With me today, I have Jim Somoza! He is the Managing Director at Industry City.

Join them on this episode where they go back in time. Jim tells us what it was like growing up in New York in the 70s and 80s. He talks about how his dad moved to an apartment on the upper west side, overlooking central park. He tells us how he would spend his afternoons in the parks, and weekends in the west village with his best friend. He talks about going to the arcades in Times Square, as well as other games they made up to entertain themselves.

Jim then talks about his time as a Real Estate Lawyer. How when he started his practice, it was very difficult to find work. But after sticking with it, even through the crash of the late 90s, he was able to find work and also met people that would bring him to his next career shift in working on Chelsea Market.

Kelly asks Jim about the history of Chelsea market: How it got started, what it was like to work there, and he tells us about its founders' vision and what he wanted Chelsea Market to be. Kelly also asks him about a famous sweet treat that was invented at Chelsea Market, and Jim tells us a little known fact about it.

Jim then talks about his time developing Industry City. He talks about how the proposal came to him. He tells us what Industry City used to be and how it used to function. He talks about how large it is in comparison to Chelsea Market and even the Empire State building. He then tells us what his strategy was in order to get not only retailers in the space, but also offices and patrons. Jim talks about the community aspect of Industry City, and what he hopes people will get from it when they come for a visit.

But above all else; Jim Somoza is a New Yorker.

Kelly's Social Media

@NewYorkCityKopp

Jim's Social Media and Industry City

@Jim_Somoza

@IndustryCity

Jae's Social Media

@Studiojae170

• (00:00:00) - Inside New York's Industry City
• (00:00:40) - New Yorkers
• (00:01:56) - The Story of New York City
• (00:05:17) - Living in New York City in the 70s and 80s
• (00:09:59) - Coming soon: Jay-Z on Growing Up in Brooklyn
• (00:11:24) - Living The Warriors In NYC
• (00:15:24) - Brooklyn doctor on New York City
• (00:21:06) - Real Estate Broker: The Crash of the Internet
• (00:26:50) - Real Estate Story: The Chelsea Market Sale
• (00:30:54) - Joe Bastianich on Chelsea Market and
• (00:34:07) - The Chelsea Market Building Sale
• (00:38:27) - The Fight for the Upper Flights
• (00:40:11) - The Japanese grocery store in Brooklyn
• (00:44:10) - Brooklyn Core: The Sake Brewery
• (00:47:32) - Mayor Bill de Blasio on New York's Walking Communities
• (00:51:20) - What Does It Mean to Be a New Yorker?
• (00:53:58) - Jim Samoza on New Yorkers Podcast
• (00:55:30) - New Yorkers: Thank You!

In this episode, Kelly is joined by Zombie Papas Jorge and Todd, the organizers of Thriller NYC!

Join them as they introduce themselves. Jorge tells us how he came to New York, and what it was like moving here. Todd on the otherhand, talks about being third generation from Brooklyn. They tell us about how they met, as well as their costume wedding. They talk about how they found Thriller NYC and how long they've been involved with it.

Jorge talks about the founding of thriller in the west village Halloween parade. He talks about the first time it was done and what it was like when it first started. He talks about how he initially joined another thriller group because Thriller NYC was full. Todd talks about how Jorge invited him to join thriller one year, but not in the way that he had wanted to.

Kelly asks about the process of putting together something so massive. Todd talks about the process of how people get tickets and join the group. He goes over what the rehearsals look like as well as what the time table is like to put on something like that. They both talk about what people are getting out of their ticket. They talk about how it is important for them to form a safe community, and they emphasise moving your body in community, and the healing power that it can have.

Jorge and Todd thank Kelly for his viral video of the performance, and they talk about how that helped them get put back on the map and continue post Covid. They also talk about what it feels like to put together this massive project every year, and the cultural impact that it has on the world. They talk about their trip to South Africa and how Thriller even has an impact there.

Finally, Kelly asks them some quick fire questions about the dance, the halloween parade, the costumes, and where to eat after.

But, above all else; Jorge and Todd are New Yorkers.

