Taste of Times Square

On Monday, June 3rd from 5:00-9:00 PM, Times Square will be hosting an event called, Taste of Times Square, which will be located on 46th Street between Broadway and 9th Avenue.  Right in the center of all the action of Times Square, people will get the chance to taste different foods from New York City's best restaurants!

Taste of Times Square is an outdoor food and music festival, which features international foods from the city's best restaurants. Times Square’s most popular culinary destinations set up tables on the street to offer “tastes” of their signature dishes.

People can enjoy cuisine from around the world including Italian, Chilean, Irish, Latin, Asian and more.  If you love food, you don't want to miss this event!

Click on the link below to view all of the Taste of Times Square  Participating Restaurants:

Taste of Times Square Restaurants

This is not only a great way to get the community involved, but an excellent way to get restaurants to advertise their food to a large number of people.  By getting a small taste of a restaurant's food is an excellent way to get people to come back to you.  Food is always a sure thing when it comes to events, and is always a large crowd draw.  I know I want to go and try all the different food selections!  I think it would be a fun date or afternoon with friends to go around and try everything.  Some of my favorite restaurants are listed to be there as well.  Check it out !

Singing Waiters, Oh My!

If you ever want to go to a fun, family restauraunt, Ellen's Stardust Diner is the place to go.  Located on the corner of 51st and Broadway (my office is convienenetly right next door), this New York Broadway diner is famous for their singing wait staff along with their retro 1950s theme.

 

The diner is named and owned by Ellen Hart, a former Misss Subway back in the 1950s.  "Miss Subway" was a beauty compeition that was held for more than 3 decades, but ended in the 70s.   The winners were featured on Subway trains, and back in the day, riding the subway was considered a luxury where people dressed up.  Below is a great and interesting video which talks about the story of Miss Subway and features Ellen Hart, owner of Ellen's Stardust Diner.

Ellen Hart has photos of all the Miss Subways that won from decades ago featured all over the diner.  The singing wait staff is also dressed up in 50s attire.  It's a great place to go back in time and relive that era!  If you check out their website, you can get a feel of the atmosphere and what Ms. Subway is all about.

Check out the main website:
  Ellen's Stardust Diner

The website features a bunch of articles regarding "Miss Subway" events, as well as photos of the singing waiters.  This diner is not just any restaurant, it's a unique and famous tourist destination.
 

The restaurant itself is known for it's fun energitic atmosphere, not so much the food.  It's your basic American-style food, but nothing out of this world.  I came across a food blog that mentions Ellen's Stardust diner and the blogger's experiences with it.

Adventures of the Foodaholic

The blogger, named Maria, also describes the food and the atmosphoere.  It's a wonderful place for Tourists, but not if you want to eat the best of the best.  You go more for the environment and the singing, not the quality of food.  I personally think they are a bit overpriced, but the salads and burgers are pretty good!

 All of the waiters are aspiring actors, hoping to catch their big break if an agent or manager happens to discover them. Since it is located in the heart of the theater district, is the perfect place for actor's to work! My boss, who is a booking agent, sometimes goes down to the diner if she needs to find a singer for an event we may have. It's essentially a showcase for actor's and at the same time a way for them to make a few bucks.

 

However, if you don't like singing, this probably isn't the place for you!  Check it out, it's a really fun restaurant to be in!

Inside Out

There is always something interesting going on in Times Square. This week, a Parisian street artist and photographer named J R is showcasing his art on the street in the middle of Times Square.  He is leading a huge participatory art concept called Inside Out.

J R set up a photo truck in Times Square, which is taking people’s portraits and instantly printing them on giant posters. People can take the poster home or paste it to the ground with buckets of wheat paste and brushes provided for them.

JR was quoted in an article in NY Times saying,

 “It’s an interesting thing about New York,” J R said in an interview on Friday, “that this is a very busy city, yet so many New Yorkers have come and given their time to the project, to taking their pictures, to pasting them and to being part of an exchange. And if you look at Times Square, you see that there is advertising everywhere, so where in other cities we put the portraits on the walls, and even on roofs, here we put them on the ground. So in a way, it’s people versus advertising. It’s people, amid all this advertising, saying, ‘We exist’ and ‘We’re together. ”

NY Times

A few of the portraits are projected on the electronic advertising screens in Times Square, taking the place of some Advertisements.

