Ansonia Hotel

Don't think so, or there would be a plack indicating this. There is such a plack(sp?) in what is now a cooperative apartment building on Riverside drive and 81st to 84th, thereabouts.

His widow outlived him for many years after the died pre-maturely of cancer in 1948. He was a high living guy, who could have a night of sex (not with his wife) a quart of scotch and partied into the night, and then play a double header and hit a couple of homers the next day.

This was before gotcha journalism, so no reporter would ever divulge that the was other than the model of propriety. I never saw him in person but remember his aura when even when gone, he was still a cultural icon.

Those days seem gone.

This is an enjoyable, but really slowwww motion conversation, since my first comment was Feb. 2009. I just looked up Seize the Day, and I was struck by that film also. I've been out in Southern California for 12 years now, and a part of me really misses Manhattan. I moved there from D.C. in 1958, "East Side, West Side all around the town" The last years there were in a high rise on 70th street, but the early years were in single room occupancy aparments shared bath room, and thank God for the Automats, the cafeterias, and the Blarney Stone Bars. It's hard to believe but with the 15 cent beers you would get a free buffet, yep, that was in the 1960s. They were the Golden years of that city, and you could thrive at any level-before computers and globalism made Manhattan only for the ultra rich. There were zero homeless, and yes, you could sleep in the meadow of central park on hot nights. So, I appreciate these reminiscences that are captured in films, that do bring back the era--not all joy, but it was a vital time. Now I keep busy with my website, alrodbell.com

Yes I too lived right there W 70th between B'way & West End Avenue, on & off
from 1957 to 1964. Visited relatives. stayed summers from coming up from PA boarding school. Rem having bank account at that Big Apple bank right above the park. I was well schooled in street behavior about Needle Park. They weren't too explicit in those days but it was just enough to get the message across. Wanta survive, don't get involved. Films like Man With the Golden Arm had been out for a bit which being a little kid we couldn't see. Movie lobby poster made me think it had something to do with an action movie or Egyptian adventure. Thought a guy had an actual arm of gold in place of real one, who knew for what. Didn't occur to me that was a cow arm to be milked rather than like a gold bar! When Park came out I knew enough by then but since that was a
daily scene for me over the years from '60 - '69 it held no interest to me. Adults just indicated those nodding off where 'like drunks' in sense of having lost control of senses. That was enough.
Years later did enjoy Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon. Still didn't send me to Park in revival theaters. By time did see it didn't do anything for me.
Sunshine Boys does overlook the triangle park from W 72 to W 73. MTA finally redid that overcrowded subway. I mean after they finally finished Lincoln Center down the road, and the low rise grade school across the street on W 70 that damn subway was still a packed zoo in rush hour. Add in the fare beaters and real fun time. The hot dog bargain place on SE corner of W 72 % B'way was a nice late night treat - the crowd alone worth the $1.
Used to be a great Eclair's bakery on W 72 was a treat. Whole nabe is so done with now of course. Little Spanish Hill was right there in high '60s which was basis for West Side Story. Never had any dealings at all with Spanish area in those days either. Was a bit like Mars to me. Lincoln Center blew it away.
Bit left further up in lows 80s - 90s @Columbus, Amsterdam tho that to is gentry on way. Hells Kitchen last to go down in 40s, 50s far west side. Not much left having renamed Clinton to change $5000 $ up monthly rent high end.
Saw long film trailers on 11th yesterday. One 6 door trailer had only 2 name
labels. One LUCY other DESI. No location posters on poles with fake title names since unlikely a spoiler. Guess some tribute film in works near Clinton Park. That park too was a half needle park of crack heads up into late 90s with the homeless crowd running it. Cleaned up nicely.
They were filming for Nurse Betty the other day month after next Spiderman.
Got Cal types all over the place now. Stupid t-shirts saying "Call My Agent" and crap like that.
The funny young gay assistant on Ugly Betty lives right there in upscale $25k a month Mercedes House. NYC whole nuther place now. Was just nickname Theater Parking when I move back in around 1985. Babes at part time job on 6th Ave were afraid to go to the well known party cake bakery over on 9 & 46 so I had to escort them or fetch it. But they liked to see & pick. And some of these babes were pretty harden lifers. Had a kid or two so being careful.
Anyway, Sunshine is sweet memories...