Paterson Ethos: ‘Remember Where You Came From’

Written by admin on June 28, 2010. Posted in Special Sections, West Side Spirit Anniversary

The governor and his father leave their mark on political history By Rochana Rapkins Former State Senator and New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson began life on the streets of Harlem as the son of Caribbean immigrants. He earned his pocket money working as a laborer at the Port Authority. “Being black and growing
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Brothers Who Build

Written by admin on June 28, 2010. Posted in Special Sections, West Side Spirit Anniversary

With visionary projects, three generations of Zeckendorfs shape the city By Rochana Rapkins Real estate mogul William Zeckendorf, Sr., knew why he moved from buying and selling real estate into construction. “It was a matter of my personality,” he wrote in his 1970 autobiography, six years before his death at age 76. “I like to
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Where Culture Meets Community

Written by admin on June 28, 2010. Posted in Special Sections, West Side Spirit Anniversary

A couple’s decades-long effort to make a better neighborhood By Christopher Moore Sitting in his office at Symphony Space, Isaiah Sheffer looked back on 32 very active seasons. “It could only have happened on the West Side,” he said. In July, he officially moves from being artistic director to founding artistic director. The switch was
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Crafting the People’s Guidebook

Written by admin on June 28, 2010. Posted in Special Sections, West Side Spirit Anniversary

From mimeographed reviews, Tim and Nina Zagat built a publishing empire By Christopher Moore Tim and Nina Zagat were providing user-generated content decades before people used the term. The Zagats, who met in law school, got the idea that the people who eat in restaurants might be a good source of information. In a culture
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Inspired by a Neighborhood

Written by admin on June 28, 2010. Posted in Special Sections, West Side Spirit Anniversary

A political star who was shaped by his Upper West Side roots By Christopher Moore Assembly Member Keith Wright has plenty of memories of the Upper West Side, where he attended the Ethical Culture School as a child. “We were part of a grand experiment,” he said, thinking back to when he was one of
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On the Frontlines of the Gourmet Revolution

Written by admin on June 28, 2010. Posted in Special Sections, West Side Spirit Anniversary

An iconic family business built on dedication and discriminating palates By Christopher Moore Saul Zabar stood at a Lazy Susan laden with cups, spitting out coffee after tasting it. He actually swallowed some of the particularly good stuff. Mostly, though, he kept tasting and spitting, tasting and spitting, making his way through the samples with
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Heir to the Sturgeon Kingdom

Written by admin on June 28, 2010. Posted in Special Sections, West Side Spirit Anniversary

The world famous Barney Greengrass has been feeding generations By Christopher Moore “You must not be Jewish,” Gary Greengrass said by way of welcome. “You’re right on time.” Greengrass was standing behind the cash register at the front of Barney Greengrass, an iconic food shop at this Amsterdam Avenue location, just north of West 86th
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Always Reaching for the Sky

Written by admin on June 28, 2010. Posted in Special Sections, West Side Spirit Anniversary

With an eye toward a greener city, the Durst family builds a legacy By Christopher Moore Helena Durst remembers one of the lessons she learned from her grandfather. “My grandfather said, ‘You need to be able to walk to all your properties,’” recalled Durst, who is part of a family of builders who have had
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Politics Meets the Press—and Falls in Love

Written by admin on June 28, 2010. Posted in Special Sections, West Side Spirit Anniversary

At home with newsman Jimmy Breslin and longtime public servant Ronnie Eldridge By Christopher Moore Tell Jimmy Breslin that he’s an intimidating person to interview and he has a one-word response: “Bullshit.” He turns out to be much more bark than bite, at least for an iconic, tough newspaperman. Still, the word “bullshit” comes up
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