Amazing Young Professionals

So I’ve been away for a while but I’m back. I want to talk about amazing people. I can’t wait to start meeting amazing people in NYC but right now I want to talk about an amazing young professional that Cleveland is lucky to have.
Genna Petrolla is the Greater Circle Living Manager for University Circle Incorporated where she works to market the Greater Circle Living program, a forgivable loan program to encourage employees of eligible non-profit institutions to live close to where they work.
Genna also serves on the Board of Directors for SPACES Gallery, a not-for-profit alternative art space located on the Superior Viaduct. For over 30 years, SPACES has provided freedom, resources and an audience, thus enabling artists to engage the public in a vital dialogue about contemporary art.
She is also a part of the team that produces Messy Magazine http://messymagazine.blogspot.com/ , a quarterly online art/literary/fashion/music magazine based in Cleveland. The publication spotlights local artists, designers and musicians, is a resource for art and music related events, and encourages the average person to think creatively and share their work with others. Messy magazine also works to show the country and the world that Cleveland is a viable place to live, work and create.
Before I left Cleveland, I was in the early stages of organizing the IWSI event for GLUE. I knew if I wanted to get something done in Cleveland I had to contact Genna. As you know in the process I was summons to New York and essential abandoned the planning process for the campaign. I asked Genna to take over the process and hoped that she could pick up the few pieces and run with it. My hopes were fulfilled and more. The IWSI event was held on Wednesday, November 18th 2009, at the Speakeasy in Cleveland, Ohio and was AMAZING!!! Genna did an unbelievable job all by herself. There were over 100 people at the event and over 80 people participated and summated ideas for the campaign. Genna solicited a great partner with Terry Travis from of Cleveland365.com and there was a diverse group. She brought in three great speakers and the space looked great. It’s great to know that you can hand things off to great people and feel comfortable that they are going to be bigger and better than what you would have done. Thanks Genna you are the best! Check out some of the pictures from the event.

Pizza

So I guess one of the many things that NYC is supposed to be famous for is pizza. I would argue that Youngstown, Ohio, has some of the best pizza on the planet. During my two years in Cleveland, I searched (to no avail) for good pizza. There were places that were sufficient and some that were even a little eclectic, but none that were known for amazing pizza by my standards.

In Youngstown, there are amazing pizza places my favorite being Wedgewood Pizza http://www.wedgewoodpizza.com/. There are now several locations but this place has the best deep dish hearty pizza ever. It’s not too greasy, the ingredients are fresh and they don’t skimp on them. Then there’s Belleria Pizza http://www.belleria.net/ that Youngstown-ers love (I’m not a fan). It’s got thick cheese, hearty ingredients and super deep dish. They too have expanded but it’s definitely a Youngstown favorite.
Then there’s the Youngstown original Brier Hill Pizza. Wiki says that Brier Hill is a neighborhood in Youngstown, Ohio, that was once viewed as the city's "Little Italy" district. The neighborhood, which was the site of the city's first Italian settlement, stretches along the western edge of Youngstown's lower north side and encircles St. Anthony's Church, an Italian-American Roman Catholic parish.
The neighborhood was the birthplace of "Brier Hill Pizza," which is a humble, home-style pizza with its origins in the Basilicata region of Italy—made with a generous amount of thick Sunday sauce, bell peppers and Romano cheese rather than the usual mozzarella. It is un piatto tipico of Youngstown; one of several dishes the area prides itself upon, as New Yorkers do so of their thin-crust slices of foldable Pizza Margherita.

Oh the NYC thin crust. I’ve never been a fan of the thin crust (it makes me think of Donato’s which isn’t bad but certainly not a favorite) until I had Trattoria Amici at work last week. I had been hearing about the Meatza Meatza Pizza since my first week of work but for many reasons we hadn’t had it. Finally my dear office mate decided it was time I was introduced to the Meatza Meatza. It was amazing! For my meat lovers this pizza was heaven. It was thin crust which I surprisingly loved and it was loaded with meat (pepperoni, ham, bacon, sausage and real tomato sauce). This little bistro is also a great wine bar and traditional Italian Cuisine. The problem is that it’s another great restaurant that’s only steps from my front door. It’s located on Lenox between 129th and 130th.

I never thought I’d find pizza that compared to my beloved Youngstown Pizza but the Meatza Meatza gets pretty close.
Northeast Ohio or NYC, You Decide…

Periodicals and the Sex Diaries

Mom, relax, this post isn’t bad you can read on. I will keep this as g-rated as possible since my mom and more importantly my dad read this blog.
So let’s talk about Cleveland first this time. There has been a lot of discussion around the country about the decline print media. Many may argue that the decline has been accelerated in Northeast Ohio. There’s my hometown publications The Vindicator http://www.vindy.com/ and The Buckeye Review (yikes). Aside from seeing a family member or maybe yourself in these publications, they are not the best. As you move around Northeast Ohio in Akron there’s the Akron Beacon Journal http://www.ohio.com/ which though it isn’t the best has some really solid journalist with very interesting articles. It keeps you informed which I guess is the point, right? Then in Cleveland there are several papers and magazine arguably most popular or well known being the Cleveland Plain Dealer www.cleveland.com. The Dealer has gone through many changes during my two years in Cleveland and is often the discussion of many forums and events throughout the city. This is another publication that though it has its shortcoming has some great journalist and keeps you informed. I’ll admit I don’t scribe to any of these publications and can’t remember the last time I had a hard copy, I read them all online.

