The Power Broker

Submitted by john on

I've been reading the biography of Robert Moses entitled The Power Broker: The Rise and Fall of Robert Moses by Robert Caro (borrowed from the Queens Public Library) and it has given me some fascinating insights into how New York City came to be the way it is today - for good and for bad.  Here is a small primer on Robert Moses and why he matters. Needless to say he was responsible for a huge chunk of all construction in NYC and Long Island for over 50 years - this one for example comes from the site of the 1964 World's Fair:

I've only gotten through the early parts of Moses career (~1900-1930) but the cast of characters is so far quite fascinating:

Al Smith (first Catholic Governor of New York and Democractic candidate for President, Tammany Hall acolyte, Anti-prohibitionist)

Belle Moskowitz (adviser to the aforementioned governor and a power broker in her own right)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (a far more ambitious man than I ever knew - and rival to Robert Moses in almost every way)

And I haven't even gotten to the depression or WWII yet! If you've got the time to devour a ~1000 page book on the meaning of power, cities, ego and ambition - I highly recommend it. Once I finish it I plan to move on the Robert Caro's series on Lyndon Johnson.

And for good measure - here's another shot from Flushing Meadows:

Roosevelt Island > Welfare Island > Blackwell's Island > Manning's Island

Submitted by john on

Took a bike ride out to Roosevelt Island last week and got an interesting history lesson. On our way out we noticed that the bridge had a plaque that stated that we were leaving Welfare Island. I was a little confused as I pretty sure that we just had left Roosevelt Island.

The island in question:


View Larger Map 

A wikipedia search turns up the following:

1666 – After the English defeat the Dutch, Captain John Manning seizes the island, which becomes known as Manning's Island.

1686 – Manning's son-in-law, Robert Blackwell, becomes the island's new owner and namesake

1796 – Blackwell's great-grandson Jacob Blackwell constructs the Blackwell House, the island's oldest landmark, New York City's sixth oldest house and one of the city's few remaining examples of 18th-century architecture

1828 – The City of New York purchases the island for $32,000

1921 – Blackwell's Island is renamed Welfare Island

1973 – Welfare island is renamed Roosevelt Island after Franklin Delano Roosevelt

So much history for such a small island.

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Belgian Pale Ale

Submitted by john on

My first NYC brewed beer. Also my first time using a 6.5 gallon glass carboy. Previously I had used plastic buckets which come with a convenient handle - something the carboy lacks. I have since invested in the Brew Hauler which has made my life much easier. 

I didn't get to use my preferred yeast with this particular batch (the recipe called for Belgian Schelde - Wyeast 3655) so instead opted for Belgian Abbey - Wyeast 1214. As soon as it finishes bottle conditioning in another week or so I'll post an update.

Style: 

Belgian Pale Ale

Total Fermentation Time (Days): 

24

Original Gravity: 

1.045

Final Gravity: 

1.009

Alcohol by Volume: 

4.77

Yeast: 

Belgian Abbey - Wyeast 1214

Hops: 

Kent Goldings

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The Glorious Culinary Possibilities In Queens

Submitted by john on

A few weeks back at my first meetup in NYC with the Craft Beer & Brews crew at Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan (a cool place in and of itself) I was given the attached napkin list of restaurants that I need to check out. For those not wishing to break out their reading glasses and/or squint here is a list of all the places my wife and I have been tasked with visiting:

 

Ihawan BBQ

Renee's Kitchenette

Payag

Sean Og Tavern (for curry fries only?)

El Sitio

Terrazza 7

Himalayan Yak (already been here! and it was weird/tasty)

Chelsea Market (not actually in Queens)

Cafe Henri

Tournesol

Another friend had also recommended SriPraPhai (already went! spicy and delicious!) which was quite tasty (they don't hold back on the spice, fyi). As we frequent them I'll mark them off the list! If you have any suggestions of places we simply must try, let me know!

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Frames and artwork

Submitted by john on

Having spent 10+ years in Chicago my wife and I have managed to accumulate a lot of artwork from Chicago based artists. We finally got around to framing some of the prints we'd accumulated over the years:

This one from Starshaped Press is one of my favorites. Buy your own here and support good art!

 

This one is from Chris Gorz and is a wonderful print of the iconic Swedish flag emblazoned water tower in our old neighborhood in Andersonville.

 

Now I'm on the hunt for something worthy of our new neighborhood in Sunnyside, Queens.

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Hello NYC

Submitted by john on

It's a belated hello as I've been here about a month now, but I've been making to sure explore all that the city has to to offer. I've had to find substitutes for all of my previous Chicago institutions and it hasn't been easy but I've been making do (thanks to my wife).

So far the most important item on my NYC agenda has been a place to get all of my brewing supplies! Thankfully Brooklyn Homebrew is around to ensure that I continue to enjoy the bounties of the 21st amendment and the subsequent efforts of Jimmy Carter  (Billy Beer aside).

 

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