New Rochelle's "Mr. Catch Me if You Can"on CNN Today

In my previous Reel to Real post, I talked about the life and crimes of Frank Abagnale, the former New Rochelle resident who was a master impersonator and conman which the film "Catch Me if You Can" staring Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank was based. Today Frank was on CNN's Red Chair  mini-interview session. He currently runs a fraud prevention company, Abagnale & Associates located in Washington D.C.just a stones trow from the FBI Headquarters. How's that for irony?

NoMa Social - It's a MOD MOD World

                                                 NoMaSocial

If you would like to take a trip into the future, save your money trying to nab a seat on the next SpaceX launch and take a short rocket ride to NoMa Social. The decor is funky and happening and the food is cool and clever. From the plush plum chairs to the zig-zag zebra rug, all the elements are right on!

This Austin Powers approved restaurant/lounge is so hip that you may forget to eat. The menu has tons of tapas and light fare as well as a more hearty menu which includes a cracked pepper ribeye and a wild mushroom risotto. On Friday & Saturday nights, the DJ spins radio hits  If you are looking for a dose of reality TV, The Real Housewives of New Jersey will be hosting the party on June 9th -10th from 7pm- Until (3am). Not certain if Bravo TV will be there, but it is sure to be Dancing with Reality TV Stars!

Farmers Market - Lettuce Entertain You

                                   www.communitymarkets.biz
On Friday June 22nd we welcome back the New Rochelle Farmers Market. This community outdoor market  started in 2009 and is brought to you by the City of New Rochelle. Located on the Library Green near Huguenot and Lawton avenue on Friday's from 8am- 3pm rain or shine.
                                                 

 The market vendors sell baked goods, fruits, herbs, vegetables and specialty foods. The community market website offers countless recipes for the healthy heart inclined. When is the last time you had  fresh turnips, radishes, beets, honey or cider? I suggest that you mark your calendar for the opening of Community Markets; It's either you will be there or you wilt. 

Hudson Park Beach Bar - Waterfront Watering Hole

Who needs to deal with the long lines and sunless Gotham City views at the Shake Shack when you can dine on burgers and fries with beach-side views at the Beach Bar at Hudson Park . Open daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day, residents can save a few bucks on entry to the beach by purchasing an Omnicard.

 Hudson Park and Beach are located at the south end of New Rochelle on Hudson Park Road.  It features a grassy recreation area with a cameo playground, a music bandshell and seating area.  If you forgot your bathing-suit no worries, the park is pristine and has many benches ideal for boat watching or escaping into a good book. So, forget the trip to the Jersey Shore and have family friendly fun that makes for a more desirable "Situation".

                       Christopher Columbus Monument @ Hudson Park

Get down Downtown- Sidewalk Sale Success

There were a few bright spots during yesterdays intermittent shower session and one of them was the Sidewalk Sale in downtown New Rochelle.  The Curtain Shop, IB Cohen & Sons, Just Funki, Liebman's and the Four Seasons Fine Apparel all showcased their goods for foot bound bargain hunters.

Juggles the Clown was on hand to provide giggles for the kiddies while parents laughed all the way to the bank, with bags full of money saving deals. 

AJ's Burgers - Hail to the Beef

                                             www.ajsburgers.com

Located in the area that I like to call pep-rally parkway, also know as North Avenue near Iona College, sits AJ's Burgers.  Alan J Cohen (AJ) honed his chops @ The Davenport Country Club and several other notable Westchester restaurants before opening this moniker laden establishment. This burger joint has the feel of a town diner without the waitresses in hairnets.  

As sponsors of  "Picnic in the Park” at Hudson Park on Memorial Day, you can feast on goodies from AJ's Burgers from a special menu where every item is priced at $1. So, come and chow down at the picnic because before you know it, this Memorial Day special will be a just a Memory.

Incoming Tide - A "Shore" Thing

 Unfurling X  -David Boyajian

                                  David Boyajian with Friends @ Wildcliff

If you missed last weeks installation @ Wildcliff with acclaimed sculptor David Boyajian, you can  make it up to yourself by attending this weekend. The sculpture garden will be sprinkled with artworks from David as well as B.A. D'Alessandro, Bernard Rowan, Jodi Carlson  and Denis Fol.

