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

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Alissa Ambrose

Leon Shpelfogel in his shop

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.
Fourteen months ago, though, the combination of extraordinarily high Manhattan rents and an increasingly shrinking garment industry, Schpelfogel closed up his shop on 37th St and moved to Midwood, Brooklyn.
It is unknown just how many Manhattan businesses have sought refuge in the more affordable outer boroughs, but for Schpelfogel, it was a move that made sense. His Coney Island Ave shop is a tenth the size of his old place, and he deals more with housewives then big designers, but business is steady and Shpelfogel is content.

[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/18/files/2010/11/101107-Final-Quote-1_1-2.mp3|titles=101107 Final Quote 1_1-2] Schpelfogel describes the differences between his former shop and his current business.
[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/18/files/2010/11/101107-Final-Quote-2_1-2.mp3|titles=101107 Final Quote 2_1-2]Schpelfogel talks about how outsourcing, a topic that has come up more and more as unemployment rates continue to be  dismal across the US.[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/18/files/2010/11/101107-Final-Quote-3_1-2.mp3|titles=101107 Final Quote 3_1-2]Surviving the industry downturns.

[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/18/files/2010/11/101107-Final-Quote-4_1-21.mp3|titles=101107 Final Quote 4_1-2]Schpelfogel shares his thoughts about the future of the garment industry.

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Swim Strong Foundation aims to stop drownings, keep kids fit

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Patrick Clark

About 40 percent of New York City public school students are overweight or obese, according to the Department of Health. The Centers for Disease Control, meanwhile, lists drowning as the second-leading cause of injury-related death for kids 14-and-under.

Into the fray steps the Swim Strong Foundation, an all-volunteer nonprofit that promotes water safety and physical fitness by providing beginner and competitive swim lessons at affordable rates.

On a recent Saturday, I spoke to Swim Strong founder Shawn Slevin at Far Rockaway High School swimming pool. In addition to the health and safety benefits of learning to swim, Slevin stressed the life skills that the swim lessons is teaching young swimmers and volunteer instructors. Have a listen:

101108_drowning_1-2

The effort to prevent drowning

101108_health_1-2

The best exercise you can get

101108_life skills_1-2

A tree with 32 branches

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Preparing kids for a new era

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Immigrants Assimilate with a New York Accent (Hold the Cawfee)

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Lily Rothman

For the past five years, Jeffrey Davis has had a speaking role with the newest New Yorkers.

From a home office in Astoria and a conference space in midtown, Davis runs Speak Clear Communications, a speech and accent coaching business. He uses stage and linguistics training to help people who are self-conscious about their accents play the part of native speakers, and he’s found that the downturn in the economy has driven more and more people to want to brush up on their nasals and fricatives. From being clearly understood in an interview to expressing oneself in an English-language meeting, the business benefits of a fluent, neutral accent are many—but some worry that assimilation may come at a price.

Last week, Davis spoke about his own history with accents and how accent lessons affect many of his clients, and he provided a little lesson on one of English’s sneakiest sounds.

Training

Davis discusses how he got into the accent game.

Economics

The economy has driven many of Davis’ clients to seek him out.

Assimilation

But some struggle with the deeper implications of an accent.

How to say “th”

Overheard: Davis teaches how to correctly pronounce the English “th” sound.

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New York’s Annoying Fundraisers Annoy, Raise Funds

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Lily Rothman

Hypothesis confirmed! Street fundraisers are, in fact, annoying New York.

But before you get all “d’uh” — data collected over the past few weeks also suggest that peskiness has little to do with their success or lack thereof.

If a very small, unscientific sampling of New Yorkers (roughly 0.000003% of the city’s population) can be trusted, charitable organizations have reason to dispatch street fundraisers. Fewer than 23% of the folks surveyed had ever given to a street fundraiser, but that’s a pretty decent rate, even with small-dollar donations.

