FN focus: Madison Avenue. (shoe store mix in the Madison Avenue area) (Retailing) (Directory) - Footwear News

Got some meandering time during the New York market? Hike up Madison Avenue. Traverse the 57th St. and Fifth Avenue area. Note changes in store mix versus five years ago. It's a little startling to see so many vacancies on Madison. (The former Charles Jourdan/Bis store at 66th and Madison is a major casualty.) This past year also brought new blood via Barneys, Christian Louboutin, Ombeline and Polo Sport, among others. Following is a list of area highlights. Note: Names in red denote new stores or ones offering something special via windows, design or styles.

Madison Avenue

1. Designer Shoes, 1185 Madison (86th and 87th). Note this store's window display.

2. Banana Republic, 1136 Madison (84th and 85th). Okay, they don't have shoes, but its worth a gander. It's Banana Republic's takeoff of Barneys' Madison store.

3. J. Gold Shoes, 1100 Madison (82nd and 83rd). The handbags steal the show.

4. Eric Shoes, 1067 Madison (81st and 82nd). Note the platform sneaks just inside the store.

5. Charivari, 1001 Madison (77th and 78th). The hanging displays show how to mix accessories and props in a small space.

6. Arche, 995 Madison (77th and 78th). This shows it doesn't take much to create eye-catching holiday windows. Cost: Forty Santa boots for about $140.

7. Sacco Shoes, 948 Madison (74th and 75th). NYC's hometown fashion shoe store (formerly Ecco) offers an interesting twist on the fireplace.

8. Ralph Lauren, 867 Madison (SE corner of 72nd). A gold mine of merchandising ideas. And just smell that pine.

9. Polo Sport, 888 Madison (SW corner of 72nd). Step into Ralph Lauren's squeaky clean world of sport, working fireplace et al. Keep a lookout for shoes, merchandised through-out the store.

10. Oilily, 870 Madison (70th and 71st). It's the most colorful spot on the street.

11. Andrea Carrano, 850 Madison (SW corner of 70th). Good, solid Italian fashion.

12. Maraolo, 835 Madison between 69th and 70th. Classy shoes with a fashionable twist, the Italian way.

13. Fila, 831 Madison (69th and 70th). Take a gander. What other athletic store has opened on upper Madison?

14. Joan & David, 816 Madison (68th and 69th). This store believes in brown. Nice mixing apparel, accessories and shoes.

15. Billy Martin's, 812 Madison (SW corner of 68th). It's cowboy-mania with clutter galore.

16. Peter Fox Shoes, 806 Madison (67th and 68th). At least one store put red velvet shoes in the window. It's the holiday season, after all.

17. Christian Louboutin, 30 E. 67th. An ode to the hot, young designer. The tiny store is not big on seating, so don't plan to put your feet up.

18. Henry Lehr, 772 Madison (66th and 67th). Limited shoes, but look at what they paired their funky sneaks with in the window.

19. Nicole Miller, 780 Madison (66th and 67th). The expanded shoe area is a vast improvement over its teeny predecessor.

20. Vanessa Noel, 26 E. 66th St. Posh.

21. Ombeline, 37 E. 65th St. The newest arrival on Madison is vintage Maud de Marco, formerly Maud Frizon.

22. Walter Steiger, 739 Madison (63rd and 64th). The one and only.

23. Nine West, Madison at NE corner of 64th. Good merchandising, classy decor and prime site. Otherwise, typical Nine West.

24. Timberland, 709 Madison (SE corner of 63rd). The store uses its windows to convey 'The Spirit of Giving.' Get a discount off an outerwear purchase when you donate a coat to the store, which in turn will give it to the needy. They have the right idea.

25. Stephane Kelian, 702 Madison (62nd and 63rd). The master of woven shoes.

26. Unisa, 701 Madison (62nd and 63rd). Some surprises.

27. Bally of Switzerland, 689 Madison (SE corner of 62nd). Nice, but you're better off strolling to the Fifth Ave. flagship at 55th St.

28. Cole-Haan, 667 Madison (SE corner of 61st). Get a look at the company everyone seems to copy these days. (The Fifth Ave. flagship off Rockerfeller Center is more of an eyeful.)

29. Barneys New York, 654 Madison (60th and 61st). Madison's new megastar is a must. First for its 'gastronomically' delightful windows. Second, for the amazing array of styles and designers in the shoe salon on four. Then head to the basement wine bar. Hint: Forego the restaurant unless you're up to dealing with attitude. Hang at the wine bar, order a cheese plate.

30. Robert Clergerie, 41 E. 60th St. Seems like he's everywhere today, but this is his baby.

31. Fratelli Rossetti, 601 Madison (57th and 58th). Very posh.

32. Eddie Bauer, 600 Madison (NE corner of 58th). Go the 58th St. door, it's nearest the shoe area. But be sure to exit by the front entrance. You'll find gift boxes and tissue paper stacked by the door. Dig in.

57th St./Fifth Avenue

* Diego Della Valle, 41 E. 57th St. between Madison and Park

* Prada Milan, 45 E. 57th St. (Madison and Park).

* Hermes, 11 E. 57th St. (Madison and Fifth).

* Escada, 7 E. 57th St. (Madison and Fifth).

* Chanel, 5 E. 57th St. (Madison and Fifth).

* Ann Taylor, 3 E. 57th St. (Madison and Fifth). View the shoe area on Two -- the shoes and prices will surprise you.

* Galeries Lafayette, Trump Tower, corner of 57th and Fifth.

* Warner Brothers Studio, NE corner of 57th St. and Fifth. Just opened. If something in this store doesn't put a smile on your face, you need a vacation.

* Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave. Browse the second floor salon, but make the effort to see the remodeled fifth floor shoe department.

* Susan Bennis Warren Edwards, 22 W. 57th St. Also check out their department in Henri Bendel at 712 Fifth.

* Salvatore Ferragamo, 717 Fifth Ave. This store and its cohort across the street close when the company's units open in Trump Tower next spring.

* Gucci, 685 Fifth Ave. K. Takashimaya, 693 Fifth Ave. No shoes, but worth the effort.

* Bruno Magli, 677 Fifth Ave. The new flagship mixes shoes, accessories and some apparel with panache.

* Saks Fifth Avenue, 611 Fifth Ave. The windows are absolutely gorgeous. Plus, it's right across from Rockefeller Center so you have no excuse.

COACH AMONG "HOT' STORES STORE FRONT; EMS PADDLES TO LAKESIDE LOCATION AT CAROUSEL.(Business)(Column) - The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY)

Byline: BOB NIEDT RETAIL NOTEBOOK

It's time for Eastern Mountain Sports to take a hike.

EMS moves from foo-foo to the front of the mall. That's Carousel Center mall.

What gives? You know. The Sports Authority is coming to Carousel and pieces of the evolving puzzle puts EMS at the main entrance to the mall, in the spot where Charney's hovered for so long (Charney's moved to COR Center in Clay).

EMS makes the move from its outpost by Lord & Taylor on July 4, after the mall closes. They'll reopen in their new digs around July 8.

It's a whole new look for EMS and you can sort of get a peek at it now. They're calling it the 'garage look,' with a stained-concrete floor and open ceilings.

They're also hard at work on The Sports Authority, which still could open as early as August. On Thursday, they were doing some exterior work.

Sports Authority needed the EMS space so it could have a mall entrance to the store, which is taking up a bunch of the former Ames department store slot.

I'm thinking it's a pretty good deal for EMS, too, moving up there to the main entrance, the lake side of the mall.

Party at Ichiban

Thirtieth anniversary? Check. Party shirt on? Check. Car pointed toward Liverpool? Check. Lucky Chopsticks? Check and check.

So here we go with the 30th anniversary celebration of Ichiban Japanese Steak House, the venerable restaurant at 302 Old Liverpool Road.

Has it been here that long? You bet.

Ichiban's Chiyeko Ogata tells us the dining spot first appeared June 13, 1975. We won't tell you where we were on that same date. It's scary.

We're past June 13, but worry not. Ichiban is partying.

The celebration runs from July 1 to July 16. Diners land prizes through the aforementioned Lucky Chopsticks. They point to free stuff including T-shirts, gift certificates, drinks or a sake set.

'This is our thank-you to all the customers in Central New York,' Chiyeko said.

Express checkout

E-mail, short stuff and assorted items:

E-mail, squared. First, from Joe Todisco: 'When is the grand opening of Boom Boom on Howlett Hill Road planned?'

Second, from Bill Purdy, asking the same and adding: 'The Boom Boom restaurant at the state Fair has always been one of my favorite places to eat out there. I was surprised that the owners were local. I thought maybe that they traveled with the Fair.'

Boom Boom Mex Mex is the name of the new local restaurant. The latest I have is a June opening. It's still June, but waning. And Bill? I've gone into the Fair just to eat at Boom Boom.

FYI, the trade group International Council of Shopping Centers just announced their 2005 Hot Retailer Awards. Among the five, four operate in Central New York, three of them at Carousel Center, including Williams-Sonoma, Apple and the new Coach store. The fourth of the five is Steve & Barry's University Sportswear, which is at Fingerlakes Mall near Auburn. The fifth hottie is White House/Black Market, the sizzling new fashions-in-black-and-white-only offshoot of Chico's***which is also in our market.

We don't have it all. But we have a lot of what's hot and that's got to count for something.

The creator of the jungle-theme Rainforest Cafe chain of eatertainment restaurants is at it again. Steve Schussler is building his first T-Rex restaurant, an evolving chain that has at its center a life-size Tyrannosaurus and a dinosaur theme. The first opens in January in Kansas City. One is planned for Niagara Falls, to open in 2007.

E-mail, from Sakari: 'Do you have any idea when Syracuse will get their first Sephora store? I order from them often online and go crazy when I am in the NYC or Virginia area and see a Sephora store. Wouldn't Armory Square and Carousel mall be a perfect area for Sephora?'

Sakari, if you happened to be in New York City's Union Square Wednesday, you could have attended the grand opening of the latest Sephora store, a 5,800-square-foot boutique featuring cosmetics, skin care, and bath and body products. It has the first Hair Style Bar, where shoppers can try out salon-style hair dryers. Sephora's smorgasbord approach encourages shoppers to try before they buy.

So what about Syracuse? Armory Square and Carousel are perfect for this high-end beauty supply retailer and Carousel has been focusing intently on the high end.

Howdy, campers! One of you yelled across the street to me and asked when the Eureka! Camping Center, in Binghamton, has that big sale. March! I yelled back. It really is in March but I could have meant march as in 'march on back home and stop bothering me.' Kidding. But there is another major sale at Eureka. It's the big July 4 sale. It starts Saturday and lasts a week.

