ask a New Yorker: We’re going to try something different in this interview
using word association. Let’s start with “ Sunnyside, Queens”.
Morgan: I went to preschool there. I don’t remember too much about it.
I remember having a little plastic pool outside on the front stoop, because
the houses would get so hot in the summer time. I had a great neighbor. She
would make these awesome tiramisus and send them over. My family has had bars
on Queens Blvd like forever. My grandfather had a couple, my aunt and uncle
had a place called Taylors Hall and Flynn’s Inn. Taylors Hall is no longer
there. Flynn’s Inn has closed and has since reopened on Queens Blvd. So
my family has big roots in Sunnyside.
Ask a New Yorker: “Manhattan College”.
Morgan: My aunt went to Manhattan College. She graduated from there. She is
now a professor and the Chair of Chemical Engineering. So my whole life when
I was thinking about going to college. I never wanted to go to Manhattan because
my aunt was going to be around and be checking up on me. But ultimately I applied
for early decision, which meant if I was accepted I had to go. I didn’t
apply anywhere else.
Ask a New Yorker: Where is Manhattan College?
Morgan: It’s in Riverdale, the Riverdale section of the Bronx. It’s
the last stop on the 1 train. It’s about three miles from Fordham. There’s
a big rivalry between the two schools. It’s a great small private campus
in the middle of the Bronx. You can be in midtown in forty minutes. It was an
awesome private school experience with Manhattan right there. It was great.
Ask a New Yorker: Sounds expensive.
Morgan: Yes, but less than other schools that are similar. I believe it’s
in the mid- thirties and for room and board is at least 10K a year. By my senior
year I was living off campus. That’s what the cool kids did. So I lived
on 238th street which was awesome. It was the main street of Manhattan College
and I lived with two of my best friends. We had the best year ever, we had the
coolest apartment.
Ask a New Yorker: “ESPN”.
Morgan: My first internship was at ESPN radio, which was a lot of fun.
Ask a New Yorker: So you’re a sports gal?
Morgan: I am. I was a cheerleader my whole life. My brother plays football at
University of New Hampshire, or I should say, he will play. He’s red shirted
right now. He transferred from Georgetown. My cousin Taylor plays womens basketball
at Cornell. My dad coached my brother his entire life. I’m a big football
fan. So, yes my family is a big sports family.
Ask a New Yorker: What did you think of ‘the trip’ on the Jets sidelines
recently?
Morgan: You see stuff like that happen. I could tell you a million stories about
my brother growing up playing pee wee football. But what happened is just disgraceful.
I’m a Jet’s fan through and through. I think he should be suspended.
He admitted fully to what he did. It’s just embarrassing. He’s a
grown man. It’s ridiculous. It’s cringe worthy.
Ask a New Yorker: “ Armani, Chanel, Gucci, the Gap”?
Morgan: I’m a Gap girl, totally a Gap girl. That’s really funny
you would say that. I’m pretty much about simple basic comfort,t but an
all American classic.
Ask a New Yorker: You don’t have to answer this question right now. But
give me one word that you love, a word that resonates with you. We’ll
revisit this question in a bit.
Morgan: This is like the Actors Studio! I’ve sworn off answering those
questions until I’m actually sitting in that chair on Bravo.
Ask a New Yorker: Where are we sitting now?
Morgan: We are actually on the corner of Canal Street and West Broadway. It’s
pretty cool. We are in Nearsay
headquarters, suite 400. Nearsay is for New York City’s Insider neighborhood
news. We launched three months ago. We curate the best of the web. We feature
our insiders, our contributors. They are people who live, work and play in New
York City and deliver news and reviews in their neighborhoods. They are trusted
local voices. It’s a lot of fun building these relationships whether they
are bloggers or community leaders or business owners, and really getting the
inside scoop from them.
Ask a New Yorker: Funny, sounds like another site I know. Yes, we are the most
diverse, informed community in the world.
Morgan :(laughs) A little bit like Ask a New Yorker, maybe. As an insider they
basically have a column featured in Nearsay. They are free to write about any
information that’s going on in their neighborhood or area of expertise.
It’s a promotional platform for them to build that personal brand on line
and build more awareness and more readers. We feature then in our news letter.
We promote them on our social media channels. It’s been great. We currently
have 154 insiders as of today and their all extremely different, fun, knowledgeable
people. It’s been great.
Ask a New Yorker: Your title?
Morgan: I’m the community manager at Nearsay which evolved into this new
position here. I started off doing social media. Now it’s turned into
contributors relations. See these stickers on my notebook. There from community
manager meetups. I get to meet really awesome people.
Ask a New Yorker: Excellent. Let’s go back to your favorite word.
Morgan: It’s not necessary my favorite but it’s a word that I like
to say and learned in the 8th grade, “Plethora”. It applies in more
ways than one, especially working at Nearsay. Because we hit the ground running
and we want a plethora of contributors, a plethora of readers and a plethora
of neighborhood news. The word has just kind of stuck with me.
[pleth-er-uh] noun 1. overabundance; excess: a plethora of advice and a paucity
of assistance. 2. Pathology Archaic . a morbid condition due to excess of red
corpuscles in the blood or increase in the quantity of blood.
Ask a New Yorker: It was a pleasure to meet you Morgan. Happy New Year!
