The Bay Ridge Digest
A bi-weekly hyper-local Bay Ridge magazine-style podcast combining everything from culture, restaurant recommendations, history stories, current events, interviews, humor, and human interest.
The Bay Ridge Digest
The Bay Ridge Digest Podcast - EP011: Through The Fog
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In The Bay Ridge Digest Podcast episode 11 we grab a cup of coffee, go to pilates, eat a good slice, take a sound bath, head to a disco popup, and celebrate Ramadan.
Highlights:
• The Flagg Court Playhouse rehearses “Dial M for Murder” in April of 1956
• Sara Barkouli with Samia Aljahmi on living in Bay Ridge and Celebrating this Ramadan
• Chrisie Canny with a Pizza Wars Disco Popup Promo
• The Inspiration behind Brooklyn Is The World with Connie Gibilaro Malone
• K.T. The Alchemist and Kaitie Meisner of Transformational Tones on their journey to Bay Ridge
• Spring Jokes with Freddie Friday
• Tony Christiano of Nonno’s Pizza on their most popular offerings and funny requests
• What am I doing here?
• Shaki Usarova of Boutique Pilates on being inspired to, opening, and running the studio
• Looking Ahead to April
I asked in this episode: What were you doing in April of 2018? What have you done in moments when you felt lost to find your way forward? Whom did you rely on? I’d like to know, and if you wouldn’t mind the world knowing, please send your responses to me. I’ll read some of them in upcoming episodes of The Bay Ridge Digest Podcast. Submit them to me through the form at bayridgedigest.com.
The reading material used in today’s episode included:
• Monitor: Take 2: By Dennis Hart
As well as articles from:
• BayRidgeFlagCourt.com
• The Bay Ridge Home Reporter
• Brownstoner.com
• The Los Angeles Times
• The New York Daily News
• The New York Times
• PastDaily.com
Script writing, Emceeing, editing, producing, mixing, directing. What are these? All things I do. In need of any of this and want to get in touch? Add me on Linkedin, reach me at James@TheWallBreakers.com, or go to TheWallBreakers.com to see what else I’ve been up to.
I’ve got tours coming up on March 27th, March 29th, April 12th, and April 18th. For tickets and more info on all my tours go to Linktr.ee/TheWallBreakers or follow either my @BayRidgeDigest or @TheWallBreakers instagram accounts.
If you’re interested in more info about advertising rates, or other various audio production capabilities, please go to TheWallBreakers.com or email me at James@TheWallBreakers.com.
For more info on how to submit a story lead, please go to BayRidgeDigest.com. You can also get in touch by emailing BayRidgeDigest@gmail.com.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bayridgedigest/
I love Cebu. I love Barchuso. I recently tried the corner. Really liked it. I'm actually gonna go there this weekend with a friend. And she's coming all the way from the city. Fushimi, I love. I used to love a yacht, but they closed down. Yeah.
SPEAKER_19Or you get the sheep's head crowd that comes to Fushimi.
SPEAKER_08You do get the sheep's head crowd. Sometimes if I miss the sheep's head vibes with the music, and I go to Fushimi.
SPEAKER_18Welcome to the Bay Ridge Digest Podcast, episode 11. My name is James Scully. Tonight we grab a cup of coffee, go to Pilates, eat a good slice, take a sound bath, head to a disco pop-up, and celebrate Ramadan. Subscribe to the Bay Ridge Digest Podcast everywhere you get a podcast. For more info on how to submit a story lead, please go to BayridgeDigest.com. You can also get in touch by emailing BayridgeDigest at gmail.com. And follow on Instagram at BayridgeDigest. Interested in taking a walking tour and seeing me? I'm hosting Haunted Bay Ridge this Friday, March 27th at 6 p.m. I'm hosting Murder, Mayhem, Money and History in Old North Bay Ridge this Sunday, March 29th at 1 p.m. and several other tours in April. For tickets and more info on all my tours, please go to Linktree slash the Wallbreakers. That's l-n-k-tr.ee slash thewallbreakers. Or follow either my at Bayridge Digest or at The Wallbreakers Instagram accounts. In need of anything from script writing, MCing, editing, producing, mixing, and directing, I do all these things. And thinking about starting a podcast and not sure where to begin? I can help you produce your podcast in any stage, from pre-planning to post-production. You can contact me for a consultation at James at the Wallbreakers.com. Also, I'm absolutely looking for local sponsors for the Bear Ridge Digest Podcast. Know a company you think would be a great fit for the show? Let me know. I'll have a rate card coming soon. You can also get in touch with me on LinkedIn, or go to thewallbreakers.com to see what else I've been up to. It's Easter Sunday. Most people are off today, but I'm a freelance reporter for both the Bay Ridge Home Reporter and the New York Daily News. And this Easter will be busy. I was just in Fort Hamilton on the parade grounds for a chilly 6 a.m. sunrise Easter service. The rock and roll era is officially here. Young kid named Elvis Presley's new single, Heartbreak Hotel, is rocketing up the charts. But on WRCA's NBC Radio, Monitor is on the air. Monitor is a weekend service offered by NBC to all its station affiliates. It's a magazine of the air with news, sports, comedy, variety, music, celebrity interviews, and other short segments. It debuted last year and has been a big hit with this generation of on-the-go listeners.
SPEAKER_02And this is Monitor, bringing you the Easter spirit from everywhere, the old world and the new.
SPEAKER_18The cover of today's Los Angeles Times speaks of Christians braving the threat of war to visit the resurrection site in the Middle East.
SPEAKER_25There's the Reverend Gerald C. Brouwer, Dean of the Theological Faculty of the University.
SPEAKER_18In Algeria, a war for independence is taking place between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front. It's a complex conflict, characterized by guerrilla warfare and the use of torture on both sides. While Joseph McCarthy has been censured, anti-communism is still locally abundant. Reverend John Paul Jones, pastor of the Union Church at 7915 Ridge Boulevard, has come under scrutiny. He's got a long track record of far-left leanings and is trying to walk back some of his stances. Word on the street is he'll be using his Easter sermon this morning to deny that he's a communist, but instead is a supporter of due process and free speech.
SPEAKER_11But actually, I think that it's uh can really be questioned whether or not the people who come to church on Easter include many people who are not Christians.
SPEAKER_18Later tonight at the Plaza Hotel are the 10th annual Tony Awards. For the first time, tonight's Tonies will be broadcast on TV on the Dumont Network's Channel 5 here in New York City. So where are we going? The home reporter is sending me to Flag Court on 72nd Street in Ridge Boulevard for a community theater play rehearsal. There's a local troop in Bay Ridge called the Four Wall Players. They perform in the Flag Court Auditorium. They're celebrating their first anniversary with performances of Dial M for murder in a couple of weeks. If this goes well, the sky is the limit for the troop.
SPEAKER_11They come on Easter Sunday. Well, Mr. Brower, do you share Mr. Blakemore's charitable view of the matter?
SPEAKER_16Well, by and large, I think Mr. Blakemore is correct.
SPEAKER_18This is Sarah Barcooley.
SPEAKER_07Hi, my name's Sarah Barcooley and I'm an audio storyteller. Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn if you want to check out my past work or reach out about ways we can work together. That's S-A-R-A-B-A-R-K-O-U-L-I.
SPEAKER_18I belong to a Google List server for podcast professionals called Public Radio NYC. Whenever I publish a Bay Ridge Digest podcast episode, I share it with the group. A couple of months ago I received a reply from Sarah. We become fast friends, and Sarah is the Bay Ridge Digest Podcast's first journalist at large. She's contributed this piece in tonight's episode with Samy Al-Jami. She's an integral part of the Arabic community in Bay Ridge, bringing people together from all walks of life.
SPEAKER_07She suggested we meet at Mocha and Co. right off of Fifth Avenue, one of the newer Yemeni coffee shops in the neighborhood. The bright lights, loud music, and bustling energy of the cafe immediately reminded me of similar coffee shops I'd seen across the Middle East and North Africa.
SPEAKER_26My name is Samyah Al-Jami. I've been in Bay Ridge since 1996. Proud Bay Ridge girl. I moved from Michigan, and my experience in Bay Ridge has been honestly amazing. Living in Bay Ridge is phenomenal. The diversity, the food, the people, the atmosphere.
SPEAKER_07You said you moved from Michigan. What inspired you to move here?
SPEAKER_26Marriage. So my husband's, I think I met him in 1993, and I came to visit New York. We got married in 1995, and I moved here since then. My upbringing was really different. The population of Arabic people then, Arabic population was very small, it was like 10%. But now I can compare them now almost the same.
