SoHa To SoHo: Lapses in Hibernation

This winter has seen me at my most reclusive. It's so cold outside that I don't really leave the house unless there's something I absolutely have to go and do. Here are some of the things that have made the cut:

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Closing of Cafe La Fortuna
69 W. 71st St., Upper West Side
February 16, 2008

For 32 years Cafe La Fortuna was owned and operated by Vinny Urwand and his wife Alice. The cafe was made famous during the late seventies when John Lennon became a regular there. He was known to sit in the front of the restaurant and write songs. Sometimes Yoko would join him there. You can read more about Cafe La Fortuna here and here.

The restaurant had it's last day of business on Sunday, February 17, 2008 for reasons mentioned here. I was lucky to have my first and last meal there with my friend James the day before the closing.

This is Randy. We sat next to him and found out that he lives upstairs and was the one who tipped the story to the press.

Vinny

Both The Dakota (Lennon's old home) and Strawberry Fields are in the same neighborhood.

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Pete Hamill at Broad Street Ballroom
41 Broad St., Financial District
January 17, 2008

Pete Hamill is a famous writer. He's also one of the major Gothamists featured in the 8-part PBS documentary on New York City. Nick, Richard, and I went to a free lecture he gave on his book Downtown: My Manhattan.

As you can see, we hit it off smashingly.

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Advance screening of Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?
66 3rd Ave., East Village
February 20, 2008

Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? : trailer
Uploaded by Cineblogywood

A guy in my ward had hookups for a free screening of an upcoming film called Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? It's made by Morgan Spurlock, the guy who brought us Supersize Me. Basically the title says it all. Morgan goes on a hunt to find the world's most wanted man. I liked it. Very interesting film.

The best part was getting to fill out a survey and be part of a focus group after the screening. I hope they use my opinions. After having my work attacked by focus groups, it sure was nice being on the other side of the testing process for a change.

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New York New York New York at Flux Factory
38-38 43rd St., Long Island City
January 12, 2008

Flux Factory is a group of artists in Queens who rent out a space for working and events. It's what I imagine Andy Warhol's Factory must have been like in the 60s.

So, the New York New York New York exhibit was created in response to the famous Panorama at the Queens Museum. Rather than being a highly accurate, scale model of the city, it's a dreamlike vision of an imaginary New York. It's a model of New York on acid.