therealtamara

It’s been here a year

Coffee bar for an exotic array of Yemeni drinks: Qamaria on 9th Avenue between 42nd-41st.

There is an array of fantastic desserts, too.

Right next door is a place that must have been on this block forever.

Local 42 has a generous menu, including a $9 cheeseburger. D and I choose the Mushreuben, which is perfect with a shared side of cottage fries.

We are headed for the opening night of The Art Tour (more on that soon) at Theater Row.

What can I tell you

When did Queens become Manhattan?

Queens was known for its low slung skyline.

Towering buildings topped by a blue line of light now should not surprise me.

Once upon a time, my friend Chuck and I drank coffee and dropping quarters into the juke

Artistically designed footwear, at the Guggenheim

Back on the Coffee Trail

Saturday, I discovered Dan Jones Coffee and today it’s Kēemoff’s cappucino.

Wowie.

New places crop up all around town.

Interesting phenom.

Kēemoff’s is on 1st Avenue and 91st.

Lake Success

Visiting D at the Northshore Towers, on this gorgeous day. Turns out we aren’t really on Long Island, not quite. The Towers are in Queens.

57th and Third

At the top left, it’s Bassano Jewelry where Burton bought his favorite watch.

Around the corner on 3rd is Dan Jones Coffee Bar, new to me, and cute in the way such small spaces can be.

This is the first time I’ve been on a coffee trail in a long time.

The latte is delicious.

The breakfast sandwich is a bit bland.

The QM6 to Northshore Towers stops on the corner. After the Queensboro Bridge, we pass lots of Queens landmarks, including the underwhelming Union Turnpike and Parsons Blvd. On Ascan Ave there’s Portofino and then Boca Juniors restaurants. First stop for the QM6 is Union Turnpike and Utopia Parkway.

Hillcrest Synagogue near Union Turnpike and Chevy Chase. Saul Weprin is 188th Street.

Even Little Neck Parkway is just as diminutive as all the other Boulevards and Turnpikes. I am in Lake Success or so the sign claims.

Fall changes

Destination WaHi

Annette A. Aguilar’s String Beans performed at the Jazz WaHi pre-Festival Party on Monday.

The real kickoff is Th Nov 6th. The Festival runs at United Palace through Nov 9th.

The United Palace is a gorgeous old movie house, sitting on a square block near the GW Bridge.

The details, colors, grandeur of this place took my breath away.

Thanks to my friend Cindy, who is a genuine New York City tours guide, for introducing me to this gem. Cindy also guided me to this destination, pointing out highlights along our route. [All I knew about WaHi before this was what I learned from Lin Manuel Miranda’s musical. And it’s not the one you’re thinking of.]