Sorry for the late post, but this article originally appeared in amNewYork's weekend issue, May 10-12:
Between 1820 and 1860, 1.5 million immigrants arrived in America from Germany, bringing with them their own cultural traditions -- among them outdoor beer gardens. Unlike the bars in Irish neighborhoods, the German beer gardens catered to whole families, and public drinking was just one of their attractions. Although many of New York's historic beer gardens have disappeared, this summer you can still enjoy a cold one at any of these authentic beer gardens around the city.
BROOKLYN
Gowanus Yacht Club
Garage-sale chic meets Gilligan's Island at this kitschy beer garden with a beach-shack feel. Sit outside on wooden benches and chow down on their 10 types of hot dogs while you drink wine or cheap, frothy beer in Styrofoam cups. Homemade and broken-in, with frat boys mixing politely with children and city-folk, the Yacht Club feels like a family picnic. (Open Memorial Day through Halloween; 323 Smith St., at President Street; 718-246-1321)
The Gate
With an extensive selection of beers on tap, knowledgeable staff and the option of indoor and outdoor seating, The Gate is one of Park Slope's best summer watering holes. The eponymous gate surrounds a packed patio, with tables perfectly situated for intimate conversation, or observing 5th Avenue passersby. It sometimes gets a little too crowded on the weekends, but you¹ll still enjoy throwing darts and listening to classic rock tunes on the jukebox. The outdoor patio is especially inviting for dogs and their owners. (321 Fifth Ave., between 3rd and 4th Streets; 718-768-4329)
MANHATTAN
Loreley
This old world German restaurant offers a taste of Bavaria on the Lower East Side. Modeled on brewhouses in Cologne, it focuses on the beer, not the bling. A darkened bar and indoor seating area in front leads to six large pine tables on the outdoor patio in back. Come hungry and order a half-liter of German beer (don¹t worry, you¹ll finish it) and hearty plate of Wiener schnitzel. (7 Rivington St., between Bowery and Chrystie Streets; 212-253-7077)
Zum Schneider
Owner Sylvester Schneider missed the all-are-welcome atmosphere of the biergardens back home in Bavaria, so he created his own in the East Village. The cash-only indoor/outdoor beer garden has a great selection of draught and bottled German beers, communal wooden tables and fake trees, and authentic German food and desserts. Almost all of the staff is fluent in both German and English, as well. (107 Avenue C, at 7th Street; 212-598-1098)
Hallo Berlin
"New York's wurst restaurant," the Hallo Berlin menu proudly proclaims. In fact, the wurst is tops at one of Manhattan's best German restaurants. They've created an authentic indoor beer garden in Hells Kitchen, complete with long picnic tables and umbrellas, so even in cold weather you can enjoy a taste of summer in Berlin. A great place for large groups, with affordable beers and food. (626 Tenth Ave., at 44th Street; 212-977-1944)
QUEENS
Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden
Arguably New York's oldest and most famous beer garden. The Bohemian Hall was built in 1910 as a haven for the traditions and culture of Czech immigrants, and has remained the most authentic European beer garden in the city. Inside is a charming old dive bar, but outside is another world -- a green, spacious expanse Manhattanites only dream of, with picnic tables under trees where folks sip cold Czech and German beer and tackle plates of hearty Czech food. (29-19 24th Ave., between 29th and 31st Streets, Astoria)
THE BRONX
Charlie's Inn opened in 1935, when Throggs Neck was still home to the German Stadium, which housed many German-American League soccer matches. After changing hands several times, this carriage house-turned-German restaurant and weekend beer garden has hasn't changed much. Customers enjoy island BBQs and live entertainment in the summer in the outdoor garden, and the Bier Garden tradition is kept alive on summer Sundays. (2711 Harding Ave.; 718-931-9727)
STATEN ISLAND
Killmeyer's
Also known as the "Old Bavarian Inn," Killmeyer's has been a part of Staten Island history since the mid-19th century. Plan a small get together in the private party room, feast on an authentic German dinner in the main dining room (adorned with Bavarian artifacts), or choose from over 150 beers and listen to music in the large outdoor beer garden. (4254 Arthur Kill Rd.; 718-984-1202)
Nurnberger Bierhaus
The extensive menu includes all the German staples, such as several different types of schnitzels, Schweinshaxe and potato dumplings. This bustling and warm German restaurant serves eight German beers on tap, plus two American brews, German wines and all varieties of Schnapps. The outdoor Biergarden at Nurnberger Bierhaus opens May 4, with live bands and four additional beers on tap. (817 Castleton Ave.; 718-816-7461)
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Drinks: Up on the roof
This article appears in amNewYork's May 18-20 weekend issue:
