Author Archives: Alissa Ambrose

New York City: A Zoo Without Walls

If you want to see exotic animals in NYC, where do you usually go? Central Park, the Bronx and Prospect Park all boast excellent zoos, but turns out you don’t need to pay admission to see wildlife in the big apple. Continue reading

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In Brooklyn, They Think They Can Dance

By 7:30 Tuesday morning, a line was already wrapped around the
corner of Lafayette Ave and Ashland Pl in Fort Greene. Dancers from as far away as
Nova Scotia gathered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music for day two of
auditions for the reality show So You Think You Can Dance. Continue reading

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Bedbug Survey Results

The bedbug results are in.
As of November 12th, only 2 of the 19 survey responders actually had a bedbug infestation in their own homes. Both of them were in Brooklyn and both were in the past 6 months.
About 3/4 of the those who did not have bugs themselves, knew someone who has and 40% say that this has affected the way they socialize with them.
Continue reading

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Creative Downsizing: A Piece of the Garment District Moves to Midwood

Leon Shpelfogel has been in the sewing machine business for more than 40 years. He started out working in his father-in-law’s Garment District shop, learning to build, repair and install the machines used by the then flourishing New York clothing industry. As the garment industry went into decline in the 60s and 70s, Shpelfogel’s business survived when many did not. Continue reading

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A survey of Bedbugs in NYC: True Plague or Just Panic?

If you have lived in New York in the past year, you have probably aware that bedbugs have made a comeback. Stories about the tiny bloodsuckers have filled the papers and are regularly featured on TV news. But is this problem really big enough to warrant the 13 bedbug stories the NY Times has published in the last month alone? Should New Yorkers be panicking about the oncoming bedbug plague or is this the Y2K of this decade, a minor impact with a LOT of buzz? Continue reading

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A Stable Job: Driving a Carriage Driving in NYC

Horse and carriage rides have long been part of the landscape in Central Park. Stephen Malone, the president of the Horse and Carriage Association of NY, has been in the industry his whole life. Continue reading

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Watch Your Step

I got to thinking about how many times I have had similar close encounters on the streets of New York. Living in Brighton Beach/Coney Island for the past several years (unofficially, the litter capitol of the city from June to September), I have developed an expertise in the strange things people leave behind. Continue reading

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Who Needs A Zoo?

When I think about pesky animals in NYC, rats, pigeons and squirrels come to mind. Lately though, our city has hosted a much wilder crowd. In August, a 2 foot crocodile was found huddling beneath a Datsun in Astoria, Queens, leaving many people wondering “who still drives a Datsun? The origins of the reptile are a mystery, but his appearance has reinvigorated a classic urban legend. Continue reading

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