SPEAKER_07I asked Samya about her earliest memories in the neighborhood, and instead of sharing a particular moment or a particular memory, she noted how much Beyridge has changed during her time living here.
SPEAKER_26It's drastically changed, honestly. The Arabic community immensely grew time by time over the years. Some families didn't know how to speak English, and they did an assistance with appointments, like something basic, like a WIC appointment. Everything was manual. We didn't have these interpreter f lines that were so handy and effective and easy now. Back then it was like you have to go there in person.
SPEAKER_07Even though many of these processes were more difficult than they are now, Samia also noticed that helping people out was a big part of building community here in the neighborhood.
SPEAKER_26I'd go to parent church conference meetings, wake appointments, doctor appointments with them, social security appointments. We didn't have much all these applications, all these resources, we didn't have them during those times. I was like lonely in the beginning. I didn't know much people, I was getting to know everyone. But it wasn't too hard, honestly. I made relationships, and we built them over the years.
SPEAKER_07Just as Bay Ridge itself has changed over time, Samia also reflected on the changes she's noticed in the Arab community specifically, and how different communities have learned from each other.
SPEAKER_26Back then, like around 1995, 1996, we didn't have much halal restaurants. We didn't have much Arab-owned small businesses where we can relate to each other, the same food, the same culture. What you see in TV, how we always fight over the Czech, that's how it really is. They're very hospitable, very friendly. We have so much diversity. The restaurants now are all halal. The kosher restaurants are not much here in Beirid. But now the coffee shops, the food, the different variety, the Palestinian restaurants, the big change now. It's a change for the better. Like the bagel shops, the donut shops, they already know us. Okay, I know you're special. They try to say chukran in Arabic. It's so beautiful. Everyone knows like now Salam alaikum, sister. I think they picked up on the Arabic language. I think we picked up from each other too. Bagel shops, donut shops included, they all know our orders, they're all welcoming. They'll even be considerate in wiping the grill from the bacon and then making our eggs on top. Very, very considerate about that. They understand our traditions, our halal menus now more and more. So I don't have to worry about that anymore. I feel like Bear Ridge has changed for the best. And in being considerate for the Arabic community and the Muslims. These little details, they matter.
SPEAKER_07And as for her favorite things about Bear Ridge, Sammy remarked on the tight-knit feel of the community here, plus the ease of access to different religious and cultural resources.
SPEAKER_26I feel like everyone knows each other. If anyone needs help, they know where to go. So many people stop me in the street. Oh, where can I get this? Oh, how do I get there? It's so easy now. There's more and more religious institutions, so people know where to go if they need a donation, if they need assistance with housing. Living here in Beirish is so convenient. I don't need a car. You have a car, I'm grateful for that, but I don't like using it. Everything's right there. And it's not just Felity, there's other stores, local stores near us. They wouldn't have the pomegranate molasses at Food Town or the Seven Spices. I usually cook with that. Grandma, can you get me some? I love your spices for from back home. Now it's like so convenient living in bearish. Even when I go to pray, it's so convenient. Because I'll go to pray and then I'll take a break. I can I just step out, I'm right there. I have a sweet tooth, I can have khanafa. And then we're all sharing food. Someone will bring coffee with them, a small thermos, and then she'll bring a couple of cups with her. Everyone's sharing their different desserts from all over the world. Cause as you know, Palestinians are famous for the kunafa. Yemenis are famous for the sabaya. And it goes on and on. So we're all sharing those little. It doesn't have to be a big place, something small. We all share it. Favorite is so different. And it's so beautiful. My husband's teachers ended up being my children's teachers. And she remembers my husband. It was so beautiful. Because my husband used to go to public schools, and my kids went to PS102 and then the Kinley.
SPEAKER_07When Samy and I spoke, it was about halfway through Ramadan. And if you live in New York, I'm guessing you probably don't need a refresher on the basics of Ramadan. But in case you do, it's the holy month where Muslims abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset. I asked Samya about observing Ramadan in Beirid.
SPEAKER_26Ramadan here is hits differently. It's the people, the similarities we have, and the access to all these amazing businesses. So during Ramadan, this type of month, most businesses are very considerate of doing activities for families. Like after they break their fast, they're accommodating us. Even the hours here, they open a little later. Because most of the small business owners are Arabic, anyways. And the non-Arab ones are also accommodating. So after we break our fast, we go pray in the mosque. After the mosque, we go socialize, have a coffee break with everyone. That's when the socializing comes. We have our caffeine now, and then we spend time with family visiting. That's my favorite part of Ramadan. It's the cravings that kill me. I'm a sweet tooth. After I finish praying, I have to go home or go out with my husband and my family or visit. We have to have like a small dessert. But I'm trying, I'm trying not to stop these cravings. It's so hard. This Ramadan, I'm very blessed. I've been working from home, doing a couple zoom meetings. So I feel like such a difference, this Ramadan. I've been trying to do more reading, go to more lectures. Usually I'm working and I have to rush home and cook. So this is, I guess, my favorite Ramadan right now. Working on myself, having that time for myself, and to reflect on my blessings. Growing up in Michigan, I didn't really know the meaning of Ramadan. And as I'm growing older and looking into the religion more, now I'm learning more and more. It's not just about fasting, about abstaining yourself from food and drinks. It's more about being grateful what you have, reflecting on what's going on in the world. It's about discipline, discipline with the food, the cravings I have, with the caffeine intake. I'm so bad with caffeine. Living in Bearridge too. Changed my perspective of Ramadan too. It opened up myself more. Living here in Bearidge. It's really a blessing.
SPEAKER_07With the level of diversity amongst different ethnic groups in Beyridge, I was curious to hear Sammy's perspective on if these enclaves tend to feel separate on a day-to-day basis.
SPEAKER_26I actually do see unity. There's a lot of Pakistani. And I feel like we're not separated. I don't feel like there's a mosque that mostly Pakistani go to, or mostly Sudani go, no. It's usually very united. Every mosque you can think of, every time you pass a Muslim man or woman, usually a woman, I say, May peace be upon you, Salamaikon. No hesitation. It can be Pakistan, from Sudan, anywhere.
SPEAKER_07It's clear that Samyya has a deep love for the neighborhood she's come to call home over the past 30 years. So as for her hopes for the neighborhood.
SPEAKER_26I wish we had more affordable housing. That's one big factor I need I wish we had in Bay Ridge. I wish we had more options for our youth, trade schools for them, something they can learn, and that she for the long run.
SPEAKER_07Finally, I wanted to circle back to an idea that Samia mentioned right when I asked her to introduce herself. She's a proud Bay Ridge girl. And as someone who has moved to Brooklyn relatively recently, I think a lot about honoring the stories of those who grew up here and what it means to really claim a neighborhood or a borough. So I asked Samia what it means to her to be a proud Bay Ridge girl, or a Brooklyn girl for that matter.
SPEAKER_26Living in New York is like it's no other city. So being a Brooklyn girl or Brooklyn boy, it's an honor. If you lived in New York, you can live anywhere in the world. After living in New York, when I go back to Yemen or if I fly anywhere around the world, it's a piece of cake. Once you live here, it's a piece of cake. If you made it to be a Brooklyn girl or Brooklyn boy, then you got this. You can do anything, you can conquer anything.
SPEAKER_03I have the joy of doing three fun events. Taste of Third Avenue. Up next is Pizza Wars, and after that is Battle of the Bartenders. So those are my three babies that I enjoy working with all the merchants and bringing great events and working with people. Be rich. Love to see the support and how much people really, really love art. So it's pizza scores. If you want to try to read it out, how the poster reads. Last year we did Starverse theme and challenge people to dress up. But this year we're doing Saturday Night Fever. If you go back to Pizza Wagon being in it, or, you know, all the different, even, oh my goodness, El Dante, what they used to look like in dress in there with their white t-shirts and their gold chains and horns, really like kind of fits the dads of the businesses. So I'm very excited to do that. So that's gonna be on May 3rd, but we're having a pop-up event. Working with the restaurants and wanting to work with other merchants, I had the idea to bring in a pop-up dance class so that way we can ask the dance studio to be involved. Denise was actually in the movie and her dad owned 2001 Odyssey. She's gonna teach us how to do the bus stop. So it's gonna be a fun ladies' night starting at seven o'clock on April 3rd. And then we're just gonna have some rose wine and some apps and then just go wild with the DJ after. Just a fun night. But it gives other merchants a chance to do something on social media too. So any of the clothing stores, it's fun that saddened in this spring. So they can recommend what we should all wear dressing up that night. You know, I always want people to like dress up. You mentioned the ladies' night. Is it ladies only? Well, I guess it's not ladies only. Anybody that wants to come dance, more than welcome. It's open for anybody who wants to come. It's a pop-up because of the Saturday Fever theme, not the pizza theme. Yeah. The lead into the pizza working. Well, I might have to have some pizza. So when I get it catered, I'm gonna approach one of the pizzerias. You can go right to our Instagram page at Merchants of Third Ave or our website, merchants of thirdavenue.com, and look it up under events, and it'll be there. It's called Friday Night Fever. Important. There's only 50 tickets, that's it. And they've already started selling in advance. So get on it.