Want a different summer escape every night of the week? As Manhattan's rooftop bar season kicks into high gear this month, there are more than 25 places to see a bird's-eye view the city. Relax and enjoy fresh air -- except for the cigarette smoke -- and even more refreshing drinks at any of the high-altitude bars, whether they're trendy clubs, hidden dives or just a plastic lawn chair on a tar roof. Here are seven standouts, so you can sip in style every day of the week:
230 Fifth
With 22,000 square feet of space and enough wood benches and sturdy garden chairs for about 500 guests, the city's largest rooftop bar opened a year ago on top of the New York Market Center near Madison Square Park. 230 Fifth is so vast that it seems impossible it could be in Manhattan -- until you notice the Empire State Building and MetLife building looming as your tablemates while you sip cocktails flavored with guava, cactus and blood orange, and enjoy an array of Malaysian bar snacks. Drinks average $12 each, but the (almost) unobstructed 360-degree view of the city offers a year-round rooftop vacation that's well worth it. (230 Fifth Avenue, Twentieth floor, between 26th and 27th Streets, 212-725-4300)
A60
Though a members-only bar, there are tricks to cracking open A60. Try reserving a room at the hotel downstairs. Two separate rooftop areas present guests with picturesque midtown and lower Manhattan skyline views. The bar has room for up to 100 people, and offers pricey exotic drinks and Thai hors d'oeuvres. (60 Thompson, 60 Thompson Street, between Spring and Broome Streets, 877-431-0400)
Bar 13
Amid palm trees and illuminated panels, patrons at this Miami-themed rooftop garden can enjoy a different themed party and two-for-one happy hour specials every weeknight. Its location between NYU¹s Washington Square campus and Union Square makes this a prime destination for students stuck in the city all summer and looking for a little South Beach flavor, but the mostly under-30 crowd varies every night of the week. Affordable drinks save this otherwise lackluster roof, where opaque screens surrounding the deck mean the only place to look is up. Get there early (before 10pm) on the weekends to avoid a $10 cover charge. (35 E. 13th Street, between Broadway and University Place, 212-979-6677)
Cabana at the Maritime Hotel
Consistently ranked as one of the city's best rooftop escapes, Cabana at the Maritime fulfills your summer fantasies. In the summer, this bar in the meat-packing district feels like a cross between a trendy L.A. nightclub and a retro luxury cruise liner, complete with heat lamps, leafy plants, tropical wallpaper, lounge cushions, and plenty of strappy sandals and halter tops on the tanned female clientele. Cool off with a bottle of sake or a martini with fresh lychee juice and look for celebrities like Sean Penn, Sam Rockwell or the Hilton sisters, all of whom have been regulars in the past. And after a night of partying, you can use free passes to New York Sports Club a block away. (88 Ninth Avenue, between 16th and 17th streets, 212-242-4300)
The Delancey
During the summer, the roof is the main draw at this three-floor Lower East Side rock and roll bar near the Williamsburg Bridge. The all-weather rooftop bar is palm-fronded, South Beach style, with benches, fountains and a BBQ (and even a retractable roof that shields partiers from the rain while it unfortunately eliminates an already-limited view). But beware: the roof usually closes to the public by 9pm for private parties, the drink specials aren't always as cheap as advertised, and the staff doesn't want you there. (168 Delancey Street, at Clinton Street, 212-254-9920)
Gramercy Park Hotel Private Roof Club and Garden
The Gramercy Park Hotel has just opened its own rooftop bar this spring, available only to guests of the hotel and select private members. The unique indoor and outdoor space 16 stories above the city strikes a balance between after-hours chic and classic private membership clubs, creating a country club feel in the middle of Manhattan. Paintings by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst, among others, are on display inside. The roof promises to offer the same personal comfort and intimacy of a private home, and its exclusivity is ensured by the hotel's expensive room rates. (2 Lexington Avenue, at E. 21st Street, 212-920-3300)
Roof Garden Café
At the Roof Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, young and old, tourist and native co-exist in a spacious garden setting above the treetops of Central Park. The "bar" is really just a concessions cart that serves alcohol and snacks, but in addition to the spectacular view, marvel at sculptures by Frank Stella. Children are welcome and the roof closes early (8:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 4:30 pm other days). Accessible only by the southwest elevators on the ground floor of the museum, just outside the 20th-century art gallery. (The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, at 82nd Street, 212-535-7710)
