that girl allison

I saw the revival of Jacques Brel is Alive, and Well and Living in Paris twice back in 2006.  The music is great - even if I can’t fully understand the parts in French (thank you to my 6 years of French education).  And the cast was phenomenal as well, including the vocal stylings of Robert Cuccioli, Rodney Hicks, Natascia Diaz, and Gay Marshall. 

Jacques Brel Returns, offering a wide range of Brel’s music in a cabaret-style setting, is now being performed once a month at The Triad on West 72nd Street with different performers each month, and a different special guest each month as well.  The cast last week included Robert Cuccioli, Micheline Van Hautem, Karen Kohler, Jean Brassard, and Ereni Sevasti, with special guest Natascia Diaz.

This two hour foray into the music of Jacques Brel was lovely and entertaining, especially being performed by such talented people.  I must admit though that I think I discovered my threshhold for concerts in settings such as these are 90 minutes. 

I would recommend that anyone with an appreciation for the music of Jacques Brel should check this out, or someone who just wants to experience something new. 

While living on the Upper West Side for a year and a half, I’ve developed a list of my favorite Japanese, Thai, and Asian-Fusion restaurants.  And surprise, surprise… They’re all stupidly cheap.  

Sura: I’ve written about Sura before, but I can’t enough about it.  They serve an $8 lunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays that includes three courses.  I usually go for the Oriental salad, Pad Thai, and green tea ice cream (although the custard is tasty, too).  This meal would cost close to $20 when it’s a week day, so if you’re in the neighborhood at the right time, stop in and I promise you won’t be disappointed.  Broadway between 100th and 101st Street.  

Matsu:  I discovered this place after last years Webutante Ball with two native New Yorker’s that I met at the party.  I’ve been back several times since and it’s never disappointed.  Entrees are usually around $10 and the food is actually really good!  83rd Street and Columbus.

Ozen:  My favorite place for delivery.  I’ve only had the pad thai and chicken teriyaki from Ozen, and while the pad thai is amazing, the chicken teriyaki is awful.  It’s dry as sandpaper.  The pad thai is awesome but the portion they serve is enormous.  To give you an idea: I had a plate full last night, a plate full today for lunch, and then two of my co-workers also had full plates for lunch today.  If you only have $10 and you need to feed you and your three friends, this is the place for you.   

I’ve lived in a few different locations in my almost-six years as a New Yorker.  I lived on Union Square West during my freshmen year (by far the most awesome place to live, ever), followed by a summer hiatus on William Street in the Financial District, and then three years on Fulton Street (also in the Financial District).  After I graduated from college and traveled Europe, I ended up spending about two months living with a former co-worker of mine on Bennett Avenue in Washington Heights (a really nice neighborhood, despite how far uptown it is).  And for the last almost-two-years, I’ve been living on the Upper West Side.  

I’d talked many times about moving back to my old hood - the Financial District, or maybe Chelsea.  I wanted to be further downtown and near the places that I went out to on the weekend.  Recently though I’ve stopped going out so much, and my love of theatre has been renewed (meaning much of my time has been spent in midtown west) so living on the UWS has been rather convenient.  (It’s a $10 cab ride home after a show if I don’t want to take the train.)

Have I mentioned that I’m a quick six minute subway ride from work?  Yeah, that’s nice, too.  

I’ve also been realizing that the Upper West Side is a place where many people I know live.  It’s a place to live, not a place to drink your face off (well, I’ve done that up here too) and cause a riot at 3am.  It’s a neighborhood where you’re only a block or so away from everything, but it’s still quiet enough for you to sleep at night and not get woken up by Howard Stern on on a megaphone at 10am on a Sunday morning (true story, happened to me when I was 19 and living in Union Square).

There have been two Upper West Side meet-ups where I’ve met some awesome people and last weekend we had an Upper West Side brunch at Blockheads on 106th and Amsterdam.  We won’t be going back there but the company was great. 

So I’m re-thinking this whole moving thing, that is, if my landlord doesn’t raise my rent.