                                        
 For your ear-joyment Patti Rothberg will  sing a song of sixpence promptly @ 6pm. This New York City native began playing the piano at the age of 3 and penning songs by 15. She released 4 studio albums and even had a single reach number 25 on  Billboard's Alternative Song Chart.  RSVP 

Eric Woodlin installed the sculpture garden at Wildcliff. Installation season runs from May to September and is open to the public from 11-4 on Saturdays. He is the Owner/Producer of Incoming Tide Entertainment LLC, a New York based special event/production company. Incoming Tide produces concerts, comedy shows and art exhibits. Eric can also be hired to manage your special event. The only reason to miss this weekends event is if you were swept out to sea.

Located @ 44 Wildcliff Road New Rochelle, New York

Memorial Day Parade - Celebrate Honor

New Rochelle Memorial Day Weekend Events

5^th Annual Memorial Day Parade

Monday, May 28, 10:30 a.m.

Memorial Day Parade “We Remember”

Memorial Plaza-Hudson Park

On Monday, May 28. Event begins with at 10:30 a.m. with a ceremony at Memorial Plaza followed by a parade and procession to Hudson Park via Huguenot Street, North Avenue and Pelham Road for a waterfront ceremony honoring those lost at sea.

Line the sidewalks and fall in behind the parade and join the procession to the park!

Waterfront Ceremony followed by a “Picnic in the Park” with $1 menu from AJ’s Burgers, Pronto Pizza, and UVMPA. Live music all afternoon at the Hudson Park Bandshell featuring the USO Liberty Bells and New Rochelle’s own West Enders and Third Stone bands, with emcee Dennis Nardone and entertainer Joan Crowe.

Special attractions in the Park! See equipment displays; crafts, games, and more! Weather permitting, helicopter landing at Hudson Park from 2-4 pm for public view.  

In case of rain, the ceremony and concert will be held in the Monroe College Athletic Facility at New Roc City. For more information visit www.newrochelleny.com.

Essential Pictures- Cinematic Cheers

The fabulous folks of New Rochelle looked picture perfect during the Life Essentials Trailer preview at Alvin & Friends on Monday evening.  Muta' Ali Ruby's grandson (above) provided commentary to News 12 Westchester.

                               Alvin Clayton - Owner of Alvin & Friends

              Kara O'Neill                      
      

 

Michael D. Armstrong w/ Host's Terry and Alvin Bowles 

 

  Ruby's grandson Guy Davis 

                              Ruby's granddaughter Ihsanna Muhammad
All photography by Brahm Rhodes

Repeat Contenders - Perfect Patronage

Blackboard Pizza 

Beer ye Beer Ye!!!! There is something to beer about at Blackboard Pizza this week - they are now serving beer and wine! Mondays & Tuesdays you can ingest a bottle of vino for the meager sum of $15. For hump day, come out for Sangria night and make your choice of red or white. The fun continues on Thursday night with Happy hour specials and 1/2 price drinks starting at 8pm for ladies only. Girls, this is the only time that going dutch won't cost you much.

                                                

Posto 22

Having dinner @ Posto 22 on Thursday nights is like dining with David Copperfield. Allan J. Sherer, a lifelong magician has preformed for the likes of Robin Williams and Debbie Reynolds. His sleight of hand is something to see, but you won't believe your eyes. My pasta disappeared in record time, this however was my magic act.

               

The Curtain Shop

The Curtain Shop's owner Louis Vaccaro is excited about this weeks forecast for his annual sidewalk sale extravaganza. Last year was quite successful and  he is loading up the pedestrian pathways with super sales for the savvy shopper. This is a can't miss sale where you can't just walk on "buy". 

Ruby Dee - Essential Life

                               http://rubydee.lifesessentialsdocs.com

Ruby Dee still knows how to draw a crowd. New Rochelle Residents braved the inclement weather last night to view the trailer Life Essentials at Alvin & Friends restaurant in Downtown New Rochelle. Life Essentials is a documentary style film about love, art and activism. The film is told through the eyes of Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee's grandson, Muta' Ali. The film's revealing conversations and never seen-before material gives the current generation a glimpse into the living history that is Ruby Dee. Donations for the production and filming of this living time capsule are still being accepted on the Life Essentials website.

