{"id":35576,"date":"2022-07-19T15:27:29","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T19:27:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/alumni\/?page_id=35576"},"modified":"2022-07-19T15:27:29","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T19:27:29","slug":"show-us-your-town-new-york-city","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/alumni\/explore\/show-us-your-town-new-york-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Show Us Your Town – New York City"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” background_image=”35596″ padding_top=”175″ padding_bottom=”175″ css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” background_color=”#ffc70a” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Show Us Your Town – New York City<\/h1>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]Spaces & places: The 16-acre campus of Lincoln Center offers \u201ca complete detachment from the hustle and bustle of the city, where you can just be immersed in a performance\u2014ballet, opera, symphony, and others,\u201d says Barbara Grossman Berger \u201977, who cochairs the New York Metro Women and is a member of the Metro New York City Network Leadership Cabinet.<\/em><\/p>\n

There are lots of reasons New York draws 62.8 million visitors annually. But the 14,000 alumni who call themselves locals know the teeming city as much more than a tourist attraction.<\/p>\n

Minutes after the ferry horn blares, Noah Pizmony-Levy Drezner \u201900 nods toward his destination, Governors Island, a national monument in the heart of New York Harbor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis place is a hidden gem,\u201d says the fourth-generation New Yorker, who goes to the island often for concerts or just for a tranquil respite from the commotion of the city. \u201cTourists might come here, but city people know about it more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pizmony-Levy Drezner, whose family has been in New York City since the early 1900s, is well suited for pointing out places that have special resonance for locals. The associate professor of higher education is one of about 14,000 Rochester alumni who live in the New York City metropolitan area, a region that includes small parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also cochair of the Metro New York Network Leadership Cabinet, an organization that helps alumni and other members of the region\u2019s University community stay engaged through activities, programs, and opportunities.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of 11 regional networks\u2014and the second largest\u2014initially identified as part of a strategic effort to build a stronger sense of connection among Rochester\u2019s key constituencies.<\/p>\n

Over three days, Pizmony-Levy Drezner and other members of the Rochester community enthusiastically offered an insider\u2019s peek at a city captured countless times in songs, books, and movies.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of what gives you that insider\u2019s view of New York,\u201d Pizmony-Levy Drezner says minutes after the ferry docks, \u201cis that you can actually step back to see it from afar and appreciate where we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

And there is plenty to appreciate.<\/p>\n

The way Barbara Grossman Berger \u201977 sees it: \u201cNew York is the only place I know where it seems like a little bit of the rest of the world is in it\u2014and at the same time, the New York City culture is so uniquely its own. The two don\u2019t seem like they should coexist, but they somehow do.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” background_color=”#e7e7e7e7″ css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Meet your guides<\/h2>\n

Cochaired by Noah Pizmony-Levy Drezner \u201900, Steve Givant \u201981, and Catherine Nguyen-Martinez \u201908, the Metro New York City Network Leadership Cabinet plans activities and programs for members of the region\u2019s University community[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”35626″ img_size=”” mkd_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Barbara Grossman Berger \u201977<\/h3>\n

Bedford, New York<\/em><\/p>\n

Berger, who grew up near New York City in Westchester County, started her career on Wall Street before transitioning into product development in online trading, banking, and travel. With her husband, Jay, she has owned an executive recruiting company for 25 years. Their son, Alex, is a member of the Class of 2010.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”35636″ img_size=”” mkd_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Noah Pizmony-Levy Drezner \u201900<\/h3>\n

New York, New York<\/em><\/p>\n

A fourth-generation New Yorker, Drezner returned to the city in 2014 as an associate professor of higher education at Teachers College, Columbia University.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”35646″ img_size=”” mkd_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Stephen Givant \u201981<\/h3>\n

Franklin Lakes, New Jersey<\/em><\/p>\n

Raised in Queens, Givant began his career as a corporate lawyer in New York City and now serves as chief financial and legal officer for an aerospace and defense firm based in northern New Jersey.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”50px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”35666″ img_size=”” mkd_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Tanya Chanphanitpornkit \u201915E<\/h3>\n

Nyack, New York<\/em><\/p>\n

Chanphanitpornkit is orchestra director of Nyack High School and conductor of concert orchestra at Manhattan School of Music Precollege. She\u2019s also a doctoral student at Teachers College, Columbia University.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”35676″ img_size=”” mkd_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Tony Graham \u201981<\/h3>\n