Amount Given

Furthermore, those street fundraisers have reason to bug every one of us. Among the sample group, there was no correlation between giving and any outward characteristics of the giver, such as age. Neither was there a correlation between one’s generosity and the frequency of run-ins with cause-hawkers. In fact, there wasn’t much of a correlation with anything. Street fundraisers are thus well advised—though one hopes none of them are reading this—to try their luck with each passerby, since an unpredictable combination of mood, money and mensch-ness was what led people to give. (Also important was agreement with the cause, but plenty of people who never gave a cent expressed positive feelings there too.)

Perhaps more significantly, people who gave didn’t find the fundraisers any less annoying than did their counterparts. At second glance, this might not be surprising, backing up the match between low annoyance level and low guilt level, but it shows that being annoying isn’t hurting business.

And for those of us who don’t care to let the pests win? Avoidance strategies have been developed, many depending on the (real or fake) urgent cell-phone call. Have no fear about the etiquette; one respondent confessed to having briefly worked as a street fundraiser, and said that the experience left him feeling that politeness was unnecessary.

For me personally? While I still cross the street to avoid fundraisers if I can, I now give my five dollars to my favorite causes via their websites. A quick “I already gave!” is an easy solution. No shame, no delay, and — bonus! — no retort.

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Meet The Mess

Posted on October 16, 2010 by Orlando Rodriguez

When Omar Minaya took over the day to day operations as Mets General Manager, he promised that his remake of “Los Mets” would deliver a championship. What happened instead? 3 straight division collapses, two lost seasons, a shady firing of Willie Randolph, massive injuries, the devaluing of their major Dominican baseball pipeline and the arrest of their star closer.

Minaya self-celebrated himself as the “first” “Latino” GM in baseball (whatever that means), but the first doesn’t mean the best. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro is Latino also; but unlike Minaya, Amaro built his team with the BEST AVAILABLE players not just ones with Iberian sir-names.

And BTW: Amaros’ Philadelphia Phillies have won the NL East each of the last 3 years.

And they are about to clinch it again this weekend in Philly; against guess who? The New York Mets.

Hows that for a legacy Omar?

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Hurry, the scourge of America?

Posted on October 16, 2010 by Andrea D'Cruz

Minus the question mark, this post title comes courtesy of William George Jordan, who gave it to a chapter of his 1898 book, The Majesty of Calmness. Because, one-hundred-and-something years later, it seems just as, or yet more relevant, especially in this city. The sidewalk squash, the microwave meal, the rat race. New York City is hurry, hurry, hurry.

But the question mark’s there because I’m curious to know how accurate my outsider (I’m a recent trans-Atlantic migrant) assessment is. And if I’m spot on about the rush, is it actually a scourge? Was WG Jordan right when he wrote that it “has ruined more Americans than has any other word in the vocabulary of life”? Or is The Majesty of Calmness so much 19th century hyperbole?

So, see if you can squeeze in (into your busy, busy day?) this short survey. It will take just a couple of minutes, if you hurry.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY

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Are Babies in NYC Bars Space Invaders?

Posted on October 16, 2010 by Susan Rohwer

Is this baby killing your buzz?

Parents are people too. They may need to unwind with a glass of wine once in a while. And why shouldn’t that be in a bar? The debate about babies in bars is alive and well in Brooklyn where lifestyles clash and opinions run the gamut.

And this scenario can spark a range of reactions from bar patrons. Some are disgusted at the thought of a parent bringing their young ones into a bar. Others think that our culture is un-friendly enough to parents without having to feel like they have to isolate themselves from enjoying a drink with friends.

Let’s face it: some people see kids anywhere as pests. But this dispute brings out a special relationship between certain public spaces being “appropriate” for families and certain public spaces being “inappropriate” for families.

So let’s hear it New Yorkers: take this survey and we’ll see where you fall in the debate about babies in bars.

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An Apple a Day Keeps Bloomberg Away (survey included!)

Posted on October 16, 2010 by Patrick Wall

You know that friend who loves to ask, “Ew, do you know how many calories are in those things?!”