Then there are various Cleveland magazines, my favorite being the new Canvas Magazine http://canvascleveland.com/. It isn’t my favorite because I’ve been in it or because I’m a good friend of the Editor and Chief Jay Bobo, my it’s my favorite because of the quality of writing, interest level and range of topics and overall professionalism associated with the final product. It has a great web presence too, especially since it's essentially a one man show. I truly think it’s going to revive print media in NEO. The fact that it’s free and is provided as a true source of information and entertainment to the community helps a lot. There are other publications: Cleveland Magazine, Scene, Kaleidoscope, and the Free Times to name a few. All of these publications are cool but none of them compare to the amazing New York Magazine http://nymag.com/.

My boss insisted that I read the NY magazine each week. Initially I was a little annoyed since I couldn’t figure out how I was going to get it read in addition to all the reading I have to get done for work. (I haven’t been reading the way I should since grad school, no excuse). Anyway, I started reading and loved it. The writing is impeccable and witty and a little sarcastic which I like. The articles are incredibly interesting and it’s a great way to stay informed of everything NY from politics, to theater to concerts and parties.

Then I discovered the Sex Diaries http://nymag.com/news/features/sexdiaries/2009/60297/?imw=Y&f=most-viewed-24h10. OMG! I was up until 6:00 am last Friday night (I didn’t get in until 4:45, the drought is not that bad yet) reading these damn things. The SD’s are a critical (but highly sympathetic) reading of New Yorkers’ sexual habits and anxieties says the tagline on the website. This thing is unbelievable. Let me give you a quick passage from The Trader Who Will Fly for Sex.
12:32 p.m. The hubby keeps annoying me with texts. Decide to humor him. After all, he is letting me have sex with his wife.
8:20 p.m. We meet at T.G.I. Friday’s. Wifey looks like her pics, which is good. Hubby seems a little nervous. I act like I’ve known them forever—give him a hearty handshake, kiss her on the cheeks. We order drinks and talk.
9 p.m. Back at the hotel. We are both undressing wifey. She has massive breasts, which I love. I play with them. Hubby is naked, playing and taking pics.
9:30 p.m. Wifey ****-******* me … awesome. Hubby alternates between taking pics and encouraging her.
10 p.m. We have sex in a variety of positions. While it feels good, there is no way I am losing control. That is a big swinging no-no, unless the couple wants that.
11 p.m. Halfhearted sex for the second round, but I am tired. I dutifully take the camera for a bit.
11:30 p.m. Saying our good-byes. I tell them to keep in touch and send me the pics so I can store/post them on my AFF profile.
WHAT?!?!? Then there’s the Ex-Banker Living on Alcohol, Hook-ups, and Unemployment. This one was the juiciest and note this is just a snippet.

1 a.m. With friends at Marquee, where I catch the eye of a handsome boy in an Hermès tie and immediately start eye-B.J.-ing him. He is a 28-year-old M.D. who graduated from Yale. He buys me SoCo-lime shots and I tell him that 28 years old is too young to be an M.D. He responds that he’s just that good.
4 a.m. He asks me to come back to his place and I’m skeptical, but he says he lives on Park Avenue with his older brothers. He has me at “Park Avenue.”
5:30 a.m. Sitting in his penthouse apartment, he opens a bottle of Dom and we watch South Park—that should have been the first sign. We pass out in his room. I think we hook up.
DAY THREE
8 a.m. He freaks out and asks me to leave. When I get home, I look him up on Facebook and see that he graduated HIGH SCHOOL in 2009. He is 17 YEARS OLD and it was his parents’ penthouse.
WOW?!?!? I imagine this is enough of a preview to get a few readers and maybe a comment or two. I’ll admit it, I love it and I’m hooked. I bet you didn’t see this one coming, well here you go. My final thought. Cleveland print/web media give us some new exciting material, may the sex chronicles of the restless and their sex patterns in City.
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…

Little Neighborhood Finds & Surprises

So after an interesting weekend of bridge walking I wanted to share a few of my neighborhood finds & surprises. The first of the finds is an amazing restaurant called Jacob’s at the top of my block. Jacob’s is a pay by the pound Caribbean soul food restaurant. It’s a well lit clean tight space. You walk in grab a take out container and go to town on green, plantains, rice, chicken, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, and a myriad of other delicious foods. I must admit as much as I want to loose weight and get my NYC body together, I love good soul food. The staff was friendly and it was a lively atmosphere, great!

