32 Comments
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Anne Kadet's avatar

The star of this week’s issue: Jacques Marchais’s husband. We need more people like this!

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

Harry Klauber was a real mensch! We could use some more Ed Burdges while we're at it.

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Raquel Uy's avatar

I’ll add Gavin Webster too. Sensual lighthouse works for me😄👍

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Anne Kadet's avatar

Okay, you win. You got me to google “frunk.”

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

I was surprised to learn that wankpanzers have frunks.

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Anne Kadet's avatar

LOL

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Anne Kadet's avatar

The second star of this issue is the total lack of explanation for the sculpture park photo.

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

Still looking into that one.

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Raquel Uy's avatar

Love his answer. That should stop all those prying questions.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

I can't believe Frank Lloyd Wright designed an automobile dealership's showroom!

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

I had no idea either! It was kind of a precursor to the Guggenheim too with a turntable for the cars that spiraled up.

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Laurie's avatar

OK Rob, you got me....I've upgraded to paid.

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

It worked! So nice of you Laurie, thanks!

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Sharon the Lion-Hearted's avatar

oh Rob what a treat, familiar with the Lighthouse, have passed the Frank Lloyd Wright house countless times, have been to the Tibetan Museum.

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

I imagine you are one of the few! At least who read this newsletter! Hope I did the neighborhood justice.

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Justin Difazzio's avatar

Wait. Gong incident? I'm gonna need to hear about that.

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

What happens in sound bath, stays in sound bath.

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Ana Teixeira's avatar

The portrait of Jacques is magestic!

One wouldn't expect an elegant woman like that to be the soul of the museum. I was imagine someone of asian descent in humble demeanour. But this is much better and a lot more interesting.

I was laughing at the detailed description of the 'path' to the temple.

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

It is an incredible portrait! Life magazine back then had the best photographers though sadly I couldn't figure out who took that one.

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Katie's avatar

Lots of great comments already covering many of the things I noted. We've been to the sites of many lighthouses and visited many Wright houses so it was fun to learn about one of each we haven't seen. Great post!

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

Thanks Katie! It's a real kill three birds with one stone neighborhood. I've never actually been in a FLW. Would love to visit Fallingwater soon

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Katie's avatar

Hope you do get to visit Fallingwater. And if you ever venture way over to the other side of NY, check out the Martin House and Graycliff on Lake Erie. Buffalo has lots of interesting architecture...and great beef on weck with truly hot horseradish if you're lucky. 😋

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Will Cruttenden's avatar

How many times is a perfectly good walk in the woods ruined by the sight of a dumped baby grand? Now, I’m off to google ‘frunk’.

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

A frunk would actually be the perfect place to store a baby grand.

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Renato Zane's avatar

Another fascinating adventure in geography, enriching and educational, with time travel and good humour.

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

An inspiring neighborhood, thanks Renato!

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Raquel Uy's avatar

Love the pictures, the neighborhood looks so tranquil, and like it’s transplanted from another time. Thank you again for the many many trees, always love your trees 🥰

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

Im glad you love them because I have a ton!

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Eddie P's avatar

A big chunk of Lighthouse Hill and the surrounding woods would have been destroyed if Robert Moses had his way. He wanted to build a huge expressway interchange right in the middle of those woods linking the Willowbrook Parkway and Richmond Parkway with the Staten Island Expressway a few miles north. Luckily, the residents of Lighthouse Hill and nearby neighborhoods fought Moses and actually won, a rarity at the time. On the Wall Street Journal map above, the Willowbrook Parkway extension is labeled as such, but it was never actually built and is now preserved woodland.

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Raquel Uy's avatar

Thank you for yet another fun, interesting, and I must say enlightening adventure in Lighthouse Hill. Love all the stories in this piece! Was wondering where a leprechaun fit in and there, almost at the bottom scrolling down, is the answer!

You have the patience of Buddha himself to drive up the museum, then drive down, and walk all the way up again. I bow and bid you Amituofo, which means boundless Buddha. (That is an actual greeting/benediction, I googled it, haha) Any chance your spirit found and mated with the divine soul during the sound bath?😆 Sorry couldn’t resist, and apologies to the Dalai Lama the 14th.

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

My spirit was close to mating until the gong incident...Amazing that the Dalai Lama actually visited the museum!

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Raquel Uy's avatar

Yeah, heard the gong dropping was really scary😅

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