JR's request: to assemble a global Facebook, in which people have their pictures taken — or send their own portraits to J R by e-mail — as part of what he hoped would become the world’s largest participatory art project.

About 130,000 people have contributed their images. and the number is still growing.  It's amazing that this many people are willing to contribute in the name of art.  I find it a fantastic and beautiful thing!  Times Square is so full of surprises every single day.

JR's mission to advertise people is such an inspiring and powerful message.  It's so true that advertising has taken over our lives, and we forget about the people in our society.  By putting the portraits on the ground, people have no choice but to look on what they are walking on.  It is a great eye-opener, and a creative way to get a point across.

A History Lesson

Times Square encompasses the diversity of New York City.  However, it hasn't always been the melting pot that it is today.

Times Square has been a source of entertainment. In 1928, about 264 shows were produced in 76 theaters in Times Square. These theaters featured the emerging popular culture – vaudeville and musicals, jazz and the movies. Today, it is still the busiest theater district in the world.

In the thirties, the Great Depression led to a deep decline in theater attendance.  Many business had to close down and were being replaced by peep shows and strip clubs.  Thus, prostitution and sex theaters defined the area for much of the post-World War II era.

The Times Square area went downhill by the end of the 1960s, and by the mid 70s, tourists avoided Times Square all together.  It had become a crime-ridden, seedy, and rough area. By the 1980′s Times Square was a porn haven and drug-ridden area of the city.  And all the theaters you see now were transformed to adult theaters and porn back then.

The "restoration" of Time Square's turned the area around.

In 1976 Fred Papert established the "42nd Street Development Corporation" to revitalize businesses in Times Square. He tried to reestablish theaters, so that when businesses came in there would be support for a clean-up of the area.

Papert realized that reforming 42nd Street would cost a sufficient amount of money. He looked to the Ford Foundation for support.

At first, Mayor Ed Koch rejected the plan. However, due to its success, Koch was forced to put funds into Times Square.

When Mayor Koch rejected the plan of the Ford Foundation, he had to come up with a better plan. Koch created a series of initiatives which cleaned up the subway and historic theaters that were now showing pornographic movies. His administration granted more zoning laws to allow for the development of office buildings around Times Square. Thus, the city got what it wanted, and money finally came in to help clean up Times Square.

By the 90s, Mayor Guilliani, determined to prevent Times Square from plummeting, used tax law and an increased police presence to clear away pornography and prostitution from Times Square. Guilliani hoped that if he could clear up the streets, businesses would move in as soon as the economy cleared. The bright advertisements once again lit up the streets.

In 1990, the city and state teamed up to create the New 42nd Street, a nonprofit organization that repaired seven theaters on 42nd street: the Lyric, the Selwyn, the Apollo, the Times Square Theater, the Empire, the Liberty, and the Victory.

In 1993, Disney signed a 99-year lease with the City and State for the Amsterdam Theater, which they renovated, renamed the New Amsterdam, and opened with the play The Lion King in 1997.  Once Disney entered the area, things began to pick up.  Disney opened up a store on Times square which attracted more family-friendly business to the area.

Taken from a recent New York Times article,

"The plan, to radically make over 13 acres, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, primarily fronting 42nd Street, outlived three mayors, four governors, two real estate booms and two recessions. Success is evident. Crime is down significantly from the days when pimps, prostitutes, drug addicts and dope pushers prowled Times Square and the Deuce, as that stretch of 42nd Street was known. The number of tourists is up 74 percent since 1993, to an estimated 36.5 million last year, and attendance at Broadway shows has soared to nearly 12 million".  (NYTimes.com)

 Disney agreed to take over the New Amsterdam theater in days of Mayor David N. Dinkins. The restored theater has now been home to two wildly successful Disney plays, the Lion King, and now Mary Poppins. Before you knew it, Times Square was once again a magnant for tourists.

Things Got Weird..