Born Ruby Ann Wallace in Cleveland, Ohio, she spent most of her youth in Harlem. Academia was a priority to Dee and she received degrees in French and Spanish in 1944 from Hunger College. As a member of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the NAACP and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Dee and her husband Ossie Davis were vocal in their disdain for racial injustice. Dee & Davis were close friends with Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X and Davis provided the eulogy of Malcolm X in 1965.

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Ruby stared with Sidney Poitier in the 1961 film A Raisin in the Sun. For her spectacular performance, she won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress.

New Rochelle Armory- Beyond Barracks

In 1933, the New Rochelle Armory became the permanent home of the 31st Fleet Division of the New York Naval Militia. The Armory served as a military training ground and meeting place for servicemen. Since then, thousands of members of the armed services were inducted at the New Rochelle Armory including 300 who died in combat.

After years of neglect, the Armory, once slated for demolition was spared by community outcry and activism. With the introduction of  the New Rochelle Armory RFP, the City of New Rochelle invites qualified development teams, cultural and civic organizations, colleges and universities, non-profit and for-profit business entities to submit proposals for the adaptive reuse of the Armory. All submissions must be presented by Friday, July 20th 2012.Good luck!

                           Restored Mural from the New Rochelle Armory

SmokeHouse Tailgate Grill - Gridiron Grub

 

www.smokehousechili.com

What better way to have the food of football season last all year round than to start your own restaurant. That is exactly what the tailgate loving duo Michael and Justin did with Smokehouse Tailgate Grill in 2007.  The menu reads like a love letter to Doug Heffernan with ribs, wings, burgers, chili, steak, hot dogs and sandwiches. With a revamped beer menu that includes over a dozen options on tap as well as 30 bottle options, you have more choices than you can stock in any post-tailgate cooler. 

 The atmosphere is indicative to most eateries in the college corridor- lively and a bit boisterous during sporting events.  Patrons park themselves in prime TV viewing spaces early so if watching the game is a priority, you should plan ahead.  For your next tailgate party, instead of loading up the SUV, take a trip to Smokehouse for the game winning touchdown.

Flowers by Sutton -A Kiss from a Rose

                                         www.flowersbysutton.com

 On the southern most corner of Huguenot and Division street sits Sutton Florist. This family owned business provides green thumb service for their customers and treats each order with the utmost urgency. Husband and wife team Bobby and Meredith are in horticultural harmony as the family cat maneuvers amongst the orchids and azalea's.

The orchid I purchased in February was in great need of some TLC so I brought it back to Bobby. He took one look at it and said that I had over-watered the plant and should let it dry out a bit. He was correct. No less than six weeks later did my orchid blossom again and this time with an extra flower.  Sutton Florist, a flower shop where you do not have to be a genius to find the right genus.

New Rochelle in the Movies- Reel to Real

Catch Me If You Can:  This 2002 biographical comedy  based on the life of New Rochelle resident Frank Abagnale Jr., who posed as a Pan American Airways pilot, a prosecutor and doctor all before his 19th birthday.  By the 1960's Frank forged $2.5 million dollars worth of checks across 26 countries. His fruitful scheme came to an end when the FBI closed in on him slapping him with a five year prison sentence. Frank now runs a financial fraud consulting company.

Michael Clayton: This 2007 drama earned George Clooney his third Oscar nomination, was shot in New Rochelle. In fact, Clooney would return a year later to shoot Burn After Reading with Brad Pitt.

GoodFellas: In this 1990 classic, Henry Hill's wife's parents home was located on Alfred lane in New Rochelle. I am certain you remember the infamous scene where Henry walks across the street and begins to teach Karen's neighbor a lesson after he exhibited less than gentlemanly behavior toward her.     

   City Slickers 2:  In 1994 Billy Crystal and Pattrica Wettig  were on to something when they   abandonded noisy overcrowded Manhattan for the spacious solitude of New Rochelle.