SPEAKER_30I really love the illustration where Delilah sees a bunch of butterflies and she goes toward them to befriend them and they fly away from her. And the way Hale did the illustration is really beautiful because you just see all these butterflies flying away from her, and she has her head in her hands and she's crying, and she says, Why don't they like me? And the squirrel, her friend Sadie, says, they fly to Mexico to escape the cold. Those are monarch butterflies. And she says, You don't have to fly with everybody, Delilah. Your true friends will always fly beside you. And I think that's a good message for children to internalize because children are so pure of heart. You see it all the time where kids put themselves out there, they run up to other kids at the park, and the kids run away from them. And children don't understand that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them. But that's how children feel. They don't understand that there could be something about another person that has nothing to do with you, which is why they are acting that way. And I think even some adults feel like everybody needs to like me. If everybody doesn't like me, there's something wrong with me. And the truth is you can be like the sweetest peach in the market, but people don't like peaches. And it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. If children can learn that concept, then they'll be a lot better off and there'll be a lot less pain in the world because too many people dim who they are to fit the opinions of others. And you really should just be yourself because then you're attracting people that genuinely love and like you. And if people don't love and like you, that's okay. They're not for you. They're going to Mexico to escape the cold, they're just on a different wavelength.
SPEAKER_18When we were last with Connie Gibalaro Malone, we spoke about her childhood in Brooklyn, career as a lawyer, and her life with her husband Sean and two children. While Connie is a practicing lawyer, she recently authored the children's book Brooklyn is the World. I was curious where the inspiration came from.
SPEAKER_30So there's this butterfly mural right by the Shore Road gazebo, which is on like 90th and Shore Road. During COVID, the parks were all closed. There was nothing to do. I had a 14th month old. I really cared about limiting screen use. I didn't want her watching Cocoa Melon. So I needed to do things with her. The magic of that age of a 14th-month-old, I would say the magic of ages zero to three is that you can just walk around the block. Their minds are expanding and they move very slowly. If you get to their pace, a trip around the block can take you two hours. They really will appreciate every little flower petal, every crack in the sidewalk. I'm grateful for that time during COVID because life did really shut down. And I don't think I would have had the time to just go at her pace. I had the luxury of taking an hour-long walk. We would walk frequently in that little area by Shore Road, and we would pass this butterfly mural. I've spoken to others, and they said that was one of my COVID destinations too, because everybody was in the same boat. You're home with little kids. If the parks are closed, what do you do? You still want to go outside. Everything shut down, and within a week or two, it was spring. So you had this dichotomy of everybody was scared, people were dying, but life was happening and it was beautiful out. So we would go past this mural a lot. I would say daily. And she would stand in between it and look at it. That was in 2020, so the idea of the story didn't really start until summer 2022.
SPEAKER_18Brooklyn is the world's illustrator, is Haley Moss. How do they meet?
SPEAKER_30So I finished the book in 2022. At that time, I was talking to Haley Moss. So it was before I even finished the book that I spoke with her. So there's this amazing woman in Florida. Her name is Syria. She has the company DNS Creations. She does paper goods for children's birthday parties. So a girl I went to Fompon with posted one of her creations in like 2021. And it just struck me, like it jumped off the screen at me. And I started following Syria on Instagram. I said to myself, I want to hire her for when my secondborn turns one. I want to hire her to do all the paper goods and these cute, like themed paper goods, like a bunny coming out of a hat for her birthday, which was in July of 2022. And she did such a good job that I asked her, I was like, you know, I love your style. I want to write this book. I need an illustrator. Can I hire you? And she said, no, I hire artists. I'm the graphic designer and I create all of these things, but I'm not the artist. But I just came across this book. She kind of got the sense of my style from the birthday party. So she pointed me in the direction of Haley Moss. And that was summer 2022. I sent Haley a message and we had a conversation that summer. She was not living in Brooklyn at the time, didn't really know anything about Brooklyn. It just wasn't part of her life experience. I sent her a recent draft of the book. And so she and I were talking for like a good portion of 2023. And during that time, I was talking to other illustrators because I did want that watercolor style. I just think it's really beautiful and really classic. It's my favorite type of artwork in a children's book. So I was looking at other illustrators and I was getting different quotes. And then even though I was looking at other people's styles and having these conversations with other illustrators, I ultimately decided to go with Haley. I mean, she's part of that because our conversations kind of stopped. I was about to give up because it just felt overwhelming. Finding an illustrator, finding the right person to do it. And she emailed me, like just following up. And I was like, I don't want to overwhelm you because I need to write a book that is a tribute to Brooklyn. So it's going to be detailed. And she was like, I'm up for it. I really want to do it. And then coincidentally, she moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn right around that time. It was life imitating art. As I was telling her, Brooklyn is the world, it's so great. She was kind of discovering that for herself in an organic, real way, where then that had an effect on her artwork. If there was an illustration in Greenpoint and she went to Green Point, she understood the church I was talking about. It wasn't like she didn't know because she was living there.
SPEAKER_18She wanted all the copies, literally in-house, so she could sell them herself, ensuring that any copy sold had her own stamp of approval.
SPEAKER_30In December, I got 20 copies. Those were the expedited copies from the printer because I ideally did want it all available for the holiday season, but it just didn't work out. But I did get 20, and I was able to sell those 20 copies through Fridge Kids and Golden Grit and a few on my own. So it was good that some kids at least had the book for Christmas. And even though it wasn't that many copies, it at least drummed up some excitement for it.
SPEAKER_19You know, a positive vibration.
SPEAKER_30Exactly. And then I got the rest of the copies, I would say in January, the very end of January. I kept promoting the book. I wasn't getting an exact time that they're on the boat, they're coming, but I'm like, okay, but I have this launch party in April. I want to do a few events prior to that. And then I want it available for sale, basically, like had to be available in February. And I kept getting, yeah, it should be like that type of language. And as a lawyer, I'm like, shouldn't be or is because I'm saying it's available in February. It did all work out. The initial print run I did was 1100 copies. So those are in my house, in boxes. And yeah, I mean, I've been slowly selling them. So a lot of self-published authors, they don't want to do that, but I wanted the product. I wanted to see it and feel it. I am uncomfortable with putting something on Amazon and a customer orders it and you don't really know. And then if the customer is not satisfied with it, they return it. But Amazon does everything. If there's a problem with my product, I want the customer to be able to come to me and say, you know, this page is not right or whatever it is. You have some sort of a control over your product.
SPEAKER_19You have that in hand and you mail it, you know what the qualities of it when you put it in the mail.
SPEAKER_30Exactly.
SPEAKER_18If you're in Bay Ridge, you might know that Connie recently had events at both the Ridge Kids at 8122 Third Avenue and the bookmark shop at 8415 Third Avenue. How does she form these partnerships?
SPEAKER_30I'm a bona fide shopper. I love to shop. I've always loved to shop. This isn't like an anti-Amazon podcast, but just the nature of buying everything on Amazon. I don't do that because I like to shop. I like to support local stores in my neighborhood. If you don't do that, they're not going to exist. We're also of the last generation of people that, as kids, we went outside.
SPEAKER_19Our mom was like, come on, we gotta go do this thing. Yeah. We live real life. Exactly.
