Melissa from NYC Insider Guide, our New Yorker of the Month for Nov. 2009

Ask a New Yorker: Good afternoon, lie down and tell us all about your childhood. Wouldn’t that be great if you had that hypnotic ability where people just opened up to you?

Melissa: That would be wonderful, I think. Sometimes you get a little more than you want to know about people.

Ask a New Yorker: What is it that you do?

Melissa: I run a website called NYC Insider Guide. It’s sort of like the non-tourist tourist guide to New York. My goal is to make New York a really fun and easy place for people to get to, to enjoy, to dive a little bit deeper, get off the grid, so to speak. In other words, make the information easier for them about New York so they can do more than just the top three or four attractions, but help them explore on their own and see our neighborhoods and see the real New York City.

Ask a New Yorker: So, tell us about your childhood, really!

Melissa: I’m a fourth generation New Yorker. I actually grew up in the suburbs in Long Island. When you live out there you come from two kinds of families. A lot people who live on long island or Westchester never come to the city. They think they need their passports to get to the city. I came from a family where Dad would get home on a Wedsday night and say,’Who wants Chinese for dinner?’ So we would go to Chinatown and be there in 25 minutes. So I was raised with New York City as my back yard. My parents were like, ‘Go take the train, go take the subway. Here’s money go to the city and enjoy’. Meanwhile, all my friends, the second we got to Manhattan they had to call their parents and check in every hour.

Ask a New Yorker: Clumsy me, I just knocked over my ice tea, glass shattered everywhere.

Ask a New Yorker: No one got hurt.

Melissa: Maybe we should drink. (Laughter) It’s the only excuse for what’s going on.

Ask a New Yorker: So what were you like in high school?

Melissa: I might be the only high school girl to ever be a cheerleader and play the bassoon.

Ask a New Yorker: Cool.

Melissa: I was a gymnast, and for the record, I tried it again early this year at Chelsea Piers. I did adult gymnastics. I had not practiced in 20 years. I ended up at Beth Israel hospital. Should anybody ever need an emergency room, it’s an excellent choice!

Ask a New Yorker: If you could invite three New Yorkers for dinner, who would they be?

Melissa: Do they have to be alive?

Ask a New Yorker: I suppose we could bring back the dead.

Melissa: I would invite my grandpa, who I hardly knew, who drove a taxi for 40 years. He also played pool with FDR. So I would invite the two of them together because I would love to see them interact. Then I think for fun I would invite Mayor Bloomberg.

Ask a New Yorker: What would you serve?

Melissa: Those boys are all steak and cigars. Absolutely were having meat and potatoes. We’ll probably go to Peter Lugers.

Ask a New Yorker: Any advice on the approaching celebrities? (We just ran into Timothy Hutton!)

Melissa: I rarely approach celebrities in NYC, except in social setting. NYC is very open, but this is a city where they expect anonymity and New Yorkers pride themselves on being respectful of their privacy. Under no circumstances is it acceptable to approach a celebrity while with their family. True story – my cousin is very good friends with a celebrity couples’ daughter. When she was 11, I asked about her play date. She responded she and her friend had a really bad time because all the people in the Park (CP) wouldn’t leave her, her friend and Mr. Bacon alone to play their game. If you really are fan, and want to approach a celebrity not with their family, then say excuse Mr./Mrs., compliment them on their work (pick your favorite movie, show, song, character) and if they seem open to it, maybe request a quick photo or autograph. Have your camera or pen ready and unless they seem really interested in talking to you (usually not the case), thank them and walk away.

Ask a New Yorker: What's your favorite New York themed movie and why?

Melissa: Classic--“North by Northwest”. Modern – I don’t know, I think it’s better captured on television these days, so more recently I think shows like Law and Order, Seinfeld, Friends, Sex and the City, and Ugly Betty capture different aspects of our city better.

Ask a New Yorker: What's your ideal winter get-away?

Melissa: My two favorites are 1) Vermont for skiing and to see family and 2) Any international travel. I’ve spent the last few Christmas/New Years (also my birthday) in Rome, Paris, Cambodia, Mexico and Peru.

Ask a New Yorker: Where's your favorite meal?

Melissa: I could never pick a favorite meal in NYC (why would you?), but some favorites for me are steak at Luger’s with my family, Puglia or Mangia e Bevi with kids and when I’m solo, Fois Gras, a daily special and a vodka martini at Union Square Café hanging with Mike the bartender. (fois gras is not politically correct!) ......

Ask a New Yorker: Cheers!

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