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Previous Passwords for NYC MAGIC GARDEN
If you have a suggestion for a password (word, phrase, slogan), please email me. Please note, the passwords must be something reminiscent of old New York City (mainly 70s or 80s - see passwords below to get an idea). If I use your password, you will get a prize. Yippee! If I don't use your password, don't be sad. Click on the underlined passwords to read some groovy history lessons.
(While the site is under construction you'll notice that some of the history lessons are linking to the old old site -- don't fret, they'll be on track soon!)
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2001 |
2002 |
February - PIX
March - Baird Jones
April - Channel J
May - U68
June - Alexander's
July - No Se Appoye Contra La Puerta
August - Take the Train to the Plane
September - Preppie Murder
October - Phillipe Petit
November - DJ NO X MEN TESS
December - Marc Ballroom |
February - The Fun's on Channel 5
March - Hurricane Gloria
April - Oh Calcutta!
May - Larry's Ices
June - Unique Boutique
July - The Meadow
August - At the Nevele
September - The Saint
November - QB/RR
December - How'm I Doin? |
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2003 |
2004 |
February - Bagel Nosh
March - Hey Drake, Gimme a Break
April - Subway Vigilante
May - Lamston's
June - Phil Rizzuto for the Money Store
July - Think Big!
August - Gimbel's
September - The Decepticons
October/November - Beefsteak Charlie's
December - The Palladium |
February - Jacques D'Amboise
March - Ah Antonovich!
April - At the Westchester County Fair
May - Every Day is a Sale Day at Mays
June - The 4:30 Movie
July - The Milford Plaza
September - Oh!rbach's
November - Reggie Bar
December - Crazy Eddie |
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2005 |
2006 |
February - David's Cookies
March - Beautiful Mount Airy Lodge
April - Love that D'Agostino, Love that D'ag D'ag Man
May - Astor Barber
August - 8th Street Playhouse
October - The Continental Divide
November - It's 10pm, Do You Know Where Your Children Are?
December - Midnight Blue |
February - Wednesday is Sundae at Carvel
March - Alice Underground
April - If They're Good Anytime, Why Do They Call Them Breakfast Treats?
May - Sky Rink
June - Coney Island High
August - St. Mark's Cinema
October - Laser Zeppelin
November - Postermat
December - Goya Oh Boya |
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2007 |
2008 |
February - Dick Lewis is Watching
March - 11 Alive
April - Cohen's Fashion Optical. Where Else?
May - Wetlands
June - Wilfred Beauty Academy
October - Apex Tech
November - Julian's
December - Azuma |
February - Daitch Supermarket
April - Sedutto
May - New York, Let's Clean up New York
June - Lone Star Cafe
September - Barbizon (or "Be a Model or Just LOOK Like One")
October - Delaney Cards
November - Danceteria
December - Peppermint Lounge |
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2009 |
2010 |
February - Seruchi
March - Baird Jones (R.I.P.)
April - Ritz Thrift Shop (or "You don’t need a million to look like a million")
May - Ugly George
June - Soul Kitchen
September - Felt Forum
November - Ford to City: Drop Dead
December - Sloans |
February - Albert Merrill School
March - The Automat
April - Cugines and Cugettes
May - Great Bear
June - Fudgie the Whale (or "To a Whale of a Dad")
October - Flip
November - Plato's Retreat
December - COST REVS |
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2011 |
2012 |
February - PIX (reprise for 10th anniversary)
March - "No Talking Orangutans" (or Coronet)
April - Korvette's
May - Grampa's Restaurant
June - The Ritz
October - Odd Job
November - Chiller Theater
December - Fiorucci
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February - PIX
March - Jou Jou Jeans
April - Raceway Park!
May - Woolworth
June - The Pier
October - The Marquee
December - Max's Kansas City
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2013 |
2014 |
February - PIX
March - "The Eyes, the ears, the honest voice of New York, the Daily News"
June - Dojo
October - "San Giorgio"
(or sing the 1983 jingle: "New York loves San Giorgio, the great spaghetti, in the great spaghetti town"
November - Lou Reed (RIP)
December - B. Altman
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February - PIX
May - The Roxy
October - Can We tawk?
December - Robin Byrd
2015
February - PIX
March - Royal Canadian Pancake House
May - Dear Alex and Annie
December - "I'm really glad they made, the Children's Aid, Society"
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2016
February - PIX
March - Trash and Vaudeville
May - Prince
November - Stella D'Oro
December - How'm I Doin? (reprise after the election)
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SEPTEMBER 2009 Madison Square Garden Quiz
- The Olympic team event known as the "Madison" is named after the first Madison Square Garden and features what prominent sport of that arena?
a) Boxing b) Cycling c) Hula Hooping d) Javelin
Answer: b) Cycling
- In 1905 famed architect Stanford White, designer of the second Madison Square Garden, died atop his own creation. How did he die?
a) Suicide by jumping b) A fall during construction, breaking his neck c) Struck by lightning d) Shot by the jealous husband of a former lover
Answer: d) Shot by the jealous husband of a former lover
- Madison Square Garden was home to the United States' first indoor what?
a) Ice hockey rink b) Basketball court c) Circus d) Rave
Answer: a) Ice hockey rink
- Boxing has been one of Madison Square Garden's biggest attractions since its early days. Place these Garden legacies in chronological order, from oldest to newest:
Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, John L. Sullivan, Rocky Marciano
Answer: John L. Sullivan, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali
- Manhattan's Madison Square Park area was home to the first (1876-1889) and second (1890-1925) Madison Square Gardens. Madison Square Park is widely believed to be the birthplace of what sport?
a) Skateboarding b) Synchronized swimming c) Baseball d) Bocce
Answer: c) Baseball
MAY 2009 "ABC Bea Arthur Quiz"
- Bea Arthur's character Maude first appeared on what tv sitcom?