SPEAKER_30Yeah. You ran errands and like, you know, I own the avenue. We're going on the avenue. We're gonna, and then that became its own little adventure in and of itself. I understand life gets in the way, and it's so easy to just buy baby wipes on Amazon. Why wouldn't you do that? But when I think back to like all little days I've had with my kids, and sometimes the days really are very long and stretch out, just walking up the block, going into right aid, getting wipes, and then that leads into the next door and the next door. So you asked, how did I form these partnerships? Ridge Kids opened, I believe, in 2019. I could be wrong, it could be 2018 or 2019, but certainly by the time my daughter was born in 2019, Ridge Kids was there. It's right up the buck from my parents' house. It's such a beautiful store. And I was in the market for kids' clothes. I have a baby. So I was going in there all of the time. And then any mom knows you're gonna have a birthday party at least twice a month. Let me support a local business and I also need these birthday gifts. So I would go in there constantly. You garner points, and then you get$10 off. Almost every time I go in there, they're like, you have$10 off. So I had been shopping in there for years. I got to know the owner, Danielle, who's just so sweet. She's amazing. She also was doing the ridge, which was across the street. And I went to so many events. They had like a really cute tea party around Christmas time. So I just got to know her. And so I feel like a lot of the time when you create a product, you do need some distribution channels. And a person might have to be a little phony and be like, my product would fit great with your selection. But for me, talking to Danielle, it was so sincere because I know her products. I go in the store all of the time. So I told her about this. Yeah, I went in there kind of early on with the proof. So it wasn't even one of the expedited copies. I got a proof, I brought it to her and she understood the concept. She really liked it. And so that was a relationship that kind of already existed.
SPEAKER_18Okay, time for a hard-hitting question. With Brooklyn is the world taking off, is there a sequel in the works?
SPEAKER_30Yes, so I do have a sequel. I told it to my daughter, my seven-year-old, and she was laughing at it. She's a very tough critic. So I didn't really write it down yet. It's mostly in my head, and I've been saying it a lot to my husband. You know, it is a big feat to do the independent publishing. I really love how the book turned out. It was a learning curve. So at least I did it that I don't think the sequel would take me three years, because that's a long time. The sequel has to come out a little bit quicker. But it's very gratifying. You know, it's really hard and it takes a long time to do it yourself. But if I got it traditionally published, I would not have had any say over the illustrations. Even looking at the font right now, like that took weeks to decide on how it looks and the appropriate font and what's going to capture people's attention. Because when you're writing children's books, the person who's going to buy the book is not the person who the book is for. You're not really marketing to children, you're marketing to adults, and then you hope the content resonates with kids. It's not like you can't care what the parents think. You have to care about both. So yeah, the sequel needs to be written, and then of course it has to be illustrated by Haley. So I have to make sure she's up for the challenge. A mom at my daughter's school had a great idea. She said you should do a holiday book. But I don't know if I it's already March. I don't know if I could get that done. Maybe a coloring book that has a holiday theme.
SPEAKER_18You can pick up a copy of Brooklyn is the World at the bookmark shop at 8415 Third Avenue or by going to ConnieGibalaro.com. That's C-O-N-N-I-E G-I-B-I-L-A-R-O.com.
SPEAKER_10You can also find out more by following at Brooklyn is the World on Instagram.
SPEAKER_18This is where your business's commercial spot could go. Interested in advertising your business on the Bay Ridge Digest Podcast? Get in touch with me at James at the Wallbreakers.com. Now, enjoy this teaser for Burning Gotham. What's Burning Gotham? It's an historically accurate audio fiction soap opera set in 1835 in New York City. I created, produced, directed, and co-wrote it. The first eight episodes are out anywhere you get a podcast or at Burning Gotham.com. Episodes are ten to fifteen minutes in length. Burning Gotham made the 2022 Dribeca Film Festival as an audio selection. Right now, experience New York City like you've never before.
SPEAKER_20The speculation is out of control. The whole economy is going to collapse.
SPEAKER_01Gentlemen, gentlemen, will you make the right deal?
SPEAKER_23Memories are short in New York. If you don't make a fortune, someone else will.
SPEAKER_01I know you've been bringing rosemary into port illegally. I have eyes and ears and noses and tongues everywhere.
SPEAKER_20Or fall to greed.
SPEAKER_12If I was caught with diamonds at any time, any time, my sister and I would have been gang raped and murdered. I do this for you! Look at what we got here, bricked up!
SPEAKER_25Looks like we're caught as a dandy and a whore all alone on South Street with nowhere to hide. Ain't that right, boys?
SPEAKER_20But whatever you choose, there's the choice.
SPEAKER_24You just always make the same choice, the one for yourself. Just make sure you get out in time.
SPEAKER_18Out now on your favorite podcast app. Burning Gotham, the 2022 Tribeca Select Audio Soap Opera. About the fastest growing city in the world, and the opportunists who shaped it.
SPEAKER_09To find out more, go to Burning Gotham.com Michael Flyer.
SPEAKER_18Waiting for theater director John Gordon. In front of me is the Flaya Court apartment complex. Ernest Flagg, who architected the Singer building, was behind its construction. Have you been inside? It's a 422-unit sprawl built between 1933 and 36. The official address is 7200 Ridge Boulevard, though there are multiple buildings on Ridge Boulevard, 72nd and 73rd Streets. I'll be heading into the complex auditorium. This 500-seat vaulted ceiling structure is part of on-site amenities that include a swimming pool, bowling alley, tennis and handball courts, a tea room, and a nursery school. The auditorium doubles as the Flag Court Playhouse, in which the theater troupe, the Four Wall Players, perform. The troupe is celebrating its first anniversary and has been getting coverage from yours truly in both the Daily News and the Bay Ridge Home Reporter. We're trying to get a Times and New Yorker critic to come by. Do you know what makes a play Broadway, off-Broadway, or off-off-Broadway? The terminology is relatively new, but it's not the location. An off-off Broadway production must have a seating capacity of 99 or fewer. Off-Broadway is 499 or fewer. And given that the Flagcourt Playhouse holds 500, there's community support to turn this auditorium into a full-time Broadway venue. Although it's Easter Sunday, the four-wall players are rehearsing Dial M for Murder for a four-show run beginning this coming Friday, April 6th at 8 40 p.m. The original stage play debuted in 1952, and Hitchcock presented a successful film version in 1954. John Gordon is directing this production. The cast includes Lucille and John Mandraccia, Frank Palumbo, Ray Treehaft, John Morrow, and John Sorensen. There are monthly open membership meetings for Bay Ridgians interested in performing. And tickets for the upcoming productions cost$1.50. They're available at the door or by calling SH8-7960.
SPEAKER_06Yes. You want to talk about that? The girl who had the spiritual awakening and she said that we changed her life. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05It was pretty cool. Definitely, I would say this female did not have any experience with something like our community or our activities before. I think they definitely came in a little bit blinded. They were sitting like right over here, and she's had such an experience. What are some of the things she said? I have anxiety, like this is making me feel so much better. I'm having an experience. I finally feel a part of something. I was like, oh gosh, it's so amazing to watch that. And you never know. It was something small that was like a fun thing for us. It was a really big life-changing event. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06She literally said, You guys changed my life, and I had the spiritual awakening. Yeah. We're honored, right? Because that's exactly why we're doing this. Yes.
SPEAKER_05I think the community we're building is one of our favorite parts. We really enjoy bringing people together and watching experiences like that come to life.
SPEAKER_18This is Katie the Alchemist and Katie Meisner.
SPEAKER_06Hey, I'm Katie the Alchemist. I was raised in Syracuse, New York. My real name is Caitlin Tassone, and I created Transformational Tones in 2018.
SPEAKER_05Hi, I'm Katie. I'm originally from Idaho. I moved to Brooklyn about three years ago on a journey and through work adventures, met Katie.
SPEAKER_06Transformational Tones is located in Bay Ridge at 8804 3rd aft. We started out as an event company. We did tours nationwide. I randomly just moved to Brooklyn one day, and I just kind of went with the flow and I don't drink anymore. I got drunk actually, and I needed a change, and I woke up the next day and I signed the lease, and I kind of just been here ever since, but I still travel a lot. I met Katie, my co-partner, through Synchro events and the EDM scene. We decided we needed a home one day. And I stumbled upon the green spa, and they thought that we were an energetic match to bring healing to the community and have a home base where people can come here outside of the events and come do classes, come do workshops and events, and been a pretty cool experience.
SPEAKER_18KT is what I jokingly refer to as an Ellis Island baby. That's an East Coast kid who is Italian, Irish, and German. Her grandmother came from Brooklyn, but she grew up in Syracuse. KT is a certified sound therapist. What exactly is sound therapy and how is it used?