Well in New York, we call that friend the government.

Mayor Bloomberg and his health commissioner, Dr. Thomas A. Farley, want New Yorkers to eat right—whether they like it or not.  In their push to promote healthy eating, Bloomberg and company have required restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus and banned them from using trans fats.   They’ve stopped schools from serving sugary beverages and they’ve paid for mildly disturbing anti-soda ads on the Subway.  And last week, they announced a plan to prevent New Yorkers from using food stamps to buy sugary drinks.

(BTW, besides banning bad foods, the city has also funded programs to make fresh fruits and vegetables easier to find and to encourage citizens to exercise.)

Bloomberg and city health officials explain that their efforts are really meant to combat diabetes and obesity—as well as to reduce the almost $8 billion in obesity-related medical bills that New Yorkers pay each year.

But some critics complain that Mayor Mike is overstepping his bounds here.  Instead of snatching away our Cheetos, the city could simply remind us how nasty they are (right, because we didn’t already know that) and point us towards the granola.

So what do you think?  Should the government be minding our meals, or should it leggo our eggos?  Take our quick survey and let us know what you think about the city’s healthy eating initiatives.

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Fast Versus Slow Walkers in New York City

Posted on October 16, 2010 by Yudith Ho

How do you tell a New Yorker from a tourist? By their walking speed —At least, that’s how it used to be.

In a New York Times article 10 years ago, Clyde Haberman compiled tips for tourists wanting to blend in. “Lollygagging on the street […] is definitely the sign of someone who is in town for a short while,” he writes. “The idea of seeming not to know where you’re going is as repugnant to most New Yorkers as putting mayonnaise on a pastrami sandwich.”

But more recently, David G. Allan shows New Yorkers how to enjoy an all-day walk through the entire length of Manhattan, showing that this may be less about citizenship than about something else.

Whatever it is, a great divide stands between fast walkers and slow walkers in the City. Fast walkers say that slow walkers are inconsiderate for taking up sidewalk space and blocking pedestrian traffic while slow walkers argue that fast walkers are rude for bumping and swerving past people. Both arguments have their merit, but what is it that puts someone on one turf instead of the other?

Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey and I will post the results in two weeks.

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Saggy Pants

Posted on October 16, 2010 by Orlando Rodriguez

Ahhhh Saggy Pants. Once the domain of returnees from elite boarding schools and the recently released from Rikers. Now the rage of the old money rich on Fifth Avenue. They say Adam Smith was the first to love his down low knickers. “They show my love for capitalism will never die” he explained. This according to his BFF, John the Butcher. “The lower you wear ’em; the more underwear you can sell.” Gotta love old Adam and his tea party powdered wig. Oh wait he came before them. Oops.

Adam Smith Public Domain Image

But anyway, today saggy pants have really taken over. There’s a rumor that Steve Forbes, editor in chief of Forbes Magazine, has promised to wear his food exit stained suit slacks nice and low. This while he plays with his toy boats at his high school alumni bash in November. “I know how Obama thinks” a security guard “says” he overheard Steve mumbling to his crystal ball. “He thinks I’m out of touch, but I’ll show him Steve Forbesie for suresie is the down low wearing pantsie.” So it goes. I guess Brooks School won’t see enrollment go up this year.

But besides on “Forbesie” (or maybe on “Mr. Apology” Dick Cheney), nobody wants to see a man with pants below his butt line. At least that’s what I think. Laws have been passed banning the Adam Smith inspired fashion trend, but still the style persists among young inner city robber barons and in modern prohibition entrepreneur circles.

But how do others feel about this pesty trend? Take my survey below so you can express your opinion!!! Best answers get an invite to Forbes Magazine Halloween bash. Tickets given at random.

All commentary expressed in this column and survey are the full responsibility of only the author listed. Word Press nor the CUNY School of Journalism are responsible for the comedic opinions expressed in this column about public figures or institutions.

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