Desired romance on rails is spoiled; Queen of flirt grows impatient on long trip, but gets TV deal.(NEWS) - Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)

Jill Spiegel's career is moving along way too fast to tolerate a train ride. The author of 'Flirting for Success' thought she and her business partner-husband, Joe Brozic, could make a romantic Amtrak ride out of what they expected to be a successful fall NYC business trip from the Twin Cities to pitch an idea for a TV show. 'We thought, Oh, wouldn't it be fun!' said Spiegel. It wasn't. 'By the time we were on about our third hour, we were like, We've earned this show! It was taking forever,' she said. But the trip did pay off. Her Perkiness has signed a TV show development deal with Broadway Video - Lorne Michaels' company behind 'Saturday Night Live' and Conan O'Brien. In the past few months, fast-talking TV types have promised the moon, but she and Joe waited until someone was willing to put a deal in writing - they signed last week. Spiegel was a regular Are-We-There-Yet? during negotiations. 'I said to the business manager, WHEN CAN I TELL THE WOOOOOORLD? He goes, Probably by the end of January,' she said. 'And then January passed, February passed. . . . It was like waiting for a guy to call.' He called, but Spiegel and Brozic still aren't sure what form the relationship will take. 'It's not like a talk show; the best we can describe it is motivational reality,' she said. Huh? 'It's not an infomercial!' Brozic added: 'I feel like I wrote a pizza and they gave me a pancake. I wrote a show that's educational, where we teach people how to communicate. Jill is the host. I brought it to them, and they're like, Yeah this is great. We'll bring in a comedian instead of the expert, for the eye communications show.' Brozic didn't understand TV dealmaking until he watched HBO's 'The Late Shift,' based on a book about the David Letterman-Jay Leno late-night battle. The movie 'reaffirmed my faith that I was doing fine,' said Brozic.

Is Prince a papa to be?

Rumor has it that Mayte is pregnant. Already. And she only married the Prince of her wildest dreams on Valentine's Day. As previously gossiped here, procreation was a primary reason this longtime playboy married. While it is never wise to disclose this kind of baby news before the first trimester, the rule is being broken here because, for twisted little minds, this baby ranks right up there with the pregnancy that led to the birth of Prince William.

1/3 It's CAN DO or die

Nothing like a pep talk laced with a threat. In a February memo, purportedly from WCCO-AM program director Mike Elder, the producers were told that despite 'some growing discontent with the responsibilities and schedules that we are dealing with based on the changing culture,' he wants them to get their butts in gear. 'Times of transition are always difficult,' he writes, but there has to be a 'CAN DO attitude,' none of this 'CAN'T DO' or 'NOT ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY' stuff. 'Jobs and tasks have to be done and done well and up to expected standards,' Elder writes, warming up to the threat: 'These are things that can be measured . . . and will be.' That's pretty tough talk from someone viewed as being afraid of his own shadow. . . . If the memo is interpreted literally, producer Nancy Walker deserves some special empathy. She gets to meet with Elder twice a week to discuss the Ruth Koscielak show, and at least three times a week to talk about Nanci Saper's, um, show. 'I'll touch base with Jimmy Erickson for [Steve] Cannon when Jimmy comes in Mondays and Wednesdays,' Elder memos. Sounds as though Cannon has the best deal. An insider informed us that Cannon doesn't need to show up for his meetings with Elder because they are in total agreement about the station's goals and have only the best regard for each other as professionals.

Mozy moseys south

When restaurateur Mozy Jahanguiri bought space for a bar in Riverplace, he dubbed it the Hang Out. But now that he's got to hang out more in Dallas, he's brought on a partner and renamed the place Joe Schmit's Hang Out. Schmit, KSTP-TV's sports guy, joins WCCO-TV's Mark Rosen of Rosen's Bar and Grill in the sports bar biz. Mozy, owner of Sophia, has signed with the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones and Barry Switzer to open 'the largest restaurant in Texas.' Large is a rather childish obsession in Big D, but Mozy insists that the 16,000-square-foot Switzer & Jones Place will be the most mucho. Tony Bennett is being sought for opening ceremonies at the place, which will feature 'live music, dancing, gift shop, banquet area, and selling Switzer & Jones salad dressing,' said Mozy. In the next five years they plan to open Switzer & Jones Places in San Antonio, Houston and Austin, Texas, and Tulsa, Okla.

Little pops the question

Around town: events seminars meetings talks.(Calendar) - Real Estate Weekly

NYREI Course

Dec. 27-Jan. 7: New York Real Estate Institute is offering the 45-hour New York Real Estate Broker's course. This class is scheduled to meet during the days from 9:15a.m. to 5:00p.m. at the NYC location, 139 West 35th St. Call (212) 967-7508 or richard@ nyrei.com.

NRC Luncheon

Jan. 8: The National Realty Club Luncheon will take place at Noon at the Williams Club, 24 East 39th Street between Park and Madison Avenues. Speaker will be Lois Weiss, Journalist and BetweenTheBricks commentator on the topic, 'The Shifting Sands of Real Estate: Development from Dubai and New Orleans to New York.' Members: sign up by calling 212-551-1013 to reserve. Please call by the Thursday prior to the luncheon. You will be charged $44 to your Williams Club account. If you need to cancel please also do so by the Friday prior to avoid being charged to your Williams Club account. Non members, please send a check for $95 to NRC, 380 Lexington Avenue, SUITE 1700, New York, NY 10168. You will save $20 by submitting your check by the Thursday prior to the luncheon. At the door, non members pay $115 in check or cash no credit cards.

Real Estate Connect NYC Seminar

Jan. 9: Jacky Teplitzky, an executive vice president at Prudential Douglas Elliman (PDE), will be a featured panelist on International Panel, 'Marketing & Managing the Global High-Net Worth Individual' at the Real Estate Connect NYC seminar from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Marriott Marquis Times Square Hotel, New York, NY. To register by phone, call 1-800-775-4662 x128. To register by phone, call 1-800-775-4662 x128. Register online at https://secure.inman.com/nyreg.aspx.

SCPA Seminar

Jan. 9: 'Current Trends in the Residential and Commercial Markets' sponsored by the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and its Foundation of Accounting Education. Open to CPAs, CFOs and other business and financial professionals working in the real estate industry. Jacky Teplitzky, an executive vice president with Prudential Douglas Elliman, will identify and discuss key residential real estate issues and emerging trends that will impact the New York City market in 2007. Visit www.nysscpa.org or call 800.633.6320 to register or for more information.

Muscle Team Gala

Jan. 9: Anthony Cammarata and David Arena will partner as co-coaches with famous Metro-New York athletes at a VIP & Media Reception for the Muscular Dystrophy Association's ('MDA') 10th Annual Muscle Team[R] Gala & Benefit Auction from 6 to 10 p.m.. Additionally, Philip Bottega, vice president of Real Estate Services Worldwide, Tiffany & Co., will be receiving the Champion of Spirit Award for his demonstrated passion and commitment to fighting neuromuscular disease. The Reception and Gala will take place at Chelsea Piers, Pier 60 (Hudson River & 23rd St.). WWOR-TV--Channel 9 Sports Anchor Russ Salzberg will be the Emcee.

RELA Networking

Jan. 10: The Board of Directors and Officers of the Real Estate Lenders Association will host their fifteenth annual New Year's Networking Celebration in memory of Gregory J. Spevok, co-founder, from 69 p.m. at Club 101,101 Park Avenue at 40th Street, New York City. There will be a live band, open bar and buffet dinner. RELA members pay $125, non-members pay $160, until close of business Friday the 5th, thereafter and at the door it's $25 extra. To register or for further information call 212-692-9379, fax 212-687-4016, email headquarters@rela.org or visit www.rela.org. CHIP Seminar

CHIP Seminar

Jan. 10: The Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) along with the Vendome Group will be hosting a 'Building Maintenance Requirements' seminar. It will teach city requirements for maintaining and inspecting boiler/burners, elevators, sprinklers systems, facades and sidewalks, as well as expert tips on properly maintaining and repairing these items. Speakers will include Department of Buildings officials, attorneys, and other building maintenance experts. It will begin at 8:30 am and carry on until noon at the New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA), 14 Vesey Street, New York, NY. Cost for this seminar is $50 for nonmembers, and free to CHIP members or subscribers to ALI. For more information call the CHIP office at 212838-7442 or e-mail RSVP@chipnyc.org.

NYARM Seminar/ Lunch

Jan. 10: The New York Association of Realty Managers, NYARM, is holding their monthly membership luncheon and seminar. The Seminar titled, 'Fire on the 14th Floor' is a hands-on workshop for pre-emergency planning in high-rise buildings with special emphasis on crucial decision making before and during a crisis. Participants will take part in simulated exercises with a number of 'actions' they must take throughout the fire emergency. Their single goal is to minimize overall loss by taking the best possible emergency and salvage actions at the most appropriate times. This program is being presented in conjunction with Affiliated FM Insurance Company, a member company of the FM Global Group, and a leading property insurer and loss prevention expert. Seminar chair: Michael Fleischer, sr. vice president, Sobel Affiliates, Inc. Daniel Wollman, CPA, and chief operating officer and Harry Smith, vice president and director of management of Gumley-Haft Real Estate, will speak. Seminar begins at 10:30am; Networking and Technology Circle 12 noon-1pm, and Lunch from 1 to 2:00 pm at Tavern-on-the-Green. Central Park West & 67th Street. RSVP via the website www.nyarm.com to register online or for information on other educational programs or call 212-216-0654 or email mrussell@nyarm.com.

REBNY Breakfast

Jan. 10: The Real Estate Board of New York will host it's Annual Residential Management Leadership Breakfast at the Yale Club, 50 Vanderbilt Avenue in the Grand Ballroom, NYC 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.. Guest speaker will be Vicki Been, professor from New York University School of Law where she is the director of the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy. Tickets:$75 per person. For additional information or to purchase tickets please contact Trisha Ycaza at (212) 616-5214.

ICREW Luncheon

Jan. 11: ICREW will host their luncheon, starting with networking and registration at 11:30 am at the Woodbridge Hilton, 120 Wood Ave South, Iselin, NJ. Lisa Jackson, commissioner New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will be the guest speaker, and the ICREW's Organization of the Year Award will be presented to Farer Fersko. ICREW will be collecting items to fill 'Hygiene Bags' for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), a charitable, nonprofit organization serving hungry people in the Trenton area by providing meals & other services to encourage self-sufficiency. Cost for ICREW members is $40.00, Guests pay $65.00 per person. Reservations must be received by January 8th. Reservations cannot be held without full payment in advance. No cancellations or refunds after January 8th. Late and at-door registrations will incur a $10 late fee and seating cannot be guaranteed. To register write to Industrial/Commercial Real Estate Women, Inc. 10 Drs James Parker Blvd, Ste 103-Red Bank, NJ 07701-1500 or call 732-842-5070 or Fax 732-219-1938 or go online to icrewnj@crewnetwork.org-www.icrewnj.org.

AREW Networking

Jan. 11: Association of Real Estate Women (AREW) will sponsor a 'Winter Networking Reception.' Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be served. The reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Friars Club, 57 E. 55th St, New York. Admission costs $100 for members and $135 for non-members. There will be a $10 surcharge for walk-ins. To register or for more information, visit AREW's website, www.arew.org or call (212) 599-6181.

Women in Housing and Finance

Jan. 11: Women in Housing and Finance will host a panel discussion on 'Affordable Home owner ship--New Initiatives and Market Trends' from 6:00pm-8:00 pm at the Washington Mutual Bank/ 587 Fifth Ave, 3rd Floor. Refreshments will be served. Cost: WHF Members: $15.00; Non-Members: $20.00 They accept either check or cash. No credit cards. RSVP BY: January 8, 2007 by calling 212-439-1056 or sending it to Women in Housing and Finance, Inc., PO Box 281, Canal Street Station, New York, NY 10013.