Answer: "All in the Family"
- What was Maude's last name?
a) Schweizer b) O'Connor c) Findlay d) Krakowski
Answer: c) Findlay
- Bea Arthur performed as Yente in the 1964 Broadway debut of what musical?
Answer: "Fiddler on the Roof"
- Bea Arthur won a Tony in 1966 for her role as Vera Charles, opposite Angela Lansbury, in what musical set in NYC (she later starred oppositet Lucille Ball in the film version)?
Answer: "Mame"
- E for Extra Credit - Match the "Golden Girls" character with the "Sex and the City" character she most closely resembles:
1 - Dorothy (Bea Arthur)
2 - Rose (Betty White)
3 - Blanche (Rue McClanahan)
4 - Sophia (Estelle Getty) |
a. Carrie
b. Samantha
c. Miranda
d. Charlotte |
Answer: these are subjective answers, but I'd go with: 1-a; 2-d; 3-b; 4-c (you might have reversed 1 and 4 for 1-c; 2-d; 3-b; and 4-a)
MARCH 2009 Former Clubs of NYC Quiz
Match the former NYC club (noted by numbers 1-13) with its location (noted by letters a-m).
Disclaimer: Some clubs had more than one location, but the one in the quiz is generally the most recognized address.
- The Ritz
- The Tunnel
- The Roxy
- The Cat Club
- Happy Land Social Club
- Limelight
- Nell's
- Max's Kansas City
- Wetlands
- Danceteria
- Studio 54
- CBGB
- Palladium
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- 47 West 20th Street
- 213 Park Avenue South (between 17th & 18th Streets)
- 254 West 54th Street
- 126 East 14th Street
- 76 East 13th Street
- 246 West 14th Street
- 1959 Southern Boulevard
- 315 Bowery
- 515 West 18th Street
- 269 11th Avenue (between 27th & 28th Streets)
- 161 Hudson
- 30 West 21st Street
- 125 East 11th Street
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Answers: 1-m, 2-j, 3-i, 4-e, 5-g, 6-a, 7-f, 8-b, 9-k, 10-l, 11-c, 12-h, 13-d |
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FEBRUARY 2009 Eighth Anniversary Quickie Quiz
- Nudie Broadway show in the 70s and 80s that ran for 5959 performances at the Edison Theater. Answer: Oh Calcutta
- Youth gang formed in 1986 supposedly at Brooklyn Tech High School based on "Transformers" characters.
Answer: The Decepticons
- Name of TV show hosted by Al Goldstein.
Answer: Midnight Blue
- "Have a summer of fun in the Poconos" was the opening line for the jingle advertising this resort spot.
Answer: Beautiful Mount Airy Lodge
- Mayor Koch's famous tag line/question.
Answer: How'm I Doin?
- Chocolatey, peanuty, round candy "bar" in an orange wrapper, in existence from 1978-1980.
Answer: Reggie Bar
- Family friendly restaurant offering all the beer, wine or sangria you could drink. And the divine shrimp bar.
Answer: Beefsteak Charlies
- This hotel was the "lullaby of Old Broadway."
Answer: The Milford Plaza
Extra Credit:
- Name the eight children on the TV show "Eight is Enough."
Answer: David, Mary, Joanie, Susan, Nancy, Elizabeth, Tommy, and Nicholas.
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SEPTEMBER 2008 NYC SCHOOLS QUIZ
- What actor played teacher Charlie Moore on ABC's Head of the Class?
a) Les Nessman b) Howard Hesseman c) Gabe Kaplan d) Ryan Gosling
Answer: b) Howard Hesseman
- What museum facing Central Park is used as the backdrop for the high school on Gossip Girl?
a) New-York Historical Society b) Museum of Modern Art c) Museum of the City of New York d) Whitney Museum of American Art
Answer: c) Museum of the City of New York
- Stuyvesant High School, named after Peter Stuyvesant, the last Dutch governor of New York (then known as New Netherland), was known for all the following except what:
a) a wooden leg b) his anti-Semitic and anti-Quaker views c) being a direct ancestor to singer Rufus Wainwright d) being born with three nipples
Answer: d) being born with three nipples
- What was the fictional NYC high school on Welcome Back Kotter?
a) James Buchanan b) James Madison c) John Jay d) John F. Kennedy
Answer: a) James Buchanan
- What 2005 documentary follows NYC public school kids on their journey to the citywide ballroom dancing competition?
Answer: Mad Hot Ballroom
- What Brooklyn High School on Flatbush Avenue, built in 1787, and the first public school building in the United States to be designated a Federal Landmark, includes the following groovy people on its list of alumni: Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Don Most (Ralph Mouth on Happy Days), Bernie Koppel (Doc Bricker on Love Boat), Clive Davis, Bobbie Fisher, Mae West, Beverly Sills, Joseph Barbera (of cartoon Hanna-Barbera fame)?
a) Midwood b) Erasmus b) Forest Hills d) Samuel J. Tilden
Answer: b) Erasmus
- What all boys' school is the oldest independent school in United States, founded in 1628 by the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church?
a) Dalton b) Collegiate c) Hewitt d) McBurney
Answer: b) Collegiate
- What is the oldest continuously operating educational institution in NYC?
a) Trinity b) St. Bernard's c) Humanities d) Dwight
Answer: a) Trinity
- Which of the following schools in not located in the Fieldston section of the Bronx?
a) Fieldston b) Horace Mann c) Riverdale d) Friends Seminary
Answer: d) Friends Seminary
- Which two schools began as female only schools and are now coeducational?
a) Chapin b) Hunter c) Packer Collegiate d) Saint Ann's
Answer: b) Hunter and c) Packer Collegiate
Extra Credit:
- What Manhattan high school was known as the "Castle on the Hill"?
