Here in tough-times New York, all of us have to cut back where we can.

So when I landed the other night at JFK, I didn’t head straight for the taxi line. I was alone. I was traveling light, just an over-the-shoulder carry-on. Did I really need a $45 taxi ride — plus toll and tip — when I could jump on the $5 MTA AirTrain to Howard Beach, then grab the A train home?

It was my first time on the AirTrain, and I have to say: What it lacked in charm, it made up in efficiency. Clean, shiny and hushed, a perfect emblem for easy-money, pre-9/11 financing in New York.

The subway was another story.

Continue reading "Henican: Too many signs of a scarier New York" »

Jimmy Breslin is an iconic New York journalist. The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist has covered everything from sports to civil rights. Breslin, now 78, worked for several newspapers, including Newsday and the New York Daily News.

amNewYork discussed the current economic crisis and how its effect on New York might compare to the tough times the city endured in the 1970s.

Is the city heading in the same direction it went in the ’70s?

You didn’t have the [expletive] kids from Washington Heights getting killed in a war with Iraq. That’s the first thing.

You’ve got unemployment. … You just had three big auto companies going broke. Banks folding. Who ever heard of a bank bouncing? Checks did, but the banks never did. It was nothing like this. You could go get a loan in the ’70s. You can’t get a loan today. You can’t do anything.

Everybody’s going broke. … That’s why this is worse than anything we’ve had.

Continue reading "Breslin Q&A: 'Everybody's going broke'" »

With the economy in free fall, amNewYork examines how the budget crisis might impact the city's quality of life. This is the first of a three-day series

By Rolando Pujol

Could this be 1974 all over again?

That’s not quite as crazy as it sounds. A number of troubling indicators has some New Yorkers worried about a 1970s rerun, and most of the problems disturbingly predate the recent Wall Street meltdown.

Crime has flared up in certain neighborhoods, shelters report a record number of newly homeless families and complaints about graffiti have soared. The big wild card, of course, is the impact of the growing fiscal crisis.

In 1974, the city was similarly beginning to realize the extent of its problems, said Julia Vitullo-Martin, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who has been sounding the alarm.

“It gradually dawned on New Yorkers that they were faced with a severe fiscal crisis, and that solutions were not all apparent,” Martin recalled.
Back then, municipal bankruptcy was barely averted, 600,000 jobs evaporated, city services collapsed and many fled.

The Bloomberg administration insists history will not repeat itself. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has embraced the challenge, so much so that he successfully overturned term limits in a bid to stay on.

Continue reading "amNY series: 1970s rerun? Fiscal crisis reviving urban fears" »

Secretary of state: The case for Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton for secretary of state would be an inspired choice. Because of her years as first lady, very few Americans have more firsthand contacts with world leaders than Clinton. She is an extraordinary woman with an intellect and energy that she directs full throttle at everything she does. She received 18 million votes in the primaries. Obama and she split the popular vote. Millions of her supporters held their noses and voted for Obama only because they did not want another Republican in the White House. Hillary campaigned very hard for Obama and demonstrated that she is a team player. She’s ranked 68 out of 100 in terms of seniority in the Senate, where seniority means everything. It is now the right time for her to leave the Senate.
— Reba Shimansky, Manhattan

Giuliani’s run for office: Rudy never sees the light
Re “Don’t count out a Rudy run,” Nov. 17: Rudy Guiliani is contemplating another run for the White House and maybe governor of N.Y. What he should do is move to Alaska, along with Peter King of Long Island. They should settle down in an area where the sun doesn’t shine for three to four months, because these two will never see the light, no matter how hard they try.
— Michael Perez, Manhattan

Let the oil companies bail out the auto industry
If Detroit’s Big Three automakers go under, their epitaph will read: “Rust in Peace.” Let the oil companies bail them out, because after all, they are their best customers.
Herb Stark, Massapequa

By Jason Fink

The high-end call girl at the center of the scandal that brought down Gov. Eliot Spitzer will talk about her life in the business during a TV interview to be aired Friday.

Ashley Dupre’s tryst with Spitzer in a Washington hotel room in February was described in a federal affidavit as part of the case against her escort service, Emperor’s Club VIP.

Dupre sat down with Diane Sawyer of 20/20 in an interview that will air at 10 p.m.
In a press release, ABC said Dupre “speaks candidly about what life as a high-end escort is like, how an upper middle-class, girl next door got into the profession and the psychological journey she continues to experience.”