Society for Marketing Professionals

Jan 17: The Long Island Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professionals is offering 'Spinning Your Website to Catch Your Prey' from 8:00-10:00AM at the Milleridge Inn, 585 North Broadway, Jericho, NY. Matt DeLange, Principal of GU3 Design, will present a non-technical program on developing, improving, and integrating your online presence. Focusing primarily on websites, topics will include the full range of online marketing, from usability to blogs to measuring results and ultimately winning new work. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to proceed on their own and/ or how to better work with an outside developer. Price: $60 for SMPS Members, $80 for Non-Members, Walk-ins add $10. For more information and to register, please call 516-263-0095.

REBNY Banquet

Jan. 18: The Real Estate Board of New York will hold its 111th annual banquet. Daniel Brodsky, William C. Rudin, Paul J. Massey, Jr., Jeff Brodsky, Arnold Fisher and Vincent Terranova will be honored at the event. The banquet will take place at the New York Hilton, 1335 Ave. of the Americas in New York City. For additional information, please contact Thomas Griffin at 212-616-5241.

IREM Luncheon

Jan. 18: The Greater New York Chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management will hold their first monthly luncheon of the year at the New York Helmsley Hotel, 212 East 42nd Street, NYC. Cocktails will be served from 11:30 to 12:00; lunch from 12:00 to 1:00. The featured keynote speaker is David Michonski, Chief Operating Officer of Coldwell Banker. The cost to attend the luncheon is $65 for members; $130 non-members. To reserve or for additional information please call 212.944.9445.

WCA Annual Breakfast

Jan. 18: The Westchester County Association will host their Annual Breakfast with the County Executive form 8-9:30 a.m. at the Westchester County Club, 99 Biltmore Avenue Rye, NY. Keynote speaker will be the Honorable Andrew J. Spano, Westchester County executive, focusing on the economic outlook and key initiatives of the county for the upcoming year, ending with a Q& A. Members pay $50, nonmembers $70. Visit www.westchester.org for more information.

Broker Panel

Jan 22: 'How to Become a Power Broker' sponsored by the Learning Annex. Geared toward junior real estate professionals and those thinking about becoming a broker. Jacky Teplitzky, an executive vice president with Prudential Douglas Elliman, will share essential information on how to succeed within the competitive world of New York City residential real estate. Call 212.371.0280 to register or for more information.

NRC Luncheon

Jan. 23: The National Realty Club Luncheon will take place at the Williams Club, 24 East 39th Street between Park and Madison Avenues. Speaker will be Barak Dunayer, Founder/ CEO of Barak Realty, on the topic 'Where the Action Is: Inside Look at Williamsburg, Inwood, Clinton and other Emerging Neighborhoods.' Members: sign up by calling 212-551-1013 to reserve. Please call by the Thursday prior to the luncheon. You will be charged $44 to your Williams Club account. If you need to cancel please also do so by the Friday prior to avoid being charged to your Williams Club account. Non members, please send a check for $95 to NRC, 380 Lexington Avenue, SUITE 1700, New York, NY 10168. You will save $20 by submit ting your check by the Thursday prior to the luncheon. At the door, non members pay $115 in check or cash no credit cards.

SMPS Discussion

Jan. 24: What's Hot in Transportation in the Northeast? Clients Talk Back Breakfast Series from 8:00-10:00 a.m.. The public is eager to hear about the new and on-going hot transportation projects emerging in the Northeast and how to position themselves for opportunities. When is the right time for consultants to participate in the key milestones of these projects? Moderator: Linda Travis Superintendent, New York City Transit Authority. Panelists: Richard Roberts, Chief Planner, New Jersey Transit; John Drobny, Project Management Department, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Location: The Penn Club 30 West 44th Street New York, NY 10036. $65 Members $85 Non-Members.

YMBA Winter Luncheon

Jan. 24: The Young Mortgage Bankers Association will host their winter luncheon program titled 'The Lights Shine Bright on Broadway: Broadway Real Estate Partners on the New York Office Sector'. The luncheon will feature Jonathan Yormak, COO, Broadway Real Estate Partners at The Union League Club, 38 East 37th Street NYC from 12:00pm-2:00pm. Members in Advance: $50 Non-Members in Advance and for anyone paying at the door: $65. Please mail (or fax 201-440-7963) payment, names and address of those attending to: YMBA, 426 Hudson Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601. To reserve your space by credit card please call Carol at (201) 440-8144.

PWC Breakfast

Jan. 25: Professional Women in Construction (PWC) presents The Developers Forum, a breakfast meeting, 8:00 am to 10:00 am at The General Society, 20 West 44th Street, NYC. Moderator is Lois Weiss, columnist, New York Post. Speakers include Louis Dubin, president & CEO Athena Group; John N. Lieber, senior vice president, World Trade Trade Center, LLC; Philip Pitruzzello, v.p. Manhattanville Development, Columbia University. Tickets: $65 member; $75 nonmember (advance reservation only--all tickets at door $85). For reservations call 212.486-7745; fax 212.486-0228; email pwcusa1@aol.com.

NYARM Gala

Jan. 27: The New York Association of Realty Managers, NYARM, announced the award recipients to be honored at this year's Dinner Dance Gala. NYARM will be celebrating the event at the Crest Hollow Country Club, 8325 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury, Long Island. For tickets for individuals or special table sizes, call Margie Russell at (212) 216-0654 as well as to purchase congratulatory ads in the program journal. For the flier, log on to www.nyarm.com.

NAI Global Event

Feb. 6: NAI Global will host an event to present its 2007 Global Market Outlook surrounding the release of NAI Global's 19th edition of the Global Market Report publication. It will feature a presentation by Dr. Peter Linneman, chief economist of NAI Global and principal of Linneman Associates, a company that provides strategic research, M&A analysis, market studies and feasibility analysis to a number of leading U.S. and international companies. Linneman plans to discuss latest global real estate and economic outlook, market conditions, business opportunities and emerging trends in New York City and throughout the world. Issues for discussion will include the state of the economy, values, trends and opportunities in 200+ property markets worldwide. From 8 a.m.--10 a.m. at the Westin New York at Times Square, New York, NY. For further information please call 609-945-4017.

CoreNet Global

Feb. 8: The New York City Chapter of CoreNet Global will present a program entitled 'Development in New York City: Trends & Challenges' at The Princeton Club of New York, 15 West 43rd Street. Guest speakers will be MaryAnne Gilmartin, Forest City Ratner Companies; David Greenbaum, Vornado Realty Trust; and Anthony Mannarino, Tishman Speyer. Kate Collignon, NYC Economic Development Corp., will moderate. The event, open to members and nonmembers, begins at 8:00 AM with registration and networking, followed by the program from 9:00-10:00 AM. For registration and further information: http://nyc.corenet global.org, e-mail to info@corenetglobalnyc.org or phone (212) 348-1584.

Society for Marketing Professionals

Feb. 14: The Long Island Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professionals Services if offering 'Market Boom: Who's Building Multi-Family / Senior Housing on Long Island' from 8::00-10:00AM at the Milleridge Inn, 585 North Broadway, Jericho, NY. As Baby Boomers hit the retirement age, many are choosing to spend their golden years on Long Island. Likewise, changing lifestyles and a growing suburbia point to huge strides in multi-family high-rise rentals and condos. Meet the owners and developers behind the Multi-Family Housing boom and learn what you need to tackle this market. Moderator: Peter J. Elkowitz, Jr., President & CEO, Long Island Housing Partnership and Affiliates. Panelists: John Edwards, Director, Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC; Matthew B. Whalen, Vice President--Development, AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Alec Ornstein, President, Ornstein Leyton Company; Andy Belfer, President and CEO, Hassett Belfer Seniors Housing, LLC; and Steven Krieger, Principal and Co-Founder, The Engel Burman Group. Price: $75 for SMPS Members, $95 for Non-Members, Walk-ins add $10. For information and to register call 516-263-0095.

All I want is a fabulous room somewhere... - Daily Mail (London)

Byline: VICTORIA MATHER

What makes a truly great hotel? And how much will it cost you to stay there?

Victoria Mather, editor of the Tatler Travel Guide 2004, selects the best

HOW do you tell a fabulous hotel from a frightful dump?

The five-star factor, as opposed to the five cockroach rating, is all to do with attention to detail.

A hotel does not have to be stratospherically expensive to be special; the smallest establishment can be run with the love and passion that makes a guest feel like a prince.

The X factor of excellence is a subtle synergy between comfort, unobtrusive but immaculate service and making one feel like the guest for which the hotel has been waiting.

Whatever you are paying, you are paying to be made to feel unique, in a special place.

To feel ordinary in a run-of-the mill dive you might as well have stayed at home. A hotel is a fantasy, the lifestyle which you dream of living, where the bedroom is perfect, without the clutter of the imperfect life from which you are escaping.

In a fabulous hotel there's no such word as 'no'.

BEST FOR FOOD LOVERS

The One & Only Le Touessrok, Mauritius Website: www.oneandonlyresorts.com UK reservations: ITC Classics (tel: 01244 355 527) Rates: Doubles from [pounds sterling]425 a night WE TRAVEL to eat now. No holiday in a swanky resort hotel would be plausible without fabulous food, but it's amazing how many are cursed by dismal buffets, particularly in the Caribbean.

The Indian Ocean has its fair share of buffet horrors but the newly renovated (actually rebuilt, revamped and re-energised) Le Touessrok has reinvented the concept of resort food.

Their genius is British chef Patrick John, whose talent is for contemporary food with the freshest ingredients.

Simple or exotic, it is exciting, from the sushi and sashimi restaurant on the beach to Safran, the hotel's Indian fusion restaurant.

It is possible to eat around the world, from fresh pasta to Chinese to roasts.

So that they can afford to stay in this sort of top-end resort, with all the water sports, the new 18-hole golf course, the Givenchy spa and the sleek rooms with plasma screens, many guests choose to be on half-board.

You could stay here for ten days and never eat the same thing twice. Booking again is really just the most practical way of going back for seconds.

BEST FOR ROMANTICS

JK Place, Florence Website: www.jkplace.com UK reservations: Bellini Travel (tel: 020 7437 8918) Rates: Doubles from [pounds sterling]150 a night SCENT is the enhancer of romance. The new JK Place, 20 individually designed rooms on the Piazza Santa Maria Novella, is heady with fragrant candles, sensuous with the smell of lilies.

High on the roof terrace is low level seating; get up close and personal with flickering hurricane lamps and views over the renaissance domes and cupolas.

This is modern, relaxed romance.

The library is full of DVDs, you can help yourself to wicked cakes in the lobby, and the service is terrific but never pompous.

There's all that culture within walking distance - and fab shops.

Go on, forget the Uffizi, get someone to buy you a present in the softest leather.

BEST BAR SCENE

The Standard Downtown LA, Los Angeles Website: www.standardhotel.com Tel: 001 213 892 8080 Rates: Doubles from [pounds sterling]105 a night THE definition of in-crowd fun.

