September 30, 2012 · 3:13 pm

Say it’s not so: Des Moines’ Weather Beacon is no more

Des Moines

Driving through downtown Des Moines last night we were struck by the absence of the famous Weather Beacon – a 500-foot television station transmitter tower lined with lights that perked up the sky above the city, letting us know the weather forecast by its color and flashing/or lack of flashing. (Red meant warmer weather ahead; white – colder weather in sight; flashing meant precipitation.) My stepdaughter E. in particular was fascinated by it as a kid when she used to visit us from Oklahoma. “Does every city have a weather beacon?” she once asked. No – and now Des Moines no longer does either, alas. (Some other cities do have a weather beacon,  according to Wikipedia including Dubuque, Sacramento,Sydney, Copenhagen, Toronto, Istanbul and New Orleans, where I’ll be next weekend. Who knew? See photos below!)

Word has it some genius is designing a computer app to replace the weather beacon but that’s hardly the same. More details from the DM Register:

Iowa lost two treasures in less than two days. First, Wall Lake native and famed singer Andy Williams died late Tuesday. Wednesday, word came from KCCI-TV the station was switching off its beloved Weather Beacon for good.

The beacon was to flicker off a final time at dawn Thursday. Station owners decided costs and upkeep of the colorful icon outweighed the benefits of keeping the beacon lit — much to the anguish of central Iowans who grew up with the forecast lights.

“We are losing a true landmark,” said Bernard Harmeyer of Altoona. “I always looked to the tower to see what was going on with the weather. It made (KCCI) stand out from the other stations.”

First lit in 1960, strings of colored lights at the edges of the downtown transmitter tower for Des Moines’ CBS-TV affiliate gave an at-a-glance forecast on the capital’s skyline.

But the traffic light bulbs used to create the colorful forecast are no longer manufactured. Station officials ordered custom-made bulbs, but the color flaked off the red and green bulbs, which regularly forced engineers to scale the 500-foot tower to replace bulbs.

The tower, KCCI reported Wednesday, was built to meet 1980s code, and any remodeling would have forced expensive repairs.

The Weather Beacon went dark in 1973 because of high energy costs. When KCCI moved to its current location at 888 Ninth St., the tower was rebuilt and the beacon returned in 1987.

Former Des Moines Register Iowa Boy columnist Chuck Offenburger rallied the station to return the beacon in many columns through the 1970s and ’80s. Now retired and living on a Greene County farm, he was ready to sound reveille in the 21st century.

“Occupy KCCI!” he said Wednesday. “Look what other fine restorations there are around Des Moines — the World Food Prize headquarters, the Temple for Performing Arts, Terry Branstad.

“Surely the Weather Beacon can be made over and given extended new life, too, can’t it?”

Sydney

Brisbane

Melbourne

Kitchener

Toronto

Copenhagen

Aachen

Osaka

Istanbul

Fresno

Sacramento

San Francisco

Des Moines

Dubuque

New Orleans

Boston

Flint

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September 27, 2012 · 2:26 pm

One of top 15 architecture cities….Mason City, Iowa!

Stoney Creek Inn

Front of the Park Inn Hotel (right) and side of the City

People from beyond Iowa tend to find it remarkable that Mason City Iowa has such a treasure trove of Prairie Style homes – by architects including Frank Lloyd Wright. But Conde Nast travel mag is in the know: It recently listed Mason City among the top 15 cities in the world of noteworthy architectural history, according to Wright on the Park, a Mason City nonprofit instrumental in restoring and reopening The Park Inn Hotel, the last remaining hotel designed by Wright.  The hotel plus the Wright-designed Stockman House (both of which offer public tours) and the Rock Crest-Rock Glen residential area, where you can take a self-guided tour of the area’s historic homes including many Prairie Style homes, no doubt won Mason City the same destination nod as cities including Barcelona (presumably for Gaudi!) and Tel Aviv. Word has it the restaurant has opened at the hotel (it wasn’t opened yet when I visited about a year ago.)

