February 21, 2026
Sidewalk Sass
January 25, 2026
Whirling at Wollman
December 28, 2025
Sandwich Sleuth
February 21, 2026
Sidewalk Sass
January 25, 2026
Whirling at Wollman
December 28, 2025
Sandwich Sleuth
I decided to celebrate the new year with a dry January—not the easiest thing to do in cocktail town. So I was thinking about ways to enjoy Manhattan that don’t involve Manhattans. I hit upon the idea of skating at Wollman Rink in Central Park. It’s a beautiful setting any time of year, but especially […]
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First of all, who even eats sandwiches anymore? Once the staple of every kid’s lunchbox, it seemed like the sandwich had gone the way of the dodo, in favor of gluten-free corn pasta, tofu sticks, and organic yogurt from grass-fed cows (what else should they eat?). Didn’t New Yorkers stop eating bread years ago? But […]
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Like millions of people, I eagerly devoured every episode of “Sex and the City” (SATC), which aired from 1998 to 2004. I even bought a DVD player to watch the series after I gave up cable TV. I wasn’t alone in being obsessed with the four sexy, strong female characters and their hilarious and sometimes […]
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Pier 57, jutting into the Hudson River between Chelsea Piers and Little Island, has an extensive outdoor public space, though it’s largely a City Winery affair. City Winery has their flagship restaurant and performance space on the main floor, with a wine-bottle lined curving staircase leading up to the second level. They have grab-and-go vino […]
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In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month. The third Sunday in July is National Ice Cream Day. An invitation to indulge in pleasure if I ever heard one! I just discovered the best destination to indulge our sweetest national obsession: the Museum of Ice Cream, on Broadway a block below […]
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What has changed in the past five years? One afternoon in the early days of the pandemic, I was chatting on Zoom with my Barre3 friend Amy after a killer live-streamed 60-minute workout. During this brief period, when all the fitness studios in New York were closed, our instructors live-streamed solo from the Barre3 studio […]
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Why all the lawsuits over a tiny garden in lower Manhattan? Like some of you dear readers, I have been following the occasional stories in New York papers about the demise and resurrection of the Elizabeth Street Garden, as lawsuits and counter-lawsuits continue to be filed. It will be gone forever! No, wait, there are […]
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One hundred years ago, on April 28, 1925, the Paris Expo (known to Francophiles as the Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels moderne) launched the worldwide Art Deco movement, transforming fashion, jewelry, architecture, and much more. New York caught the fever, perhaps more than any other city. Evidence remains to this day in the […]
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Who was the most influential street photographer you never heard of? In honor of Women’s History month, I set out to answer this question and discovered the wondrous, reverent world of Helen Levitt (1913-2009). Since she was still active into the 2000s, you may have seen Helen out and about on the streets of New […]
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I have exciting news! I recently passed the Naturalization Test for U.S. Citizenship! I will be honored to swear allegiance to the United States of America and the U.S. flag on January 31. As I consider this country’s continuous striving towards the goals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all, and I […]
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To prepare for my first trip to New York in 2014, I rewatched the essential Breakfast at Tiffany’s. When I got here, Tiffany’s was one of the first locations I visited. I remember asking a clerk to see the rubies. I learned that there were no rubies at Tiffany’s due to trade sanctions on Burma […]
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) is my favorite movie of all time. I’ve seen it at least 30 times. I’ve gloried to dress as Frank’n’Furter in a corset and fishnet stockings more than once. When the new glass elevators were revealed at the 14th Street subway station, the iconic elevator scene from the Rocky […]
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At the Hotel Chelsea you can check out any time you like, but you won’t ever want to leave. With the recent opening of the rooftop spa on the eleventh floor of the hotel at 222 West 23rd Street, there are even more reasons to visit and linger. The spa offers luxurious facials, massages, and […]
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The Salmagundi Club of New York is one of the country’s oldest arts organizations, founded in 1871 by artists and patrons to support one another. The clubhouse occupies a beautiful, landmarked brownstone at 47 Fifth Avenue. Originally built in 1853 for Irad Hawley, president of the Pennsylvania Coal Company, and his wife Sarah, it’s the […]
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It’s time for celebration as Travelers Poets & Friends brings the sunny flavors of Italy to the neighborhood. The heartful Italian café market, wine bar, restaurant and bakery is centered between the Pamina gelato shop and the elevated Italian restaurant, Alaluna. The storefront at Sixth Avenue and West 11th Street sat empty for three years […]
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Hello friends, this month I visit Chelsea’s new gallery on the block, Hauser & Wirth Editions at 443 West 18th Street. Trees are flaunting their blossoms and I feel like voguing in wearable art by Engineered by Andrea T. This fantastical pink pouffe mocks the cherry blossoms, embellishing a slim black dress with Andrea’s trademark […]
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Hello friends, I am delighted to welcome you to the 5th anniversary column of Karen’s Quirky Style! And to announce that my column has been picked up by Straus News! This month’s column appeared in both The Chelsea News and Our Town Downtown, with a combined readership of 50,000! My column is syndicated! New Shoe […]
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