The new roof bar is fantastically lively with waitresses dressed as cheerleaders, and vibrating waterbeds for lying down by the infinity-edge pool after one martini too many.

At night there's an open-air dance floor with a DJ, and movies are projected on to the surrounding buildings.

It's very Austin Powers. Rooms are categorised from Cheap 'For the Soon-to-Be Tycoon' to 'Humongous' and 'Wow'.

BEST FOR PARTY PEOPLE

Soho House, New York Website: www.sohohouseny.com Tel: 001 212 627 9800 Rates: Doubles from [pounds sterling]250 a night YOU might never want to leave.

Why would you? The rooms within this old building in the cool Meatpacking district are bigger than others in far posher, less cuttingedge New York hotels, and the mini-bar is a dream - makeup, a little freezer of ice-cream, huge bottles of Grey Goose vodka, even clothes and books.

You almost don't need to stay - just walk in and check out the scene.

On the sixth floor is a sleek bar, a restaurant that specialises in comfort food, an open fireplace and a glassed-in room for smokers - NYC's most endangered species.

An episode of Sex In The City was filmed here. There's a rooftop pool and a spa with all the Cowshed products from Babington House, the English country house hotel that is Soho House's rural cousin.

Sleep in a silver-gilt sleigh bed, where the bath within the bedroom is the uber-fashionable egg shape, and have a party in the huge steam-showers.

BEST FOR DIVERS The Four Seasons Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt Website: www.fourseasons.com/ sharmelsheikh UK reservations: Mediterranean Experience (tel: 020 7630 6047) Rates: Doubles from [pounds sterling]85 a night THE Red Sea is the sea of adventure, fabulous diving in clear water.

There are many jolly, cheapo places to stay in Naama Bay, but the Four Seasons is the ultimate treat.

Right on the sea, with a jetty and the best diving boats and instructors, it's within a private estate (so very safe), has excellent food and service, sublimely comfortable rooms and tolerable Egyptian wine (the white's similar to Pinot Grigio, so no need to go near the European stuff which costs a fortune).

There's a spa for Mum and a charming swimming pool area. The staff are marvellous with children.

Very good value.

BEST FOR WATER BABIES

Elounda Gulf Villas, Crete Website: elounda.com/ eloundagulf/index.htm UK reservations: Abercrombie & Kent (tel: 0845 070 0612) Rates: Doubles from [pounds sterling]145 a night A PRIVATE swimming pool with your hotel room is indecently decadent, and completely wonderful.

Elounda Gulf Villas, overlooking the Gulf of Mirabello, is a charming villa-hotel where each villa has its own pool - and a proper one too, not a pathetic little footbath.

Elounda is the St Tropez of Crete, and the Gulf Villas resort is small, privately owned, designed with flair (one villa has a glass lift) and looked after by the owner, Anna Kadianakis - who once flew in Bollinger champagne from Athens when she discovered it was a guest's favourite.

You can either use the villas as villas, cooking for yourself, or have all the facilities of the hotel, including the very good restaurant. It is relaxed, and one can enjoy fishing, or sightseeing, or just lying by the pool.

BEST FOR WEEKENDERS

Hotel Schlossle, Estonia Website: www.schlossle-hotels.com Tel: 00 372 699 7700 Rates: Doubles from [pounds sterling]120 a night CULTURE without pain. The Baltic states are the hot place to go. Been to St Petersburg? Then try the medieval architecture of Tallinn in Estonia and stay at the 13th-century Hotel Schlossle, with its wooden beams and log fires.

It's like a baronial ski lodge, but without the inconvenience of having to ski. At this time of year there's a Christmas market in the town.

Shop until you drop, drink mulled wine and eat hot sausages and gingerbread, then sink into your creamy linen bedroom behind thick stone walls.

It is fairytale romantic.

BEST OF BRITISH

Hotel Tresanton St Mawes, Cornwall Website; www.tresanton.com Tel: 01326 270055 Doubles from [pounds sterling]165 a night WHEN Olga Polizzi, sister of Sir Rocco Forte, converted this crumbling old hotel in pretty St Mawes, she reinvented the British seaside hotel.

Out went Fawlty Towers, in came Forte Towers, sleek and modern, with Olga and her husband, the writer William Shawcross, and her daughter all pitching in to run the place.

To wake in one of the pretty bedrooms, painted in soft seagreens, blues and whites, is a joy.

The view is of the sea over tropical gardens, a huge terrace below.

The Prince of Wales stays privately in the rooms above the bar; Tony Blair popped in for dinner (and was astonished to find Mr Shawcross waiting at table).

This is sophistication without pretension - although Tresanton does have its own yacht.

Along the corridor to the cinema is a rack with blue Wellington boots in every size - the food is delicious and organic.

The house next door has been converted into new suites and a children's room with its own garden. This is the perfect place to stay for visiting the Eden Project.

BEST FOR ECO-WARRIORS Singita Lebombo, South Africa Website: singita.krugerpark.co.za Tatler's Hotel of the Year 2004 UK reservations: Abercrombie & Kent (tel: 0845 070 0611) Rates: Doubles from [pounds sterling]560 a night, full board THIS offers a reinterpretation of the safari. The traditional one is entrenched in routine: a dawn start, a greasy brunch, nothing to do in the middle of the day, then an afternoon game drive followed by a stiff gin and a dinner of brown food. The original Singita properties - Singita Ebony and Singita Boulders - perfected the uber-luxury safari, with delicious food and wine, a spa and terrific design.

Ebony was colonial, Boulders white and glass, so that the bush seems to flow over the deck into one room.

The new Lebombo, in a remote part of the Kruger National Park by the Mozambique border, is eco. The design is stunning, but specifically intended to touch the earth lightly, each room built on the hillside on steel stilts.

There are inside and outside showers, inside and outside beds (one on the balcony above the river, so you can sleep under the stars); shade is provided by a latticework of wood.

There's a spa, and a glittering pool in front of the sleek restaurant where you can eat sophisticated, casual food at the proper times of breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. And not at a communal table - always a nightmare when one sat next to an American showing you pictures of lions on his laptop.

Lebombo is elegant, inspiring and deeply comfortable: the bush without tears.

BEST FOR ROBINSON CRUSOES

North Island, Seychelles Website: www.

northisland.com UK reservations: ITC Classics (tel: 01244 355 527) Rates: Seven nights full board, [pounds sterling]6,600 per person, including flights and helicopter transfers THE ultimate in barefoot luxury. This new resort on its own island is fantasy made reality: white sand beach, just 11 villas among the palm trees, and a chef who is more one's personal cook.

Wonderful snorkelling and diving, baby turtles hatching - it is remarkable to be sitting at breakfast eating fresh mango in the open-air restaurant when a mother turtle heaves herself out of the sea to lay her eggs by the bar.

The design is of timbers, glass and shells - very pure and restful.

J.K. Rowling chilled out here with her new baby.

It is a sensationally soothing place to be: each villa has its own small pool with power jets, and the big pool is designed in white and pale blue to reflect the sea and the beach below.

There are kitchens in each villa should you want to eat in: privacy and calm is key here.

Revving up the return to coolers.(Life - Food) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: WILLIAM DOWD

Nostalgia can be fun. It also can be profitable if you work it right. Take wine coolers. Please. (Rimshot!)

The TV commercials for Bartles & Jaymes that were popular back in the 1980s (remember folksy Frank and quiet Ed chatting on the porch, then thanking you for your support?) have long faded from public view. Yet, the company remains No. 1 in the cooler niche with 8 million cases sold in 2006, according to Impact, New York. Seagram's wine coolers were No. 2 with more than 5 million cases.

Both Bartles & Jaymes - which is owned by Gallo - and California Cooler, which was on the market for a decade until dropping out in 1992, are gearing up for major marketing campaigns as we head into the warmer months that had been the best-selling period for wine coolers.

Wine coolers are a bit fuzzy in description. B&J and Seagram's, for example, both are malt beverages, but California Coolers are made from wine and fruit juice and are lightly carbonated.

Bringing coolers back to the top of consumer consciousness may be an uphill climb.

Wine coolers can appeal to young women who don't like the taste of beer but aren't about to buy a bottle of Bordeaux, Gerald Celente, director at The Trends Research Institute in Rhinebeck, told Brandweek magazine.

'I'd go for younger consumers who are consuming many more alcoholic beverages a day. You have to allow them to discover it and think it's hip.'

And 'wine coolers are perceived as passe. That crowd' - ages 35 and older, who had been the strongest market when they were younger - 'isn't looking for that anymore,' Mark Ingwer of Insight Research in Chicago told Brandweek.

Nevertheless, Bartles & Jaymes is moving ahead by resuscitating some of the original Frank and Ed commercials - more than 200 were shot - and making them available on YouTube.com, for example. And, B&J is interviewing actors to become the new Frank and Ed. The original Frank, David Rufkhar, died in 1996. The new team will make public appearances and probably participate in a TV ad campaign. Majestic Brands is rolling out California Cooler in Western states right now, then going nationwide in mid-May.

Top 100 bars: Of all the gin joints in all the country, which did the editors of Nightclub & Bar Magazine choose for this year's top 100?

They're all over the map, but New York, Las Vegas and Atlantic City dominate the list. They were chosen based on a number of criteria, say the editors, 'including annual revenues, marketing and advertising effectiveness, promotional expertise, uniqueness to market, food and beverage programs and much more. This list is not a ranking of just the most high-end, of-the-moment nightclubs. Instead, it is a dynamic mixture of clubs, neighborhood bars, sports bars, family-oriented venues and more that for one reason or another deserve notice.'

These NYC clubs made the list, which is available on the magazine's Web site (http://nightclub.com): 230 Fifth, Coyote Ugly, Flatiron Lounge, Galapagos Art Space (Brooklyn), Iguana's Cantina, Lotus, Marquee, Pink Elephant and Therapy.

Reminder: TAP New York, the state's longest-running beer and food event, will mark its 10th anniversary this weekend at Hunter Mountain in the Catskill. Details are available online at http://www.tap-ny.com.

RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS.(Neighbors) - The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY)

Operating acceptably

The following restaurants were found by the Onondaga County Health Department to be operating within acceptable standards at the time of the inspection from Sept. 19 to 25.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

315 E. Thompson Road, East Syracuse

China House East

4114 W. Genesee St., Syracuse

Columbian Presbyterian Church

P.O. Box 270, Route 20, LaFayette

Dunkin Donuts

9555 Route 11, Brewerton

Fabius Baptist Church

Route 80, Fabius

Froggers on the Hill

4543 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse

Liberty Pizza

7607 Oswego Road, Liverpool

Loyal Order of Moose

1121 Milton Ave., Syracuse

Nick Pizzeria & Deli

64 Main St., Camillus

NYC Deli Subs

3649 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt

Onativia United Methodist Church

P.O. Box 316, 6257 Dodge Road, Lafayette

Prime Steakhouse at the Gridley

101 E. Water St., Syracuse

St. John's Episcopal Church

15 Orange St., Marcellus

St. Joseph's Church

Route 20, LaFayette

Subway

709 N. Main St., North Syracuse

Subway Sandwiches

1100 Route 5 E., Elbridge

Taco Bell No. 3879

Great Northern Mall, Clay

Tim Hortons USA

1210 Buckley Road, Liverpool

Tim's Pumpkin Patch

2901 Rose Hill Road, Marietta

Town of Clay Senior Center

4948 Route 31, Clay

Tully's Good Times

2943 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse

Violations corrected

The following restaurants were found to have corrected previously cited violations, during re-inspections during the week of Sept. 19 to 25.

