenue, near 44th Street Mon-Sunday, 212, 957-1688; email: thefunnystore@yahoo.com

Editor’s Note: Funny Store and the Playpen adult theater closed July 2007. A 33 story luxury hotel is replacing it. Photo by Straycat

SCANDINAVIAN CUISINE AT ITS BEST

Aquavit, located in New York City's lap of luxury, is within walking distance of the St. Regis Hotel, Trump Tower, Tiffany's, Cartier, Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman.
Aquavit opened in 1987 on West 54th Street in a Rockefeller family townhouse. Twenty years later it remains one of the city's premiere restaurants due to the brilliance of chef/co-owner Marcus Samuelsson's cuisine.
Born in Ethiopia, orphaned at three, adopted by a Swedish couple, Samuelsson grew up in Gotesborg, Sweden where his grandmother taught him about food. He studied at the Culinary Institute there. In 1991, at 21, Samuelsson apprenticed at Aquavit and before working at Georges Blanc, a three-star Michelin restaurant, near Lyon, France. Four years later he became Aquavit's executive chef. He scored three-stars from The New York Times in 1995 and 2001 and has received the James Beard Foundation award http://www.jamesbeard.org/ - “Best Chef in New York City.”

Samuelsson serves innovative yet traditional Scandinavian cuisine. He layers flavors and textures creatively which enhances but does not overwhelm the meal. His wild-striped bass with chorizo, langoustine, Napa sauerkraut, potato aioli sauce and broccoli puree and the spice smoked salmon plate with espresso sauce and goat cheese ice cream bursts with flavor. The beer-braised short ribs with celeriac puree, asparation and hop sauce proved mouth-watering.
Aquavit gets ninety percent of its fish from the North Atlantic and Scandinavian waters. Samuelsson understands sustenance. As a boy he hunted for mushrooms and fished. “It's important to stay aware of sustainability issues, know what's being over fished and buy accordingly,” he told The Good Life magazine.

Presentation is important. The Arctic Circle dessert presented with a white colored cylinder of frozen goat cheese and lemongrass parfait with blueberry sorbet filled and a bright yellow colored curd is a work of art.
Traditional favorites, Salmon Gratin, Swedish meatballs and lax pudding are served in the sun-lit café. The Inca grey-slate bar/lounge features Jacobsen's Egg and Swan chairs and hand-blown glass jars filled with assorted flavors of homemade Aquavit. The staff is professional and very knowledgeable.

Aquavit moved to East 55th Street, near Park Avenue, two years ago. The warm, elegant dining room has three large circular-shaped skylights, soothing green leather/fabric banquettes against stained oak walls, and walnut floors.
Samuelsson serves on the board of Careers through Culinary Arts Program. It prepares inner-city students for restaurant careers with scholarships, training and placement. He is the spokesman for the UNICEF's U.S. Fund, which supports tuberculosis programs in developing countries.
He has hosted the Discovery Channel's show “Inner Chef” and has authored several books including “Aquavit: And The New Scandinavian Cuisine,” and The Soul of a New Cuisine,

Aquavit at 65 East 55th Street, between Madison and Park Avenues New York, is located next door to the famed Friars Club...Hours: Sun-Thu 12pm-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10:30pm, Fri 12pm-2:15pm, 5:30pm-10:45pm, Sat 5pm-10:45pm; 212 593-0287.

REMEMBERING THE MAYOR OF NINTH AVENUE

James Columbus Hicks, known to hundreds of people he greeted everyday as the mayor of Ninth Avenue, died on May 12, at 81.
Mr. Hicks died in front of his home, The Whitby,
on West 45th Street. The cause of death was a heart attack.

A fixture on Ninth Avenue for years, his domain stretched from 42nd to 45th streets. From six a.m. to early evening Mr. Hicks frequented the 44th Street Newsstand, Westway diner, Bread Factory and his favorite place, Thrift and New Shoppe on 43rd where he chatted with friends, strangers and tourists.

Many people are given labels such as mayor or chairman of the board but Mr. Hicks earned his distinction. Kind, gracious, with a warm and generous personality that engulfed all who knew him, Mr. Hicks had the ability of changing one's nightmarish day into one filled with seashells and balloons. He had a brilliant smile and a hearty, infectious laugh.