It does not say whether Dupre will discuss her most famous client, whose promising political career went down in flames this year when it was revealed he had been a customer of the pricey prostitution ring.

The public attention and criminal investigation of the escort service eventually forced Spitzer to resign March 12. On Thursday, federal prosecutors said they would not charge him criminally.

Four people pleaded guilty to running the prostitution operation.

By Jason Fink

MTA officials were in Washington today lobbying for bailout help for transit systems as speculation grew that the agency’s severe budget deficit next year would force the elimination of subway lines, among other nightmarish scenarios.

“The MTA is facing an enormous deficit that will not be closed with any easy
solutions,” Gov. David Paterson said in a statement.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority representatives met with Washington officials asking to be included in any future stimulus packages, said agency spokesman, Jeremy Soffin. They also joined their counterparts from 11 others transit agencies in asking the Treasury Department to guarantee $2 billion in lease deals previously backed by the failed insurance giant AIG.

Like other transit agencies, the MTA entered into deals in which it sold rail cars and other equipment to banks and then leased them back at a discount.

Soffin would not say how much money the agency has on the line as a result of the AIG-backed deals. He would only say that “our exposure is less than the others.”

Continue reading "MTA seeking bailout money from feds" »

By Lucy Cohen Blatter
lucy.blatter@am-ny.com

While cranberry sauce and stuffing are sure-fire hits on Thanksgiving, there are other simple side dishes that can turn a traditional meal into a sensational one. In the revised tenth anniversary edition of Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything,” the New York Times columnist provides a list of “28 Crowd Pleasing Thanksgiving Side Dishes You May Not Have Considered.” Here, two unusual sides that are as easy as they are delicious.

CARROT SALAD WITH CUMIN

1 ½ pounds carrots, grated
Juice of 2 oranges
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Use the julienne disk of a food processor to cut the carrots into the fine shreds or cut into 1/8-inch slices.
2. Whisk together the juices, olive oil, and cumin; sprinkle with salt and pepper and pour the dressing over the carrots. Toss, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.

ALTERNATIVES

Beet salad with cumin: Cook the beets, peel, and slice. Substitute 1 clove garlic, minced, with the orange juice.

Whole baby carrot salad with cumin: Substitute 1 ½ pounds whole baby carrots for the grated carrots. Skip step 1. Trim the green tops and halve the carrots if they are on the big side (longer than 4 inches); steam or boil the carrots until barely tender (you want a bit of crunch here), then shock and pat dry. Proceed with the recipe.

Continue reading "Unusual turkey side dishes" »

Seven sites were designated as city landmarks Tuesday — including a "superblock" of three 30-story residential towers designed by famed architect I.M. Pei.

The so-called Silver Towers in Greenwich Village were completed in 1967 and are clustered around a sculpture modeled on a piece by Pablo Picasso. Two of the buildings are used for NYU faculty housing, and the third is a co-op apartment building.

“It’s widely known as one of the finest modern residential complexes in the city,” said Robert B. Tierney, chairman of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. “The configuration, style and park-like setting of the towers create an undeniable tension between the buildings themselves and the space they occupy.”

Other buildings that are now protected as landmarks are:

By Ben Muessig
Special to amNewYork

If you're craving fresh fall greens, you'd better act fast — the first frost marks the end of the season for most leafy veggies.
Cabbage is a hearty fall veggie, but it can't survive in freezing weather for long.
"Once it gets below 25 degrees, the fall greens get a little unhappy," said Nate King, one of the owners of Rexcroft Farms, which sells fruits, vegetables and meats at the greenmarkets around the city.
"We check the weather and if it's going to get cold, we take as much as we can out of the ground," he said.
Once it's out of the ground, this multi-purpose vegetable is perfect on the plate.
Try serving a side of cole slaw, a simple cabbage soup, a fiery Asian-style kimchi or an Irish-inspired meal corn beef and cabbage.
No matter how you serve it, cabbage is packed with fiber, vitamin C, potassium and manganese, and it's loaded with vitamins A, B6, calcium and iron.
Fresh heads of cabbage cost about $3.

Continue reading "What's in season: Cabbage" »

By Emily Ranager
Special to amNewYork

The city’s premier purveyors of fine food will offer various Thanksgiving packages.