Erie Boulevard Bowling Center Inc.

2312 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse

Twin Trees Too

1029 Milton Ave., Syracuse

Unsatisfactory inspections

Violation letters were issued to the following restaurants that received unsatisfactory inspections. Their deadline to correct the problems was Oct 4.

Tiplitz Restaurant Enterprises LLC

d/b/a Georges Central Lunch

317 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Sept. 22 inspection

Raw whole-shell eggs stored above cooked omelets in reach-in cooler (corrected). Male employee observed touching bread with bare hands, bare hand contact observed. Owner noted scooping ice from ice machine without gloves on or using an approved gloveless scoop, no bare-hand contact observed. Container of sanitizer stored next to muffins by cash drawer (corrected). Container of sanitizing solution and container of sanitizer stored next to sausage on cart by reach-in sandwich preparation cooler. Two fully cooked sausages on shelf next to reach-in preparation cooler noted at 62F (corrected). Food items stored on floor in kitchen. Ice scoop in ice machine stored with handle touching ice. Box of single-service items stored on floor at front counter. Employee beverage consumption noted in food preparation area. Female employee prepping food lacks hair restraint. Bottom of reach-in cooler in kitchen not clean.

Hotch's Sports Bar and Grill LLC

d/b/a Hotch's Sports Bar and Grill

8081 Brewerton Road, Cicero

Sept. 22 inspection.

Garbage Dumpster overflowing, garbage and debris noted on ground.

La Festa Italiana Inc.

d/b/a Festa Italiana

P.O. Box 96, Syracuse

Sept. 17 inspection.

Vodka sauce improperly cooling in five-gallon containers noted at 62F. Chicken riggies noted at 110F and 109F, and pasta cream-based soup noted at 119F, both improperly cooling in five-gallon containers in refrigerated truck. Chicken riggies in hot holding unit noted at 125F. Meatballs in hot holding unit noted at 117F. Hand sanitizer stored next to single-service items. Accurate thermometers not available onsite to evaluate potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and/or holding. Service ice stored in undrained container. Beverages in beverage tent stored on ground. In-use scoops stored in standing water. Employees preparing food lack hair restraints. Single-service items stored on floor. Single-service items not stored inverted. Hand-wash stations not set up. Reach-in cooler lacks thermometer.

Ruby Tuesday, Inc.

d/b/a Ruby Tuesday No. 7480

4081 Route 31, Clay

Oct. 4 inspection.

PARKS CUTS RIBBON ON MACOMBS DAM PARK. - States News Service

NEW YORK, NY -- The following information was released by the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation:

Parks and Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe today joined Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.; Assembly Member Michael Benjamin; Jason Wright, Chief Financial Officer of NYC EDC; landscape designer Thomas Balsley; Community Board 4; members of Joe Yancey's family; and former members of the New York Pioneers Track and Field Club to cut the ribbon on the new Macombs Dam Park and Joe Yancey Track and Field, at 161st Street and Jerome Avenue, across from the new Yankee Stadium. The $35 million park was funded by the City as part of a total $195 million investment to build new parks and recreational facilities through the Yankee Stadium Redevelopment Program. Students from P.S. 73 gave a choral performance. Following the event, Hostos Community College's soccer team conducted a free clinic for 6th grade soccer players from P.S. 126, and the City Parks Foundation provided a free track and field clinic for local youth.

'We are thrilled to open the brand new Macombs Dam Park and Joseph Yancey Track and Field to the community, and we encourage visitors to enjoy all the park has to offer,' said Commissioner Benepe. 'Whether you are looking for a place to train, play a pick-up game of soccer, football or basketball or spend time with your family outdoors, this park has something for everyone. The park features a state-of-the-art 400-meter track, all-weather field for soccer and football, basketball courts, handball courts, spacious, modern public toilets, adult fitness equipment, youth play equipment, landscaped viewing mounds and a grandstand for spectators.'

'Today's ribbon cutting ceremony for Macombs Dam Park represents a significant step toward fulfilling the promise of replacing the parkland used for the construction of the new Yankee Stadium. We look forward to the completion of the entire park plan, including Heritage Field on the grounds of the old stadium. In the meantime, I am thrilled that the residents of this neighborhood will be able to enjoy a brand new, top-notch park,' said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

With the same state-of-the-art Mondo surfacing that has been used at the Summer Olympics, Macombs Dam Park features one of the best competition tracks in the city. The park also includes eight handball courts, four basketball courts, a soccer/football field with grandstand seating for up to 600 people, landscaping, adult fitness equipment including a chin-up bar, an interactive youth play area, passive recreational space, a comfort station and shaded picnic tables. The park is built on the rooftop of the partially below-grade, two-story Ruppert Plaza Garage. A beautifully landscaped hill is planned to connect Macombs Dam Park and the adjacent Ruppert Plaza and Heritage Field, providing an integrated park experience for users and spectators alike. The first section of the park opened for community use on May 15, 2009, providing access to part of a synthetic field with options for running.

A native New Yorker, Joseph James Yancey, Jr. (1910-1991) co-founded the New York Pioneers Track and Field Club in 1936. This interracial track team, which gave rise to many Olympic athletes, was the first of its kind in the United States. The Pioneer Club was one of the few organized efforts to help Asian-American, African-American, Italian, Jewish, Hispanic and female athletes to train in their sport. Joseph Yancey coached athletes from around the world in five different Olympic Games, though he never had the honor of coaching the Olympic team of his home country. Yancey's many lifetime awards and honors included induction to the Black Athletes Hall of Fame, the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, and the Harlem Professionals, Inc. Hall of Fame.

The City first acquired land for Macombs Dam Park in two parcels, in 1897 and in 1924, located at street level on River Avenue between East 161st and East 162nd Streets. The park opened in 1899, drawing neighborhood children and aspiring athletes to its extensive recreational facilities, which included baseball fields, tennis courts, comfort stations, a playground and the track.

Macombs Dam Park was designed by architect and lead designer Clarke Caton Hintz, Thomas Balsley Associates as conceptual designer and Wendy Evans Joseph Architects as consultant architect. The engineering consultant for the park was Stantec. The park was constructed by a joint venture between Hunter Roberts Construction Group and Prismatic Development Corporation. The Program Managers for the project was a joint venture between AECOM (formerly DMJM Harris) and Tishman Construction.

For more information about new parks associated with the Yankee Stadium Redevelopment Project, visit www.nyc.gov/parks.

Top Tickets: Soul, R&B, country and funk - The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, VA)

TONIGHT

The Collective, feat. Monte Gill

Monte Gill, who has been touring internationally with pop/R&B goddess Alicia Keys, has a break from his backing vocalistduties, now that Keys is on maternity leave from her multi-platinum career. Here, Roanoke native Gill joins up with some ofthe Roanoke Valley's best players to do some of his own music andsome covers. Keith Thomas (keyboard) Cameron McLaughlin (bass) andCarlos Aranguren (drums) will back him up.

Details: 10 p.m. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, Roanoke.Free. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com

FRIDAY

Stagg Bowl Tailgate Party

With Gloriana

This pop-country act has opened for the likes of Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean and the Zac Brown Band but is now a headliner. Gloriana's touring action brings it to Salem for the annual Stagg Bowl game at Salem Football Stadium, where tailgaters will surely hear the band's hit, 'Wild At Heart,' the best-selling country single of 2009.

Details: 5:30 p.m. Salem Football Stadium parking lot. Free. ncaa.com/championships/football/d3, gloriana.com

SATURDAY

DJ Williams Projekt

Williams has been a fixture in Virginia, and recently at Martin'sDowntown, for several years, based on the strength of this band. These days, though, he's gone nationwide as guitarist for Karl Denson's Tiny Universe. Fortunately, touring breaks leave time for Projekt gigs, and those are typically hot. If you haven't heard Williams and his very funky band yet, check them out. If you have, you probably want to go anyway.

Details: 10 p.m. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, Roanoke. $10.985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, djwilliamsmusic.com

SATURDAY

Lady Antebellum

With Josh Kelley, Edens Edge

Lady A, which tends toward soft rock, is one of country music's hottest acts right now. Flip back to Tuesday's Extra section to read more. Go to blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch to hear a podcast with Josh Kelley. Hear a 2008 podcast with Lady Antebellum's Dave Haywood at blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch/?p=724.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday. Roanoke Civic Center. $57.50, $37.50. Roanoke Civic Center box office, 877-482-8496, hometownbanktix.com, ladyantebellum.com, joshkelley.com

TONIGHT

NYC Live in Roanoke!

With Heevahava, Madrone, Matthew John Mortimer, SavannahShoulders and more

Local bands gather to play songs from such Big Apple acts as The Ramones, Talking Heads, Lou Reid and Television. There's art and an e-book presentation, too. Read more at Mike Allen's Arts &Extras blog - blogs.roanoke.com/arts/?p=6623.

Details: 6 p.m. Howery Mezzanine, Roanoke Main Library. Donate anunwrapped toy for Toys for Tots and a non-perishable food item for the Roanoke Rescue Mission. 853-1057, libraryevents@roanokeva.gov

Jerry Wimmer Trio

Wimmer, lead singer of The Worx, has a voice flexible enough fora variety of covers, but he has his own songs, too. Example: blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch/?p=9453.

Details: 8:30 p.m. Starters Sports Bar & Grill, Salem. 389-0683, getoffthebench.org

Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth LaPrelle Concert and Shadow Puppet Show

The hosts of Floyd Country Store's monthly Floyd Radio Show take their act to Blacksburg.

Details: 8 p.m. The Swoop House Gallery, 512 Progress Street, Blacksburg.$5 suggested donation. youtube.com/watch?v=c3O56ZtdoVc

TONIGHT-FRIDAY

The Materia Project

Here are two chances to hear one of Roanoke's most talentedgroups. See video of the band at blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch/?p=9440.

Details: 8 p.m. Tonight. Bravos, Roanoke. $3; all ages. 982-3828. 10 p.m. Friday. The Village Grill, Roanoke. Free. 767-0057, reverbnation.com/themateriaproject

FRIDAY

Former Champions

With Brock Butler of Perpetual Groove, DJ Rahbee

Richmond-based electro-rockers Former Champions, which played FloydFest in July, and Perpetual Groove's Brock Butler will team up for some jams after Butler's solo opening set.

Details: 9 p.m. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, Roanoke. $8. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, formerchampions.net

The Black Lillies

Flip back to Wednesday's Extra section to read more about this band, and go to blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch for a podcast with The Black Lillies' Cruz Contreras.

