Musibambino

Mario Guerrero, a black belt, has made a name for himself in the martial arts world for helping at-risk kids by giving them training in discipline, fitness, and hand-eye coordination. He now has studios scattered throughout the city, from Tribeca to the Upper East Side, where children and adults alike can learn kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts. Recently, Krav Maga, a form of Israeli street fighting, has been added to the roster. Modern Martial Arts advertises classes for everyone from "casual fitness seekers to trained, professional fighters. " The studio does more than offer classes; however: they also create a community. Mario and his trained teachers offer karate birthday parties, fitness-centered movie nights, and "Parent's Night Out" evening classes for kids. We met with Adam, who was teaching an adult mixed martial arts class. He greeted each of the students who walked in with warmth and humor. Once the class began, the group transitioned from generic fitness exercises to work with punching bags and finally horizontal punching bags where the studio members practiced their "ground pounds. " Watching Adam encourage his students to let out a "pshhh" sound each time they hit, I realized that the class was a terrific way to let off steam.

It does not matter what I am looking for, I always stop by Stationery and Toys first, certain that I will find what I need. Sometimes I find myself laughing out loud when I ask either of the owners of this fantastic old world shop, a father and daughter, for the item that I am in search of that day, and they answer "of course we have it. " With its simple name and treasure trove of items for children and adults alike, it is one of the last of its kind, and it makes me happy simply to wander the aisles. "I used to sell wholesale to Hallmark stores, " Larry Gomez, the founder, shared with me one day. "Now there aren't places like this anymore. " On the day that I visited with the Manhattan Sideways team, Larry took the time, in between ringing customers up for paper, pens, puzzles and party supplies, to tell us how the store began. He said that his daughter, Donna Schofield, came home from college to help him in the wholesale business. As Larry tells it, Donna said, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, I don't want to sit in a warehouse anymore. I want to work in retail. " Donna, when I spoke to her, tells it a little differently. She says, "I was talking to the same people every day with very little sight of daylight. I wanted to work in a store. "Either way, the outcome was a positive one. Larry gave Donna her wish in 1988 by opening Stationery and Toys. One day, I asked her what it was like having children while working around toys. She said, "My son thought the warehouse was Santa Claus's section. " The boy, who is now fully grown, knew to stay away. His younger sister, though, needed more convincing not to play with the toys. Donna gave the keys to the store to her brother-in-law for a while in order to spend more time with her family, but in 2009, she returned. "She's the big cheese, now, " Larry declared. Today, during the week, when a customer walks into the store, they will see Donna behind the counter and on the weekends it is Larry who is there, allowing his daughter to remain at home. "I'm the Saturday Sunday man! " he said with a grin. Donna's son, however, has started coming in on weekends to work with his grandfather, while he studies to become an electrician. It is this sense of family that Larry believes has saved their store. Donna and Larry form a friendly pair of faces for neighbors to recognize from year to year. He says that they still see many regulars from when the store first opened, though as Larry put it sadly, "there are many that we've lost. " He brightened, however, when he told me about the men and women who come in with their children. Larry recognizes many as having been frequent shoppers when they were kids themselves. He considers himself quite fortunate to have stayed in business through the years. When he first started, he explained, the area was known as "Needle Park" and in order to stay out of danger, people got out of the neighborhood by six in the evening. Now, Larry embraces the fact that the street is a place where families can safely thrive. When speaking with Gary - a sales assistant who has been with the store "for a long time" - I asked him how they decide what to stock, since the inventory seems to be infinite. He replied, "Donna gets it word of mouth, through the kids. The best thing to do is to listen to them. " Donna agreed, saying "If I get asked for an item three times, I get it. " Just before we were leaving, we witnessed a beautiful yet typical moment when Donna noticed a little boy eying a batman figurine on the counter while his mother was making a purchase. Donna sweetly handed the toy to him and told him that it was now his. Neighborhood kindness and generosity is alive and well at Stationery and Toys.