Furaha Moye, a niece, described Mr. Hicks as generous, dependable, trustworthy, loving and witty. "He was always ready to help a friend," she said.

You chuckled whenever you heard Mr. Hicks call out to a fifty plus year-old man "Hey kid! Have a good day" followed with a handshake or fist tap with the person he greeted. Spry, charming, and a true gentleman Mr. Hicks was popular with the ladies. He would eagerly hug an octogenarian as he would a twenty-something and greet all with "Who is this beautiful gal."

A world War II veteran and a member of the Service Employees International Union. Mr. Hicks called Clinton/Hell's Kitchen home for the past 40 years.

Born in Richmond, Virginia, the youngest of five children, Mr. Hicks, a lifelong bachelor, had no children but was a godfather to several.

At his funeral service at Holy Cross Church, his goddaughter Christiana, battling back tears, spoke eloquently about how much he meant to her.

"He was like a father. He was always there for me," she said. Christiana recounted how Mr. Hick's would wait with her for the school bus every morning. "If I was running late James would make the bus driver wait. He never let the bus leave without me."

Minas Demetri, owner of the Thrift and New Shoppe, knew Mr. Hicks for over 20 years. "He was very upbeat and full of energy. One day he walked into my shop and he never left. From that day on we became great friends. He was well liked by everyone. He had a wonderful personality," Mr. Demetri said.

"He did so many things for me. He went to the bank, he swept the sidewalk but more importantly he kept me company. He was like family."

Mr. Hicks wore straw hats or fedoras. He enjoyed wearing dressy tropical shirts with bright floral patterns. He had style and class. At his funeral at Holy Cross Church,
Metropolitan Opera star Aprile Millo sang the Ava Maria and The Lord's Prayer.

He was an avid collector of art deco vases, African figurines and elephants. "He loved elephants," Mr. Minas said. He had elephants made of gold, ceramic, wood, some were small, others two feet high.

In the early 1990's, after he collected his 500th elephant Mr. Hicks threw a caviar and Moet Chandon party in his apartment. "We had a fun time," Mr. Demetri said. "He threw another party after he collected his 1000th elephant. He probably had over 1600, all with the trunk up. Just like the life he led, always looking up, always looking at the brighter side."

Besides his niece Furaha Moye, Mr. Hicks is survived by his sister, Ernestine Moye, both of Rochester, NY; and nieces Jeanine Taylor of Brodentown NJ, and Paula Taylor of Baltimore; nephews Sylvester and Blair Taylor, of Baltimore, and Paul Hicks of Washington, DC.

*PHOTO: JOSE ARROYO, SEATED, WITH JAMES COLUMBUS HICKS

Chelsea Grill Ninth Avenue: SERVING GOOD FOOD AND GOOD TIMES

Although Hell's Kitchen has more restaurants than Howard Johnson has ice cream flavors, (28 if you are wondering), Chelsea Grill has carved a solid niche in a neighborhood teeming with good places.

Co-owner James Barker has created his dream place, a 1940's New York style restaurant/bar, which he opened with Phil Alotta, in 2003. "I wanted a place where people can hang out, enjoy good food and drinks in a relaxed, upbeat atmosphere," Barker said.

His formula has worked. Chelsea Grill has a strong neighborhood following and reflects the diversity of Hell’s Kitchen. It draws actors from Broadway and Off-Broadway. When asked to name some celebrity customers, Barker smiled and refused to divulge house secrets.

"I can be on Page 6 often,” he said referring to the New York Post's gossip page. I respect my customers privacy.”
Chelsea is not just a showbiz hangout but popular with theatergoers and the midtown business crowd.

The dining space is comfortable. Tables up front face a garage-style door with large glass windows. Old black and white photographs hang from brick walls. Tiffany chandeliers hover over the bar. The back dining room has two stained glass windows and a gold-framed original painting of a busy restaurant. A brown floral designed fabric covers the banquette. The slate tiled floor has splashes of grey, blue, green, and brown coloring.

Five plasma televisions, positioned around the room that seats 50 plus another sixteen at the mahogany bar, show sports or major events like the Oscars/Tony. On a Friday night the buzz from the crowded bar did not overwhelm the dining room crowd. Great music filtered throughout the room.