Details: 8 p.m. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke. $15; $8 to students, 21-younger. 589-0546, kirkavenuemusic.com, theblacklillies.com

Jim Brickman

With Anne Cochran, Benjamin Utecht and Tracy Silverman

Read more about Brickman in Monday's Extra section or hear a podcast at blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre, Roanoke.$77, $52, $42, $32. 877-482-8496, hometownbanktix.com, jimbrickman.com, annecochrancom, benutecht.com

The Dirt Road Travelers

With Grass Monkey, Watershed Conspiracy

The Dirt Road Travelers self-titled debut disc, releasedrecently, features some hard-hitting Americana rock numbers.

Details: 9:30 p.m. The Coffee Pot, Roanoke. $5. 774-8256, reverbnation.com/thedirtroadtravelers, reverbnation.com/grassmonkeyband, reverbnation.com/watershedconspiracy

Dave Porter Trio

Porter, a bassist who has played with The Worx and BurningBridges, leads his own group for a Christmas show.

Details: 8 p.m. Annie Moore's Irish Pub, Roanoke. Free. 904-5466, facebook.com/anniemoorespub, facebook.com/daveporterband

Bebop Hoedown

It's percussionist Jeff Maiden's final show with the band.

Details: 10 p.m. Fork in the Alley, Roanoke. Free. 982-3675, forkinthealley.com, bebophoedown.com

Who Are the Southern Baptists?

With Alex Culbreth, John Barry Conception

Manassas act answers the question its band name poses in this musical way: Driving, punk-soaked acoustic pickers with sandpaper vocals.

Details: 9 p.m. The Bazaar, 675 Brandon Ave. S.W., Roanoke. $5;all ages. 309-0928, whoarethesouthernbaptists.bandcamp.com, myspace.com/alexculbreth, johnbarryconception.com

Comet 30 & The Rose

Jane 'The Rose' Gabriel and her band play rock and folk-rock.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Ippy's, Rocky Mount. $5. 489-5600, ippys.info

SATURDAY

John Cowan Trio

Read more about Cowan, the 'Lousville Songbird,' in Friday'sExtra section and hear a podcast at blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch.

Details: 9 p.m. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke. $15; $8 to students, 21-younger. 589-0546, kirkavenuemusic.com, johncowan.com

Toys for Tots Benefit

With The Pullouts, Jackal Tickets, Affliction Kid

It's that time of year - give up something for kids who need it.In a bonus, you get a good, rowdy rock, punk and ska show.

Details: 8:30 p.m. The Coffee Pot, Roanoke. Bring an unwrappedtoy worth at least $5. 774-8256, myspace.com/coffeepotroadhouse

J.P. Harris and the Tough Choices

This is real, raw, roadhouse-style country music. It swings hard,and steel guitar is prominent. Check out a podcast from earlier this year at blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch/?p=8853.

Details: 8 p.m. Dogtown Roadhouse, Floyd. $7; all ages. 745-6836, sunmusichall.com, reverbnation.com/thetoughchoices

Ugly Sweater Party

With Riverbank Ramblers

Here's a Roanoke Valley Americana act that hasn't hit our radarin a minute. See video of this rough-but-right band with old-time, rockabilly and other rootsy influences via youtu.be/XexKEbNGxgs.

Details: 9 p.m. Allsports Cafe, Salem. Free. 389-464, allsportscafe.net, myspace.com/riverbankramblers, youtube.com/user/riverbankramblers

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

With Shorefire

Another ugly sweater party. Sport your stupid holiday attirewhile you groove to Shorefire's rocked-up surf/reggae mix.

Details: 9 p.m. Awful Arthur's, downtown Roanoke. $3. 344-2997, awfularthursseafood.com, reverbnation.com/shorefire

Lazy Man Dub Band

A deep rhythm section and shouting horns make this gig happen.

Details: 10 p.m. Fork in the Alley, Roanoke. 982-3675, forkinthealley.com, lazymandubband.com

Lloyd Dobbler Effect

A band often found at Corned Beef & Co. is doing its thing atthe Schoon.

Details: 9 p.m. Schooners, Roanoke. $5. 563-4956, lloyddoblereffect.com

The Dollar and Walker Christmas Show

Preview this coffeehouse constant's version of 'Coventry Carol'at youtu.be/aUmOZwFbwhI.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Third Street Coffeehouse, Roanoke. Free (venueencourages donations to performers). 309-4707, youtube.com/user/3rdStreetCoffeehouse, youtube.com/randolphwalker

SUNDAY

Alzheimer's Christmas Benefit Party

With The Rarely Available Band, Grass Monkey

This band often makes itself available for charities. This time out, The Rarely Available teams up with Parrotheads of the Blue Ridge. No smoking in Schooners for this one, and prizes are in the offing.

Details : 2 p.m. Schooners, Roanoke. Donate at the door. 563-4956, reverbnation.com/therarelyavailableband

TUESDAY

The Lenny Marcus Trio Christmas Concert

Pianist/flutist Lenny Marcus leads his group in some holidayjazz.

Here for the party ; Sex Slaves bring raucous hard rock to St. Joe - St. Joseph News-Press

If it wasn't for their buddy's alcohol problem, the NYC hardrockers Sex Slaves wouldn't have their most popular song.

When the band was on tour in New Orleans a few years back, thetrio were driving all over the city trying to find a liquor store sotheir friend could get his 'medicine.' After they found it, hehopped back on the bus with two bottles stating 'Thank God for JackDaniels.'

The Sex Slaves bassist/singer Del Cheetah and guitarist Eric13thought the expression had something to it.

'We both kind of looked at each other and the spark went off,'Cheetah recalls.

The group originally started out making a name for itself as a go-to hard rock party band in 2003 on New York City's Lower East Side.But it was the anthemic ode to rock 'n' roll's favorite spirit,'Thank God for Jack Daniels,' on their sophomore release 'Bite YourTongue' that led the band to bigger and better things.

It's a track that's found its way into jukeboxes and CD playersin bars all across the U.S. and overseas, and when they played thesong out on the road, Cheetah recalls the effect it had on thecrowd.

'No one thought it was a single or anything,' Cheetah says.'Looking back, it's so obvious. Every time we played that song ontour, it was the one that brought the house down every time.'

Now, Cheetah, Eric13 and drummer J/Bomb are using the momentum ofthat song to tour in support of their latest album 'Wasted Angel,'where the group tampers with a style that mixes Green Day and SexPistols-inspired punk riffs with Guns N' Roses attitude and energy.And thanks to the owners of Hammerjacks Rock-N-Roll Sports Bar, thegroup is coming to perform two sets at the bar starting at 9 p.m.July 14.

Getting the Sex Slaves to come to our area is somethingHammerjacks was working on for sometime. 'Thank God for JackDaniels' is basically the bar's theme song, and when the group hadan opening on its schedule traveling from Wichita, Kan., to Ottumwa,Iowa, the bar jumped at the chance to have the Sex Slaves in St.Joe.

Cheetah says the band is pumped to play here and finish out theSex Slaves U.S. dates before jetting overseas for its first Europeantour. He admits that 'Thank God for Jack Daniels' is largely whatgives the band opportunities like this, but it's the members' workethic and hitting the road hard and often that will make sure theylast beyond one catchy party song.

Below ground beauty Elegant Le Passage transforms empty cellar into Gold Coast gem.(Time Out!) - Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)

Byline: Barbara Vitello Daily Herald Staff Writer

For several years after Chicago's Le Colonial opened, the 10,000 square feet beneath it stood bare and unused.

That is until partners Rick Wahlstedt, Jean Goutal, Jonathan Segal and Joe King decided to transform the concrete cellar into a subterranean nightspot.

'There really wasn't anything like this on the Gold Coast when we opened in 2000,' King says.

Convinced they could supply what the neighborhood lacked, they spared no expense, hiring Paris designer Jacques Garcia. Drawing upon French Renaissance and Napoleon III style, Garcia created an interior that ranks among the best looking in the city.

King admits that opening the club was risky, especially when people had to walk down an alley (actually, a well-lit, brick-paved passageway) and descend into a basement to get there.

Le Passage's stylish interior, not to mention its first-rate sound system, makes up for its unfashionable entrance. Abstract murals by painter Gerard Coltat, done in gold and jewel tones and featuring ancient symbols, signs and Latin calligraphy, add a regal touch to the room.

Columns painted in gold leaf and low banquettes and chairs covered in crimson and royal blue velvet complete the stately decor.

Although mirrored walls and low seating reinforce Le Passage's 'see and be seen' philosophy, the velvet drapes suspended between the columns can be closed for a more private tete-a -tete.

'The atmosphere is really amazing,' says Elaine Gould, 33, 'it was worth every penny they spent.'

While Gold Coast veterans had reveled in the neighborhood's lively night life scene for years, the area held little appeal for younger clubgoers. But the partners were determined to tap into a youthful spirit as well, general manager Michael Di Palma says.

'Three years ago, it was martinis,' says Di Palma, describing that late '90s trend. 'We said, 'Let's dress it up. Let's do the classics and light them on fire.' '

People of all ages responded, and the Le Passage crowd ranges from hard-core clubgoers to newbies to tourists ranging from mid- 20s to 50 plus . The upscale club also attracts its share of celebrities, including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Destiny's Child and U2.

'They have a beautiful crowd,' says Lashaun Grefphenreed, a 25- year-old 'blue chip' (Le Passage's term for loyal, long-term patrons) from Chicago. 'I love it.'

But beautiful people alone won't keep a club afloat.

'The challenge is to keep things fresh and new,' Di Palma says. To that end, the folks at Le Passage initiated 'My Kind of Town' parties, hosted by New York City social maven Susanne Bartsch and scheduled for the first Friday of every month.

While Edmund Fernandez Jr. thinks Chicago may be too conservative for these NYC-style happenings, the 31-year-old Chicagoan likes the setting.

'It's definitely high class,' he says.

Twin gold-leaf bars, sleek-looking and minimal, with mirror backs and glass shelves, flank the exit.

Dark, modern wainscoting with circle cut-outs, covers the lower half of the walls, as well as the two bars and the DJ booth.

Lighting is discrete. The flickering candles and strategically placed light boxes covered with tinted orange and blue plexiglass may not provide much illumination, but they do make for attractive accents.

A hallway leads to the Yow Bar, named for famous Trader Vic's bartender Yow Low. Low, whose photograph hangs in a place of honor behind the bar, was known for his potent Polynesian cocktails like the mai tai, the scorpion bowl and the pina colada.

Velvet curtains separate this more intimate lounge from the rest of the club. Cozier than the main room and reserved for 'blue chips' and people who take their spirits seriously, it features the same plush seating, elaborate murals and mirrored walls as the rest of the club. A round divan, covered in velvet and bathed in red and purple courtesy of the theatrical lights overhead, occupies the middle of the room.

'I love it,' says Susan Fokker, 37, a first-timer from Oak Brook. 'It's got more attitude than most places in Chicago.'

'Check that out,' she says nodding toward Iggy, one of the performers Bartsch imported to add color to the inaugural 'My Kind of Town' party last week.

'I'm a performance artist and my vice is drag,' explains Iggy, who sports a red swirl of a dress and a plumed hat inspired by Stravinsky's ballet 'The Firebird.'

Besides Iggy, Bartsch's cast includes divas ranging from glamorous to garish; a disco roller skater; a Terence Trent d'Arby look-alike and a drag queen dressed in balloons.