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September 26, 2012 · 2:22 pm

More New Orleans restaurant recommendations


 

Everyone I talk to who has spent time in New Orleans has her own recommendations of the best, classic New Orleans  restaurants to eat and  only seldom do I see overlap from one list to the other, which means I need A LOT MORE TIME in New Orleans than we’ll actually have during our trip next month. But here’s another list of impassioned recommendations – this one from my hair stylist who used to live in NOLA:

But – Irene’s Cuisine is my favorite!! Very New Orleans through and through. Great location (heart of the Fr Qtr), perfect ambiance, and excellent Italian/New Orleans food. My favorite out of those 4. Cochon is great – especially if you like pork. I only went to Herbsaint once, and the gnocci appetizer was the best Ive ever had. Never been to Boucherie.
Here are some of my favorites:
Patois – the best mussels and frites of my life (uptown)
La petite grocery – a very very very good burger (uptown)
Coops Place – a true new orleans bar with perfect New Orleans food and fried chicken that is like dessert. A locals favorite. Decatur St near bywater/frenchmen. Good for lunch. (fr qtr)
Jacques-imos – New orleans food popular with locals and tourists. The best of everything the city has to offer for food. With crazy new orleans ambiance. (Uptown)
And of course Dick and Jenny’s (see photo above). All around good except for the fact you cant make reservations. Everything is understated except the food and the service. (Uptown)
Stella! – fine dining in the french quarter.
Commander’s Palace – Ive never been, but for about $200 per person you will have the best brunch you’ve ever had. Famous for Bananas Foster.

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September 25, 2012 · 8:16 pm

Unabashed tourists – the Circle Line and Hotel Carlyle in NYC

Interior of Bemelmans Bar in New York City

Sometimes, you just have to be a tourist and so we were on a spectacular late summer/early fall day last Sunday in New York City. Three friends and I took the 2.5 hour lower Manhattan Circle Line cruise and it was magical, with fantastic views of Battery Park, the former World Trade Center area with the 9/11 memorial and the still-rising Freedom Tower/One World Trade Center, Wall Street, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island – we all thoroughly enjoyed, even the New Yorker among us. (Next time I hope to take another boat ride I read about recently in the NYTimes that it offered by the New York Society of Architects.)

Later that day, we ate an okay french meal at Le Monde on Broadway near 108th and met an old friend for drinks at, of all places, the Old New York  bar at The Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side (complete with a glamorpuss cabaret singer…not Judy Collins, alas, who I gather was singing nearby at the famous Cafe Carlyle…where Woody Allen plays his clarinet in a jazz band on Monday nights…pricey cover charge: $135) I didn’t realize until later that the charming Art Deco bar (photo above) is named after  Ludwig Bemelmans,  creator of the classic Madeline kids books.

I forgot to mention a good place for coffee and a light breakfast I went to with another friend on Columbus Ave. near 72nd Street – Arte Around the Corner (with stick to your ribs croissants) and a good diner for a late Monday morning breakfast (The Manchaster Diner on Broadway near 108th.)

1 WTC rendering.jpg
One World Trade Center design as of May 2012.

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September 25, 2012 · 2:06 am

Taking the bus to Laguardia – and nabbing an earlier flight home in Minneapolis

I paid $2.25 (the price of a bus ride) to get to Laguardia airport this afternoon which is much better than a $40 cab ride – not as fast of course, but not as long as I feared. It took me an hour – from the time I picked up the M60 bus at 106th and Broadway to my arrival at Laguardia’s Terminal C – and frankly seemed faster than the express bus I rode into the city (for $12.50).

I had a three hour layover in Minneapolis so of course my arrival and departing gates were minutes away from each other (as opposed to my outbound flight when I had 37 minutes to get from one end of the airport to the other.) Noticing that there was an earlier flight to Des Moines (at 7:15 vs. 9:30 p.m.) I went to the gate for the earlier flight to see if I could get on. There was room but Delta wanted to charge me $50 (which United wasn’t going to do when I tried to do the same thing a week ago in Boston). So I said no thanks but then the Delta person saw that my 9:30 flight was overbooked so she waived the $50 fee. So here I am home – although my bag won’t arrive until 11 p.m. So I guess it pays to ask and stand your ground….at least sometimes!