Want a different summer escape every night of the week? As Manhattan's rooftop bar season kicks into high gear this month, there are more than 25 places to see a bird's-eye view the city. Relax and enjoy fresh air -- except for the cigarette smoke -- and even more refreshing drinks at any of the high-altitude bars, whether they're trendy clubs, hidden dives or just a plastic lawn chair on a tar roof. Here are seven standouts, so you can sip in style every day of the week:
230 Fifth
With 22,000 square feet of space and enough wood benches and sturdy garden chairs for about 500 guests, the city's largest rooftop bar opened a year ago on top of the New York Market Center near Madison Square Park. 230 Fifth is so vast that it seems impossible it could be in Manhattan -- until you notice the Empire State Building and MetLife building looming as your tablemates while you sip cocktails flavored with guava, cactus and blood orange, and enjoy an array of Malaysian bar snacks. Drinks average $12 each, but the (almost) unobstructed 360-degree view of the city offers a year-round rooftop vacation that's well worth it. (230 Fifth Avenue, Twentieth floor, between 26th and 27th Streets, 212-725-4300)
A60
Though a members-only bar, there are tricks to cracking open A60. Try reserving a room at the hotel downstairs. Two separate rooftop areas present guests with picturesque midtown and lower Manhattan skyline views. The bar has room for up to 100 people, and offers pricey exotic drinks and Thai hors d'oeuvres. (60 Thompson, 60 Thompson Street, between Spring and Broome Streets, 877-431-0400)
Bar 13
Amid palm trees and illuminated panels, patrons at this Miami-themed rooftop garden can enjoy a different themed party and two-for-one happy hour specials every weeknight. Its location between NYU¹s Washington Square campus and Union Square makes this a prime destination for students stuck in the city all summer and looking for a little South Beach flavor, but the mostly under-30 crowd varies every night of the week. Affordable drinks save this otherwise lackluster roof, where opaque screens surrounding the deck mean the only place to look is up. Get there early (before 10pm) on the weekends to avoid a $10 cover charge. (35 E. 13th Street, between Broadway and University Place, 212-979-6677)
Cabana at the Maritime Hotel
Consistently ranked as one of the city's best rooftop escapes, Cabana at the Maritime fulfills your summer fantasies. In the summer, this bar in the meat-packing district feels like a cross between a trendy L.A. nightclub and a retro luxury cruise liner, complete with heat lamps, leafy plants, tropical wallpaper, lounge cushions, and plenty of strappy sandals and halter tops on the tanned female clientele. Cool off with a bottle of sake or a martini with fresh lychee juice and look for celebrities like Sean Penn, Sam Rockwell or the Hilton sisters, all of whom have been regulars in the past. And after a night of partying, you can use free passes to New York Sports Club a block away. (88 Ninth Avenue, between 16th and 17th streets, 212-242-4300)
The Delancey
During the summer, the roof is the main draw at this three-floor Lower East Side rock and roll bar near the Williamsburg Bridge. The all-weather rooftop bar is palm-fronded, South Beach style, with benches, fountains and a BBQ (and even a retractable roof that shields partiers from the rain while it unfortunately eliminates an already-limited view). But beware: the roof usually closes to the public by 9pm for private parties, the drink specials aren't always as cheap as advertised, and the staff doesn't want you there. (168 Delancey Street, at Clinton Street, 212-254-9920)
Gramercy Park Hotel Private Roof Club and Garden
The Gramercy Park Hotel has just opened its own rooftop bar this spring, available only to guests of the hotel and select private members. The unique indoor and outdoor space 16 stories above the city strikes a balance between after-hours chic and classic private membership clubs, creating a country club feel in the middle of Manhattan. Paintings by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst, among others, are on display inside. The roof promises to offer the same personal comfort and intimacy of a private home, and its exclusivity is ensured by the hotel's expensive room rates. (2 Lexington Avenue, at E. 21st Street, 212-920-3300)
Roof Garden Café
At the Roof Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, young and old, tourist and native co-exist in a spacious garden setting above the treetops of Central Park. The "bar" is really just a concessions cart that serves alcohol and snacks, but in addition to the spectacular view, marvel at sculptures by Frank Stella. Children are welcome and the roof closes early (8:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 4:30 pm other days). Accessible only by the southwest elevators on the ground floor of the museum, just outside the 20th-century art gallery. (The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, at 82nd Street, 212-535-7710)
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Hands, Her Greatest Asset
This story was written for NYU Livewire, the New York University Department of Journalism's feature syndicate:
American Express. Avon. McDonalds. Neutrogena. Pampers. Panasonic. Sprint. Tums.