FreshDirect will deliver complete Thanksgiving dinners to your door. Feasts for four-to-six ($149.99), eight-to-12 ($199.99) or 14-to -18 ($299.99) include a whole turkey, choice of four to five side dishes like maple-roasted yams with marshmallows and green beans with caramelized apples, choice of various types of stuffing, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, gravy and choice of desserts. Order by Nov. 23 for delivery on Nov. 25 or 26. www.freshdirect.com

Continue reading "How to have the world's easiest Thanksgiving" »

By Lucy Cohen Blatter
lucy.blatter@am-ny.com

As delicious as it is, the Thanksgiving meal can be a pain to make. Luckily, the team at Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine has laid out strategies for conquering a previously impossible task: Putting together a Thanksgiving dinner in 60 minutes flat.

Spiced pumpkin mousse trifle. Courtesy of Everyday with Rachael Ray.

Continue reading "Thanksgiving dinner in a flash" »

These construction workers should have thought twice before trying to roll this gigantic spool of cable up the stairs.

Opus, the Upper East Side’s gluten-free Italian eatery and bar, is offering free slices of pizza with the purchase of any drink at the bar everyday from 5 – 6 p.m. Opus is located at 1574 Second Avenue near 82nd Street, (212) 772-2220.

By Jason Fink

The election of Barack Obama as the nation’s first African-American president has been hailed as a milestone of racial reconciliation, but it has also exposed some of the ugly truths about prejudice in America.

Even in New York, where Obama is hugely popular and racial tolerance is often worn as a badge of virtue, a recent spate of violent incidents show a backlash by some already inclined towards hate. It also proved that the goal of racial harmony remains a long way off.

“You are always going to see people who hang on to their prejudices,” said L’Heureux Lewis, an assistant professor of sociology and black studies at City College.

“The work of reconciliation doesn’t come from having historical amnesia,” said Lewis, who called for a deeper, more genuine conversation about race.

Continue reading "Racist incidents mar excitement over Obama election" »

MTA needs to accept 
responsibility, not bailout
Re Ellis Henican, “Pony up, D.C.: Bail out the MTA,” Nov. 14-16: I’m not happy about the large government bailouts, yet I understand realistically that maintaining these large companies may protect people nationally and internationally. However, as an NYC resident who rides the subway every day, 
I would never expect the country’s taxpayers to bail out our transit system. The MTA is a local problem, not national. Unfortunately, the bailouts seem to be raising the expectations of some who would prefer to take government handouts, rather than assuming responsibility caused by poor management and mishandling of funds and actually fixing it.
— Monica Shane, Brooklyn
Where’s the money? MTA’s books need inspecting
Can New Yorkers believe anything the MTA says? How soon we forget that a few short years ago, the MTA was caught red-handed with a $1 billion surplus when they said they were broke. No more bailouts. It’s time for businesses like the MTA to open their books for the public to inspect on a weekly basis. I don’t know about you, but I am seeing record numbers of people riding public transportation. Where’s the money?
— Tom McLaughlin, Hicksville
Nativity scenes in school: Avella fights a good fight
I would like to applaud Councilman Tony Avella, who plans to force the City Council to review its ban on nativity scenes in public schools. Now the Department of Education allows religious symbols like the Islamic crescent and star, the Menorah and the Christmas tree, but not the baby Jesus. I guess there is no room at the inn, as well as in our schools. I hope Avella succeeds.
— Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Glen Oaks Village

If you’re tired of their famous $5 footlongs, you may want to try the new Subway flatbreads (available in chicken florentine and steak & bacon melt varieties). We here at amNewYork received a sampling of the new sandwiches, which Subway is calling “Hot, Tasty & Fresh Toasted.” By the time they got to our office, they weren’t quite hot, but they were, indeed, tasty. According to one office taste-tester the bread was “soft, chewy and believably textured.” The complementary sauces — which included generous pouches of canola and olive oil — were also a hit.
Overall, out of a possible score of 10, these sandwiches got a 7. One editor said the sampling “made me want to go across the street and get one for lunch.” Perhaps there is no greater compliment.

By Emily Ranager

Thanksgiving in Mexico
Forget the turkey and spend Thanksgiving in Cancun, where Last Moment Discount Travel has package deals starting at $812 per person in a double room. The price includes round-trip airfare from LaGuardia, seven nights at the three-star Oasis Cancun resort, hotel transfers, and all meals and alcoholic beverages. Other hotels are available for $70 to $90 extra. Travel Nov. 24 through Dec. 1. Call 212-681-6665 or 718-715-0264 by Nov. 22 to book.

Continue reading "This week's travel deals: Mexico, Iceland, Greenland, the U.S. and the Virgin Islands" »