Greenwich, Connecticut<\/em><\/p>\n

Born in New York City, Graham worked in Manhattan after graduation, before receiving an MBA at Harvard. Today he is a private investor.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”35686″ img_size=”” mkd_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Catherine Nguyen-Martinez \u201908<\/h3>\n

Bronx, New York<\/em><\/p>\n

Born and raised in the Bronx, Nguyen-Martinez is a second-generation New Yorker. She works in cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”40px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_single_image image=”35706″ img_size=”full” mkd_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space height=”75px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Visual arts<\/h3>\n

Institutions showcasing world-class exhibits abound beyond Fifth Avenue\u2019s Museum of Metropolitan Art and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]A. The Cloisters<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

99 Margaret Corbin Dr.<\/em><\/p>\n

Be transported back in time at this serene Metropolitan Museum of Art outpost celebrating the art, architecture, and gardens of medieval Europe. The world-famous Unicorn Tapestries, seven wall hangings created around 1500, reside here. With marble columns, stone archways, and other architectural details, the Cloisters, overlooking the Hudson River in upper Manhattan\u2019s Fort Tryon Park, feels like a retreat. \u201cIt\u2019s just so peaceful,\u201d says Stephen Givant \u201981, \u201cand the gardens take your breath away.\u201d The museum offers tours, concerts, exhibitions, and a gift shop.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]B. American Folk Art Museum<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

2 Lincoln Square<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEverything is colorful and relatable\u201d at the country\u2019s premier collection of work by self-taught folk artists, says Barbara Grossman Berger \u201977, who likes that she can wander through the entire museum without losing the whole afternoon. \u201cYou can see the influence of people\u2019s cultures, not of a place where they were trained, on their work.\u201d The museum\u2019s collection includes more than 7,000 artworks dating from the 18th century to the present. Admission is free. Also at no cost: Free Music Fridays, thematic concerts that reflect the spirit of the art on view.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]C.\u00a0Park Avenue Armory<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

643 Park Ave.<\/em><\/p>\n

Historic brick building on the outside, modern installation art on the inside. That\u2019s what lures Tanya Chanphanitpornkit \u201915E to the unconventional music, dance, and other work exhibited in this space built by the Seventh Regiment of the National Guard. \u201cIn a lot of museums, you usually look at art from one perspective,\u201d she says, \u201cbut when it\u2019s interactive, you feel like you have a voice in it, too.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Performing arts<\/h3>\n

No matter your taste, there\u2019s a creative expression in this melting pot that will cater to it.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]D. Symphony Space<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

2537 Broadway<\/em><\/p>\n

This cultural destination is home to more than 600 music, dance, comedy, theater, film, and literary events each year. \u201cIt\u2019s off the beaten path, easily accessible, and relatively inexpensive,\u201d Givant says. Visitors can attend a taping of \u201cSelected Shorts,\u201d a public radio show and podcast, as well as annual music marathons and the annual \u201cBloomsday on Broadway\u201d celebration of James Joyce\u2019s Ulysses.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]E. Lincoln Center<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

10 Lincoln Center Plaza<\/em><\/p>\n

With 11 resident arts organizations, Lincoln Center easily allows for a novel, first-rate experience. The 16-acre campus is \u201ca complete detachment from the hustle and bustle of the city, where you can just be immersed in a performance\u2014ballet, opera, symphony, and others,\u201d says Grossman Berger. \u201cAnd now that there is so much attention to public spaces in New York City, it\u2019s just a beautiful place to be.\u201d Catherine Nguyen-Martinez \u201908, who played the trumpet during a performance here with her high school jazz band, adds that it is \u201ca location where every culture can come together and enjoy something they have in common, which is the arts and music.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]F. Tomi Jazz<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

239 E 53rd St., lower level<\/em><\/p>\n

Press a discreet buzzer for entrance into this cramped, dark, and shadowy Japanese whisky bar and music club with a speakeasy vibe. Without a stage, musicians play atop tables and among the listeners. \u201cThink of everything that the Four Seasons does to coddle its clientele\u2014 then reverse it,\u201d says Tony Graham \u201981, who visits to hear good jazz and have rice balls and sake. \u201cIt\u2019s a statement for the suited crowd to make that they can shrug off their corporate existence and relax in anonymous eccentricity.\u201d Super Happy Hour, including food discounts and 40 percent off all glass drinks, runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sunday to Friday.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Central Park<\/h3>\n