Answer: Music and Art
- Carole and Paula from the original "Magic Garden" TV show went to what highly ranked public Brooklyn high school?
Answer: Midwood
- Place the following schools in chronological order of when they admitted girls:
Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science, De Witt Clinton
Answer: Bronx Science (1946), Stuyvesant (1969), Brooklyn Tech (1970), De Witt Clinton (1983)
JUNE 2008 NYC SONGS - FILL IN THE BLANKS
- “Arthur’s Theme (Best that You Can Do)" sung by Christopher Cross
“Once you get caught between the _______ and New York City”
Answer: moon
- "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)" by Simon and Garfunkel
“Slow down you move too fast. You got to morning last just kickin down the _______, looking for fun and feeling groovy.”
Answer: cobblestones
- “Summer in the City” by The Lovin Spoonful
“Hot town, summer in the city, back of my _______ getting dirty and gritty.”
Answer: neck
- “Christmas in Hollis” by Run D.M.C.
“It’s Christmas time in Hollis Queens, mom’s cooking chicken and _______”
Answer: collard greens
- “Boy from New York City” by the Ad Libs/Manhattan Transfer
“He’s really down, and he’s no clown. He has the finest _______ I’ve ever seen in town.”
Answer: penthouse
- “Frank Mills” from the musical Hair
“I met a boy called Frank Mills, on September twelfth right here, in front of the _______”
Answer: Waverly
- “Livin La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin
“Woke up in New York City in a funky cheap hotel. She took my heart and she took my _______, she must’ve slipped me a sleeping pill.”
Answer: money
- “Give my regards to Broadway” by George M. Cohan
“Give my regards to Broadway, remember me to _______!” Tell all the gang at Forty Second street that I will soon be there.”
Answer: Herald Square
- “New York, New York” from the musical On the Town
“New York, New York, a helluva town. The Bronx is up, but the Battery's down. The people ride in a hole in the _______”
Answer: ground
- “Movin’ Out” by Billy Joel
“Sergeant O'Leary is walkin' the beat. At night he becomes a bartender. He works at Mister _______ down on Sullivan Street, across from the medical center.”
Answer: Cacciatore's
Extra Credits:
- “I Am I Said” by Neil Diamond
“Well, I'm New York City born and raised. But nowadays, I'm lost between two shores.
LA's fine, but it ain't home. New York's home but it ain't _______ no more."
Answer: mine
- “I’m Waiting For My Man” by Velvet Underground
"I'm waiting for my man. Twenty-six dollars in my hand. Up to Lexington, _______.
Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive. I'm waiting for my man"
Answer: 125
- “No Sleep til Brooklyn” by the Beastie Boys
"Ain't seen the light since we started this band. M.C.A. - get on the mic my man. Born and bred Brooklyn _______. They all me Adam Yauch - but I'm M.C.A."
Answer: U.S.A.
- “Downtown Train” by Tom Waits
“The downtown trains are full with all those Brooklyn girls, they try so hard to break out of their little _______”
Answer: worlds
- “Native New Yorker” by Odyssey
"You grew up ridin' the subways, running with people. Up in Harlem, down on _______"
Answer: Broadway
NOVEMBER 2007 OLD TIMEY NYC BASEBALL QUIZ
- Match the baseball player (noted by numbers 1-4) to his NYC team (noted by letters a-d):
1. Jackie Robinson
2. Lou Gehrig
3. Keith Hernandez
4. Willie Mays |
a. Mets
b. Yankees
c. Giants
d. Dodgers |
Answer: 1-d, 2-b, 3-a, 4-c
- The Baby Ruth candy bar was not actually named after baseball player Babe Ruth; it was named after Ruth, the daughter of what president?
a) Herbert Hoover b) FDR c) Grover Cleveland d) Walter Mondale
Answer: c) Grover Cleveland
- The song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," by New Yorkers Al Von Tilzer and Jack Norworth, was written in what year?
a) 1888 b) 1908 c) 1938 d) 1958
Answer: b) 1908
- The vicinity of what park is widely accepted (but not definitively recognized to be the birthplace of baseball (Alexander Cartwright formed the first baseball club, the New York Knickerbockers, there in the 1840s)?
a) Madison Square Park b) Pelham Park c) Bryant Park d) Needle Park
Answer: a) Madison Square Park
- In what fateful year did both the Giants and the Dodgers move to California?
a) 1922 b) 1940 c) 1957 d) 1962
Answer: c) 1957
- Shea Stadium has temporarily been home to all of the following teams except ...?
a) Jets b) Yankees c) Giants d) Knicks
Answer: d) Knicks
side note: Yankees played at Shea in 1974-75 while Yankees Stadium was being renovated, and again in 1998 when a piece of concrete fell at Yankee Stadium
- Which of the following was not a New York City baseball team?
a) Highlanders b) Cubans c) Metropolitans d) Red Stockings
Answer: d) Red Stockings
- Born George Herman Ruth in Maryland, Babe Ruth was known by which TWO of the following nicknames?
a) Bambino b) Candy Man c) The Bat Man d) Sultan of Swat
Answer: a) and d) - Bambino and Sultan of Swat
- Ebbets Field (home of the Brooklyn Dodgers), torn down in 1957, is now home to what?
a) PC Richards and Son b) Housing Projects c) Museum of Stickball (MoS) d) Western Beef
Answer: b) Housing Projects
- Yogi Berra was a...?
a) Catcher for the Yankees b) Manager of the Yankees c) Catcher for the Mets d) Manager of the Mets e) All of the above
Answer: e) All of the above
- Extra Credit:
What is the name of the disease commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease?
Answer: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS
OCTOBER 2007 COLUMBUS DAY PARADE QUIZ
- Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria – what NY (and NYTimes) artist hid his daughter’s name, Nina, in the designs of his drawings?
