No Matter Where I live in this Beautiful Country, I am a New Yorker at Heart—Fran Orenstein

Welcome Dr. Fran Orenstein, award-winning author of novels, short stories, and poetry.

“NEW YORK, NEW YORK, WHAT A WONDERFUL TOWN

THE BRONX IS UP AND THE BATTERY’S DOWN

THE SUBWAY RUNS THROUGH A HOLE IN THE GROUND

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, WHAT A WONDERFUL TOWN”

And indeed, it is an exciting place to live and to visit. Last year I shared upper New York State, now it's time to explore the marvels of downstate, namely New York City, which sits at the bottom tip of the state, surrounded by water.

It was originally founded as New Amsterdam by the Dutch in the 17th century, after the Dutch explorer, Henry Hudson discovered the area and sailed into a perfect the harbor and up the river named for him. New Amsterdam was a thriving seaport, eventually coveted by the British. Outnumbered by the famed British Navy, the Dutch did not fight and turned it over. The British renamed it New York, but many locations still retain the original Dutch names.

Today it is the major cultural center of this country with a thriving seaport and famous landmarks. People often refer to Manhattan Island as New York City, but it is only one of five boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island the make up the whole of New York City.

Manhattan is the cultural center, with its theater district, Lincoln Center's music, ballet and opera, a wide variety of world-famous museums, and a number of well-respected colleges and universities, and of course, Central Park home to Strawberry Fields, outdoor theater, the zoo and wonderful walking paths.

I was born in Brooklyn, home of Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Nathan's Hotdogs, the old steeplechase, the parachute, and the miles of beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. Part of my childhood was also spent in The Bronx near famous Yankee Stadium. The Bronx boasts one of the best zoos in the world and a magnificent Botanical Garden. Staten Island is a suburban world unto itself and until the bridge was built, was accessible only by ferry from lower Manhattan.  Queens boasts a variety of ethnic cultures, including wonderful Greek cuisine in Astoria, and Shea Stadium, home of the Mets. It is also the gateway to Long Island, the long spit of land where the rich and famous go to play at the Hamptons. Long island has wonderful beaches and many lovely towns and villages.

    

This year Sleepytown Press will release my book of poetry, Reflections. This is one of the poems.

The Bronx, NY – 1947 to 1952

apartment houses brick red to yellow tan

flowing downward from the Grand Concourse

hills at a forty-five degrees angle

great for sledding in winter

treacherous to homebound commuters

slipping and sliding down,

hanging onto the sides of the buildings

to slow the increasing momentum

A thrill for a child nose, pressed against the window

hills so steep that parked cars slid

out of their spaces and descended

faster and faster until they hit the bottom

and whatever was in the way

wide and elegant, the Grand Concourse

split the Bronx like a white line of scalp

parting the waves of hair

cascading down a woman’s shoulders

the Yankee Stadium stood as a beacon

for diehard baseball fans

awed by the amazing feats

of Joe, Mickey, and Roger

                        The secret heroes of boys, the secret fantasies of girls

sneaking into Yankee games under the turnstiles

guards turning a blind eye to a couple of kids

starting at the top of the bleachers

moving down to seats behind the dugout

the Stadium dominated the west side

under the El of the IRT subway

where travelers could sneak a peak at the game

from the elevated station at 161^st. street

the train rattled into the station

they looked wistfully behind

before stepping on board to the City

their minds still sitting in the bleachers

 

I also wrote a ‘tween mystery series, for boys and girls, The Mystery Under Third Base and The Mystery of the Green Goblin, and a stand-alone novel of pre-adolescent self-image, navigating 7^th grade, and bullying, Fat Girls From Outer Space.

I have published two YA historical romance novels, The Spice Merchant’s Daughter and The Calling of the Flute, and The Book of Mysteries about two boys in Manhattan who find a disappearing bookstore in this YA fantasy of three novellas.

Please visit my website, www.franorenstein.weebly.com and check out my books and blog. 

(Pictures Provided by Author)