In every season there\u2019s something special about being in this urban oasis designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the famed landscape architect who was also responsible for Rochester\u2019s Genesee Valley, Highland, Seneca, and Maplewood parks.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]G. The Ramble<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Graham likes to meander through the 38 acres of winding pathways known as the Ramble because it reminds him of upstate New York hiking trails. \u201cIt\u2019s a great place to go for self-reflection and to feel completely renewed,\u201d he says. Located between 73rd and 78th streets, the spot was dubbed a \u201cwild garden\u201d by Olmsted and is home to some 230 bird species.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]H. Naumburg Bandshell<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

An original feature of the park, the site\u2014where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech and John Lennon\u2019s eulogy was read\u2014draws music fans to the oldest continuous free outdoor western classical music concert series in the world. Concerts are \u201cachingly beautiful\u201d in a setting where birds and nature \u201cadd to the music,\u201d says Chanphanitpornkit.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]I. Bethesda Fountain<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One of the largest fountains in New York, the gathering place is Graham\u2019s favorite spot in the park because he never knows what he\u2019s going to encounter: \u201cWhere else can you see a guy skating around with a snake, a Pilates class, and a guitar player singing \u201970s music, all at the same time?\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The view<\/h3>\n

Gain a different perspective on the buildings, people, and other scenery that make New York City vibrant.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]J. Governors Island<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

From this 172-acre vantage point, the majesty and strength of the city are undeniable. \u201cYou see the power of the financial district, the importance of the shipping and oil industries, the beauty of the Brooklyn Bridge, and a reminder of our promise of liberty and history as an immigrant nation in the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island,\u201d says Pizmony-Levy Drezner, adding that the island is the best place from land for front views of the Statue of Liberty. \u201cIt is inspiring.\u201d Admission to the island is free for New York City residents.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]K. Studio Cafe<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

99 Gansevoort St.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Whitney Museum of American Art\u2019s indoor\/outdoor eighthfloor eatery provides sweeping views of the city and Hudson River. The Empire State Building towers to the east, the World Trade Center complex is in the distance to the south, \u201cand just to the north,\u201d says Pizmony-Levy Drezner, who takes in the view over wine with friends, \u201cyou can people-watch as visitors and city dwellers snake through the trees and trails of the High Line,\u201d a popular park on a historic, elevated railroad line.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]L. Washington Square Park<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

99 Gansevoort St.<\/em><\/p>\n

Forget the famed Washington Square Arch. On nice days in the winter, when the park\u2019s fountain is dry, Chanphanitpornkit and other residents relax on its interior tiered ledges. \u201cIt\u2019s calming,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s an expectation that New Yorkers are always on the go, go, go, but we take time to smell the roses more than tourists might think.\u201d The green space, near New York University, also draws eccentric street performers. Says Graham: \u201cThe park attracts anything that attracts college kids, and that\u2019s the offbeat.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Let’s eat<\/h3>\n

With no shortage of places to nosh, New York City can take your taste buds on a trip around the world without leaving the border.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]M. Chelsea Market<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

75 9th Ave.<\/em><\/p>\n

You may have to elbow your way up to one of the 35 vendors at this indoor food hall in the southern end of the Chelsea neighborhood. But \u201csometimes you\u2019ve got to work through crowds for some of the best things in New York,\u201d says Pizmony-Levy Drezner, who visits the Dizengoff stand for hummus, shakshouka, and other Israeli classics. The food mecca\u2014in the old Nabisco factory where Oreos were invented\u2014 also serves up Italian imported goods, local and humanely raised meats, chocolate fudge milkshakes, and more.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]N. The Jeffrey Craft Beer & Bites<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

311 E. 60th St.<\/em><\/p>\n

This self-proclaimed dark-and-cozy neighborhood joint under the Queensboro Bridge is unassuming but has built a reputation among locals for its morning-to-night offerings. Nguyen-Martinez comes early for the espresso bar and late for a rotating menu of 30 hard-tofind international and local brews. \u201cEvery time I come I try something different,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not a typical modern bar. It has charm. I like that no one seems to know where it is.\u201d Food arrives on artificial newsprint-lined metal trays. Insider tip: order a sandwich between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and a beer or well drink from a selected menu is on the house.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]O. A La Mode<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

360 E. 55th St.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEverything today is so over the top, but this place is just old-fashioned fun,\u201d Grossman Berger says of the charming parlor, which makes homemade, small-batch ice cream in a nut-free, sesame-free, and egg-free factory. That doesn\u2019t mean flavors stick only to classic chocolate and vanilla. Options include \u201cPartly Cloudy,\u201d blue cotton- candy-flavored ice cream with miniature marshmallows.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The literary scene<\/h3>\n