Answer: Al Hirschfeld
- Which subway line does not stop at Columbus Circle?
a) A line b) 1 line c) 2 line d) D line
Answer: c) 2 line
- Below 59th Street, Columbus Avenue is known as what? / And from 110th to 122nd?
a) 7th Avenue / Claremont Avenue b) 8th Avenue / Manhattan Avenue c) 9th Avenue / Morningside Drive d) 10th Avenue / Lenox Avenue
Answer: c) 9th Avenue / Morningside Drive
- The first Labor Day Parade was held in 1882, when 30,000 workers demonstrated in Union Square for what?
a) an eight-hour workday b) increased child labor age c) increased minimum wage d) casual Fridays
Answer: a) an eight-hour workday
- The West Indian American Parade is held every year on what holiday?
Answer: Labor Day
- The National Puerto Rican Day Parade started in 1995; the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City began in what year?
a) 1958 b) 1967 c) 1977 d) 1987
Answer: a) 1958
- The first Macy's Day Parade was held on Thanksgiving Day in 1924 and was called what?
a) Macy’s Floats and Treats Parade b) Macy’s American Discovery Parade c) Macy’s Maize Day Parade d) Macy's Christmas Day Parade
Answer: d) Macy's Christmas Day Parade
- Macy's is the world's second largest consumer of helium. Who is the first?
a) The United States government b) b) M.I.T. c) the burnouts from your high school d) the Good Year Blimp
Answer: a) The United States government
- Which parade does not go along Fifth Avenue?
a) Puerto Rican Day Parade b) Columbus Day Parade c) Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade d) Gay Pride Parade
Answer: c) Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
- Which parade traditionally has no floats?
a) Columbus Day Parade b) Mermaid Parade c) Halloween Parade d) Easter Parade
Answer: d) Easter Parade
- Extra Credit:
Since 1971, Columbus Day has been commemorated in the U.S. on the second Monday in October, the same day as what festive holiday in Canada?
Answer: Thanksgiving
MAY 2007 LITTLE MAFIA QUIZ
- Name two of the five Mafia families
Answer: Bonanno, Colombo, Genovese, Gambino, Lucchese
- "Murder Incorporated" was a nickname given to a group of mainly Sicilian and what other ethnic group of criminals in the 1930s?
Answer: Jewish
- What is the head or boss of each Mafia "family" called? C'mon, think the "Godfather."
Answer: Don
- An Andy Warhol portrait of which Mafia Boss appeared on the cover of "Time" magazine in 1986? The cover read "Mafia on Trial." This boss kept the portrait framed in his office.
Answer: John Gotti
- Not a mob question: Scorsese's 1978 documentary "The Last Waltz" is an account of what rock group's final concert?
Answer: The Band
APRIL 2007 JEWISH NEW YORKERS QUIZ
- What 60-something Brooklyn born singer is often referred to as the "Jewish Elvis"?
Answer: Neil Diamond
- Carole King, born Carol Klein in Brooklyn, penned hundreds of famous songs, including “Another Pleasant Valley Sunday,” recorded by what 60s super group with their own tv show?
Answer: The Monkees
- Barbra Streisand’s song “Guilty” sold over 20 million units. This song was a collaboration with what fabulous singer?
a) Barry Gibb b) Kenny Rogers c) Barry Manilow d) Bono
Answer: a) Barry Gibb
- Who was the first Jewish Mayor of NYC, serving from 1974-77?
Answer: Abe Beame
- Barry Manilow was born Barry Pinkus in Brooklyn, and may possibly be the 8th wonder of the world. In the song “Copacabana,” the “Copa” is the hottest spot north of where?
Answer: Havana
- Bronx born Jerry Orbach played Billy Flynn in the mid-70s Broadway run of what musical?
a) "A Chorus Line" b) "Chicago" c) "Oh Calcutta" d) "Hair"
Answer: b) "Chicago"
- Queens born Fran Drescher plays the character Bobbi Fleckman in what 1983 Rob Reiner movie?
Answer: "This is Spinal Tap"
- Harlem born Sammy Davis Jr. was a member of Hollywood’s “The Rat Pack,” which included all of the following except whom?
a) Frank Sinatra b) Dean Martin c) Jerry Lewis d) Joey Bishop
Answer: c) Jerry Lewis
- NYC born Carly Simon won the 1988 Academy Award for best song for “Let the River Run,” for what movie about a Staten Islander who moves up the corporate ladder?
Answer: "Working Girl"
- A December 2005 "Saturday Night Live" skit featured a cartoon with the song “Christmastime for the Jews,” sung by what Phil Spector produced singer?
a) Darlene Love b) Lesley Gore c) Lisa Loeb d) Dame Edna
Answer: a) Darlene Love
- Extra Credit:
Bea Arthur, born Bernice Frankel in NYC, played Dorothy on the “Golden Girls” – name the other 3 characters.
Answer: Sophia, Rose, Blanche
MARCH 2007 POTPOURRI QUIZ
- The Tudor City housing complex in midtown Manhattan faces the UN building, built in the 1920s with very few windows facing the site. What was in the site of the UN before the UN was built?
a) Fish Markets b) Brothels c) Horse slaughterhouses d) Duane Reade corporate headquarters
Answer: c) Horse slaughterhouses
- The first lights were used atop the Empire State Building in 1932– a searchlight reaching 50 miles – to celebrate the election of which president?
Answer: FDR
- What comedic actor/director was born Allan Stewart Konigsberg in 1935?