SPEAKER_06Sound therapy, it's very interesting because sound therapy is when your body relaxes naturally and responds to the sound. There's many different ways to attend a sound bath or work with a sound therapist. I've been certified five times, and when I started out, it's much different than where I'm at now. I've done a pretty good job, I feel, deciphering in my mind the difference between a musical soundbath and a somatic one-on-one sound therapy session. The reason being I had to start separating the two, which I never did before, is our nervous systems need to understand the difference between like a musical experience where you come, you play the gongs, you play all different kinds of instruments, and it's a little bit more overstimulating and it can still be relaxing. But the thing is, in this society, we're so overstimulated that sometimes we don't need multiple instruments. We just need grounding sound bowls to put you into a trance like state to reset your nervous system and get. That rest and not have it be so over stimulating. So that's what my specialty is is deciphering between the two a musical sound bath and a somatic sound therapy session where you place the bowls on your body and it's more vibrational experience. And then you play less instruments. So that's become very important to me because, you know, yoga teachers have yoga alliance to show that someone's credible as far as being a yoga teacher. Like, oh, are you part of Yoga Alliance? Sound therapists or people who want to call themselves sound healers, we don't really have that. We see people in 2026 buying bowls off of Amazon, putting together sound baths, and that's fine. But just because you've done yoga doesn't make you necessarily a sound therapist. You have to study it, you have to make sure you're playing the bowls correctly. And even I have had to go back to the way I used to facilitate classes. Like, well, I'm not sure if I did the best job facilitating like nervous system regulation in 2020. But now here I am now where I can understand the difference between how I'm gonna facilitate a class. Come to the Soundbath Sundays, a musical sound bath experience. We'll have tons of instruments, or like come to a nervous system, somatic sound therapy session where you're gonna feel deeply relaxed.
SPEAKER_18So, what are KT's certifications?
SPEAKER_06I've been certified in facilitating just sound baths in general three times. And then I have a vibrational sound therapist certification, and then I have a somatic sound therapy certification. So I really know a lot about the musical sound baths, how to lead sound baths, how to bring groups together, how to make it so the sounds aren't disturbing. Because of that knowledge, I have collaborated with a lot of EDM producers to create these worlds within the EDM scene where hey, let's have fun at a festival, but let's create this healing space. And that's kind of what the Sound Bath Sundays are facilitating and infusing EDM music with the musical sound bath. And then the vibrational healing and the somatic sound therapy, that's more one-on-one or like very small nervous system regulation settings.
SPEAKER_18Hey Katie Meisner, how did you and KT meet?
SPEAKER_05I am from the West Coast, as I mentioned, and I have advertising experience and got very skilled. And I was like, you know what? I kind of want to take my skills and apply it to something that I actually like have a passion for. I love music and I love events, and so I was like, you know what, I'm gonna try. And I made KT Media slowly. It's a small agency where I like to help promote events. And through that process, I ran into this event company called Synchro Events, who I absolutely love working with. And part of that team was KT, who was doing transformational tones, and then I started doing a little bit of Sound Bath Sunday ads and got to work with KT a little bit more. And I was like, wait, we kind of work really well together, and we both love our projects and they align so well. A couple years later, KT said there's a studio in Bay Ridge. What do you think about that? And we've just grown and started this co-op together. So you're doing better than before I quit my job. And you became an entrepreneur. That was officially in November. Where in Iowa did you grow up? It's a town called Lewiston, Idaho. So everyone's always like, boy, see potatoes, that's all in the south. I'm more up north, a couple hours from Canada. It's small, green, just not much going on, but it's pretty fun.
SPEAKER_19Why New York City?
SPEAKER_05I made up this term, the Brooklyn Draw. I just had a draw to Brooklyn. I did visit one time for like 24 hours to check it out. And that's when I was like, dang, I like gotta figure out how to move here. And I went back home. I was living in Portland at the time, canceled my lease and sold my stuff and did it. And I'm so happy I did. I really like it over here. I'm fast-paced and love the energy.
SPEAKER_18So, how did KT start transformational tones?
SPEAKER_06Transformational Tones started in 2018. I didn't choose it, it chose me. It was my birthday, and it was June 20th. I was thinking in my mind because I was a coach at the time, and I was flying out to LA and I was sitting in ayahuasca ceremonies, and I was working with this girl who I was coaching, and she was a sound bath facilitator in LA. That's so interesting. I never heard of that. It sounds cool. Weeks later, I was like, it'd be cool to get a sound bowl for my birthday. And I didn't tell anyone, nobody at all. And that day, somebody gifted me a sound bowl and a purple meditation mat. I didn't ask, I just thought about it and it was given. And then I got into my coaching call to coach my client at the time. I was like, you'll never believe it. Somebody gifted me a sound bowl for my birthday. Well, that's wild. I'm actually doing a training in LA. Do you want to come out here and learn how to do sound baths? So then I booked my ticket, and then the next week I went out to LA and I just started the journey, and then I really moved quickly. I started facilitating Soundbaths. I started giving Soundbaths to celebrities, Mod Sun, Machine Gun Kelly. And then I ended up on the news and Syracuse. And at the time I was running a sales team, and my sales people really loved the Soundbath aspect. So for our meetings, I would do Soundbath meditations before they went out to work. And I had this one person working with me. His name was Steve Bertini. I really mentored him. He was struggling with drugs and alcohol at the time, and I helped him turn his life around. He really was believing in himself. He actually created our logo. I visualized it in my mind, and then he made the concept. Unfortunately, Steve lost his battle to addiction. So that was kind of what really kept me going in memory of Steve was transformational tones because he was so proud of it. Also, we lost one of our partners, Devin, to suicide. And he really believed in transformational tones. He helped create Vinyasa Glow. He was at one of our first events. I like to speak about these things openly because there's so many people that struggle with mental health. There's so many people that struggle with addiction. Sometimes you would never know just by talking with someone. Like they seem fondly outside. Really, they're battling things that they're not openly sharing, and we want to keep creating these spaces in memory of them. And also for survivors that have dealt with losing someone to addiction or losing someone to suicide. We want to create these spaces where, like, you know, they can come together and heal. Maybe they're missing someone, or maybe they just need a group or a community where they know that it's safe.
SPEAKER_18We'll pick up with KT and Katie later in this episode.
SPEAKER_20Hello everybody, welcome to another edition of one of my world famous joke sessions here on the Beyridge Dadgets Podcast. You know what I was saying, Podusho. Why don't you tell them your name and why we're here, Producer?
SPEAKER_18Okay, Freddy, I'll do that. Yeah, you do that. Well, my name is James. I'm Freddie's producer. Yeah, they know your name, you're the host. Okay, Freddie. Tell them why we're here. Well, before our jokes, we'd like to mention the Itty Bitty Bay Ridge Cat Rescue. If you stop into Henry Hardy's at 9314 Third Avenue, you can donate 25 bucks to get a free t-shirt for helping to save these cats. All the proceeds go to vet visits, cat food, and supplies. You can also go to their website at ittybittykitty ny.org and donate that way. T-shirt shipping is also available. To see more of the cats they're helping, visit the Instagram page at ittybitty kitty ny Bay Ridge. That worked for you, Freddie? Yeah, Mapadusa, that worked for me. I'm dancing it around. I'm dancing it around. Cause you know what I'm saying, it's finally sh spring map producer. Oh yeah, that's true.
SPEAKER_20You got spring fever? Yup. Wheepa! Who wanna come out to the club with mer? Whipa! Oh boy. Well, you got any spring jokes? Yeah, of course I got some spring jokes. And also next week is April Fool's Day, so I got some, you know, April-ish kind of jokes. For you people out there today, you know? You wanna get started? Yeah, yeah, yeah. What do you Russian mer? What do you Russian me? Briefly yet, you Russian mer? I heard you speak in Russian earlier on that shocky segment. It hasn't aired yet. Oh, I guess you'll hear it in a little while, people. We're recording things a little out of the order, you know. The star waits for the end. You gotta tell some jokes. Okay, I got some jokes. Freddy. Okay, Leon. Who is the favorite singer of everyone who lives in the herb garden?
SPEAKER_18Uh, well, who lives in the herb garden? Well, you know.
SPEAKER_20The herbs and uh maybe a gopher and a grasshopper or two.
SPEAKER_18Oh boy, this is gonna be terrible.
SPEAKER_20It's umer! It's umer, Liaison! Who is the favorite singer of everyone who lives in the herb garden, you know? Think about it, people. Uh oh, you give up. I gave up a long time ago. Who is the favorite thing of everyone who lives in the herb garden? Elvis Parsley. I heard you wear an Elvis reference already. Oh, God, that's awful. You're not terrible, Leo. Okay, I got one more. How does a sun listen to the nose?
SPEAKER_18How does the sun listen to the nose? How does a sun listen to the nose, Pardoza? I don't know, Freddie. Hell.
SPEAKER_20On the rate deal. I figured you like that because you're a radio guy. Well, I find that one cute, but I know that's not funny. Coomer! Okay, one more, one more, okay, one more people, one more people. I got it right now. What you caught a bunch of bunnies bouncing away from you. What? What are you talking about? What do you caught a bunch of bunnies bouncing away from you? It's not that hard. Think about it. Oh boy. You call it a receding hairline. Receding hairline.