If you think it would be easy to find great books in a city home to the New York Times Book Review, you are correct.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]P. Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

34 Carmine St.<\/em><\/p>\n

Roughly the size of a double-wide trailer, Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books is as quirky as its name. Titles line only two aisles, come from wholesalers, cost less than half the retail price, and reflect the taste of political activist owner Jim Drougas. \u201cIt\u2019s a tiny little hole in the wall in the West Village with used books and weird titles, and it has stayed there even though the neighborhood has become more exclusive,\u201d Givant says.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]Q. Books Kinokuniya<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1073 6th Ave.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the coolest things about this city is the cultural unification, and this bookstore is the epitome of it,\u201d Chanphanitpornkit says of Kinokuniya as she walks past rows of manga, a cookbook dedicated to rice ball recipes, and a craft kit for make-your-own origami sumo wrestlers. Across the street from Bryant Park, the three-story bookstore offers some 20,000 titles in both English and Japanese. In addition to CDs, DVDs, and toys, there\u2019s a cafe that sells sushi, bubble tea, and mochi doughnuts, and a store on the lowest level that sells handmade crafts from Japan.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]R. Strand Book Store<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

828 Broadway<\/em><\/p>\n

Arguably Manhattan\u2019s most revered bookstore\u2014the last vestige of \u201cBook Row,\u201d which once housed dozens of bookstores across six city blocks\u2014the independent retailer boasts 18 miles of new, used, and rare books. What\u2019s less well known is that it hosts book discussions, author interviews and signings, and other events with the Vulture Insiders Book Club. \u201cThese events are particularly geared toward popular culture novels,\u201d says Chanphanitpornkit, \u201cso it is fascinating to see the relevance and reflection of literature in modern-day book lovers.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Bustling boroughs<\/h3>\n

Manhattan gets most of the attention, but equally deserving destinations await a short subway ride away.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]S. New York Botanical Garden<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx<\/em><\/p>\n

Pizmony-Levy Drezner and Nguyen-Martinez both recommend a visit to the 250-acre New York Botanical Garden, a national historic landmark with more than one million living plants. For Pizmony-Levy Drezner, the lilac section reminds him of Highland Park\u2019s Lilac Festival. Nguyen-Martinez appreciates the specialty orchids and flowers, particularly \u201cthe Japanese blossoms when they\u2019re in season.\u201d A world leader in plant research and conservation, the garden has both indoor and outdoor displays.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]T. New York Transit Museum<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

99 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn<\/em><\/p>\n

What better place to celebrate the history of the city\u2019s mass transportation system than in a decommissioned subway station from the 1930s? Pizmony-Levy Drezner enjoys visiting the museum\u2019s vintage fleet of 20 subway and elevated cars dating back to 1907. \u201cYou\u2019re allowed to sit in them, and they have ads from the time period they\u2019re from,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s really well done and engaging for both kids and adults.\u201d Permanent exhibits include archival documents, video footage, and photography.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]U. Rego Park<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Neighborhood in Queens<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to see the melting pot of America in action, there\u2019s no better place to go,\u201d says Graham, who used to work in the area. The neighborhood is full of shops, including national retailers and a diverse array of ethnic restaurants. \u201cTake the subway and explore from there, and you\u2019ll see 20 countries represented in the first square mile.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” background_color=”#e7e7e7″ css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_single_image image=”34666″ img_size=”” mkd_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Regional networks and you<\/h2>\n

The University of Rochester\u2019s regional networks offer alumni, parents, and friends a variety of social events, networking opportunities, and community service initiatives in Baltimore,\u00a0Boston<\/a>,\u00a0Chicago<\/a>,\u00a0Houston,\u00a0Los Angeles<\/a>,\u00a0New York City<\/a>,\u00a0Philadelphia<\/a>,\u00a0Rochester<\/a>,\u00a0San Francisco<\/a>, and\u00a0Washington, D.C.<\/a>, with new cities added regularly. Many volunteer opportunities also exist, and include organizing events, interviewing and mentoring students, welcoming new alumni to an area, and serving as social media ambassadors.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegional networks are central to keeping alumni, parents, and friends connected to each other and to the University of Rochester,\u201d says Paul Lanzone \u201903, assistant vice president of alumni and constituent engagement. \u201cAs an alumnus myself, I know firsthand the professional and personal benefits of staying involved, be it as a program participant or a volunteer who is helping to shape our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

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How to connect<\/span><\/h2>\n