You’ve seen Ellen Sirot advertise all of these products and companies, though you’d never know it.
Sirot, 37, is a top parts model: she specializes in showing off her hands, feet and legs. Earning as much as several thousand dollars a day working for TV and magazine ads, she is a supermodel in a competitive field most people have never heard of.
“My hands are really beautiful,” Sirot said in a recent interview. “They’re an amazing work of art. Pure porcelain. They’re like a newborn kitten, they’re so soft.”
Parts Models, a New York City agency, represents Sirot and more than 100 other men and women. Former model Dani Korwin founded the company in 1986, and takes credit for discovering the niche: no other agencies were representing parts models then, she said.
“You have to make a conscientious effort to take care of the body part,” Korwin said. “If you’re a foot model, you can’t wear flip-flops, in the event that you may stub a toe. This is part of the downside of parts modeling.”
Sirot’s hands, for example, have not seen the sun for 15 years, she said. She owns over 500 pairs of gloves and rarely takes them off, except to moisturize her hands some 20 times a day. She does not cook, clean or take out the garbage, because even a minor paper cut could cost her weeks of work. Wine glasses shatter in her nightmares.
“I started as a normal person,” she said. “But now I’m an obsessive hand model.”
Obsession is part of the job description, at least for female parts models. But the same techniques that keep a woman’s hands pristine “would be a little weird for men’s hands,” said male hand model Jimmy Furino.
“My hands are manicured, but they don’t look like mannequin hands,” Furino said. “I go to the gym, I get calluses, and my hand looks like a man’s.”
Furino, 47, usually works with Sirot when an ad calls for a couple - to promote jewelry, for example.
“I don’t prescribe to what she does,” Furino said. “She’s kind of a lunatic about it. But she’s the sweetest, kindest girl. The modeling world is generally a woman’s world anyway. She’s nutty about her hands, but she’s got her priorities straight.”
Sirot fell into modeling for extra income, while working as a dancer and waitress after graduating from Barnard College. A photographer told her she had athletic legs and perfect feet, and that she should show them off.
She got her first pedicure, then won an assignment to a national Dr. Scholl’s ad campaign, and saw her earnings rise from $2 an hour as a waitress to $300 an hour as a parts model. She soon noticed that hand models were the ones working every day.
“I became a hand detective,” she said. “It’s made me not only a hand model, but a hand care expert.”
A model’s hands must be veinless, poreless and flawless. Evenly shaped, healthy pink nails are important, as are soft cuticles and nailbeds.
“You want them to seem like they’re the hands of the girl next door,” Sirot said. “The all-American hand.”
Even at her wedding ten years ago, she wore sneakers to protect her feet and gloves to protect her hands.
She now lives with her husband in the New York City suburbs, in Westchester County. She and her young daughter have developed the “hand model high five” - a gentle tap of their palms - but she still relies on her husband or assistants for nearly every daily chore.