SPEAKER_18Alright, that was a funny one. What it Yes, but that's why I'm the joke teller and you're not, you know? Play us out, producer. Play us up. Alright, well, if you'd like us to mention a specific animal rescue center, please email at bayridge digest at gmail.com or DM at Bayridge Digest on Instagram. And if you go into Henry Hardy's to donate some money and buy a t-shirt, tell him I sent you. You can also see Freddie Tell him you sent them? Tell him I sent them Freddy Friday, you know? Okay, tell him Freddie sent you. Yeah. You can also see Freddy's You cracking up. Yeah, you're making me crack up, alright. You can also see Freddy's archives of jokes and stories at Freddy Friday's Story Funtime on Instagram and at Freddy Friday on YouTube. And that's built F-R-E-D-D-I-E people, you know. And what do we always say, Perduta? What do we say, Freddy? Until next time on the Bay Right Digest Play.
SPEAKER_20We're feeding hair.
SPEAKER_31My name is Tony Cristiano. My store is Nuno's Pizza. I'm on 88 16 Third Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I had a lot of cousins, two cousins that own pizzeria. My aunt owned a pizzeria as well. So I picked up on the field early. Just stuck with me, and I just continued to keep going with it. And then on top of that, no offense, but school was not really for me. So I uh But you were hanging out in the pizzeria's from the house. Oh since I was a kid, I was delivering, I was making pizza, I was selling pizza, I was doing the counter. I did the whole nine. I even worked in the kitchen sometimes. My cousin had a pizza that was out in Long Island. It was called Rosemarie's, but they retired. I worked there for a while. Then I worked at Itali Pizza, which is actually still there on West 6 and King's Highway. Worked there for about a good couple years, was doing deliveries and also doing behind the counter. This is not family-owned, but I worked at La Villa. Pizza Diamore 2 was another one I worked at.
SPEAKER_18So before Nona's open here, do you remember what was here on the spot before you?
SPEAKER_31Yes, it was another pizzeria. It was called Bongusto. It's been a pizzeria here for I'll gonna say close to 40, 50 years now. So when I first bought the place, they left the awning, the sign. We took it down to put our new flush sign. When we took it down, I guess no one decides to take the other signs down. So they just kept building on top of it. So when I took everything down, it says San Joe's, bon gusto, and I think there was one more pizzeria. I forgot what that one was, but that was from like the 80s. So that was a cool experience, and it's yes, it's been a pizzeria since then.
SPEAKER_18So you're gonna be at the Taste of Third Avenue March 28th. What are you doing at Taste of Third Avenue?
SPEAKER_31So at Taste Third Avenue, we're gonna bring our homemade vodka sauce, where pasta, which we now actually have in gluten-free if anyone wanted. And then on top of that, we also make homemade fresh focaccia bread. The first one we're gonna do is gonna be grilled chicken, fresh salon, and roasted peppers with a little balsamic. And then the next one's gonna be lettuce, grilled chicken, and honey mustard, and mayo one, which is actually very delicious. And so I'm gonna put that out. Hopefully, everyone likes it, and we'll take it from there. What's your most requested slice? Ooh, that's a good question. Buffalo chicken is very popular with the younger crowd. But then I have like a mushroom and onion slice, which is very popular. Zucchini with the bacon, and our grandma nonetheless, actually, with the crushed pumped tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, a little garlic and oil, die for. I think those are pretty much our biggest sellers for now. Obviously, our regular, but the specialty slices, that's been our biggest movers.
SPEAKER_19Do you have any memory of like the weirdest thing anybody ever said? Can you do a custom this?
SPEAKER_31Oh god. I mean, people would order like pineapple, like anchovies someone got one time. Which is actually sounds disgusting to me. So I don't know, but to them, I guess they liked it. They came back for it more and more often. That was probably the most bizarre order I've gotten yet. Anchovies of pineapple. Yeah, right. Well, the pineapple.
SPEAKER_09I mean, I get it with the ham, you know. I don't know.
SPEAKER_31I get it with the ham and the pepperoni, but when you ate it with the anchovies, I'm like, nah, that's a little crazy now. It's salt and the sweet. Yeah, yeah. You're all over the place. Right, yeah. But they liked it, so I sell it.
SPEAKER_18What are some of your most non-pizza selling items?
SPEAKER_31Our chicken color farm heroes are a very big seller, chicken color farm dishes. Our grilled chicken Caesar wrap is very big on the menu. And again, with that, I just got gluten-free wrap, so that's now on the list. Big ziti, lasagna. We make fresh, everyone loves that. We're available on slice, Grab Hub, Beyond Menu, Uber Eats, DoorDash. So that's normally where people would most likely find my menus. And at Nona's Pizza on Instagram.
SPEAKER_18In the very first episode of the Bay Ridge Digital Podcast, I imagine taking a walk along the Belly Parkway with IPAP one grey evening. It was April 3rd, 2018. How do I know? I spent a lot of time shooting photos back then. The fog was so thick, I couldn't see the Staten Island Tower of the Verizontal Bridge. And it makes sense. At the time, I felt like I could barely see what was in front of me. My heart is definitely in these first episodes of the Bay Ridge Digest podcast. I think in order for this show to keep growing, I need to include my soul too. I'm an only child. I grew up in a house in Bensonhurst with four generations of family under one roof. My grandparents were born in 1941 and 44. My great grandmother was in my life until I was twenty-four years old. I grew up on Cherry Street in the Lower East Side. I loved to sit with her playing cards, eating bagels with country croc shed spread. And listening to stories about her Italian immigrant parents. Living through the Depression and World War II. She had mixed feelings about Mussolini and was a deep supporter of FDR. She loved Lawrence Welk and watched Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Her father was a believer in women's rights and a huge New York Giants baseball fan. He died of a heart attack on June twenty-sixth, nineteen fifty-one, one hundred days before Bobby Thompson shot her around the world. Tough, outspoken, smart, takes no guff from anyone. She once told me that in middle school, she liked to appear meek on the first day so the bullies would pick on her, just so she could beat up the bullies. She told me the story with a gleam in her eye. Her husband, my grandfather, was the person I spent the most time with. He was the ninth of eleven kids from an Irish Catholic family in Sunset Park. Played baseball, went to Coney Island in all seasons, and eventually he introduced me to the Golden Age of Radio on Christmas Day, 1999. An NBC science fiction program called X-One. I was thirteen and instantly hooked.
SPEAKER_15X minus five, four, three, two, X minus one, fire. From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribe tales of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of the future. Adventures in which you'll live in a million could be years on a thousand, maybe worlds. The National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with Street and Smith, publishers of astounding science fiction, presents.
SPEAKER_18Thanks to him, I've spent the past 27 years listening to Golden Age of Radio shows. Be they comedy, drama, detective Western soap opera, news broadcasts, or otherwise. That sensibility shows up in my work. Occasionally someone with my last name would crop up. Like on the Saturday, May 12th, 1951 episode of Broadway is my beat. Funny enough, the first time I ever heard this episode, I was having lunch with my grandparents in their kitchen.
SPEAKER_17She doesn't know what she's talking about.
SPEAKER_27You lied to me, George Scully. You said you took your coat to the cleaners and you never did. When I was in there the day, the cleaner man asked me about you. Said you hadn't been in for such a long time.
SPEAKER_17I told you a little white lie, Louise. I lost my coat.
SPEAKER_16Walked in and took your coat when you had it off. Well, when it's hot, a man takes off his coat. But your keys are in the pocket. Why didn't you report it to the police?
SPEAKER_27That's why you couldn't report it.
SPEAKER_17I was only drinking with her in a box.
SPEAKER_27I don't care what you were doing.
SPEAKER_28After all, you promise. George, you're a murderer.
SPEAKER_18And then Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. I got my degree in communications design. And figured I'd spend my career working as an art director. For that whole damn life. I felt like a salmon swimming upstream. In 2014, I was co-running an online art collective called The Wall Breakers when I began an interview podcast called Breaking Walls. Welcome to the debut edition of Breaking Walls, the Wall Breakers podcast. My name is James Kelly. I'll be over time, Breaking Walls slowly evolved. Eventually with episode 75. It became a docupodcast on the history of U.S. network radio broadcasting. I did one of these per month for seven years, beginning in February of 2018. And that brings us to April of 2018. That night I was listening to an episode of The Shadow, which aired on October 24th, 1937. It starred a twenty two-year-old Orson Wells as Lamont Cranston. He was a wealthy man about town by day, who by night uses powers of mesmer, learned in the Orient, to cloud evildoers' minds so they can't see him. Agnes Moorhead was his lovely companion, Margot Lane. The shadow predates Batman. In a surreal moment while walking along the water, a ridge was suddenly mentioned.