Along with places like P.J. Clarke's
and St. Andrew's Chelsea Grill is part of the city's rich tradition where food and drink share equal billing but there are few places where the owner plays as active a role as Barker.

The 35-year-old Long Island native started out as a dishwasher at 14. He has worked as a prep cook, salad, and sandwich maker. While tending bar in college he decided to go into the business. "I learned a lot working in small town North Carolina," he said. "Many customers lived there. If you messed up, you got an earful."

He has applied this experience to Chelsea. "I know many customers by name," he said. "If I do wrong, I expect them to tell me. His reasonably priced menu is American eclectic. Servings are large. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and efficient.

His mostly sirloin filled hamburgers are juicy. The Everything Burger has mushrooms, apple wood smoked bacon, sautéed onions, American and cheddar cheese. The bacon wrapped meatloaf served with roasted garlic, sautéed spinach and mashed potatoes draws raves.

On the lighter side, try the coriander crusted tuna salad served with mixed organic greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and orange sesame vinaigrette. The Tuscan grilled vegetable platter with marinated zucchini, squash, eggplant and roasted red peppers is delicious. The Grill has a good selection of wines and beers.

Chelsea Grill is a popular brunch spot. Try the Hungry Man Special: two pancakes, three eggs, bacon and sausage after your weekend workout, or Mary and the Boys, a Bloody Mary with two jumbo shrimps dangling from the glass.

When asked about his formula for success Barker said, “We have great food and excellent service. We treat our customers first-rate.”

Chelsea Grill, 675 Ninth Avenue between 46th & 47th Streets. Kitchen open Sun-Tues until 2a.m. Wed-Sat until 3a.m. For information call 212-974-9002 Photo by Straycat

Couture du Jour: STYLISH VINTAGE CLOTHING IN HELL’S KITCHEN

Christine Fellows knew she needed her own shop when her work began spilling out of her spare bedroom into the rest of the apartment. "I came home one day and Kevin, my husband, cried 'You have to do something about this,'" referring to the clothes and boxes piled throughout their Hells Kitchen flat, she said. For a time she worked out of a storage unit before opening Couture du Jour, her vintage clothing and luxury goods boutique, in the basement of a tenement in Hell’s Kitchen.

Undaunted by its location, six-steps below street level and two doors away from a troubled SRO, Fellows took a shabby space and created a bright stylish shop. This attractive 450 square foot shop is cozy yet spacious for a handful of visitors to browse comfortably. Wood floors, track lighting, a huge mirror, shelves and racks filled with an amazing collection of dresses, blouses, pins, earrings, and much more create a toy land-like experience for adults.

For many people vintage means worn and cheap. At Couture everything is in mint condition. Fellows buys clothes and accessories with today's woman in mind. “If you need an accessory to complement a work outfit or if you need a dress for a picnic or evening wear, I have it."

Born in Miami Beach, Fellows grew up in Atlanta and attended school in the south. She identifies closely with her southern roots but is very much a New Yorker. "This is my city and where I want to be. Paris is the only place that could take me away from here," she said.

Fellows started as a deejay and arts critics at Florida State's public radio station. Then she worked for independent and punk rock labels in Los Angeles. Tired of the cutthroat entertainment business and in desperate need of change she went to Hawaii for vacation. She fell in love with the island's beauty and stayed for several years. She worked as a mortgage broker but soon opened a consignment shop. Having worked at Bloomingdale's Fellows loved retail and interacting with people, plus Hawaii had only three consignment shops.

She is the ultimate people person. Friendly and gracious with an engaging personality and a warm beautiful smile, Fellows has a sharp business mind and a keen eye for fashion. She attributes this to her Bloomingdale days. "I learned how women shop, what they like, how they expect to be treated and how they spend money,” she said.

In 1999 she sold her shop and moved to New York with her husband, who she met in Hawaii. Fellows worked for a research group when she moved here but grew bored. "I like making change for a living and meeting people" she said.

She attended a vintage clothes show with
avant-garde artist Julia deVille.
"I fell in love with it all," she said. "I knew I could do it." She researched the business, frequented shows and felt the city had a large enough market.

Fellows has a discerning eye for quality and style.
On a recent visit Fellows showed off her Bangle bracelets, Boucher costume jewelry, Donald Brooks evening wear; and cotton Shaheen MUMU's with colorful floral patterns.

