Monday, October 29, 2012

Batten the Hatches on York Avenue!

East River ~ 7am ~ Oct 29, 2012
Brian Ferry tells me "Love is the Drug,"as I sit writing here. Outside, it's picking up. Vertical rain and all that. Early this morning, I watched the swollen East River saturated in grey.  An hour ago, I walked up to 84th and York. Took a photo and thought about my family's 116 consecutive years on this avenue, formerly called Avenue A changed by real estate speculators after WWI to cash in on war hero Sergeant Alvin York.  Remember Gary Cooper in the film?

Here are a few pictures of a spot on York over the years.

Batten the hatches!

eastside of York Ave looking towards 84th Street

Thomas E. Pryor 1945


Robert Pryor, Allie Cobert & Mickey Fiorillo 1962


Tommy Pryor Xmas Day 1960

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Rocking Ryan's & Photo Exhibit at Cornelia Street Cafe

Lots going on!

Had a terrific Stoops to Nuts storytelling show at Ryan's Daughter this past Wednesday. Thank you, Mick and Jimmy, for having us. Thank you to all the amazing artists: Nicole Ferraro, Daniel Guzman, Francesca Rizzo, Eric Vetter, Carlo Fortunato, Alex DeSuze, Fernando Morales Gonzales, Seth Foster and Miles Alexander. Thank you to everyone who came out to Ryan's, we rocked the place and you bought 60 books! We're going to do it again in the winter. Here are photos from the party.

New news, the Cornelia Street Cafe will showcase my photography in an exhibit this coming February 2013.  I'm grateful for this wonderful opportunity, thank you, Robin, Angelo, Joshua and Melissa.  Thank you, Otto Barz, and YBK for publishing "River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle."



My memoir loaded with old and new photos will be published in fall 2013.

Next Cornelia Street Cafe "City Stories: Stoops to Nuts," is Tuesday, November 13th @ 6pm.

















Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Spooky Storytelling at Ryan's Daughter @ 7pm Tonight!


321 E 85th Street Halloween 1960
Tonight, I'm doing my first storytelling show ever in Yorkville at Ryan's Daughter @ 350 E. 85th Street.This block is embedded in my past, I went to kindergarten at P.S. 77 on the corner where Tri-Faith now stands, I played on the roof of 321 with my aunties, Joannie Baloney and Barbie Pins Barbara, this is the street where Freddy Muller, Benny Romano , Buddy McMahon and I stopped in front of a thrown out couch and standing lamp, found a chair across the street and a refrigerator box and set up our imaginary Johnny Carson Show set. It was Halloween 1971, we were teen kncukleheads and kept asking strangers on their way home from work to stop off on Johnny's couch so Johnny aka Freddy could interview them. Benny was an excellent Ed MCMahon, "You are correct, Sir!"
Here is a story about that 85th St. I wrote on this blog two years ago with photos of 321 E. 85th Street.

Tonight's show will be a hoot!

Wed, Oct 24th @ 7pm at Ryan's Daughter, 350 East 85th Street, (bet. 1st and 2nd Ave).

The Yorkville bound artists will knock you out: Daniel Guzman, Nicole Ferraro, Thomas Pryor, Francesca Rizzo ~ featuring music by Eric Vetter, Carlo Fortunato & Alex DeSuze & friends.

At the Ryan's show, I'll sell and sign "River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle."
"Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts"
A Neighborhood Storytelling Show
@ Ryan's Daughter
350 East 85th Street (bet. 1st and 2nd Ave) 



321 E 85th St tale

Hallloween night 1960 ~ Rory, Mom, Nan Ryan & me visited my Aunt Joan's apartment at 321 East 85thStreet. Rory was a Cat & I was a Hobo. We bought my Bum mask for 39 cents at Woolworth's and raided my grandfather's old clothes for my costume when he went out for a walk. He didn't miss a thing, as predicted by my grandmother.

321 was a usual haunt for Mom, Rory & me. Mom visited her sisters, Joan & Barbara, two to three times a week. Counting my two grandmothers, I had five mothers.

The now pictures are all of 321 East 85th Street's stoop this past week. As you can see, hardly anything has changed in 50 years, including, I still dress like a hobo.