Both a space of learning and of performing, Kaufman Music Center is home to Merkin Concert Hall, Lucy Moses School, and Special Music School. The organization was founded in 1953 and receives most of its funding through donations from music enthusiasts. The Merkin Concert Hall has been around since the 1970s and was renovated with the rest of the building in 2007. Vocal and acoustic performances of classical and new music send resonating sounds throughout the spacious 450-seat room, with its well-lit stage and impressive grand piano. Each year, the concert hall hosts the Ecstatic Music Festival, which presents one-night-only artist collaborations from across the spectrum. The Special Music School is the only public school in the city to offer music as a core subject to its gifted students, and the Lucy Moses School offers a variety of classes in music, dance and theater. "Lots of people will come back to play here as an adult having taken classes as children, " explained Communications Director Joan Jastrebski. In the summertime, the classrooms turn into musical theater workshops where specific age groups work with writers and choreographers to develop a performance for their final recital. Because every good show needs its props, a team of designers gets together to go over every last detail. Alex, one of the interns, shared with me the story of how the team scurried around to fabricate a prop microphone out of tape and foam when one went missing from the set, only to find it moments from show time. "What is exciting about the center is what people are doing, " Joan added when she took me to watch little ones dance passionately to playful music in the Ann Goodman Recital Hall. She also allowed me a peak into one of the private practice rooms on the third floor where Genya Paley, who had been with the center for over three decades, was giving a piano lesson to a young boy. "Yes, right, " said Genya as the child played each chord individually, "Now put it together. " The lovely harmony that followed exemplified the intersection of practice and performance.

Since 1907, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue has continued to build upon progressive Jewish thought in adherence to the values of its founder, Rabbi Stephen Wise, who stressed the importance of offering a free pulpit. In addition to today's Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch’s sermons on matters concerning the State of Israel, amongst other topics, and the traditional services held Friday nights and Saturday mornings, the congregation is a “singing community” in line with the aspirations of Cantor Daniel Singer. A professional five piece band livens up Shabbat services. Since 1988, the temple has performed nationally renowned Purim Spiels written and directed by Norman Roth, including Megillah Musicals playing on Mamma Mia, Grease, and Glee. The Spiels have gained an international reputation and are now performed in synagogues around the globe. For members outside its community, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue has been performing mitzvahs for decades. Every Saturday morning volunteers offer food packages to those in need. Most inspiring to me, the synagogue voluntarily began running the Next Step Men’s Shelter in 1984 (after Mayor Ed Koch spoke at the synagogue), housing ten selected men for the majority of the year, providing them warm meals and a safe place to sleep at night. In accordance with the play-based learning philosophy, children of the Balfour Brickner Early Childhood Center even decided to tie-dye some bed sheets in an effort to make the space homier. According to director of communications, Samantha Kessler, while other synagogues in the city are struggling to survive, Stephen Wise continues to grow. She was quite proud to expand on the appeal of the Rabbi's stimulating sermons, the emphasis on music, strong engagement in public outreach, and a continued focus on education and religion. It is no wonder that the congregation supports the synagogue's efforts.

My biggest delight when I scoop my little granddaughter out of her car seat on a visit to Manhattan is when she looks up at me and says, "G, can we go to the shoe store now. " Perhaps it is not as exciting for my husband as we prance across the street to Tip Top Kids and purchase not one, but usually several pairs of shoes for my precious bundle of joy. Be it sneakers, party shoes, Uggs, rain boots or sandals, this little girl is well equipped with comfortable and adorable footwear - and all of it from one shop. While chatting with Margot Wasserman, the daughter of the owner of Tip Top Shoes next door, she told me that they have been seeing the same faces returning year after year. "We have parents who brought their child in for their first pair of shoes and today they are still coming back at age thirteen. " I understand why the customers return, since Margot strives to select both the trendy and the practical shoe for her customers. Growing up in the world of shoes, it made perfect sense for Margot to entertain working in fashion. After a few years with Ralph Lauren, she made the easy transition to West 72nd to run the children's division of her father and brother's company. "I am very happy to be here, " Margot told me, "it was an easy adjustment. " She began her training by immersing herself in every aspect of the business, but then found herself focusing on the kid's shop. By 2014, she was "full force" in the world of children's shoes and continues to add new accessories to their inventory each season. From backpacks to leggings, tutus, princess dresses, hair ties, and of course, socks, this is not only a fabulous place for parents (and grandparents), but even more importantly, a shopping paradise for children. As for Margot, she enthusiastically declared, "I wake up every day happy to go to work. "