SPEAKER_00Margot Lane. Stand by for orders. Jerry Gleason has escaped from his house. But I have followed him to the waterfront. And I know where he's going. Get word to Commissioner Weston. Time is short. I accept Saudi's challenge. Send harbor police to the freighter Albora Castle, which lies in the harbor, just off favorite shore, ready to sail.
SPEAKER_18In this episode, a drug peddling dancer comes to town. It turns out she's the niece of the man who trained Lamotte. She has the same powers and knows his true identity. You know, it's funny how there's always someone who knows our secrets. But only we know who we truly are inside. Or at least who we want to be.
SPEAKER_29So it is you. Have I not somewhere in the past seen your face and known your name? I think so. Did you enjoy yourself tonight?
SPEAKER_00I warn you, Sati Belladar. Leave the Gleason boy alone. The boy to whom you give the evil drug.
SPEAKER_29I have no fear of you, Shadow Side. I hold a greater power.
SPEAKER_18At the time I was living at 9269 Shore Road on the corner of Oliver Street. I was two months into making these radio documentaries. I was also out of work. The documentaries gave me direction, but like the Verizano Bridge on that evening, I could barely see it. Man, I wanted to. And no one likes to be broke or broken. But I was finally learning to trust in myself. Who knew it would eventually take me here, finding community and deeper purpose with the Bay Ridge Digest Podcast in Bay Ridge. Well, I wasn't lucky enough to know him, but I guess Frank Griffin would. He spent six decades publishing the Home Reporter, understanding that in order to be part of the community, you've got to put yourself in it. And if you want to put yourself in it, you gotta ask people questions. So there's plenty of time to tell more of my story. And it's not the main reason I'm publishing the Beyridge Digest Podcast anyway. You are. And so I'll ask you, my listener, what were you doing in April of 2018? What have you done in moments when you felt lost to find your way forward? Whom did you rely on? I'd like to know, and if you wouldn't mind the world knowing, please send your responses to me. I'll read some of them in upcoming episodes of the Bay Ridge Digest Podcast. Smit them to me through the form at BayridgeDigest.com. And hey, you never know who's listening and who it could help see through the fog. You can contact me for a consultation at James at the Wallbreakers.com. If you're a regular listener of the Bavers Digest Podcast, and you hear everything from fully produced history segments to wacky jokes, thanks, Freddy, to narrative interviews. Here's a commercial spot. Special thanks to Brett Solomini for lending his vocal talent. See what else he's been up to at Brett Underscore Solomini on Instagram. That's B R E T T underscore S O L I M I N E think I finally lost.
SPEAKER_24Hello, sir. You what do you want? You know what I want. How could I possibly? You're roaming through the city. You have a voice. Use it. I'm trying to use it. Ah.
SPEAKER_18But are you using it correctly? What do you mean? Isn't it obvious? Script writing. Narrative nonfiction, audio fiction, editing, producing, mixing, directing, acting.
SPEAKER_22What does this have to do with you following me through the street on a rainy night? Have you utilized any of this?
SPEAKER_18No? Well then, it's time you launched a podcast or at least some kind of audio production.
SPEAKER_21Why would I need to do that?
SPEAKER_18You're in one already.
SPEAKER_21I am?
SPEAKER_18What do you think this is? Stalking! No, you're in my commercial spot. I'm James Scully. I do all these things.
SPEAKER_21Wait, you mean you wrote, directed, produced, and mixed this?
SPEAKER_18Yep. Reach me at James at the Wallbreakers.com.
SPEAKER_24Well do I get paid for my time at least?
SPEAKER_10I hope you like pepperoni on your pizza. Oh my god, I love it.
SPEAKER_08It's literally my favorite season, not just because it's my birthday, but I I mean it's spring, you know, after a long winter, it's beautiful, but I always get like a sense of happiness, motivation during the springtime. We decided fully on opening up the Pilates Studio in the springtime. You know, it's just new beginnings. I'm just super excited for the warmer weather. My birthday. And growing the business and like really getting involved in the community.
SPEAKER_18This is Shaki Usarova.
SPEAKER_08Hi, I'm Shocky, the owner of Boutique Pilates. We're located in 7908 Third Avenue. We opened up in September.
SPEAKER_18As you just heard, Shocky and her husband own boutique Pilates at 7908 Third Avenue. For those who don't necessarily know though, what exactly is Pilates?
SPEAKER_08Great question. Well, basically, Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise. It mostly focuses on alignment, control, breath, and most importantly, mind-body connection. Most people think that it's mostly about core strength, but the intention of Pilates is to make your body feel strong as a whole. So you have better balance, better flexibility, your alignment, your posture. So it treats the body as a whole and basically tries to make you feel good in your everyday life. It's not necessarily just to build strength. It's more than that.
SPEAKER_18So Shaki, where do you come from?
SPEAKER_08I grew up in, well, till I was 10 years old. I was back home in Uzbekistan. It's a country, yeah, in Central Asia.
SPEAKER_19My friend's texting me is from Uzbekistan.
SPEAKER_08Oh yeah? Yeah, well, I moved back from Uzbekistan, moved to the US with my family when I was 10. Grew up in Sheepsead Bay, went to school in New York City, and then moved to Bay Ridge three years ago before I had my baby.
SPEAKER_18So what was Shocky's first Pilates experience?
SPEAKER_08The first time I took a Pilates class was in 2019. I do have to mention I used to dance ballet when I was younger. So I was 18 years old, recreationally, not professionally. So I was kind of used to certain principles of Pilates, used to the group setting. And after I stopped dancing, I tried different types of exercise, either going to the gym, running, Zumba. But when I tried Pilates for the first time in 2019, I fell in love with it. I thought it was incredible. I loved how low impact it was, where I could just go on about my day after. I feel good, I feel energized, but I'm not, you know, huffing and puffing, like, oh, I need to go take a shower, wash my hair. It's low maintenance in that sense. So fell in love with it.
SPEAKER_19When you were taking ballet as a kid, would you classify that as low impact or is that super high impact ballet?
SPEAKER_08I would classify ballet as both. Of course, it's been so long since I've last, you know, danced or did anything ballet, but it was low impact enough. The flexibility, posture, control, and alignment is there in ballet, which is similar to Pilates as well.
SPEAKER_18If you're in Bay Ridge and interested in Pilates, you might already be aware that there aren't exactly a ton of Pilates studios here in the neighborhood.
SPEAKER_08I'm traveling all the way to Sheepsa Bay to go to a Pilates studio while living in Bay Ridge. So all of these things kind of come together. Where me and my husband one they randomly were like, wait a minute, why don't we open up one here? He wanted to open up a studio, build a community of women and where they can make friends. I'm kind of in this point in my career, like, what do I do? Do I change? And also, hey, like every single day you're going traveling on the belt, you know, back and forth. Because we definitely needed one. There wasn't much here. We saw a need. So kind of all of that came together and we decided to, you know, hey, let's do it.
SPEAKER_18Although Shocky now owns the studio, she also has a day job.
SPEAKER_08I'm a software engineer, which is one of the reasons why it pushed me to open up a Pilates studio. Well, I love my job, I love my career, and where I've gotten. But the issue for me with software engineering is that there's really no room for creativity or human connection. So it's just me and the computer and the code all day. But I'm a pretty social person and I think I'm a very creative person who loves movement. So it kind of got to a point in my career where I was not super happy. I thought for a long time maybe to do something completely different, but a part of me loves, you know, what I do. So opening this studio kind of made me very, very happy because this was an outlet where I could exercise my creativity, I get to meet people, build community, and just makes me happy overall. And which makes me appreciate my day job more. Because now I'm like, okay, so this is a time where I just I'm in a bubble and I just focus, me and the code, and and just like a break from the socialization that needs to happen when you run a business.
SPEAKER_18So, how did Shocky and her husband find the space at 7908 Third Avenue?