“Hands are like the forgotten appendage,” she adds. “They’re abused and usually not cared for at all. Ask any woman and she’ll say, ‘My hands show my age. I wish I could just sit on them.’ My hands look like a 20-year-old’s.”
The strength, endurance and muscle memory she developed as a dancer help, Sirot added. Cutting pizza or scrubbing a counter for an ad - activities she would never do at home - she must keep her hands steady and calm. Otherwise, the muscles and veins would show.
“It’s not as easy as it looks,” Sirot said. “It’s very yoga like. You’re acting with your hands.”
She is now one of few people in the world working full time as a hand model. And unlike Victoria’s Secret runway models, most of whom are out of a job by age 26, Sirot’s career has lasted. She expects to continue parts modeling for at least another 15 years.
“You can have a normal life,” Sirot said, “if you don’t mind wearing gloves all the time.”
American Express. Avon. McDonalds. Neutrogena. Pampers. Panasonic. Sprint. Tums.
You’ve seen Ellen Sirot advertise all of these products and companies, though you’d never know it.
Sirot, 37, is a top parts model: she specializes in showing off her hands, feet and legs. Earning as much as several thousand dollars a day working for TV and magazine ads, she is a supermodel in a competitive field most people have never heard of.
“My hands are really beautiful,” Sirot said in a recent interview. “They’re an amazing work of art. Pure porcelain. They’re like a newborn kitten, they’re so soft.”
Parts Models, a New York City agency, represents Sirot and more than 100 other men and women. Former model Dani Korwin founded the company in 1986, and takes credit for discovering the niche: no other agencies were representing parts models then, she said.
“You have to make a conscientious effort to take care of the body part,” Korwin said. “If you’re a foot model, you can’t wear flip-flops, in the event that you may stub a toe. This is part of the downside of parts modeling.”
Sirot’s hands, for example, have not seen the sun for 15 years, she said. She owns over 500 pairs of gloves and rarely takes them off, except to moisturize her hands some 20 times a day. She does not cook, clean or take out the garbage, because even a minor paper cut could cost her weeks of work. Wine glasses shatter in her nightmares.
“I started as a normal person,” she said. “But now I’m an obsessive hand model.”
Obsession is part of the job description, at least for female parts models. But the same techniques that keep a woman’s hands pristine “would be a little weird for men’s hands,” said male hand model Jimmy Furino.
“My hands are manicured, but they don’t look like mannequin hands,” Furino said. “I go to the gym, I get calluses, and my hand looks like a man’s.”
Furino, 47, usually works with Sirot when an ad calls for a couple - to promote jewelry, for example.
“I don’t prescribe to what she does,” Furino said. “She’s kind of a lunatic about it. But she’s the sweetest, kindest girl. The modeling world is generally a woman’s world anyway. She’s nutty about her hands, but she’s got her priorities straight.”
Sirot fell into modeling for extra income, while working as a dancer and waitress after graduating from Barnard College. A photographer told her she had athletic legs and perfect feet, and that she should show them off.
She got her first pedicure, then won an assignment to a national Dr. Scholl’s ad campaign, and saw her earnings rise from $2 an hour as a waitress to $300 an hour as a parts model. She soon noticed that hand models were the ones working every day.
“I became a hand detective,” she said. “It’s made me not only a hand model, but a hand care expert.”
A model’s hands must be veinless, poreless and flawless. Evenly shaped, healthy pink nails are important, as are soft cuticles and nailbeds.
“You want them to seem like they’re the hands of the girl next door,” Sirot said. “The all-American hand.”
Even at her wedding ten years ago, she wore sneakers to protect her feet and gloves to protect her hands.
She now lives with her husband in the New York City suburbs, in Westchester County. She and her young daughter have developed the “hand model high five” - a gentle tap of their palms - but she still relies on her husband or assistants for nearly every daily chore.
“Hands are like the forgotten appendage,” she adds. “They’re abused and usually not cared for at all. Ask any woman and she’ll say, ‘My hands show my age. I wish I could just sit on them.’ My hands look like a 20-year-old’s.”
