Somewhere Or Bust

Two New York Jews Visit the Hong Kong Jewish Community

Noah Lederman — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:00:36 +0000

Before leaving Hong Kong, my wife and I wanted to explore a location we had seen on our map. It had been marked with a single Jewish Star printed atop two intersecting roads. We assumed it was a synagogue. Was there a Hong Kong Jewish community? The climb to this Jewish Star was as strenuous as mounting Masada, since the hills south of Hollywood Road (or SoHo) rise steeply. But we eventually made it to the top of SoHo … →

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Texas Chili Cook-Off NYC Style

Noah Lederman — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:00:59 +0000

Last spring, I needed to kill some time between two cocktail events, so I had walked down to the South Street Seaport. When I turned a corner, I overheard a commotion of Texas accents. I asked about the gathering. “A Texas Chili Cook-off in Manhattan,” one of the red-faced festival-goers said, strangely pronouncing the city’s name as if it were a man named Hattan. (Perfection would have been one good Yee-Haw, but it didn’t happen.) The Lone Star … →

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Best Brooklyn Restaurants: A Day of Pizza and Roast Beef

Noah Lederman — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:10:45 +0000

Brooklyn, New York, is rediscovering its hey-day, today. Its first period of renaissance took place before the start of the Cold War, when a Brooklyn Dodgers team played on Ebbets Field, when the Parachute Jump operated, when the consequences of ingesting a Nathan’s hot dog was still unknown, when Soviets were not yet the enemy (and not yet the majority population in places like Brighton Beach). Ah, the good old days. But you can still get a taste of that … →

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Restaurant Ratings NYC: What to do When Your Favorite Restaurant Gets a C

Noah Lederman — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:00:12 +0000

I just received some horrible news. Two of my favorite restaurants in New York City received a C grade during their last health inspection. These restaurants are the original Joe’s Shanghai in Flushing and the newest, most elegant of the Pio Pios. The one on Manhattan’s Tenth Avenue. My only experience eating at a restaurant that received a C was at my friend’s 30th birthday party. To make matters better, we learned of the grade after our meal. To … →

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Food Truck Festival: An Intrepid Day of Eating in NYC

Noah Lederman — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:45:37 +0000

Ever since I heard of the Vendy Awards, when the best food carts in New York City park on Governor’s Island for a drive-by feeding and to receive their honors, I knew that my bucket list had formed one new, unchecked box. But the Vendy’s are in September, at the end of summer, a time when I’m less inclined to desire mobile staples. After all, I had just spent the preceding warm months frequenting these trucks and carts. The best … →

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Best Taco Tour Through Manhattan

Noah Lederman — Sun, 05 May 2013 16:00:18 +0000

It’s not everyday one can claim to have a brilliant idea, but I had one the other week. I texted my friend Eric with this epiphany: “Taco Tour NY.” The mission seemed clear enough: to discover the best tacos in New York. But I realized that the wording of my message was problematic. Eric had once had a girlfriend nicknamed Taco. (Because she was from a country where they spoke Spanish–not Mexico–and her white classmates decided that the moniker … →

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Charleston Plantation: A Visit to Middleton Place

Noah Lederman — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:00:24 +0000

I dislike pollen and I’m still trying to figure out why Westerners opt to pay for the murdered parts of trees. However, no trip to Charleston, South Carolina, is complete without a visit to a Charleston plantation. During my visit to the city of Charleston, I ventured out to the Middleton Place, which every single person that I polled had voted the most beautiful plantation in the area. Strolling a Charleston Plantation The enchanting reflecting pools, tangles of azaleas, hanging Spanish Moss, cypress swamps, and … →

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Fort Sumter Tours Bring History to Life

Noah Lederman — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:00:16 +0000

Fort Sumter is the infamous site that marks the outbreak of America’s Civil War. A visit to Fort Sumter, a few miles by boat from downtown Charleston, unleashes history. One that is manifest in the walls, which still has cannon balls lodged in the brick fortifications that once stood 50 feet, but were cut in half by war. A history that comes to life as you look out from the small fortified island at the positions that the Confederates took … →

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Walk Charleston

Noah Lederman — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:16:44 +0000

Some people dance the Charleston. I walk Charleston, which you should do if you’re visiting this South Carolina city. It’s the best way to experience its elegance and history. (Since cabs and buses are rare, your only other option might be to tow in a motorized wheelchair. I saw way too many chained to the back of cars.) As you walk Charleston, two things will become evident: the city is gorgeous and it exhibits a long-established history of sectionalism. … →

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Harriman Park Hike… With a Murderer

Noah Lederman — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:20:45 +0000

There was a huge puddle of blood atop the dead leaves that covered the trail. I looked to the right to where a path was cutting across the trail. The splashes of crimson were bigger than footprints. I exhaled, not expecting the gruesome scene as we were hiking Harriman State Park in New York this past November. My breath formed an ephemeral cloud in the cold air. I looked at my friend Greg, an off-duty federal agent, who kept his … →

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