Arts & Entertainment

By Doug Hodge

When I was here, in New York, two years ago doing La Cage aux Folles, I was drawn to doodling to pass the time; it’s always been a hobby and I tend to draw people on the subway or doing some other activity. When you do eight shows a week you need to have something to distract you; to keep your mind occupied.

By Neal Shapiro

Like so many New York City residents, I came here to find my inspiration in the big city.

Born and bred in Albany, I knew the city was the place for me to pursue my passion for television and the news business. After a great career in network TV, I was lucky enough to take the helm of WNET – home to public television stations THIRTEEN, WLIW21 and now NJTV – nearly four years ago. Truly among the marquee public television operations in the country, its reputation for quality, commercial-free, agenda-free programming was well established.

By Ernie Anastos
FOX 5 Anchor

As someone who has been an experienced anchor in New York for so many years, I hear from people, “Everything just seems so bad, can you find something positive to tell us about, Ernie?” My new program, Positively Ernie, is designed to focus on the good things that are happening in our world. There are two segments, one is called positive impact, and it has to do with people who are doing good things either in charity or in an organization and finding a way to reach out to people. I also do something on positive lifestyle; I think everyone is concerned with how we live today. It’s about how we can live better physically, emotionally and spiritually. We feature Dr. Oz, who is a medical guru and he is on every show. He talks about goals in health and medicine. It’s about learning, where people can say “I like that,” and use it to empower their lives and also share it with others.

By Antwan Lewis
FOX 5 Reporter

I’ve always loved Brooklyn, even though I grew up in Virginia. During the summers, my whole family would come up to visit relatives in Red Hook (Thomas and Rachel McNair - my aunt and uncle; they were very big in the community). Often, we would drive around the borough and I would stick my head out and listen to all of the sounds; it was so different than the Norfolk area. While staying in Brooklyn, I remember hearing Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder being played at 1am. We were supposed to be asleep, but it was such energy; I loved it. Every day, we’d go to the corner to buy a hot dog. All of these things that were not so common in our Commonwealth, are things that I remember now. It’s what I loved about New York.

By Mercedes Masohn

My favorite thing about New York is the amazing dining scene. Being a self-described foodie, I have to say restaurants are my favorite things to discover and explore. I find myself watching a lot of restaurant shows. Anthony Bourdain is one of my favorites, I love the idea of him traveling; I love him discovering new and different cultural foods and I love that he goes to small villages - not just the big towns where everything is such an obvious restaurant find. He’ll go to the nitty-gritty and to the food markets and the small towns where someone’s grandmother will cook for him; I love, love, love that.

By Chris Bauer

I’ve always resented the jerks who try to merge onto the Brooklyn bridge entrance heading downtown on the FDR. Like the good Catholic boy that I am, I’ve always made it a point to get into the far right lane in plenty of time so that I won’t slow up traffic; anticipating the exit that will take me to my Brooklyn home just across the river. Nearly every time, I sit still in my car or cab for at least a few minutes while the last minute cheaters clog up the line trying to squeeze into the exit lane in time to get on the bridge. Sure, I allow for the occasional out of towner, and day dreamer who may have spaced out and missed their chance to merge earlier, but the majority of the stoppage comes from the dark side of NYC mentality, which is “the rules don’t apply to me”.

By Charlie Gasparino

Four years ago, I was dining with two Wall Street CEOs at Sistina, a high-end restaurant on the upper east side of Manhattan, and the subject of then-candidate Obama came up.

By Sharon Dastur

For one night every year, the biggest stars perform their biggest hits at New York’s concert event of the year – Z100’s Jingle Ball. Even before they were famous, big superstars like Britney Spears and Katy Perry came to the show as music fans, and then headlined shows a few years later. At last year’s show, Lady Gaga took a quick break from her performance to share with the audience that the very first concert she ever attended was Z100’s Jingle Ball, and that at the show, she had turned to her mother and said “…one day I will be on THAT stage!” She then had the spotlight put on a girl sitting in the 10th row, and said “…that was the seat I was sitting in back then, and now I’ve made my dreams come true performing on this stage at Z100’s Jingle Ball. Make sure you always dream big because your dreams can come true too!”

Ever year, the show sells out within minutes, and this year is no different and sold-out faster than any previous year. The line-up includes - One Direction, Ne-Yo, Ed Sheeran, B.o.B, Jason Mraz, Olly Murs, fun., The Wanted, Cher Lloyd, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and many special guests. They will all be taking the stage at the legendary Madison Square Garden on December 7th…a little note… 3 of these artists recently sold-out their own concerts at Madison Square Garden, and 3 have sold-out their own shows at Radio City Music Hall. There’s someone on the bill for every music fan!

It’s the hottest ticket in town, and the only way to get the sold-out tickets is to win them on Z100 or
Z100.com

By Steve Lacy
FOX 5 “Good Day Wake Up” Co-anchor

Growing up, New York was always this magical place that you got snippets of in magazines and on TV. There are a million moments when I truly can’t believe I live here now and they happen at the oddest times and that’s always very surreal to me.

By Ruthe Ponturo

After my darling husband of 34 years decided he no longer wanted to be married to me---oh and that he was in love with someone else- many friends suggested I talk to a professional because after all this was a traumatic event. I had never tried a therapist but how bad could it be? Well.....