Answer: Woody Allen
- On “The Odd Couple,” two actors played played Felix’s son Leonard. The first was “Eight is Enough” and “Charles in Charge” star Willie Aames, and the second became a 70s teen sensation, who was later featured in an unsettling VH1 “Behind the Music.” Who was he?
a) Shaun Cassidy b) David Cassidy c) Leif Garrett d) Donny Osmond
Answer: c) Leif Garrett
- What is the only direct east/west transverse for cars that actually goes through Central Park, alongside park goers? (I officially remove this question and everyone gets it right because it was improperly worded - my apologies!)
a) 59th Street b) 72nd Street c) 96th Street d) 110th Street
Answer: b) 72nd Street or c) 96th Street - depending on how you read the question
- What famous NYC bar banned women until 1970?
a) McSorley’s Ale House b) Ear Inn c) Fraunces Tavern d) Hogs and Heffers
Answer: a) McSorley’s Ale House
- In what Greenwich Village bar did poet Dylan Thomas down his last shot of alcohol before staggering outside, falling into a coma at the Chelsea Hotel and dying at St. Vincent’s Hospital?
a) Dorian’s b) Cedar Tavern d) The Old Town d) Whitehorse Tavern
Answer: d) Whitehorse Tavern
- Fill in the blanks for Emma Lazarus’ famous poem “The New Colossus” - “Give me your _______, your _______, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.”
a) Heart … Soul b) Lost … Weary c) Tired … Poor d) Hairy … Smelly
Answer: c) Tired … Poor
- What is not one of the former names of the Brooklyn Dodgers?
a) Brooklyn Draft Dodgers b) Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers c) Brooklyn Bridegrooms d) Brooklyn Superbas
Answer: a) Brooklyn Draft Dodgers
- In what year were the five boroughs annexed to form New York City?
a) 1825 b) 1860 c) 1898 d) 1912
Answer: c) 1898
- Extra Credit for those who went to PS 59 in the 70s and 80s ...
Who was the ancient head of the cafeteria, with granny glasses on a chain and polyester pant suits?
Answer: Violet (Vi) Desamonis (sp?)
FEBRUARY 2007 EARLY DAYS QUIZ
- Margaret Sanger Square on Bleecker Street, east of Lafayette, is named for the woman famous for founding what?
a) Ms. Magazine b) The Sanger Sewing Machine Company c) Planned Parenthood d) The first sangeria bar
Answer: c) Planned Parenthood
- Before Giuliani, who was the last Republican Mayor of NYC?
a) John Lindsay b) Abe Beame c) Fiorello LaGuardia d) Mayor of Munchkin City
Answer: a) John Lindsay
- Who is the Mayor of McDonaldland?
Answer: Mayor McCheese
- In what year did Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island lose their 212 area code and adopt 718?
a) 1980 b) 1984 c) 1988 d) 1992
Answer: b) 1984
- In 1976, what new service started on 60th Street and 2nd Avenue in Manhattan?
Answer: Tram to Roosevelt Island
- Who was the host of the cable TV show "Midnight Blue"?
Answer: Al Goldstein
- A statue of Ralph Kramden, Jackie Gleason's character on "The Honeymooners," stands proudly at Manhattan's Port Authority honoring Kramden's profession as a what?
a) Vaudeville Showman b) Pimp c) Fake ID Issuer d) Bus driver
Answer: d) Bus driver
- "The Facts of Life" was a spinoff of "Diff'rent Strokes." Edna Garrett left the employ of the Drummond household to become the housemother at what school?
a) Eastland Academy b) Polniaczek Prep c) Blaire Boarding School d) Tootie Technical Institute
Answer: a) Eastland Academy
- When you hear "The Central Park temperature is...," that temperature is being monitored by a U.S. Weather Service station in what location?
a) The reservoir b) Belvedere Castle c) Tavern on the Green d) Grand Army Plaza
Answer: b) Belvedere Castle
- 1970 marked the first Earth Day. It was also the first year for what monumental NYC athletic event, with 127 participants?
Answer: The NYC Marathon
- Extra Credit for those who went to JHS 104 in the 70s and 80s (maybe the 90s too) ...
Who was the woodshop teacher at JHS 104?
Answer: Mr. Ames
DECEMBER 2006 NYC FOOD QUIZ
- Match the food (noted by numbers 1-6) with the neighborhood where one would commonly find the food (noted by letters a-f):
1. Samosa
2. Sopressata
3. Kielbasa
4. Baklava
5. Mofongo
6. Schmaltz |
a. Greenpoint
b. Astoria
c. Washington Heights
d. Borough Park
e. Jackson Heights
f. Arthur Avenue |
Answer: 1-e, 2-f, 3-a, 4-b, 5-c, 6-d
- Serendipity is famous for what concoction:
a) Beef Wellington b) Clams Casino c) Frozen Hot Chocolate d) Baked Alaska
Answer: c) Frozen Hot Chocolate
- Fill in the blank for this slogan from Katz's Deli: “Send a ____________ to your boy in the army”
a) Pastrami b) Salami c) Bologna d) Yarmulke
Answer: b) Salami
- Egg creams were often served with what side treat (though I sadly haven't gotten this with an egg cream in over 15 years):
a) Taffy b) Pretzel rod c) Black licorice d) Peanuts
Answer: b) Pretzel rod
- Which of the following Chinese dishes, loosely translated from Cantonese as "odds and ends," was actually invented in NYC, and will not generally be found in an authentic Chinese restaurant:
a) Chop Suey b) Lo Mein c) Spring Roll d) Fried Rice
Answer: a) Chop Suey
- Which of the following candies was not invented in NYC?
a) Tootsie Roll b) Chunky c) Mike and Ikes d) Charleston Chew
Answer: d) Charleston Chew
- What Spanish alcoholic punch was first tasted by the American public at the 1964 NYC World's Fair Spanish Pavillion?