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September 23, 2012 · 10:55 pm

Lower east side NYC – tenement museum, Dudley’s, economy candy, pok pok

My friend C.  Is opening  an art gallery on the lower east side of NYC  so we went to get a sneak peek. great old former industrial space, with exposed brick walls and lots of light and wonderful selection of art work (more on the William Holman gallery in a later post) we went on the Irish outsider tour at the tenement museum. I liked the tour I took several years ago there where we got a look at all the floors /cultures in the building, (Jewish , German catholic, etc) but it was interesting to get a more in depth look the Irish . We had a drink next door at a hipster place called Dudley’s, walked around the lower east side dropping in at Economy candy, Russ and daughters, katz’s deli, pok pok (which was more of a hole in the wall than expected but seems worth a try.)

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September 23, 2012 · 2:20 am

Exploring park slope by stroller

I fit right in during my Park Slope visit yesterday  because I was pushing a stroller. Some might even have mistaken me for a mother since this is the kind of place where 50 something mothers are not unheard of. My four month old niece was in the stroller and once I got over my apprehension about handling the stroller (which is a bit different than the ones I had with my kids 20 years ago) we had a grand time. We sTrollered around prospect park on a gorgeous afternoon and sat on a bench at the edge of a green lawn and people watched. Then we walked along 7th avenue window shopping. All the while it was a smile fest, my niece and I i smiling at each other. (except when she slept.) bliss. We stopped at a bagel shop near union street, where I had some good apple cider and rugelah. Earlier I ate an excellent lunch at Miriam’s  on fifth with my brother. A israeli-inspired place …the scrambled eggs on some sort of crispy slightly sweet fry bread served with fiery Harissa was delicious. Went to a good resale shop near y, spotted a tv actor (Derrick from”smash”), got carry out from a middle eastern place called zeitoin,  and  sadly said goodbye for now.

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September 21, 2012 · 2:39 pm

Delta, Eric Kayser, AG kitchen in NYC

I was not optimistic about making my connecting flight from the start yesterday because I had only a 37 minute connection in Detroit and sure enough I almost missed it. At 9:45 I was stuck in the plane in the rain on the runway in Detroit  thinking there is no way I will make my 10 am flight to NYC. I was in the last row of the plane and I had to collect my luggage on the jet bridge before getting the next flight. And my arrival gate was on the opposite end of  the airport. I had also called delta twice and was told the NYC flight was leaving on time. But I had to give it a shot. So when we finally got to the gate I leapt out of my seat and made it about to mid plane. Then I quickly spotted my luggage among the bags piled on the jet bridge (one  advantage of having a shocking pink bag) and I ran. And ran from gate c30. By the time I got to gate a27 the plane was boarding. I had to bend down with my hands on my knees and catch my breath. And I developed a cough. But I got on that damn plane. Moral of the story: it’s worth trying. But would have been nice if delta could have told me the flight was delayed 25 min.

At laguardia I ended up taking the airport bus to grand central. Never done before and it did take longer than a taxi but price was right – $12.50 plus tip for driver and it was comfortable.

I went to lunch with my aunt S. at a lively French boulangerie on third ave in the 70’s. The place was packed at 2 p.m. Good salads, sandwiches, pastries. Later I met my friend m at AG  Kitchen  on columbus and 73rd. Fun place with latin-influenced comfort food – roast chicken, smashed potatoes, guacamole, lobster spinach balls. Gorgeous weather and great time to be in NYC.

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September 18, 2012 · 8:43 pm

fantastic recommendations for new orleans!