Producing a theme party like this means filling the stage with characters: the more theatrical, the better.

'Whatever she does it's special,' Iggy says of Bartsch, who works her magic at Le Passage on the first Friday of every month. 'It's never ordinary.'

Regulars would agree that even an ordinary night here adds up to something special.

'It's a non-cheesy dance bar,' says Donna Davis, 34, who ranks Le Passage among the city's top nightspots. 'It makes me think of New York night life.'

'It's New York night life,' Gould agrees, 'but it's too young.'

Fortunately, the ambience makes up for it.

'Look at the surroundings,' says Thom Class, 35. 'It's worth it.'

Some club owners charge a $15 or $20 cover for a dump, Class says, who works at Minx, a recent addition to Chicago's nightclub scene. That's not the case here, he says. Not only that, the club attracts a diverse clientele and has an open, gay-friendly atmosphere.

'They got it right,' he says approvingly.

But that doesn't mean the owners won't continue to fine-tune things. Like King says, 'staying ahead of the curve and being creative' makes for success in the nightclub business.

So, if people don't always know what to expect at Le Passage, they know that at the very least, they will be intrigued by what they find there.

GRAPHIC: What You Need to Know

Name: Le Passage

Location: One Oak Place, Chicago (look for the passageway between Oak and Walton streets), (312) 255-0022

Parking: $9 valet; paid lots

Directions: Division Street, east to State Street, south on State to Rush Street; veer left, continue south on Rush to Oak Street

Hours: Dining: 7 to 11 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday; casual dining: 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Wednesday to Friday; 7 a.m. to 4 a.m. Saturday. Nightclub: 10:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Wednesday to Friday; 10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. Saturday

Cover: $10 after 10:30 p.m. and $15 after midnight on Thursday; $20 cover for men beginning at 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; $20 cover for women after midnight Friday and Saturday; no cover Wednesday

The crowd: Nightclub veterans, industry types, tourists, models

When to go: Never before midnight; after dinner or the theater

A DEGREE OF THRIFT.(Features) - Daily Mail (London)

Byline: by Jenna Alexander

Page THERE are three things every student just loves to do: laze about, party and travel. So what better way to celebrate graduation than by taking a holiday that encompasses all three? Ignoring the undergraduate hotspots of Magaluf and Ayia Napa, we opted instead to mark the end of student life with an action-packed road trip down the eastern seaboard of the United States.

But it was a road trip with a difference - we wouldn't be driving.

Sticking to student tradition, we travelled on the cheap and cheerful Megabus between five different states.

With tickets from as little as $1 (66p), it seemed a superb way to go. There would be plenty of time to laze about on the bus during the day and party at night. Like a cosmopolitan in NYC, it made for a perfect cocktail.

Our first port of call was historic Boston and a chance to see that most treasured American sport, baseball. Despite not knowing any of the rules - I reckoned it was just a glorified version of rounders - my friend Rhona and I found ourselves cheering, chanting and belting out Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline at the bottom of the eighth innings (I still have no idea what that means but it sounds impressive) among the home Red Sox fans.

When Kevin Youkilis stepped up to bat to a chorus of boos from his own fans, I joined in furiously - only to feel piercing eyes and seething resentment.

What to me sounded like 'boo, boo, boo' was in fact an affectionate chant of 'Youk, Youk, Youk' as Kevin went on to smash the ball towards Fenway Park's Green Monster - a 37-foot wall, built to stop balls flying out of the ground and damaging property outside.

The best way to see Boston is undoubtedly on the Trolley Tours, where you see the whole of the city and are kept entertained by the wacky drivers, with invitations to participate in some singing along the way.

There are also plenty of swanky outdoor bars in the Faneuil Hall area if you fancy some good cocktails and a little dancing in the evening. We opted for Mija, a Mexican-inspired restaurant and tequila bar.

Tequila back home tends to be akin to paint stripper. Beware anything that comes out of a bottle with a fake Mexican sombrero on top. But in America it's a class act and with more than 150 varieties, it would have been rude not to try at least one.

Before we knew it, we were dancing in the street - and even got the bouncer to join in.

It's a novelty for us, where ordering at the bar is the norm, but most American bars feature waitress service. It's a good system in theory but you do tend to overspend, as your tab racks up quickly and you must remember to tip the waitress. Just as well our travel costs were so low.

Connecticut was a relaxing drive away and unlike airports, where hours can be wasted in queues and security, you can turn up at the bus station 15 minutes before departure.

It might be cheap and cheerful, but Megabus was always on time. Equipped with those essentials for anyone under 25 - WiFi, a power plug and air conditioning - it was the perfect way to travel.

If you're planning on visiting a few states, the bus is definitely the cost-effective way for those on a budget. We paid between $2 and $10 apiece for each journey. The buses were clean and the atmosphere aboard felt safe and not at all intimidating.

AFTER a brief stopover at the Ivy League Yale University - nice for exstudents to see others with their noses to the academic grindstone - we were back on the coach to New York.

Standing in the middle of Times Square is like an out-of-body experience. With the buzz of tourists and the honking horns of yellow cabs, it's difficult to take in the amazing surroundings of the colourful billboards and swarm of people that fill the area.

That's when I heard a voice shout 'Jenna' and someone threw their arms around me. It was a girl I'd met on a cruise more than two years ago who just happened to be in New York at the same time as me and standing in the exact same spot.

The bright lights of Broadway are a big draw so if, like me, you're looking to save cash, the TKTS booth in Times Square sells cutprice tickets for most shows. On top of that, if you're in the big city for a few days and plan on seeing the usual sights, the New York Pass is a great money-saver. It gets you in to more than 70 attractions, with the option of a tour bus ticket for a little extra.

The pass got me in to Radio City Music Hall. This gem is a must for both music and art lovers and you even get to meet a Rockette, one of the leggy troupe of precision dancers there.

SHOW seen, money saved, we headed to a rooftop bar called the Hudson Terrace. It was all you'd expect - great music, great atmosphere - but a bonus was a stunning view of the Hudson River with the stars overhead.

Like most bar/clubs in America, you can expect to pay a door charge of around $10 per person and drinks at the Hudson Terrace started at around $13. It was a little bit pricey by Scottish student standards but, having cut financial corners elsewhere, it was worth it.

It was the morning after the night before and I was in desperate need of sleep. The Megabus pulled out on time and I caught 40 winks before starting over in Philadelphia.

The City of Brotherly Love had an oddly familiar feel. Last year, while Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt was filming his sci-fi thriller World War Z in Glasgow, I'd wandered over to the set to see what all the fuss was about.

George Square had been turned into Philadelphia, with American street signs erected everywhere. Now I could see the true version.

We knew that we had to try the famous Philly Cheesesteak, aka the Philly Melt - a baguette filled with steak cut so thin that it mingles with the cheese, My verdict? I'd rather have that student favourite the Greggs steak bake.

Thankfully, my faith in American food was restored when I arrived in Washington DC that night. Founding Farmers restaurant, just a short walk from the White House, was a culinary delight. All food was locally sourced and the vegetables were so fresh you'd swear they'd been uprooted that day.

We returned the next day to sample their breakfast and it did not disappoint. Three layers of pancakes, topped with whipped cream and fresh-cut strawberries proved just the pick-me-up we needed to continue our adventure.

Although Washington is known for its Smithsonian museums that stretch all down the National Mall, which also features Congress and the Lincoln Memorial, I enjoyed the Newseum best.

It takes you through the biggest stories that have gripped the world, from presidential election campaigns to the horror of the 9/11 atrocity. You can even try your hand at being a Fox News or CNN anchor with your own broadcast.

All in all, it was quite a way to mark the transition from student life to the real world and, with a bit of canny planning, a very affordable one too.

TRAVEL FACTS BOOK Megabus tickets via us.megabus.com. A Boston to New York trip will cost around $13 single and $20 return. Save on 70 attractions with www.newyorkpass.com. For information on TKTS booth locations in New York, visit www.tdf.org. You can also download the free app that gives the listings for that day.

CAPTION(S):

Canny travel: Jenna and Rhona

Salinger's cranky youth still speaks to many - The Irish Times

SIDELINE CUT : The lionisation of the school sports stars - thejocks - is a particularly American conceit and it has become jadedby now. But it remains true and universal too.

TOWARDS THE end of The Catcher in the Rye, Mr Antolini frets thatHolden Caulfield, his former pupil, is in for a 'terrible, terriblefall'.

'It may be the kind where, at the age of 30 you sit in some barhating everybody who comes in looking as if they might have playedfootball in college.'

That hardly qualifies as the worst fall one could have in life.Nonetheless, was there ever a character or a book that repudiatedthe mythology and appeal of sports culture - and in particularschool sports culture - as effectively as old Holden did in JDSalinger's perpetual classic?

It is hardly a coincidence that in the opening chapter Holden isalone on a hill watching a football game starring the team from theschool from which he is about to be expelled, Pencey Prep. For themillions of people/Holden devotees who passed through school and didnot play sport, here was someone in a place they recognised.

The lionisation of the school sports stars - the jocks - is aparticularly American conceit and it has become jaded by now. But itremains true and universal too.

You can see it in this country. Go to the Hogan Cup and watch thebest young GAA teams. Go to the Leinster Schools Cup and watch thegilded sons of those establishments. Go to the basketball arena inTallaght when the cup finals are on in March. These are all fine andwonderful traditions - sporting institutions themselves - and theyundoubtedly help to promote and instil the values and ethics theincreasingly beleaguered teaching profession is trying to pass on:team-work, pride in the school, the upholding of a legacy, winning,success, fraternity.

But do not pretend for a moment that these competitions do notrevolve around an element of hero-worship, where the boys who staron their respective sports teams stride the corridors and, rightlyor wrongly, are made to feel as though they have the world at theirfeet. And for the outsider looking in, for the kid with no interestor little natural ability when it comes to sport, that concentrationof time and energy on the glorification of this one team, thisentity, these few individuals, can be tremendously crushing.

Ask Janis Ian.

Of course, adolescence is not always a black-and-white divisionbetween the jocks and sensitive souls. For all the out-and-out jocksout there, there are countless other youngsters torn between thethrill and competitive zeal of playing sports and the constant kindof questioning and doubting that accompanies Holden Caulfield'simmortal lost weekend in 1950s NYC.

In fact, there must be many people out there who either receivedor were handed a copy of The Catcher in the Ryewho, after fallingunder the spell of its voice, decided the sporting life, with allits regulations and disciplines, its comical machismo and'inspiring' speeches, was not for them.

There must have been thousands of gifted footballers or swimmersor whatever who were prompted by Holden's contrary take on life todisappear into music and literature and the rest of it.

On Thursday evening, I was flicking between the RTE news and acollege basketball game between Duke and Florida State on ESPN whenthe standard, black-and-white photograph of JD Salinger appearedbehind Eileen Dunne. Even before she began the announcement, it wasobvious the great recluse had bowed out. Salinger's disappearancefrom public life and his steadfast silence that has governed his artis without precedent - although in my opinion, Ciaran McDonald, thegreat stylist on Mayo football teams from '96 to '07 and a man whoseems to share Holden Caulfield's suspicion of phonies, is givinghim a damn good run for his money - and has become almost as famousa story as his most famous creation.