Kelly's Social Media

@NewYorkCityKopp

Join Thriller NYC!

https://www.thrillernyc.com/

@Thrillernyc

Donate to the village Halloween parade!

https://halloween-nyc.com/donate/

Jae's Social Media

@Studiojae170

• (00:00:00) - New Yorkers Podcast
• (00:01:57) - This New York Couple Had A 'Thriller' Wedding
• (00:05:18) - The Halloween Parade With Thriller
• (00:05:49) - The Thriller Dance in the NYC Parade
• (00:09:08) - How To Participate in the Parade Thriller Dance
• (00:11:52) - The West Village Thriller Parade
• (00:14:27) - The Memphis Thriller Parade
• (00:18:47) - The New York Thriller Dance
• (00:23:18) - Mets Mascots at the Parade
• (00:25:32) - The Cast of Thriller
• (00:28:33) - Thriller's Spring Parade
• (00:30:55) - What Makes The Thriller Dance So New York?
• (00:34:12) - Dancing To Michael Jackson's Thriller in Mozambique
• (00:36:21) - The New York City Zombie Parade
• (00:38:14) - How the Village Halloween Parade Works
• (00:41:02) - Thriller's NYC Parade
• (00:41:29) - Village Halloween Parade
• (00:43:12) - The Halloween Parade in New York
• (00:43:59) - What It Means to Be A New Yorker
• (00:46:02) - New Yorkers: Thank You!

In this episode, Kelly is joined by author Andy Fisher! He is the retired founding executive director of the Lavelle Fund for the Blind. He has 35 years of experience in New York City charitable foundations, and is a winner of the Helen Keller International’s Humanitarian Award. Inspired by the humanitarian efforts of the past, he has written his first book about an unsung New Yorker: Nathan Straus.

Kelly asks Andy about his growing up, and work. Andy tells Kelly what lead him to New York and to what his passion ended up becoming. Andy talks about retirement and how he was inspired to write a book about Nathan Straus.

Andy talks about the writing process. He thanks the publishers, and the fellow scholars that helped him finish the book. He talked about how he came upon Straus, and why he thought it was important to tell his story.

Kelly asks Andy about Nathan Straus: Where he was born, what his family life was like, when he moved to New York, and how he made his fortune. Andy talks about how he immegrated from Europe in the early 1800s and what that was like. He told Kelly about how the Civil War ruined his family's buisness. He talks about how his family moved to New York and was able to secure some retail spacy in the well known Macy's!

Kelly asks Andy about his humanitarian efforts. Andy tells Kelly about how he was a champion of milk pasteurization at a time when the whole world was against it. Andy explained how Straus saved countless lives by ensuring that everyone had access to the information about pasteurization and pasteurized milk to drink.

Andy then talks about his efforts to help people abroad, and talks about his humanitarian efforts in the middle east, as well as how he helped Jewish people, as well as Palestinians.

Kelly asks Andy about Nathan's Brother and the Titanic: he tells the story of the families fatefull travel.

Finally Kelly asks Andy about how Nathan had said that he wanated to give away all of his money. Andy talks about Nathan's father's philosophy growing up and how that effected him. He talks about the different ways in which he helped the homeless, and helped the community during financial hardships and how even in his most succesfull moment in life, he was humble and knew his limits.

But above all else; Nathan Straus and Andy Fisher are New yorkers!

Kelly's Social Media

@NewYorkCityKopp

Buy Andy's Book!

https://andrewfisherwriter.com/

Or anywhere you buy books.

Jae's Social Media

@Studiojae170

• (00:00:00) - Meet The New Yorkers
• (00:01:39) - Philanthropist Andrew Levalle
• (00:11:53) - Bookmark: The Life of Philip Strauss
• (00:14:36) - How long did it take to write the book?
• (00:17:58) - A Jewish Philanthropist: Nathan Strauss
• (00:24:25) - The Life of Philip and Isidore Macy
• (00:30:43) - Andy Strauss Once Said He Hoped to Give Away His Entire
• (00:32:46) - Nathan Strauss and the Birth of Zionism
• (00:46:11) - The story of Isidore and Ida Strauss
• (00:46:26) - Tim Ferriss on Richard Strauss
• (00:49:42) - What Moment in Richard Strauss' Life Stuck With You Most?
• (00:55:11) - Andrew Fisher on Being a New Yorker
• (00:57:03) - The New Yorkers: Farewell Train