Many years ago pre cell phones as a single real estate broker I had a “change purse” filled with dimes to make from the phone booth on the corner calls. Run on sentence counters that one’s for you,
One day after leaving the bank to deposit a commission check on an apartment I sold at 120 East 79th Street to an old friend who was relocating to- at that time Ed Koch’s Big Apple, I experienced a ny crime story gone awry.
Michael and I were both single at the time and although that certain spark to help create any romantic interest wasn’t there we became fast friends. During our apt. hunting time together we would meet at Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle Hotel, have a cocktail and dig into their well known hand made potato chips that were strategically placed on the bar.

Particularly during the holiday season after we listened to Bobby Short work his magic with all 88 keys on the piano we thought wow, yes Bobby it certainly is “The Most Wonderful Time of The Year.” In the greatest city.
At times we would order another round and a burger. We had Fun. The 90’s in the city had a strong financial system and high culture flourished. It felt good pounding the pavements to our next big deal, or not.
Back to the dimes. So this one particular day I left the bank and strolled along Madison Avenue proudly sporting a new fur coat I bought with the commission I made on Michael’s apt. A man approached me to let me know I had something on the back of my coat. He looked vaguely familiar and as I tried to place him I realized I had seen him sitting in a chair at the bank I had just left. He suggested I take my coat off and he would help clean off what felt like the better part of a bottle of Jergens lotion. Something clicked and I ran off and quickly grabbed a cab. I glanced back to see him and another man standing together.
This experience helped form my living cautiously in NYC ways. Naive no more. Close but no cigar.
So very fast forward, decades later, no fur coat in sight and as a one only Stoli drinker we are heading out of the city. It is no longer our New York.

We always thought we would age out here, ordering food in and catching first run movies at The Paris Theater. Yes Jackie Gleason “away we go.” We will always tap into a New York State of mind, especially when someone bumps into us with their cart as we are buying fruits and vegetables at The Boys. Adios Friend.