A funny thing happened to me on the way to work on a beautiful summer day a few years ago.  Everyday I walk down 8th Avenue up to 51st Street to get to work.  For some reason, I decided to walk through Times Square in the morning. I don't know why because I really dislike walking through Times Square when I'm in a rush on my way to work.  Well, it was a beautiful day and I had gotten into the city earlier than expected.

As I was walking trying to walk around all the tourists, I was stopped suddently by a man. Usually, I ignore most people who try to sell me something or want money.  But this guy had six, yes SIX, rats on his shoulders!  Three on each side!   Obviously, my first reaction was "EWWWW WTF!"  I freaked out and I tried to run away from him, but this guy thougth it was funny and followed me!  Other people were screaming and running away as well.   I was NOT happy!  All I can say was that it definitly woke me up in the morning!

If I wanted to pet his rats, I would have asked.  People are SO weird.  Apparently this guy is ALWAYS in Times Square. If you google, "Rat Man in Times Square", his picture appears!  People will do anything for attention, but I find it creepy and just plain weird.      

Beware of all the weirdos in Times Square!   It could happen to you!

St. Peter's Square in Rome

I went to Italy a few years ago for a Study Abroad program with the University of Delaware, and was was fortunate enough to visit one of the most famous squares in Rome.  St. Peter's Square, or in Italian, Piazza San Pietro, is located in the heart of Vatican City. It's an extremely beautiful and very affluent place.
 

In April 1655, Alexander VII was elected as the new pope and commissioned sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini to create a new square. It took twelve years to complete his vision. 

St. Peter's Square is bordered on either side by semi-circular coloumns in a semi-circle which, according to Bernini, symbolize the stretched arms of the church embracing the world. The columsns were built in 1660 and consist of four rows of columns with in total 284 columns. The columns are 66 feet high.  140 statues were installed on top of the colonnades, all created by Bernini and his students. They represent popes, martyrs, evangelists and other religious figures.

 

 

On special occasions or holidays, such as the election of a new pope or on Easter, an average of 400,000 people are in the square.  It is a holy site and home to some beautiful and famous art. 

Unlike Times Square, there are no Street Performers and it is very clean.  This is after all, a holy site and home of the Vatican.  I was lucky enough to take a tour and learn about the history and art here.  It amazes me how wealthy Vatican city is, when just outside the gates the city is full of poor people.    

 

 

I hope to visit again soon.  I loved Rome and everything it had to offer.   

The Naked Truth: Chatting With The Naked Cowboy, Himself!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting with the Naked Cowboy, whose real name is Robert John Burck.  I really didn't know what to expect, but I have to say, I was completely taken back with how passionate and motivated he is about what he does. After speaking with him, I was so inspired to chase after my dreams.  Enjoy!

So where are you from?

I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio.

And how did you end up in New York?

Well I was in Cincinnati, again I was born and raised in Cincinatti, and at some point I read Tony Robbins book, Of Unlimited Power.  Tony Robbins is a motivational speaker. But everything out of the guy’s mouth… he’s very motivational. After reading him, he basically, you know, as far as getting what you want in life, you need to know what you want. You write it out, you focus on it. So for 15 years of reading him, and this is a document I read everyday (Sidenote: He pulls out a huge stack of paper that is written all over and highlighted) on either a stair climber, an elliptical or a running machine, so I’m constantly reading this dialogue. 

So he motivated you?

Yeah, I basically wrote out these goals. He basically says you can have anything you want in your life, you just gotta know what you want. It all started with goal setting, and this is the same document I've literately been reading for about 16 years.  When, just like everybody else in the world, I’m not motivated, don’t feel like doing it, don’t give a shit, I just listen to him... And my life is literately mirroring all these things I've read and studied all my life.  Goal is to be the most famous man on the face of the earth, the richest, most successful, most profitable, most affluent...

So why the naked cowboy? What made you want to do this specifically?

Well in 1998 I was in Venice Beach,California.  I was shooting for Playgirl magazine.  Another thing about Tony, he says you have to not only know what you want, but once you know what you want, find people who HAVE what you want. So who has limousines taking them back and forth, Learjets, all the money in the world? Endorsements?  Money?  Who has that?  Movie stars, kings, presidents, you name it.  So I went into political science in school, I went into pre-med (thought I’d be a doctor or lawyer). Ended up with a political science degree.