Answer: Sangria
- What was the original price of Nathan's Famous hot dog in 1916?
a) 1 cent b) 5 cents c) 25 cents d) 35 cents
Answer: b) 5 cents
- Which of the following ice cream brands was formed in NYC?
a) Steve's b) Frusen Gladje c) Ben and Jerry's d) Haagen Daaz
Answer: d) Haagen Daaz
- Yonah Schimmel on East Houston is famous for what food?
a) Knish b) Donut c) Bagel d) Zeppole
Answer: a) Knish
- In 1900 Heinz erected the first electric sign in NYC - a 40 foot what?
a) Hot dog b) Pickle c) Penis d) Ketchup bottle
Answer: b) Pickle
NOVEMBER 2006 POSTERMAT QUIZ
- Match the song (noted by numbers 1-6) with the musical (noted by letters a-f):
1. Aquarius
2. Day by Day
3. Old Devil Moon
4. Getting a New Deal for Christmas
5. There’s No Business Like Show Business
6. Luck Be a Lady |
a. “Annie”
b. “Guys and Dolls”
c. “Annie Get Your Gun”
d. “Finian’s Rainbow”
e. “Godspell”
f. “Hair” |
Answer: 1-f, 2-e, 3-d, 4-a, 5-c, 6-b
- Match the character (noted by numbers 1-6) with the NYC based movie (noted by letters a-f):
1. Travis Bickle
2. Ratso Rizzo
3. Dorothy Michaels
4. Roberta Glass
5. Rooster Hannigan
6. Fielding Mellish |
a. “Annie”
b. “Tootsie”
c. “Taxi Driver”
d. “Bananas”
e. "Midnight Cowboy”
f. “Desperately Seeking Susan” |
Answer: 1- c, 2-e, 3-b, 4-f, 5-a, 6-d
- Fill in the blank for this lyric from the song “Forty Second Street” (y’know, “Come and meet those dancing feet …”):
“Naughty, bawdy, gawdy, ____________, Forty Second Street.”
a) haughty b) howdy c) rowdy d) sporty
Answer: d) sporty
- In the opening scene of “Saturday Night Fever,” John Travolta’s character, Tony Manero, struts down the street holding what?
a) paint cans b) proscuitto c) a blow dryer d) a disco jumpsuit
Answer: a) paint cans
- Which of the following mafia movie was set in NYC?
a) "The Untouchables" b) "Casino" c) "Goodfellas" d) "Scarface"
Answer: c) "Goodfellas"
- The construction of what major complex in Manhattan was delayed for the filming of “West Side Story”?
Answer: Lincoln Center
- An original title for the play “West Side Story” was “East Side Story” about racial tension on the Lower East Side. It was changed with the influx of Puerto Rican immigrants in the 1950s. In the original version, the love story/racial tension was between a Jewish boy and a girl of what ethnicity?
a) German b) Irish c) African American d) Chinese
Answer: b) Irish
- In the 1968 film “Rosemary’s Baby,” their apartment building - “The Bramford” - is actually what famous building on the Upper West Side?
Answer: The Dakota
- How many Broadway theaters are physically situated on Broadway?
a) 2 b) 4 c) 6 d) 8
Answer: b) 4
- Times Square was named when the NY Times Building was erected in 1904. Before that, the area was known as?
a) Theatre Square b) Longacre Square c) Wino Square d) Hiptobe Square
Answer: b) Longacre Square
- Extra Credit: What Pulitzer winning playwright penned the Broadway play turned 1992 movie, Glengarry Glen Ross?
Answer: David Mamet
- Extra Credit: What Broadway show was known as” the world's longest running erotic stage musical,” playing 5959 shows from 1976-1989?
Answer: "Oh Calcutta"
- Extra Credit: True or Not False?
At JHS 104 in the early 80s, Lori Berenson, a political prisoner in Peru since 1995, played Jesus in “Jesus Christ Superstar” and Mame in “Auntie Mame.” More information about Lori at: www.freelori.org
Answer: True
- Extra Credit: True or Sad but True?
Due to false rumors of a gas leak at my junior high school, JHS 104, the auditorium closed, causing the loss of precious rehearsal time, and our production of “West Side Story” was cancelled and replaced with highlight song and dance numbers. I danced wearing borrowed heels that were 2 sizes too big.
Answer: True
OCTOBER 2006 QUEENSY QUIZ
- Approximately what percentage of the population of Queens is foreign born?
a) 33 b) 44 c) 55 d) 66
Answer: b) 44
- When the Museum of Modern Art temporarily moved to Queens, it was housed in the former factory of what business?
a) Stella D'Oro b) Buster Brown Shoes c) Swingline Staple d) GAP
Answer: c) Swingline Staple
- Joey Ramone was born with what name?
a) Joey Ramonestavelli b) Joey Hanover c) Jeffrey O'Ramonberg d) Jeffrey Hyman
Answer: d) Jeffrey Hyman
- Name one of the bridges that connects Queens to Manhattan.
Answer: Queensboro (59th Street Bridge), Triborough
- Which of the following debuted at the 1939 World's Fair?
a) Tampons b) Hot dogs c) Ferrets d) Nylon stockings
Answer: d) Nylon stockings
- Which of the following is not a neighborhood in Queens?
a) Fresh Meadows b) Tremont c) Elmhurst d) Bayside
Answer: b) Tremont
- What comic book superhero's alter ego grew up with her/his aunt at 20 Ingram Street in Forest Hills?
a) Batman b) Spiderman c) Wonderwoman d) Bionic Woman
Answer: b) Spiderman
- From 1948-1963 today's JFK Airport was known as what?
Answer: Idlewilde
- Name a TV show that was a spin off of "All in the Family"?
Answer: Maude, The Jefferson's, Good Times, Archie Bunker's Place, Checking In, Gloria, 704 Hauser Street, and perhaps more
- In the 1960s, Carroll O'Connor (Archie Bunker) lost out to Alan Hale, Jr. for the role of what jolly fellow from a popular sitcom?
Answer: The Skipper from Gilligan's Island (Skipper's name was Jonas Grumby)
- Extra Credit: True or True Dat?