Vintage looks expensive but there is something for all tastes. Prices range from $20 to $1000. "There is always the sale rack," she said. _

Fellows loves Hell's Kitchen. It is a socially active, creative community. It is vibrant and full of many interesting people, she said. Her clients are locals, theatergoers, tourists, garment center, Broadway and a few celebrities.

One day several ladies from the Midwest stopped in. A voice
from behind the dressing room curtain asked Fellows for a certain dress. A minute later a six-foot-tall drag queen in high heels walked out from behind the curtain. "The looks on their faces were priceless," she said. Visiting Couture is also priceless.

Couture du Jour, 349 West 44th; Hours Wed-Sat. 12-7 Hours; Available for private appointments; 646-595-6351; Christine@Couture-duJour.com Photo by Straycat

FLOATING THE APPLE RETURNS HOME TO PIER 84

After a five-year hiatus Floating the Apple is back on Pier 84.
This time home is not old cargo containers on a crumbling pier. Home is a large boathouse on a new Pier 84, the gem of the Hudson River Park,
a network of pier parks stretching from Battery Park City to 59th Street.

FTA, a non-profit co-founded by Mike Davis, has called Pier 84, located at 44th Street and 12th Avenue between the Circle Line
and Intrepid Museum http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/ home from since 1992.

Unlike the volatile currents of the Hudson, FTA's mission has remained steady: promote community boating and access to the Hudson which Davis calls "our greatest open space."

FTA has succeeded on both counts. FTA has built 20 boats. In the past FTA used loaned storefronts on busy midtown streets as workshops. The new building, an 80 by 40 feet space, is a workshop and storage facility. Davis hopes to establish a maritime library.

Students from the Navy Jr. ROTC program at Graphic Arts High School on West 49th Street build and repair boats while earning school credits. They learn carpentry, boat design, maritime history and ecological science and rowing skills. City-As-School had a similar program with FTA, at the Pier 40 boathouse near Houston Street.

"Several generations of people have had no connection to this magnificent river. We live on an island but we were landlocked," Davis said. "We couldn't even see the water. Huge pier sheds blocked our view.”

Davis speaks with a deep, firm voice. Medium build, with a round, rugged, sea-tanned face with long bushy white eyebrows and a high forehead, Davis resembles a New England ship captain.
"When you are on the river you deal nature's realm, wind, current and weather. You don't quibble with the rules," he said.
Anthony Geathers, a 17-year-old student at Graphic Arts, said "I learn teamwork, responsibility and how to handle a boat. It's exciting.”

Davis, an anthropologist, got his idea for community boating after visiting Istanbul with the University of Chicago. Rowing on the Bosporus, a narrow strait that separates Istanbul's European and Asian sections, is extremely popular. "This was one of my great experiences. Istanbul and New York were built to be seen from the water," he said.

Returning home he researched local history and discovered New York had its own rowing tradition. Used for commerce, transportation, sport and policing Whitehalls populated the both the city's waters.

Whitehalls www.whitehallrow.com/legacy_html/history.php are built for speed, yet sturdy enough to handle wakes and strong currents. They are also rigged for sailing.
Maritime historians believe the boat's originated in England and came here in the early 1800's. Whitehall boatman got their name from the ferry station near the fireboat pier. Renowned for their exploits the boatmen operated from a cove built by the city to thank them for rescuing passengers from a ferryboat fire. People used the boat to go to work.

Whitehalls plowed the Hudson until the end of World to protect the port against thieves and saboteurs. The boat fueled competitive racing. On a cold December day in 1824 over 50,000 people, crammed the Hudson waterfront to watch the Whitehall boatmen defeat the legendary Thames men from England.

This summer FTA offered free rowing Thursday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to sunset. In late August FTA staged its annual evacuation from Brooklyn, a re-enactment of the dramatic rescue of 9,000 men of George Washington's Revolutionary army. Fall events are planned.

"We welcome all who want to learn about boating and the river. I want to get as many people out on the water as possible." Davis said.
“But free community boating can only succeed with a strong core of volunteers and we need help”.

Editor’s Note: Mike Davis died November 2, 2008.
*PHOTO by Merecedes Fanchin: Mike Davis and students rowing on the Hudson off Pier 40 in lower Manhattan