From where?

University of Cincinnati  Then I went for my masters degree in business administration.  That was a 2 year program, I did one year of it, straight As, but at that point I decided I was already going back and forth from California  LA, everywhere I could possibly go to following modeling leads, things like that. I tried to be an actor and a country singer.

 

In 1998, I was shooting for Playgirl magazine. So I was shooting with a gay photographer who was going to be shooting me nude.  I went down to Venice beach on my off time, cause I was trying to be a country singer too, and just started singing. Had an old acoustic that my mother always had the house. So I went down the beach, and I had on jeans, a vest, and a flannel shirt on.  I played all day with my guitar and was ignored the entire day.  One kid threw 2 cents at me, and a little old lady put a dollar in my hat.  So I didn't make any money.

 

And the photographer that was shooting me for the nude magazine said, "Why don’t you play in your underwear?  Do something different."  I was like, "That’s fucking great!"


I went back in my underwear, which is what Tony Robbins would call, “marshalling your resources”.

Wasn't a great singer, didn't have the best body, wasn't a good dancer, all these things.   But combining it, just going in my underwear, everybody took pictures all day. And a news crew happened to be just walking down the boardwalk, they filmed me, I was on the news.  I got an interview with the LA Times.

Did you ever imagine you would get so much attention from all this?

Yea, absolutely.  Was determined from day one because he (Tony Robbins) told me that I could be, to have everything that I want in my life.  And I have it, and it keeps growing every single day. Got a new guitar endorsement, we got liquor endorsements, Naked Cowboy oysters, Naked Cowgirl oysters... I mean everything is just growing astronomically. And I expect to be living in a penthouse in NYC.

So you obviously enjoy the spotlight that’s on you.

I enjoy it, but it’s necessary for people to see me because what I am epitomizes what anyone can do. And it liberates and frees all people to be just like me. And that’s what everybody wants; they want to walk this earth as a king or a queen. And we all have that.  It's our vanity that rules us, and that’s a good thing.

Why no boxers?

Well when the guy told me to get in my underwear, I had the same underwear my mother bought me when I was 12 yrs old.  And it wasn't a conscious decision to wear boxers or briefs, but I think it works too because people have a taboo of being locked, stuck outside in their underwear, so to speak.  And it kind of plays into that kind of common phobia that people have being stuck outside in their underwear.

           

Do you ever get cold?

I get cold all winter long, but I deal with it.  Everyday you end up feeling like a failure no matter how many times you get out there cause you have to work so hard to do it.

How do you feel about impostors?

We have no impostors, we got 4 cowboys and 4 cowgirls.

Oh, so they’re all under the franchise?

Yup, they are all licensed and franchised.

So where do you want to go from here, where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Again, penthouse in NYC, my own helipad, my own helicopter that flies me over to my home in Weehawken, NJ and a plethora of castles all over the world, because just again, the more success, the more famous or richer I am, and I want to be the richest man on the face of the earth, most inspiring, most sexiest motherfucker on the face of the earth, and I can go all day long with this. Because the greater the success, the more validation you get from everyone else, and that forces them to look and look at what I’m doing and how I've been doing it. And they recognize they control their own destinies, if they take the time.  I’m 100%, I’m focused.

What is the one thing that you have learned, that you take away from all this?

To me its always about getting greater and greater faith that everything is gonna work out. Staying in the right frame of mind, stay focused. And even when you don’t succeed on a daily basis, you don’t do everything you can, keep your spirit up, cause the next day is coming.  Cause, ultimately, I got over it.  Keeping your mentality up, which takes 24 hours a day.  And you’ll eventually, I believe, have it on a level where just nothing can bring you down... you’re like a Buddha.  You're just happy.

Do you just stay in New York, or do you travel?

Yeah, I mean I don’t take any days off. To me, the Naked Cowboy is no longer what I do, it’s who I am. Anything other than singing and playing guitar as the Naked Cowboy is pointless.    

Wow!  What a nice, sweet, and intelligent guy.  He talked a mile a minute, (my head was spinning) and was so energetic, but is also so determined and driven.  The Naked Cowboy has a truly inspiring story, and he's just getting started.  I believe he will go far!