American Dream: Not to Shovel Snow (expected again this weekend)

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American Dream: aren't you glad you didn't dream of owning a car in Brooklyn?

By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

The day of the big blizzard, January 23, was mystical/magical in its intensity. When I walked to my favorite Brooklyn cafe at 7 a.m., I saw that I was in the city because there were already footprints in the snow, and there wouldn't have been in my hometown in New Jersey.

I watched out the cafe's huge windows as the wind drove the snow sideways. All. Day.

Sunday, the sun came out. Of course. And I took these pictures in Bed-Stuy (that's the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn).

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Window ledges, and the famous stoops of Brooklyn, all capped with snow.

That's a car, with just a bit of its window showing, buried under fallen snow and plowed snow.

The mounds were higher than the SUVs.

Have fun digging out!

Another mystery car.

The white snow sets off the soft colors of the brownstones.

These brownstones really are brown. And that car really was stuck.

How about you? Looking forward to snow this weekend? Did your car look like this after the blizzard of 2016? Comment below!

American Dream: A Bed-Stuy Townhouse in Brooklyn

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American Dream: Increase Your Assets

By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

The Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn is gentrifying. People with means are buying the brownstones, renovating them, and renting them out for much more than before -- $3,000 a month for a 3-bedroom, at least. 

This means that the poor who are hanging on there now will face raised taxes (if they own the townhouse) or raised rents themselves. If they can't meet it, they'll be forced to move. It's sad for them. It also will give some people, who can invest now, a much higher number in their "assets" column.

Is it right? But can anyone influence a better outcome?

Here's why it's gentrifying: The townhouses are lovely. Another reason: there's good subway service to the area.

An orange brownstone. Notice the details over the door and under the bay window.

It's in an attractive row of buildings.

Another street, another row of great houses. How about you? If you had $1 million, would you buy a brownstone? I wanted to until I found out the price. Then I felt relieved--I wouldn't be a part of ruining the neighborhood for the current residents. How do you feel about gentrification?

A Great City, Park and Library

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American Dream: To Wander New York City

By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

What could be more romantic than New York City at night? And Bryant Park, which stretches behind the New York Public Library's main building, exudes romance.

Here's the carousel, with lights, music, and beautifully carved creatures.

Look at this beautiful horse. 

Here's a galloping horse.

This is the door to the Bryant Park Cafe, a great place to have your office party.

This is the front of the famous Schwartzman building.

Another shot of the imposing structure.

Here's one of the lions, guarding this palace of books and maps. Yes, this was taken at night. How about you? Do you love New York City at night? Comment below!

Bryant Park Skating Rink at Night

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By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

Some scenes from New York at night coming up. But first, a moment of silence for a beloved backpack. It went all around the country with me, on my back for 10,000 miles and all over more than 20 cities.

Then it went to Paris with me: libraries, the Louvre, up the Eiffel Tower. It went up into the French Alps with me, through Provence, Nice, and other South-of-France cities, to the Atlantic coast of France. 

It went to Barcelona, through Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter, under the Arc de Triomphe. It watched the wild parrots flit through the palm trees with me and waited for me while I swam in the Mediterranean.

The only reason I tossed it was the back straps were badly frayed and looking very poorly. Don't anybody comment below that I could have replaced the back straps!

On to happier things. This is the fountain at Bryant Park, merrily babbling.

Here's an intrepid skater, very tall on his skates.

Showing a little footwork.

Here's one of the skate guards, telling the wild ones to slow down.

A glass pavilion overlooking the ice at Bryant Park.

More guards. Looking quite comfortable on skates.

A little love in the making?

And a last goodbye to the best ever backpack. How about you? Do you get fond of things and then wait years before you throw them away? Comment below!

American Dream: To Live in Brooklyn!

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American Dream: To Live in NYC, and in Brooklyn -- Even Better!

By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

One of my dreams has come true. I was always curious, what was it about Brooklyn that people enjoyed so much?

I've been here two weeks, and I approve of Brooklyn! It's bustling, the neighbors are getting to know me and saying hello, there's LOTS of great cafes to choose from to work in. It's got a diverse population, and that's important to me at this point in my life. I like to talk to all kinds of people.

If I won PowerBall, I'd buy a row of brownstones, renovate them, and rent them out at cost to my family (except most of them hate the city) so therefore artist friends.

Here's some scenes from my neighborhood, Bedford-Stuyvesant.

It's January, and it's COLD. But the sun warms the faces of the brownstones.

Here's a close-up of a handsome one.

The front door is glamorous.

There's lots of murals around. This one spells out "Brooklyn."

A row of bigger brownstones. The area is gentrifying rapidly. Notice the architectural details under the eaves and above the doors and windows.

Here's another mural, on a corner. That's my shadow in the corner :)

A mural with a message: Stay in school.

"Find the good and praise it!"

Here's another mural, one of a row of brownstones.

It's glamorous enough for a movie set, no? Well, there's lots of movies being made in Brooklyn. My roommate directs indie films!

How about you? Do you dream of living in the city? Comment below!

American Dream: To Live Protected and Safe

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One of NYC's Finest, Fallen

By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

Last week, New York City's midtown was choked with traffic--streets were blocked off around St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. I saw groups of NYC policemen and women, in dark blue suits, shirts, and ties, standing and talking in somber voices.

There was a funeral going on for a policeman killed in the line of duty. He had been a Marine before serving in NYC to protect us.

Police commissioners from all over the Tri-State area sent motorcycles to NYC, to serve in the procession. 

The bike with the yellow gas can is from Newark, NJ.

The motorcycles were parked on Madison Avenue, waiting for the funeral to end. There were hundreds of bikes.

A view of the motorcycle cortege that preceded the hearse with the fallen hero.

Hundreds of red and blue lights flashed as the motorcycles proceeded down 42nd Street, at Bryant Park. 

American Dream: To Do What You Love To Do

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American Dream: To Prevail Against All Odds

by Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

My daughter's dream of earning her Ph.D. came true recently. She labored for six years, not knowing if she would prevail or not.  She studied the Hepatitis C virus and how it enters the liver.

She persevered! She got it! A lesson for all of us.

I asked what she would aim for, now that she had won her Ph.D. She said she just wanted to keep doing what she was doing, scientific research. 

Here's Sharon with her advisor and mentor, Dr. Matt Evans. You can see her ace her thesis defense at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLLIybs_OXQ.

She just added "Ph.D." on masking tape to her name outside her laboratory.

She's at her bench, where she pushed the frontiers of science back a little.

This is the building where she worked, the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine building at 100th Street and Madison Avenue. The shot is taken from across the Jackie Onassis Reservoir in Central Park, NYC.

Here is where my daughter labored long and hard.

One last shot of where she spent six years of her life.

How about you? Will you persevere? Stick with it!