But as I switched back to the basketball, it occurred to me thatDuke, one of the most prestigious and expensive of the Americancolleges, is precisely the kind of institution that Holden railsagainst.

The basketball team has become symbolic of everything the collegeis supposed to represent: clean-cut, selfless, brilliant, sporting,relentlessly successful, immaculately presented and polite, itspeople on the fast track to the brighter life. And because of thosevirtues, it can come across as preppy, self-regarding, smug,superior and acne-free.

Hating Duke and all it represents has become an alternativeAmerican pastime and would have made ideal fodder for Holden'sunforgettable brand of caustic disillusionment.

Now that JD Salinger has gone, it seems inevitable that hispassing will mean that generations across the world for whom TheCatcher in the Ryemeant everything will be prompted to present theirunsuspecting offspring with a copy of the book.

Watch the sales surge in coming weeks. It ought to lead tocomical reactions. Sometimes, the passing of cultural touchstonesjust does not work.

Recently, I had occasion to put a TV show on for a bunch of six-year-old lads. Flicking through the endless and oftenunpronounceable range of cartoon shows available now, I wasastounded and overjoyed to come across one that was old even when Iwas young: Top Cat.

Remember him? Lived in a tin can engaging in an eternal battle ofwits with Officer Dibble, he was a cat, as the theme tune advised,'whose intellectual close friends got to call him TC'. We turned iton.

Within seconds, it was clear a grave mistake had been made. Theseboys eyed me with a look that fell between pity and contempt. Andthey were right. The graphics were minimalist to the point of beingdesolate. Top Cat himself had an annoying kind of voice. Benny, hissidekick, was up to nothing. The children indulged the show for thebones of a minute before one said, as injudiciously as possible:'This doesn't seem to be very good.'

And that was that.

Chances are there is a whole wave of teenagers out there who areabout to become acquainted with Holden Caulfield and who will findthat the voice of this 17-year-old from 59 years ago simply meansnothing to them. But there will be many others who will fall underthe elusive magic of the book and feel, as tens of thousands haveattested, that this cranky youngster is speaking exclusively tothem.

And you can bet money that many of these new fans will belong toschools where sport - the team, the game, The Cup(!), the records,the school anthems, the famous outhalf, the former All-Irelandwinners, the chosen ones - are held up as the ideal of what it is tobe young and alive and searching for something.

And for many, of course, those games and races do nothing butreinforce that sense of not being included, of being outside therealm of conventional popularity and success. For many kids in thedays and years ahead, the news that Holden Caulfield, moody andgrieving, is up there on that hill watching some football game thatmeans nothing to him will be good news indeed.

And many, of course, will become curious about the man whocreated him.

As the famous line goes, 'What really knocks me out is a book,when you're all done reading it, you wished the author that wrote itwas a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on thephone whenever you felt like it'.

Fat chance of that now.

Get A Load of This. - American Fitness

The latest research findings on carbo-loading, hydration and exercise.

Each year at the American College of Sports Medicine's convention, exercise scientists meet to present their latest research findings. The following information from the June, 1998 meeting in Orlando, Florida, also published in the May, 1998 issue of Supplement to Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, offers a taste of what's happening in the area of sports nutrition.

Carbohydrates

Studies suggest pre-exercise consumption of low glycemic foods like oatmeal and pasta provide a sustained release of energy into the bloodstream. This enhances endurance performance. However, the consumption of additional carbs during exercise diminishes these benefits. Don't make a special effort to choose low glycemic foods before you exercise if you plan to consume carbs during exercise.

Carbohydrates should be the foundation of an optimal sports diet. But many athletes choose to consume too much protein, fat and alcohol at the expense of properly fueled muscles. A study of rugby players who consumed a high carbohydrate diet (more than 4 grams carb/lb., as compared to the common 2 grams carb/lb, or less) had almost double the muscle glycogen stores. This could contribute to higher intensity performance.

Carbo-loading can boost muscle glycogen by 1.6 times over baseline. But how long do muscles stay loaded? A study from Northern Arizona University suggests for three to five days post-loading, when the subject does no hard exercise and eats a 60% carbohydrate diet.

For optimal glycogen loading, can athletes just 'load' on carbs or should they first exercise at a high level prior to carbo-loading to deplete muscle glycogen? According to Navy research, depleting exercise followed by six days of a high carbohydrate diet provided a greater stimulus to super-compensate glycogen stores than occurred with no depleting exercises before carbo-loading.

Fluids

What's a good way to optimize fluid intake? Provide a tasty beverage. Studies have shown young boys given a choice of fluid replacers will drink more of a palatable sports drink than of plain water. New research suggests the same holds true for college students--they drank 24% more sports drinks than plain water. This can effectively reduce the risk of dehydration.

Carrying water with you during activity also reduces your risk of dehydration. Skiers, for example, are notorious for dehydration. Water is unavailable on the slopes and 'tanking up' on fluids at lunch fails to do the job. In a study with skiers who used a back mounted fluid carrier, the skiers drank three times more fluid, maintained hydration and reported they felt better.

Water is important during endurance exercises, but so are carbohydrates. Cyclists who consumed a combination of water and carbohydrate (e.g., a sports drink) during two hours of moderate cycling experienced only a 7% drop in cycling power as compared to a 10% drop when they drank the same volume of plain water. Inadequate water--even with carbs (such as energy bars taken with inadequate fluid)--contributed to a 14% drop in power.

Weight Gain Management

Commercial exercise videos claim to 'burn' and 'blast' fat. Subjects who completed 20- to 24-minute workouts burned about seven to eight calories per minute, or about 145 to 170 total calories--not exactly 'fat blasting,' given a pound of fat has 3,500 calories.

Baby boomers who fight middle age spread often ask how much they need to exercise to prevent weight gain. According to NASA researchers, one must exercise the equivalent of running six miles a week or more.

A study from Oregon State University shows post-menopausal women who do more 'hard' and 'very hard' exercise are likely to have less abdominal body fat than women who do moderately intense exercise.

Meal timing may affect body fat. A Georgia State University study involving gymnasts and runners demonstrated those who ate adequately during the day had less body fat than those who under-consumed. Therefore, yes, eat breakfast!

NEW YORK CITY CORPORATION COUNSEL CARDOZO, PHILADELPHIA CITY SOLICITOR SMITH MAKE FRIENDLY WAGER ON ANNUAL YANKEES-PHILLIES WORLD SERIES - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

NEW YORK, Oct. 28 -- The New York City Law Department issued the following press release:

Continuing the innovative service theme weaved into the World Series bets of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Philly City Solicitor Shelley R. Smith and NYC Corporation Counsel Michael A. Cardozo today announced their own bet designed to inspire volunteerism and pro bono service.

The friendly wager, hinged on which team wins the Phillies/Yankees 2009 World Series match-up, will revolve around expanding a theme 'near and dear' to both the Mayors and their chief legal officials - promoting volunteerism generally, and educational and career opportunities for children in particular.

Specifically, the legal officials have agreed to the following:

* Whichever team loses, the chief legal official from the losing city will travel to the other city, along with a team of leading attorneys and staff.

* The friendly exchange will take place before June 2010.

* Members of the visiting legal team will volunteer in every borough (in New York City) or county (in Philadelphia) to ensure that their presence is appreciated by the entire city - and their inspiration is widespread.

* The volunteer efforts will include moot court/mock trial events, as well as career chats with school children by the losing city's legal team, including the losing city's chief legal officer.

* The visiting team will don the winning city's sports jerseys during the visit.

* The officials from both cities are using it as an opportunity to promote pro bono work among their respective city and state bar associations - especially with this being 'National Pro Bono Week.' (According to this week's New York Law Journal, Michael Getnick, the President of the New York State Bar Association, announced that his group was 'joining the American Bar Association and local bar associations...in celebrating the first-ever National Pro Bono Week [through] Oct. 31st.')

This afternoon's bet was inspired by an agreement announced yesterday between Mayor Nutter and Mayor Bloomberg. The joint Philadelphia-New York City press release issued from City Hall in New York yesterday afternoon noted that this was 'the first-of-its kind wager on the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies.' It continued, 'The losing mayor will travel to the winning city to join the winning mayor in a volunteer service project, while wearing a jersey from the winning team.'

The joint press release also mentioned, 'In addition, the losing Mayor will cater lunch from a local establishment for the volunteers working with the winning Mayor. Win or lose, Mayor Bloomberg will be joining Publicolor to work with students painting open spaces at I.S. 131, the Albert Einstein School in the Bronx, and Mayor Nutter will be joining the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program to paint a mural on the side of a Philadelphia recreation center.'

* To view the full release, go to nyc.gov and click on 'Press Releases' or click here.

Cardozo and Smith announced their respective bets with a mix of excitement and fanfare.

'The real winner of this bet is the community who will benefit from the spirit of pro bono service embodied in this water,' noted Smith. 'After the Phillies win, perhaps Counselor Cardozo can take the train down with Mayor Bloomberg to make good on their bets together.'

'Them's fighting words!' joked Cardozo. 'Seriously, though, this is a wonderful opportunity to expand the spirit of volunteerism espoused by both of our fine mayors,' he added. 'Moreover, it allows each of our offices to give inspiration to many schoolchildren and provide them with a window to careers in the legal community, be it as lawyers, paralegals, court officers, judges or other legal officials - even city solicitors and corporation counsels! Finally, it gives us an important opportunity to support efforts by our local, state and nationwide bar associations to encourage pro bono work and volunteerism among legal professionals across the country.'

Today's bet echoes a tradition of public service embraced by both city's legal departments and chief legal officers.

Pro Bono Work of the Philadelphia Law Department

The Philadelphia Law Department strongly encourages its attorneys to supplement the valuable public service they provide in their positions with the Law Department by also offering service to the broader community through pro bono activities. Law Department attorneys have participated in programs such as the Homeless Advocacy Project, which provides assistance to homeless individuals with such tasks as securing social security cards and driver's licenses to assist in finding jobs and housing, Philadelphia's Volunteers for the Indigent Project (VIP), which provides low-cost or free legal services to Philadelphia citizens in need of legal representation but without means to secure such representation, and various programs offered through the Philadelphia Bar Association, including the Advancing Civics Education (ACE). In fact, just last week, the Mayor of Philadelphia honored the extensive pro bono work of a senior attorney with the Philadelphia Law Department by conferring a Mayoral Citation upon that attorney.

Law Department attorneys and staff also provide service to their community through various food drives, book drives and other fundraising activities.

Pro Bono Work of the New York City Law Department

In New York City, the Law Department has partnered in the last year with the New York Court of Appeals Chief Judge, Jonathan Lippman, and created 'NYC Legal Outreach,' one of the several initiatives involving the encouragement of volunteerism, to encourage more attorneys to provide pro bono service in the areas of mortgage foreclosures, evictions, immigration, and consumer credit/debt.

Law Department attorneys and staff also provide volunteer support for public schools in a variety of ways: raising funds for supplies, speaking at Career Days, coaching and judging moot court and moot trial competitions; and mentoring individual students.

Rest of the document can be viewed at (http://www.nyc.gov/html/law/downloads/pdf/2470889_1.pdf)For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.