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Given how packed with tourists New Orleans promises to be when we visit in October, I’m not sure I want to share these excellent recommendations for where to eat and hear music (they come from a friend of my stepdaughter’s who lives there) but duty calls:

Breakfast:
-Elizabeth’s – in the Bywater; they have praline bacon.  It doesn’t get better than that.
-Surrey’s – in the Lower Garden District; solid breakfast standards with lots of NOLA twists on traditional stuff (ie crab & crawfish added into stuff)
-Cafe Atchafalaya – on Louisiana Avenue just south of Magazine Street – higher end brunch, amazing crab eggs benedict.  Great place for a mimosa breakfast.
-Camellia Grill – delicious greasy diner w/ awesome omelets and waffles; in both the Quarter & way uptown near Tulane Univ.
Lunch
-Cochon Butcher – in the Warehouse District (my tied-for-fave place, small & reasonably priced gourmet sandwich shop attached to Cochon, one of the nicest restaurants in town)
-Central Grocery – French Quarter (best muffalettas)
-I don’t have an opinion on the best po’boys … since I’ve heard five different answers for who has the best. But Mother’s in the Central Business District (just next to the French Quarter) is a good place to go to try out all the Cajun classics – po’boys, red beans & rice, jumbalaya, etc.
Dinner
-Borgne – new restaurant from one of the best chefs in town (John Besh).  It’s fantastic, but also pricey.  This is right near the Superdome.
-Bacchanal – my other tied-for-fave place, in the Bywater.  It’s fantastic food, served in a laidback backyard, with a wine shop out front so you can buy your own wine separately; live music plays in the backyard, too.  Totally off the beaten path and really only known to locals, from what I can tell.  The whole experience is a only-in-New Orleans kinda thing.
-The Joint – great BBQ, also in the Bywater
-Company Burger or Dat Dog – good, very casual food, in the Freret Street Corridor
-Acme Oyster House – in the French Quarter.  If you want to get your oyster & crawfish fix, go here
Music
I’d recommend going to Frenchman Street on Saturday night – every Sat at 8pm, John Boutte plays a set at d.b.a. – he’s one of the top acts in NOLA right now, and is best known for singing the opening song in HBO’s “Treme.”
At 10pm, across the street, another act, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, plays at the Spotted Cat.
On Thursday nights, the Soul Rebels Brass Band plays at Le Bon Temps Roule, on Magazine Street in Uptown.  I haven’t been but I’ve heard it’s fun!
Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers also plays every Thursday, at Vaughn’s in the Bywater.  He’s very popular due to being on HBO’s Treme a lot.  The one time I went to see him, Wendell Pierce (Bunk on The Wire) showed up b/c they’re friends; so, you never know who can show up at his set!
Every Tuesday, Rebirth Brass Band plays at the Maple Leaf bar in Uptown – its a late set but it’s so much fun.
Wednesdays, Treme Brass Band plays at the Candlelight Lounge in the Treme. Another good night of music.

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September 17, 2012 · 8:00 pm

town topic, savoy grill, oklahoma joes, Lulu’s, chez elle in Kansas City

20100323-towntopic.jpg

My stepdaughter reports that there was a recent episode of No Reservations in Kansas City featuring some great looking BBQ places including Oklahoma Joes. She was also intrigued by Town-Topic Hamburgers and the Savoy Grill. (see: www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/anthony-bourdain/episodes/kansascity)

It would be hard for my husband and I to give up Gates or Bryant’s BBQ for the great unknown but Oklahoma Joe’s has been on our radar. We haven’t been to the Savoy Grill in years but it’s a place-that-time forgot, a Mr. and Mrs. Bridge-era restaurant that’s probably worth revisiting. (Fun wiki facts: The restaurant’s fantastic murals were painted in 1903.  The restaurant is KC’s oldest. The Savoy Hotel is the nation’s oldest continuously operating hotel …west of the Mississippi River.)

And Town-Topic – never been but always liked their  neon sign (more authentic relic than retro, I think.)  Some other relatives in Kansas City also recommend Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop and Chez Elle, a creperie/coffee house at 1713 Summit St., near the new Kaufmann Performing Arts Center.)

 

 

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