Readers Comment: Revel Riding, Boat Basin, Peter Max, Old Restaurants & New Openings

“I just took a scooter riding lesson from Revel and think they should be mandatory! I have never ridden a motorized bike before but am a very good bike rider so i thought the transition would be easy. It is not, it is actually pretty dangerous for a first-time scooter rider to ride in public streets, imo. Controlling the throttle is among the most difficult thing to get used to, as well as the fact that you are trying to balance and control a 250lb vehicle; which is much more difficult than controlling a 30lb bike, surprising enough, lol!

“It is too easy to use too much throttle in the beginning and go out of control if you are not experienced or have not had lessons. The other difficult part is when you are nervous you may subconsciously press down on the brake, and when you use the throttle, don’t feel your bike moving, use more throttle, then realize you are holding down the brake; u release the brake and your scooter jumps out from under you.”

“We don’t have a boat, but have always loved going to the Boat Basin and seeing the boats owned by others and are pleased that New Yorkers have found a way to live here at a reasonable price.. The Boat Basin is a big part of the quirkiness that makes New York so quirky and that is part of the joy of living in NYC. We know that times change and so do the laws governing the City, but the Boat Basin is a jewel that should be preserved except for making it safer for the boaters.”

“I spent almost three decades as a friend of Peter’s, having met him in 1965, when my family moved in on the next block. Within a year, his son, Adam, and I became fast friends (we were still in our single digits). When I got into my teens, Peter and I both took yoga together with Swami Satchidananda (I was also studying Eastern philosophy with Swamiji), and I also began babysitting for Libra. Peter and I remained friends for well over two decades; I attended many of the salons at his atelier on 65th Street, and he donated items to fundraisers when I was running a PR and event management company in my 30s.

“At the risk of inserting myself, I can say with certainty that during the latter decades, I never once saw Adam at any time, including at the events at the atelier. But Libra was always there; in fact, she was the one who helped coordinate those events, and was integrally involved in Peter’s business. She is the one who seemed to care, to look out for her father’s interests, to truly “be there” for him.

“I have not seen or spoken to her in many years. But unless she changed radically, it would seem to me from my two or three decades of involvement that she is the one who should be administering his estate.”

“i lived across the street from Anita’s Chili Parlor (73/74). i can’t remember the name of the place it replaced. but right next door was one of those infill stores, about four feet wide. i could watch its customers all day long come and go, often with a lineup across the sidewalk. it was the local marijuana outlet. that, and other stuff. the neighborhood was so interesting in those days, more so to me, than now. when i moved into my building there was an upholstery shop in the building dating from the 1940s. it became on of the first ‘new fangled’ shops, Design Observations. remember the nighttime street scene? buskers and comics all over the place, gathering crowds of 60, 70 people, maybe more.”

“I remember my first time dining at the previous location: The Cottage. It was a fantastic experience, as it met my standards as a Foodie. But when I heard that it closed, I was a bit devastated since it was one of my favorite go to places for family dinners.

“I am also a teacher, and I was told by one of my students about the grand opening of New Cottage. I love Chinese food, so I usually travel around an hour to Chinatown in the LES. But New Cottage is a lot more convenient, so I went in to give them a go.

“The dining space is small, so a lot of people do takeout. Luckily there were seats outside, so I sat there. The waitress was very friendly, so I tipped her a $25. I started with my usual order at the old location: Shredded Chicken with garlic sauce, Roast Duck and Wonton, and my all time favorite Pad Thai. The Cottage set high expectations for the New Cottage, and let me say this, they exceeded. I was very impressed with the organization, setup, staff, and most importantly THE FOOD.”

“Really disappointed by our local politicians once again…they claimed they fought to secure a low cost supermarket in the area…totally untrue…I stopped in yesterday and some prices were higher than Jubiliee…not cool…”