On Wednesday, I had a business meeting in the city and managed to connect with two long-time friends that I have not seen in awhile. Also as a bonus, I got to use my senior discount on Metro North for the first time!
Getting back in touch with people I value, is one of my themes for my year of 65 adventures — In reality, Wednesday could really count as two of those. The two relationships are very different, but one of many things the two men have in common is they are both much taller than me! Read on.
Back in touch with Frank after 31 years!
I first met Frank when I moved into the George Washington apartments in Forest Hills back in 1987. He was on the coop board and I made the “mistake” of speaking up during our first annual meeting. Before too long, he was serving as the President and I became the Vice President, volunteering together for seven years. I have not seen him since leaving the building in 1994, so that means it’s been 31 years! Amazing.
Frank is an Architect, a generous man and a good leader. He is also the person who turned me on to Bombay Sapphire Gin (no, I did not receive any sponsorship money for this post!) On Wednesday we met for lunch at Pete’s Tavern, NYC’s oldest continuously operating restaurant and bar, located in Frank’s Grammercy Park neighborhood. I hardly ever drink during the day, but after our initial “hellos” and getting over the shock of seeing each other, I recalled the story when our coop board had a celebration dinner and Frank suggested we try his favorite gin and tonic. So of course, we ordered two!
The conversation was easy, and we had so much to catch up on. I learned about his career path, and found out that he was working at 1251 Avenue of the Americas when I was at NBC, right across the street. I was impressed that when he moved to the city he also joined the coop board, becoming president once again for an even longer period of time. We told stories, comparing notes from the Forest Hills days, catching up on family and sharing retirement activities.
He is married to a delightful woman name Roseanne who is an artist. They met when they were fixed up by Roseanne’s father who was Frank’s family’s pharmacist. The two of them are really enjoying living in the city, enjoying the art scene and museums. I really enjoyed his company and hope all four of us can get together for a museum visit soon.
60+ years and going strong!
After lunch and my business meeting ended, I met with Kenny at BLT Prime on Lexington Avenue and 73rd. Neither of us can accurately calculate when we first met, because we were so young at the time that we did not know about calendars. We were living in Queens and our parents were friends through Whitestone Hebrew Center. We can say for certain that we have been friends for more than sixty years. When we were younger we were together so frequently, we were practically members of each others families.
The last times we got together were at a shiva for his mother (Z”L) in 2021 and a dinner in the city in 2019. His mom was a force of nature and I was always amazed by how much she was doing. His dad, who served as my attorney for many years, is still living in the city at 97 years old in a beautiful apartment overlooking the Ed Koch (Queensboro) bridge.
Ken and his wife Shari are living in NY now, both still working and enjoying time with their growing grandchildren. The restaurant we were in was where their son Matt had his rehearsal dinner not too long ago. The food and wine were both excellent.
Kenny, with my sister and parents in 1968, taken with my first brownie camera
Whenever we get back together, the conversation continues instantly as if it never paused. We have so much history together. Even more importantly, our passions are intertwined as well: love of family, strong careers, extensive travel experiences, charitable organizations, and both serving as synagogue presidents are just a touch of the topics we shared. Ken is a neurologist and is passionate about the health of his patients. It was a very special treat to catch up.