That's Alison in her Halloween ghost costume in 1988. Here's a silly poem I wrote for her years ago.

“Dungarees be Free!”
Hot summer night, a run on the track.
Fear struck hard! I turned my back.
Adjusting my eyes to see what was there,
A little fat man with long green hair.
“My debt I’ll collect,” he snarled at me.
I proceeded to run up the nearest tree.
“I have all night you may as well come down.”
Before he finished his remark, I fell to the ground.
'What do you want, leave me alone!"
Knelling over me, I smelled his cheap cologne.
“You borrowed my jeans and I want them back!”
“They're dungarees, they are not slacks!
You’re a fruitcake I don’t own any jeans.
Go far away your breath stinks like beans."
I rushed home, as he jumped up & down.
“You’ll never be safe. I’m not leaving town.”
***********************************************






Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Storytelling at Ryan's Daughter Tomorrow Night

My grandmother's shopping cart from the late 1950s is still going strong.  There is no rubber left on the tires, the sound I hear when I wheel it is metal on concrete.  This is the same shopping cart that carried my bible every Friday, "The TV Guide." I'd study it like I was going to be questioned by the police and ready with every answer.

Cop: "Sunday 8 o'clock?"
Me: "Ed Sullivan, Sir."
Cop: Friday 10 o'clock?"
Me: "Alfred Hitchcock."

My mother's maiden name was Patricia Ryan, aka, Ryan's Daughter. Her father Patrick Leonard Ryan was a piece of work, and didn't like the name Patrick, so everyone called him, "Lennie," except us kids, he was Pop Dutchie to distinguish him from Pop Cuckoo two blocks away on York.  I had all four grandparents on York on my side of the avenue, so I could visit them when I was old enough to ask somebody to cross me.

Tomorrow night, is my first storytelling show ever in Yorkville and appropriately the event happens at Ryan's Daughter, upstairs @ 7pm, it's a free show, we have a wonderful line-up, and we will take you back, promise.


Patricia Ryan Pryor, Tommy & Pop Cuckoo

Helen Ryan, Mom, Dad, Pop Dutchie "Lennie" at Sparkle Lake

Mom busting Dad's chops




October 24th, I'm bringing "Stoops to Nuts" home for a special show ~ my first Yorkville storytelling show @ Ryan's Daughter. It shivers, me timbers!

It happens on Wed, Oct 24th @ 7pm at Ryan's Daughter, 350 East 85th Street, (bet. 1st and 2nd Ave).

The Yorkville bound artists will knock you out: Daniel Guzman, Nicole Ferraro, Thomas Pryor, Francesca Rizzo ~ featuring music from our dreamy memories by Eric Vetter, Carlo Fortunato & Alex DeSuze & friends.

At the Ryan's show, I'll sell and sign "River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle."
"Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts"
A Neighborhood Storytelling Show
@ Ryan's Daughter
350 East 85th Street (bet. 1st and 2nd Ave) 



















Friday, October 19, 2012

The Circle Line ~ Now & Then

Yesterday, was my first time on The Circle Line since I was 9 years old in 1963 when we steamed all the way up to Bear Mountain. I remember listening to Marvin Gaye singing about his "Proud and Joy" on my transistor radio in its tattered leather sleeve pressed to my ear to offset the wind and engine noise.

I have a few pictures from the 1963 trip up the Hudson. On the way back, the Circle Line captain must of had a load on because he rammed the Yonkers pier and knocked a chunk of it off. Almost lost my radio into the water when we struck the landing and I was on the side looking over.

The weather yesterday was spectacular, puffy swirling clouds dancing over a bright blue sky.  We ended up dead in the water when Obama's helicopter flew in over the bridges and landed at the Wall Street Heliport.  Police boats chased the motorcade up the FDR. A Fantabulous day.


October 24th, I'm bringing "Stoops to Nuts" home for a special show ~ my first Yorkville storytelling show @ Ryan's Daughter. It shivers, me timbers!

It happens on Wed, Oct 24th @ 7pm at Ryan's Daughter, 350 East 85th Street, (bet. 1st and 2nd Ave).

