New York City real estate isn’t so rockin’ these days… well, it is depending on your income bracket.

I thought yesterday’s story in the New York Times titled “You Say Recession, I say Reservations!” was an interesting story you should check out. It basically details how the city’s middle class (there’s a middle class here?) is taking back their right to live in this city due to the recent Bear Stearns implosion and all the layoffs happening on Wall Street. Essentially, the nouveau rich are getting screwed and this elusive middle class The Times speaks of is getting an opportunity to buy into the market.

But then there was that story, also in the Styles section, on the ugly doll and I threw the paper out. Hello? I bought an ugly doll for my godson a bajillion years ago?!? Why is this news now?

Anyway, back to the videocast: I spent days researching the Upper West Side and become obsessed with the history of both The Dakota and The Ansonia. On the day we filmed, we tried to get inside of the basement of the Ansonia—where the parties happened—but the current managers of the building weren’t having any of that business. They offered to let us film the lobby, but I wasn’t so interested in that. My head was in that basement. It still is.