Mickey Rooney was Norman Lear's first choice to play Archie Bunker.
Answer: True Dat
- Extra Credit: Truth or Truthier?
Goldie Hawn got her start as a can-can dancer in the chorus at the Texas pavillion in the 1964 World's Fair.
Answer: Truesome
AUGUST 2006 SERPICORIAN POLICE QUIZ
- New York's Finest refers to police officers and New York's Bravest refers to firefighters. Sanitation workers are known as what? a) New York's Cleanest b) New York's Strongest c) New York's Foulest d) New York's Feistiest
Answer: b) New York's Strongest
- Who are known as New York’s Boldest? a) correction officers b) district attorneys c) teachers d) Duane Reade clerks
Answer: a) correction officers
- Who is the current NYC Police Commissioner?
Answer: Raymond Kelly
- In the Al Pacino flick "Dog Day Afternoon" people are chanting what outside the Brooklyn bank that is being robbed? a) Attica b) We're Here, We're Queer c) Sonny d) Money for the Poor
Answer: a) Attica
- A 1969 Daily News headline read: "Homo Nest Raided, Queen Bees are Stinging Mad" when patrons of what Greenwich Village bar resisted arrest, causing an infamous riot?
Answer: Stonewall
- The Astor Place Riots of 1849 involved which of the following? a) barbers b) bongs c) cigarette taxes d) theaters
Answer: d) theaters
- The jail known as The Tombs, built in 1835, is the largest receiving area in the country. The title character of Herman Melville’s 1853 short story "Bartelby the Scrivener" died in the Tombs. What was Bartelby’s famous phrase? a) Thank you for your support b) I prefer not to c) The Queen is dead d) No more yanky my wanky, the Donger need food
Answer: b) I prefer not to
- Until 1973 the NYC police headquarters were at what Manhattan address? a) 1 Police Plaza b) 2 Federal Hall c) 240 Centre Street d) 7 Court Street
Answer: c) 240 Centre Street
- Which US President and NYC native (from Gramercy) was once NYC Police Commissioner? Hint - He is referred to many times in Caleb Carr's "The Alienist."
Answer: Theodore Roosevelt
- The first recorded death of a police officer in the line of duty was in 1854. Since then, approximately how many police officers have been killed in the line of duty? a) 180 b) 600 c) 2800 d) 9000
Answer: b) 600
- Extra Credit: True or False?
Mustaches were once a mandatory part of the uniform for NYC police officers.
Answer: False
- Extra Credit: True or Truer?
According to one popular theory, the term "copper," or "cop" was coined in 1845 as a nickname for police offers because of the star shaped copper badge worn as part of their uniform
Answer: Truesome
- Extra Credit: True or Trueiest?
Walter Mathau was once a boxing coach for the police department.
Answer: Double true
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JUNE 2006 CONEY QUIZ
- What is the coveted prize for the winner of Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest each July 4th? a) year's supply of hot dogs b) relish facial and massage c) Mustard Belt d) Ketchup Medallion
Answer: c) Mustard Belt
- Union Square Park was home to what outdoor restaurant, named after a Coney Island amusement park? a) Luna Park b) Steeplechasers c) Dreamland Dogs d) Cyclone Cafe
Answer: a) Luna Park
- Who is the mascot for the Brooklyn Cyclone's baseball team? a) Nathan the Hot Dawg b) Scooter the Holy Cow c) Carlo the Crack Vial d) Sandy the Seagull
Answer: d) Sandy the Seagull
- Which of the following was never a ride at Coney Island? a) Wonder Wheel b) Lightning Loops c) Switchback Railway d) Parachute Jump
Answer: b) Lightning Loops
- Fill in the blank for this tag line for Coney Island's Steeplechase Park: "Steeplechase, the ________ place." a) funny b) scary c) children's d) sleazy
Answer: a) funny
- Founded in 1983, what is Coney Island's annual parade, which pays homage to Coney Island's forgotten Mardi Gras (1903-1954)?
Answer: Mermaid Parade
- Founded in 2001, what is the name of Coney Island's annual summer music festival?
Answer: Siren Festival
- 80% of Brighton Beach's businesses are owned by what ethnic group?
Answer: Russians
- Which Woody Allen movie had scenes of a family living in a house below Coney Island's Thunderbolt rollercoaster? a) Bananas b) Zelig c) Rosemary's Baby d) Annie Hall
Answer: d) Annie Hall
- True or Really True: For over 40 years (1903-1945) premature babies in incubators were put on display as a sideshow in Coney Island by Dr. Couney because U.S. hospitals did not have this technology, nor were they particularly receptive. Charging 25 cents admission to cover the cost of technology and a nursing staff, Dr. Couney continued his mission and over 80% of the 8000 babies that came to him survived. How about that?
Answer: Really really true
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MAY 2006 HARBOR QUIZ
- The Titanic was scheduled to arrive at Chelsea Piers on April 16, 1912, but struck an iceberg on April 14. What ship rescued the 675 surviving passengers (there were 2200 passengers in total) and brought them safely to Chelsea Piers on April 20? a) Luisitania b) Carpathia c) Leonardia d) S.S. Minnow
Answer: b) Carpathia
- How long is the Statue of Liberty's index finger? a) 2 feet b) 8 feet c) 20 feet d) 40 feet
Answer: b) 8 feet
- From 1876 to 1884 the hand and torch of the Statue of Liberty were on display in what park to help raise funds to build a suitable base for the statue? a) Bryant Park b) Central Park c) Madison Square Park d) Fort Tryon Park
Answer: c) Madison Square Park
- The Simon and Garfunkel song “Feeling Groovy” is also named after what East River bridge?