The strength, endurance and muscle memory she developed as a dancer help, Sirot added. Cutting pizza or scrubbing a counter for an ad - activities she would never do at home - she must keep her hands steady and calm. Otherwise, the muscles and veins would show.
“It’s not as easy as it looks,” Sirot said. “It’s very yoga like. You’re acting with your hands.”
She is now one of few people in the world working full time as a hand model. And unlike Victoria’s Secret runway models, most of whom are out of a job by age 26, Sirot’s career has lasted. She expects to continue parts modeling for at least another 15 years.
“You can have a normal life,” Sirot said, “if you don’t mind wearing gloves all the time.”
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Our Alma Mater
As New York University's class of 2007 celebrates our graduation this week, I am reminded of this same time four years ago, when we were graduating from high school and first heading off to college. In memoriam, here is what I wrote as my final "Editor's Note" for my high school newspaper, the Trojan Times:
Letter from the Editor
Well, here it is. You hold in your hands the final issue of the Wissahickon High School Trojan Times for the 2002-2003 school year. Some of you may be weeping with the knowledge that you will have to wait an entire summer before you can read the next exciting issue. Others may be thinking, “We have a school newspaper? Since when?”
No matter which of these categories best describes you, we hope you have enjoyed this year of Trojan Times. We have tried to fill each issue with interesting and timely articles, suited for the discerning high school reader. All killer, no filler. You know the drill.
Our most popular features, such as the horoscopes and “Book Nook,” continue to impress and entertain. Our writers, both on staff and contributing, go beyond the classroom to find topics of interest to all students. And all of our editors have done an amazing job this year. The paper could not have possibly come to you in homeroom every month without their continued efforts. We know that they will continue to work hard to make the Trojan Times even better next year.
The rest of the school year has been filled with even more exciting things, sure to remain in our memories for years to come. From the Winter Semi Formal to Prom; from the ever-improving football team to the Spring musical, an ambitious adaptation of Les Miserables; from fundraisers to field trips; from September to June, this year was surely unforgettable.
As we welcome a new principle to the high school, we also say farewell to the class of 2003. Graduation is upon us, and soon the nearly 330 members of the senior class will move on to a new stage in their lives. Some are going across the country to study at elite universities; others are choosing to enter the workforce; still more have decided to join the military to defend our country in troubled times, while many are unsure of what the future holds for them.
This year is quickly coming to a close, and we wish good luck to future classes. Most of all, though, we wish the best of luck to the class of 2003. As Dr. Seuss says, “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're soon to be on your own, and you know what you know. You are the person who'll decide where to go.”
Letter from the Editor
Well, here it is. You hold in your hands the final issue of the Wissahickon High School Trojan Times for the 2002-2003 school year. Some of you may be weeping with the knowledge that you will have to wait an entire summer before you can read the next exciting issue. Others may be thinking, “We have a school newspaper? Since when?”
No matter which of these categories best describes you, we hope you have enjoyed this year of Trojan Times. We have tried to fill each issue with interesting and timely articles, suited for the discerning high school reader. All killer, no filler. You know the drill.
Our most popular features, such as the horoscopes and “Book Nook,” continue to impress and entertain. Our writers, both on staff and contributing, go beyond the classroom to find topics of interest to all students. And all of our editors have done an amazing job this year. The paper could not have possibly come to you in homeroom every month without their continued efforts. We know that they will continue to work hard to make the Trojan Times even better next year.
The rest of the school year has been filled with even more exciting things, sure to remain in our memories for years to come. From the Winter Semi Formal to Prom; from the ever-improving football team to the Spring musical, an ambitious adaptation of Les Miserables; from fundraisers to field trips; from September to June, this year was surely unforgettable.
As we welcome a new principle to the high school, we also say farewell to the class of 2003. Graduation is upon us, and soon the nearly 330 members of the senior class will move on to a new stage in their lives. Some are going across the country to study at elite universities; others are choosing to enter the workforce; still more have decided to join the military to defend our country in troubled times, while many are unsure of what the future holds for them.
This year is quickly coming to a close, and we wish good luck to future classes. Most of all, though, we wish the best of luck to the class of 2003. As Dr. Seuss says, “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're soon to be on your own, and you know what you know. You are the person who'll decide where to go.”
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