The Yorkville bound artists will knock you out: Daniel Guzman, Nicole Ferraro, Thomas Pryor, Francesca Rizzo ~ featuring music from our dreamy memories by Eric Vetter, Carlo Fortunato & Alex DeSuze & friends.

At the Ryan's show, I'll sell and sign "River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle," for $10. $3 off the list price just because I love Yorkville, neighborhood of my youth.


"Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts"
A Neighborhood Storytelling Show
@ Ryan's Daughter
350 East 85th Street (bet. 1st and 2nd Ave) 











Rory & Tommy 1963 Circle Line to Bear Mt.






















Tommy & Uncle Mommy 1963 Circle Line








Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Always a Double Feature Playing in Yorkville

Yorkville was my universe. My earliest memory, 1956, sitting in the baby pool on a hot day in Carl Schurz Park looking up at Dad with his camera and Mom making one of her best faces - touching her nose with her tongue and pulling her ears out.

Another Carl Schurz Park memory, taking cover in the Checker Pavilion during a thunderstorm with my Aunt Joan and Aunt Barbara double pushing my stroller away from the swings.

When I was old enough to wander away from Mom without her having a heart attack I'd get in trouble by going all the way down to 90th Street on the Drive past Gracie Mansion to see the Fire Boat on the East River. 

Rolling around, I have a strong recollection of the variety of newspapers on each newsstand that seemed to be on every corner of the neighborhood, especially 86th Street. 

Once I was crossing streets on my own then it was time to venture straight over to Fifth Avenue to Central Park, my community backyard and personal playground. If I was with friends and we got caught in the rain that far over, we'd run into one of the museums, the Met, Guggenheim or the Natural History if somehow we ended up on the west side. We'd stay in the shelter aware of the art but not doing much about it until the weather cleared or we got thrown out of the place because of our relentless horseplay.

We only left the confines of Yorkville when we all had bikes and rode as a  pack to mysterious destinations like the United Nations two miles away, may as well been 500 the way we told the story afterwards.

Today, these memories fuel my  curiosity to revisit the old places and see what comes up old and new.  Having 1500 photographs of Yorkville going back to 1906 is a gift my family gave me that I never take for granted. My stories come out of these snapshots like a burst of light in a movie theatre and there is always a double feature.


October 24th, I'm bringing "Stoops to Nuts" home for a special show ~ my first Yorkville storytelling show @ Ryan's Daughter. It shivers, me timbers!

It happens on Wed, Oct 24th @ 7pm at Ryan's Daughter, 350 East 85th Street, (bet. 1st and 2nd Ave).

The Yorkville bound artists will knock you out: Daniel Guzman, Nicole Ferraro, Thomas Pryor, Francesca Rizzo ~ featuring music from our dreamy memories by Eric Vetter, Carlo Fortunato & Alex DeSuze & friends.

At the Ryan's show, I'll sell and sign "River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle," for $10. $3 off the list price just because I love Yorkville, neighborhood of my youth.


"Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts"
A Neighborhood Storytelling Show
@ Ryan's Daughter
350 East 85th Street (bet. 1st and 2nd Ave) 













Saturday, October 13, 2012

Losers Lounge Dusty Springfield Tribute

The Losers Lounge tribute to Dusty Springfield at Joe's Pub is a blast.  For $25 Losers remains the best entertainment value in NYC. I'm going back tonight for thirds.

Here are a few photos from Thursday and Friday's shows. More pictures to follow.


October 24th, I'm bringing "Stoops to Nuts" home for a special show ~ my first Yorkville storytelling show @ Ryan's Daughter. It shivers, me timbers!

It happens on Wed, Oct 24th @ 7pm at Ryan's Daughter, 350 East 85th Street, (bet. 1st and 2nd Ave).

The Yorkville bound artists will knock you out: Daniel Guzman, Nicole Ferraro, Thomas Pryor, Francesca Rizzo ~ featuring music from our dreamy memories by Eric Vetter, Carlo Fortunato & Alex DeSuze & friends.

At the Ryan's show, I'll sell and sign "River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle,"for $10.  $3 off the list price just because I love you, Yorkville, neighborhood of my youth.


"Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts"
A Neighborhood Storytelling Show
@ Ryan's Daughter
350 East 85th Street (bet. 1st and 2nd Ave)