As our readers know, we love the term "hidden gem" at Manhattan Sideways, but it is rare that we find a place that fits the term as well as David Segal Violins. Some members of the Manhattan Sideways team and I were walking along 68th Street when one of the summer interns pointed out that a musician was playing a violin behind a semi-subterranean window. Glancing further, we noticed a man crafting a violin in the adjoining window. Always the inquisitive one, I attempted to find something to indicate what was happening inside this building, but it was not until we went to our cell phones and Googled "violin shop on West 68th, " that we discovered the history of the half-hidden musical grotto. I then called the phone number that came up and introduced myself to David Segal, a violinmaker and dealer who has been servicing the musicians of Lincoln Center and the greater New York area since 1975. He kindly buzzed us in, and it was then that we were able to truly appreciate his magical workshop and showroom. While showing us around, David explained that he had been on 54th and 62nd Street before moving to his present location. "This is the last time: the next time they will move me, " he said with a wry grin. He had an excellent sense of humor, as well as a clear sense of wonder and joy that came through in our time spent together. As I gazed in wonder at a young apprentice who was busy at his desk working with both wood and strings, I commented to the others that this was reminiscent of Geppetto's puppet shop. David laughed, and began to share his story. Originally from Israel, he left for Italy in 1969 to study the art of violin-making. The art is in his blood: his father also made violins, and David showed me the wall of photographs of musicians who use violins crafted either by himself or his dad. After completing his degree in 1972, David moved to New York. Since then, he has become firmly entrenched on the Upper West Side. "I don't have a visa to go to the East Side, " he joked. Through his work, he met his wife, who played with the New York Philharmonic for forty years. She came in to buy a "bow, " and left with a "beau. "Turning to his studio door, I saw a picture of his adorable young grandson, and learned that he has a very artistic family, with his son working as a conductor and his daughter as a visual artist. David himself also dabbles in visual arts: He pointed out a mobile hanging above the front room, crafted from violin bows and bridges. He makes them for his grandchildren, he told us. When I asked David about the charming small violins, he explained that each size is for a different age group. Beaming, he held up the tiniest one in the room, and declared "I am taking this one home with me tonight. My two year old grandson will be arriving in New York shortly. "Right before we left, David opened a vault in the front room and pulled out a true Stradivarius, crafted in 1737, which must have been worth a fortune. He says, however, that all that matters with a violin is the sound. Musicians, including his wife, have often traded antique, beautifully made violins for newer, cheaper ones with better sound. "We want to make a violin that sounds good, " he stated simply. "If it sounds great, it doesn't matter if it is not so beautiful. " As he spoke to us, a customer was testing violins in the front room. He said that clients can take an hour or two to test out the instruments, and may even take them home for a week's trial period. As I heard the strains of tunes come from the customer's test subject, I asked David if he still loves hearing the musicians play, or if it has become background noise to him after so many years. He smiled and said, "I listen to music with great pleasure all the time... but I only listen to classical! "

In a neighborhood full of hospitals and health centers, St. Catherine looms large as a bastion of faith. Founded in 1897, the church is run by the Dominican Friars and specifically aims to give spiritual support to the medical community. Outside, the church is outfitted in red brick, and inside, Gothic brick arches cut into the walls and line the ceiling, creating pockets for the many impressive shrines. The stained glass windows, modern in appearance, pick up luminescent colors, and above the high alter, a magnificent design is made up of blues, yellows, and reds. In August of 2015, the Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Catherine of Siena was established, forming a connection between the two churches.