Then there’s Pascal’s Eatery at the other end of my block (5th Avenue and 129th). This place is amazing. If you’re looking for a good breakfast, and great sandwich for lunch and frankly a nice dinner sandwich then Pascal’s is the place. I walk past this place every day on my way to work and had not gone in. When my buddy Darin visited he raved about this place and went there every morning of his stay. The prices are very affordable and the food is great. They have a huge variety of omelets and there is a large variety of hot and cold sandwiches. Pascal’s, great neighborhood find and steps from my door.

Then there was the biggest surprise of the weekend, the New York City Marathon http://www.nycmarathon.org/. What does this have to do with my neighborhood? Well, Sunday morning my dear mommy decided to stock my bear refrigerator (it was literally bare). When we were leaving around 9:00 am we noticed barricades at the end of the block. We headed towards Lenox and the traffic was nuts. As we inched up the street we realized the street was blocked off for the New York City Marathon! Though I was extremely annoyed with NYPD’s impatience (not including the very friendly officers closer to my house) of my not knowing how to maneuver my way through the closures, it was very cool to be so close to such a huge event. The race went right past my house on its way to the Central Park Finish line. When we returned from the store and packed away the groceries we sat down for a little lunch. It was time for the fam to head out and at the end of the block we got to witness a heavy part of the race. Amazing. My beloved Cleveland has its share of races but unfortunately nothing like this. There were nearly 65,000 participants and everyone in the neighborhood seemed to be a part of the race in some way. Church bands were playing and motivating runners and folks from the neighborhood were offering cheers, smiles, pictures, high fives and hugs. It was kinda cool. When there’s a race in Cleveland you’re travel plans are barely interrupted. The NYC Marathon, a nice surprise. Check out a few flicks below.
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…

Bridge Walks

So this weekend was a better weekend than my first few here in the Big Apple. I decided early in the week that I was going to do ‘something’ and not watch every single crime investigation show that digitally converted non-cable tv has to offer. To my surprise and delight I got a call from my mom Thursday night saying that she and my two cousins were coming for the weekend because my cousin Linda was called for an audition for America’s Got Talent. I guess that’s an interesting tidbit. She feels that she did well so I guess I’ll stay tuned for that. What does this have to do with bridges you ask? Well hold your horses my faithful few readers.

On Monday of the week I decided that my first big weekend activity was going to be walking the Brooklyn Bridge. I was going to make a whole event out of it and go to the famous Grimaldi’s Pizza http://www.grimaldis.com/, the Ice Cream Factory http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/brooklyn-ice-cream-factory/ and stroll Fulton’s Ferry when I got to the other side. I thought this was a good start to the weekend. I didn’t really have solid plans for the rest of the weekend but I was confident that I would get something figured out.

When I got the news that my family was coming I was ready to cancel my plans. My mom said they wouldn’t get in until after midnight so I decided to proceed. I got off work Friday, ran a few errands and headed downtown. I got off the train and headed in the wrong direction like I do every time I get off at a stop anywhere besides 125th and Lenox. I headed to Southstreet Seaport http://www.southstreetseaport.com/ to meet my sorority sister Keira for drinks (it was our four year anniversary in the sorority). So after the first margarita in the chilly outdoors we decided to move indoors for another which was a bad idea. The next thing I know we looked up and it was almost 11:00 pm and my mom was to arrive around 1:00am from her 7:00 pm update. I was on the brink of bailing on the bridge walk again. I started making excuses about it being cold and needing to get home to meet the family and decided to cut the crap and hit the bridge. (Side note: my family ended up waiting for me in the car for an hour because the trains were crazy Friday night & I partly don’t know where I’m going outside of my normal routine and I’m too cool to pull out my map these days).

It took us a while to find the entrance to the bridge but when we finally got there it was a really pleasant walk. I’m fascinated by architecture and engineering (my buddy Larry is an engineer and often talks to me about the complexities of building bridges and buildings and such, I wish I was smart like that). Anyhow, this thing was amazing. It was incredible seeing the city at night and looking one way to Brooklyn and the other to Manhattan. The structure itself is pretty unbelievable and massive. One of my favorite structures in Cleveland was the Detroit Superior Bridge near my garden. I thought this bridge was one of the most amazing things I’d ever seen, massive. I would often jog (okay quickly walk) the bridge and my amazing Bootcamp instructor Rungsinee would often hold our classes on the bridge. I thought this bridge was something and not saying it’s not but these NYC bridges are really something to see. I’ve decided that I’m going to start incorporating more subway riding for reading purposes and bridges walks for exploration purposes into my down time. They seem to be great ways to entertain myself and explore and they are free (work provides my monthly metro card). So check out the pictures below of some of my time on bridges.
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…