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My NY favorites

One could reflect or pontificate on all manners of things or places or food that one might enjoy in a big city like NY.

But as I got to thinking about the arts - the broader space that defines art in all its diversity I realized I have enjoyed a lot of characters that came from or are originally residents of NY.

Below are a few in no particular order -

1.  Woody Allen - Film making, Directing and Acting - A prolific personality not born in a family in the movie industry but yet managed to develop his own  style of filmmaking that won him several Oscars.   Going strong at 80 some years of age the wit is amazing.  Personally I have not seen his earlier works but my favorites are Blue Jasmine, Fading Gigolo where he only acted and Midnight in Paris.

2.  Anthony Bourdain - Former Chef and TV series producer - Born into relative comfort but one who mostly squandered his early years according to his own admission is a popular Emmy winning star of his own  food show on CNN.  His narrative style and ability to enter into people's minds, homes, culture to tell their story is unique.  It uses food and its origins as a gateway and then delves sometimes into broader issues of what makes a certain place tick.  Without too much emphasis on PCness he gets to paint a different canvass that is relatable and enjoyable.

3.  Billy Joel - Musician and Singer - What talent.  I am an old fogey and am not ashamed to admit that I am a sucker for music from the 70s and 80s.  Piano Man and Uptown Girl are some of my favorites.

4.  Jerry Seinfeld - Comic - Creator of one of  the most successful TV shows in America is a NY native.  His style of comedy stemmed from stand up but evolved to a sophisticated and unique TV  show that admittedly was hilarious and one of a kind due in large part to his other three partners in crime.  But there is something to be said about finding talent and that show did.

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