Answer: 59th Street Bridge / Queensboro Bridge
- What sexy Brooklyn-born actress was imprisoned on Welfare Island for "obscenity and corrupting the morals of youth"? a) Mae West b) Marilyn Monroe c) Dame Edna d) Jayne Mansfield
Answer: a) Mae West
- Roosevelt Island has been named all of the following except: a) Welfare Island b) Blackwell’s Island c) Manning's Island d) Ward’s Island
Answer: d) Ward's Island
- What is the only bridge across the Hudson in Manhattan?
Answer: George Washington Bridge
- Battery Park’s Castle Clinton has been utilized as all of the following except: a) an aquarium b) an immigration center c) Con Edison plant d) entertainment hall
Answer: c) Con Edison plant
- Landfill has extended the shoreline of lower Manhattan many times. Which of the following streets was never along the shoreline? a) John b) Pearl b) Front d) South
Answer: a) John
- What is the name of the neighborhood on the East side of Manhattan, lying along York Avenue between 53rd and 59th Streets?
Answer: Sutton Place
- Fill in the blank: Riverside Park, which stretches along the coastline of Manhattan for four miles, is also the ___________ regional park in New York City: a) hottest b) greenest c) narrowest d) ugliest
Answer: c) narrowest
- Which waterfront park in upper Manhattan was built above a sewage treatment facility? a) Carl Schurz Park b) Riverbank State Park c) City Hall Park d) Central Park
Answer: b) Riverbank State Park
- Extra Credit: Simon and Garfunkel, from Forest Hills, started singing together in high school under what name?
Answer: Tom and Jerry
- Extra Extra Credit: On which “private” island in NYC did I go to a dance in 8th grade, and slow dance to “Careless Whisper”?
Answer: Governors Island
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APRIL 2006 BRONX QUIZ
- Which now defunct discount department store opened in 1928 at 3rd Avenue and 152nd Street, then opened a branch on Fordham Road in 1938 that made more money per square foot than other department store in the nation, then moved its main store to 59th and Lexington in 1963?
Answer: Alexanders
- Prior to being officially named "The Yankees" in 1913, what was the team's official name? a) New York Highlanders b) Bronx Ballbusters c) Eastern Eagles d) New York Pinstripes
Answer: a) New York Highlanders
- The Yankees bought Babe Ruth's contract from the Red Sox for $125,000 in what year? a) 1913 b) 1920 c) 1947 d) 1966
Answer: b) 1920
- Edgar Allen Poe spent the last years of his life in the Bronx (1846-1849). Which of the following was not written by Edgar Allen Poe? a) The Fall of the House of Usher b) The Raven c) The Tao of Poe d) The Bells
Answer: c) The Tao of Poe
- Which is the only NYC borough without a Botanic Garden?
Answer: c) Manhattan
- Which is not a neighborhood in the Bronx? a) Tremont b) College Point c) Mott Haven 4) Spuyten Duyvil
Answer: b) College Point (it's in Queens)
- Which Bronx park is home to the nation's first public golf course? a) Van Cortlandt Park b) Fort Tryon c) Wave Hill d) Crotona Park
Answer: a) Van Cortlandt Park
- In the 1981 movie "Fort Apache, The Bronx," Fort Apache is the name of a) an Indian trail b) a donut shop c) a gang's turf d) a police precinct
Answer: d) a police precinct
- Fill in the blank - The songs "Teenager in Love" and "I Wonder Why" were recorded by this Bronx band, named after an avenue in the Bronx:
___________ and the Belmonts.
Answer: Dion
- At a size of 2764 acres, Pelham Bay Park is how many times the size of Central Park? a) 3 b) 6 c) 9 d) 12
Answer: a) 3
- Extra Credit: Who is the current Bronx Borough President?
Answer: Adolfo Carrión
- Extra Extra Credit: What is my favorite Stella D'Oro product?
Answer: Swiss Fudge Cookies
- Extra Extra Extra Credit: After a wild NYC Park Rangers party in 1990, in what Bronx beach did I (and others) go evening skinny dipping?
Answer: Orchard Beach
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MARCH 2006 QUIZ (sorry it was so hard!)
- North of Houston, West Broadway becomes what street?
Answer: LaGuardia Place
- In "Desperately Seeking Susan," Rosanna Arquette's character Roberta buys Madonna's leather jacket from what East Village shop?
Answer: Love Saves the Day
- Rosanna Arquette's transsexual brother Alexis (soon to be on the "Surreal Life") sings Boy George's "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" in what 1998 comedy? (Hint: Steve Buscemi is also in this movie. Bigger hint: Adam Sandler is in it too.)
Answer: "The Wedding Singer"
- In the 1850s, SoHo was most know for:
a) German breweries b) prostitution c) perfumeries d) button manufacturing
Answer: b) prostitution
- Anthony Dapolito, who died in 2003, was the owner of what bakery on Prince Street?
Answer: Vesuvio Bakery
- SoHo and much of Lower Manhttan were slated for demolition to pave the way for the Lower Manhattan Expressway (that never happened, phew!) by what urban planner?
Answer: Robert Moses
- Other than London, what international city has a Soho district?
a) Hong Kong b) Johannesburg c) Rio Di Janeiro d) Sydney
Answer: a) Hong Kong
- In what year did the name SoHo (for "South of Houston") come about?
a) 1937 b) 1951 c) 1968 d) 1972
Answer: c) 1968
- Which artist did not have studio in SoHo?
a) Christo b) Andy Warhol c) Frank Stella d) Claes Oldenberg
Answer: b) Andy Warhol
- SoHo was known by all of the following names except:
a) The Valley b) Little Africa c) Hell's Hundred Acres d) Corlear's Hook
Answer: d) Corlear's Hook
- In which SoHo diner did Monica on "Friends" don rollerskates and huge fake boobs to work as a waitress?
Answer: Moondance Diner
- Which SoHo restaurant has an excellent and unadvertised oyster happy hour Tuesday-Friday?
Answer: Aqua Grill on Spring and 6th
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