It’s no secret. I love New York. It was my destination Thursday afternoon for lunch with Barry Schulman.
We met in 1980. He was executive producer of Evening Magazine on WBZ-TV in Boston. I was a poor schlemiel on the radio in Philly trying to break into TV.
I didn’t get the job.
Evening Magazine and PM Magazine were the same show. It was called Evening on the Westinghouse owned stations and PM on those Westinghouse sold it to. Eventually I became co-host of PM Magazine/Buffalo.
I got to Buffalo in August. Some time in the dead of winter, Barry’s host was quoted in the newspaper disparaging Westinghouse. I was put on standby.
Again, no gig. Always nice to be considered.
Flash forward another few years and I ran into Barry at the New England Emmy Awards. He was still at WBZ. By then I was at Channel 8. It was the night I won three Emmys.
Barry told someone at his table he had tried to hire me, which was sorta, kinda true… but not really. He probably has no recollection of any of this, but I took all of it as a great compliment.
Barry did hire me at SciFi Channel where I hosted four seasons of Inside Space. Thank you, Barry.
With his children grown and a house much too big for two, Barry and his wife moved to the Upper West Side of Manhattan, an area near Columbia University called Morningside Heights. He’s gone from suburban Westchester County to a 13th floor apartment.
“You can see the weather patterns,” he said.
He has an expansive view of the Hudson and New Jersey. He could have seen Sully on final approach!
We went to lunch at a local diner, Nussbaum and Wu. Soup and sandwich. Very good. Black and White cookies to take home.
I found parking on Broadway across the street from the restaurant that played 
Monk’s Cafe on Seinfeld. The space was so good I triple checked to make sure it was legal.
At 2:00 PM N&W was packed with students and faculty. Laptops and tablets were open everywhere. Great vibe. Lots of energy.
We ate and schmoozed. Many mutual friends. Lots of stories.
After lunch we crossed the street and walked on campus. It’s an Ivy League school with an iconic look. It too bustled on this gray Thursday afternoon.
It’s always good to see old friends. I had an excellent time. A trip well taken, even with the traffic on the way home!
Sounds like you had a great time. I can barely remember the last time I was in NYC. I remember it was a long day and was lots of fun.