For more about the Washington, D.C., regional network, including upcoming and ongoing activities, social media connections, volunteer opportunities, and other information, visit the network\u2019s website at\u00a0Rochester.edu\/almni\/dc<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]This article originally appeared in the\u00a0July-August 2018<\/a><\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/em>of\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Rochester Review\u00a0<\/span><\/em>magazine. Robin L. Flanigan is a freelance writer based in Rochester.<\/span><\/em>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\"\"Like sharing an inside secret<\/h2>\n

Being part of a regional network offers \u2018breadth and depth of activities and affiliation opportunities that are unmatched anywhere in the world.\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Alumni build strong ties to each other and to Rochester through the Metro New York City Network Leadership Cabinet. The organization, made up of volunteers, helps engage fellow graduates through activities, programs, and opportunities.<\/p>\n

Barbara Grossman Berger \u201977 had no expectations before attending her first New York Metro Women event in Manhattan in 2012. \u201cI thought, \u2018It\u2019s a few hours of my life,\u2019 \u201d she says.<\/p>\n

But those few hours\u2014at a talk by former School of Arts & Sciences Dean Joanna Olmsted on the experience of studying and working as a woman in science, technology, engineering, and math careers\u2014transformed both her relationships with other alumni and her connection to the University.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met people of all different ages and every imaginable walk of life, and I remembered that it was the people I met that was what I loved about the University of Rochester,\u201d says Grossman Berger, who now cochairs the group, which existed prior to the formation of the Metro New York City Network Leadership Cabinet.<\/p>\n

Such a network is particularly important in an increasingly impersonal digital age, she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only way I know of to maintain a vibrant community is to keep people engaged with and connected to one another,\u201d she says. \u201cSocial media is great for supplementing, but in the end, I subscribe to the theory that the most powerful of all human drives is personal connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

New York City native and cabinet cochair Noah Pizmony-Levy Drezner \u201900 says the University was the first place where someone outside of his family gave him the confidence, and made him feel safe, to be himself. The network gives him the opportunity to have \u201cgood, critical, tough conversations\u201d with like-minded people who share a love for their alma mater and want to make it a better place by increasing engagement\u2014a target that he says is being met.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m extraordinarily committed to this institution, and I can\u2019t stop giving back,\u201d he says. Cabinet cochair Catherine Nguyen-Martinez \u201908 got involved soon after graduation because she feels as if she shares \u201can inside secret\u201d with the alumni she meets and makes connections with, given that they all experienced the tunnel system, the cold weather, and other memories created at Rochester. \u201cWe call New York City our home, but that was our second home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Involved since its inception, cabinet cochair Stephen Givant \u201981 has remained highly committed to share as well, especially with those who may benefit from his expertise.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not just hanging around with people in my cohort,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s also an opportunity to interact with young people who have been through what I\u2019ve been through. Many times they\u2019re looking for advice. It\u2019s a pay-it-forward kind of concept.\u201d<\/p>\n

As one of those young alumni, Tanya Chanphanitpornkit \u201915E is focused on building her career as a teacher of music. As a relatively new resident of New York, networking with other Rochester alumni has been critical in making her feel more comfortable in \u201cthat gap between academia and the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n

At an on-campus Volunteers in Partnership Conference last spring, she wound up sitting at a table with Pizmony-Levy Drezner, who took her around the room to make introductions. The people she met asked questions, shared stories, and gave her a new perspective on what education means.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think all your learning in college is going to happen in four years, but you\u2019re one of the alumni much longer than you\u2019re a student,\u201d Chanphanitpornkit says. \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful thing when you have people looking out for you and trying to help in any way they can.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Tony Graham \u201981, New York City can be an intimidating place. Getting together with people who have common backgrounds offers \u201ca sense of calmness in a city where the frenetic pace and seeming chaos can otherwise be overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Graham appreciates the energy and passion younger alumni have for staying connected with the University. They\u2019re reminders that previous classes, including his own, have left behind an important legacy\u2014one of continuity and deep impact.<\/p>\n

New York City is the perfect backdrop for maintaining that.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur size and location,\u201d says Graham, \u201cgives us a breadth and depth of activities and affiliation opportunities that are unmatched anywhere in the world.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”100px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” background_image=”35596″ padding_top=”175″ padding_bottom=”175″ css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” background_color=”#ffc70a” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text] Show Us Your Town – New York City [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]Spaces & places: The 16-acre…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"parent":9306,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"full_width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-35576","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35576"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35776,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35576\/revisions\/35776"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}