Bel Ami perfectly combines the best parts of New York and Paris. The food is authentically French: shelves are lined with glistening pastries and tiny French bread sandwiches. Macarons behind glass are mirrored by fun macaron key chains at the register. The walls are decorated with bookshelves filled with antique books and expressionist art. Springtime flower arrangements live between the windowpane and the grate. The spirit of New York creeps in, however, through the exposed brick walls and the service; though I arrived during lunchtime, the small cafe was cranking through orders at record speed to match the pace of the busy Manhattanites coming in for coffee and sandwiches. I admired the assortment of cookies, iced to look like bumble bees and smiling piglets, but decided to try one of their small zucchini and goat cheese French bread rolls. The ingredients were fresh and ingeniously simple, and it was exactly the right serving size for lunch, another aspect of French culture that Bel Ami has cleverly brought to the Upper East Side.

It may come as a shock to discover that behind the scenes of this classic French restaurant is a born and bred Italian. To Gino Barbuti, however, the neighboring country’s cuisine comes naturally to him after years of working in high-end French settings. After he and his family left their small hometown of Bardi in Parma, Italy, and migrated to the UK, his first exposure to the food industry was an apprenticeship at Le Coq d’Or in London. His brother, meanwhile, followed his heritage and worked at Italian restaurants. When Gino made his way to New York, he jumped from one prestigious French eatery to the next, until the brothers opened their own Italian place on Long Island. As Gino likes to say, “Back in the 1960s, there was only French and Italian places here, ” so it is little wonder that he went on to create establishments of both kinds. It was not until 2004 that a former colleague of his informed him that La Boite en Bois was looking for a new owner. Gino, who had just sold his restaurants on Long Island and was looking for his next venture, accepted the offer immediately. “It was the cutest, quaintest place. Exactly the kind of farmhouse style my dad is drawn to, ” explained Angela, one of Gino’s four daughters. Though he tweaked the menu to integrate his personal flair, Gino left many of the favorites unchanged. He understood that La Boite en Bois already had an established following –largely consisting of theater-goers, ballet, and opera patrons who stopped by for an elegant, pre-show meal begore heading to Lincoln Center. To this day, he offers the same pâté made in-house, steak au poivre, and an unforgettable, honey mustard-glazed salmon. Nevertheless, Gino did incorporate select dishes such as a house made ravioli “to pay homage to his Italian roots” and added French fries and a burger to the menu to appeal to his American audience. On occasion, Gino cannot help but be bemused that for all of his training in haute cuisine, the burger is among his top sellers. “People want comfort food, now more than ever” – and La Boite en Bois is happy to provide, regardless of the dish’s country of origin.

Since 1907, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue has continued to build upon progressive Jewish thought in adherence to the values of its founder, Rabbi Stephen Wise, who stressed the importance of offering a free pulpit. In addition to today's Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch’s sermons on matters concerning the State of Israel, amongst other topics, and the traditional services held Friday nights and Saturday mornings, the congregation is a “singing community” in line with the aspirations of Cantor Daniel Singer. A professional five piece band livens up Shabbat services. Since 1988, the temple has performed nationally renowned Purim Spiels written and directed by Norman Roth, including Megillah Musicals playing on Mamma Mia, Grease, and Glee. The Spiels have gained an international reputation and are now performed in synagogues around the globe. For members outside its community, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue has been performing mitzvahs for decades. Every Saturday morning volunteers offer food packages to those in need. Most inspiring to me, the synagogue voluntarily began running the Next Step Men’s Shelter in 1984 (after Mayor Ed Koch spoke at the synagogue), housing ten selected men for the majority of the year, providing them warm meals and a safe place to sleep at night. In accordance with the play-based learning philosophy, children of the Balfour Brickner Early Childhood Center even decided to tie-dye some bed sheets in an effort to make the space homier. According to director of communications, Samantha Kessler, while other synagogues in the city are struggling to survive, Stephen Wise continues to grow. She was quite proud to expand on the appeal of the Rabbi's stimulating sermons, the emphasis on music, strong engagement in public outreach, and a continued focus on education and religion. It is no wonder that the congregation supports the synagogue's efforts.