SPEAKER_08Exactly a year ago, we got serious about yeah, we need to do this. Literally two days after my husband and I were like, okay, we're gonna do everything in our power to open it up. He came across this space. We loved the location of it. The next day we contacted our realtor, we looked at the space. It was amazing because the landlord was already doing a lot of work on it. Upgrade the ACs, the flooring, and it was great because I had like a vision that I wanted for it to look like. So all of this design is my Pinterest board, basically. And she was gonna install floors, and I showed her what I basically wanted, which was great because then she installed the colors that I wanted for the floors. But then basically, there was a lot of work that was being done on her end. So I was supposed to get control of the space and start my renovations in May, but I got possession of the space mid-July, but that's okay, and I think that happens in any business and anything in general. We basically signed the lease April 1st. We got possession of the space mid-July, and we started our renovations, which was all of the cosmetic things that you see. We repointed the brick, made it look nice, and that took a long time, you know, all these little things.
SPEAKER_19So, what was your opening day?
SPEAKER_08First day of classes was September 15th, and our grand opening party was September 21st.
SPEAKER_18Okay, so Boutique Pilates has been open for a little over six months. What has surprised shock you the most since opening?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, so I was, you know, living here. I wasn't I had a newborn, so it was just me and the park and back home. So I haven't really met a lot of the people in the neighborhood, but I got to meet them through joining the merchants association, through them just being members here, talking and finding out what they do. And then we also have the Women Business Association as well, which is great because these ladies that I've met through all of this, I feel like they're kind of like mentors. Yeah, and they're also my friends. It's great. Yeah.
SPEAKER_19Yeah, there's a thriving small business community. Oh my god. It seems like it's 80% small businesses in various as well.
SPEAKER_08Wow. And I'm so pleasantly surprised. Me too. It's amazing. I mean, I knew they rich had a strong community, but the way they are supportive, the way they offer mentorship advice, take you on. I guess the most surprising part is the type of clientele that we have. They're all just so nice, so understanding, they're so positive, they're so happy that we've opened it up here. They just bring really great energy into the studio. And through clients, I've met people like Erica, like Felicia. We have these ladies that have grown up in this neighborhood who have businesses. They know a lot of people and they just, without really knowing me, are kind of like taking my hand and offering so much support. And that's not what you expect, I think. You know, when you're opening up a business, that's like the thing that you don't expect. You think that dealing with clients would be the hardest part, but it's actually the easiest.
SPEAKER_18Now we know that women who love Pilates love Pilates. But has she noticed any guys taking classes?
SPEAKER_08Way less than you know, I would want, because I think Pilates is great for everyone. Men can benefit greatly as well. It's a great addition to any other types of forms of exercise you do. If you're a runner, it's great for you. If you lift weights, it's even better. It complements your fitness routine. We do get a couple here and there. We have a few regulars, obviously, way less than the majority of our clientele. But, you know, I think the trend now is more and more men are wanting to at least try Pilates because I think the knowledge is being spread. You see these professional athletes taking Pilates classes. So I do think it has been helping in bringing in men to classes as well. You know, I think it's gonna take a while till we get to a complete 50-50.
SPEAKER_18Hey, sign me up. Uh but uh wait a minute, what am I signing up for? What kind of classes are offered at Boutique Pilates?
SPEAKER_08We offer all different classes seven days a week. During weekdays, we offer classes as early as 7 a.m. And then we go up till 12 p.m. and then we take a little bit of a break, and then we start back classes as early as 3:30 p.m. till 8.30 p.m. We're more than happy to add more classes. People want like a 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. class, more than happy to add it as long as you know there are people that are willing to take a class during that time. We've slowly been adding classes as we grow. On weekends, we have morning classes. So we start out around like 8 a.m. till 1 p.m. I think we're going to be adding more weekend classes after 1 p.m. because they're getting very busy. We also offer private one-on-one sessions. It's great for people who are a little bit, you know, nervous about taking a class or they have certain injuries that they want their instructor's full attention on. We have private events in the studio for birthday parties, bachelor ruts. We've become so busy lately. I think it's like super trendy to do the Pilates birthday parties. They've been fun. We've been getting a lot of people from Queens, from the Bronx, from Long Island for those birthday parties. And they've never been to Bay Ridge before. So that's been also nice. And then they come after the birthday, like having a class and just having a little bit like refreshments and snacks. Some of them ask for recommendations and where they could go out to eat. And I think that's also nice because we're getting a lot of these people that would have never come to Bay Ridge and they're coming and then going and exploring other like restaurants around the area, which is great. I have five main instructors. They're all great. They all have their different styles. We have a new client intro offer. It's three classes for a hundred. I tell people who are signing up for our intro offer to try out three different instructors. Because, you know, like I said, they all have their different styles. You never know who you'd really click with until you try out all three. Then you could decide whether or not it's for you. If you've never done Pilates before, try three classes at least. It takes a second to get used to it because it's a completely different form of exercise. The benefits are so great. Give it at least, you know, three times, try it out. If you still feel like this isn't for you, great. But most of the time they like it and they start understanding and they keep coming back.
SPEAKER_18Interested in signing up for classes? You can sign up in person. But if you pass by 7908 Third Avenue, you'll also notice a giant QR code on the Boutique Pilates window. Scanning it takes you to the website, which is boutiquepilatesnyc.com. You can sign up at the website by clicking on schedule. They also have their own boutique Pilates app on both the Apple and Google Play Store. You can download it, create an account, and sign up that way as well. You can also text the number 929-552-1824 to sign up for classes. By the way, boutique Pilates is right next door to the Healing Bean Cafe.
SPEAKER_08Oh, you will! Oh, we love the sign. Oh, also, if you are a boutique member, you get 10% off at Healing Bean.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so my perspective is fresh, could be inaccurate, but I feel like my first thought when you asked the question is there's a lot of families around here and a lot of cars. Feels like there's so much going on just because I feel like there's this community within itself, and Bay Ridge is just like Bay Ridge.
SPEAKER_06Well, for the one-on-one sessions and for the somatic sound therapy sessions, I tend to never anymore focus on the higher notes, like the chakras from your third eye to your crown, because we're all so usually, in most cases, overstimulated and already up in the clouds, that typically we need more grounding energy. So I'll be focusing more on the root chakras and really getting us back into our bodies again because a lot of people actually don't feel safe in their bodies anymore. So I tend to focus more on bringing the client back down into their body, making them feel safe in their body, soothing their nervous system. So I haven't really found many people that really need the crown chakra work or the third eye work. And it is something that I do ask, how are they feeling? What I've discovered through working with mentors is a lot of people are also disconnected from their feelings. So a lot of times people don't even know how they're feeling, they just need a space to actually feel again. And oftentimes I've discovered that requires being grounded for them to decide what you are actually feeling.
SPEAKER_18You're hearing some of the sounds that KT was kind enough to play for me at the Transformational Tones Studios, located on the third floor of the Green Spa and Wellness Center at 8804 Third Avenue.
SPEAKER_05And we got the chime.
SPEAKER_18What brought KT to Brooklyn?
SPEAKER_06I've been working on a project, KT the Alchemist, for a while, and I've been infusing sound bowls and spoken word with music, recording with producers for a while. I still am really into the arts. So I was doing blacklight immersive art experiences. And at the time I was running a business in Pennsylvania, going back and forth from LA to Pennsylvania to Syracuse, just doing things nationwide. And I really want to spend more time with like friends and family on the East Coast. And I just got a little burnout going back and forth to LA. I'm like, well, it'd be cool just to come to Brooklyn because the art scene is really cool here. And there's a lot of talented musicians. So I took a day trip to Brooklyn and I saw a lot of cool art studios. And I visited this apartment complex called Castlebraid in Bushwick, this art gallery apartment building. And I was like, oh wow, this is a really cool place to live. And right next door, there is a studio called 110 Studios where they were doing woodwork stuff. They were developing photos. Because in high school, I was a photographer and I would develop my own photos. Like, wow, there's so much creativity around here. I want to be part of this. And how do I plant my seed here to also grow these creative people? As far as how I landed in Bay Ridge, I actually had to take a break from Brooklyn because I was having health issues. I went blind in my right eye. Some days I couldn't get out of bed. I was really struggling. Doctors couldn't find out what was wrong with me. So I went back home to upstate. And I just kind of got this nudge from God of the universe one day. And it was like, call studios, call studios, start doing events again. So I typed in studios in Brooklyn and I made two phone calls. Bianca at the front desk at the Green Spa was like, oh yeah, we have a studio space for rent. And then she connected me with the owners Maria and Sheila. And I just showed up in Bay Ridge. I originally just wanted to rent a space for events. I didn't know I was going to do a whole studio. And then Sheila really saw something in me at the time. She's like, hey, you're into so much things. You know about Ayurveda. You're a businesswoman. You have all this knowledge about healing and sound and art. What would you think about possibly being a co-partner? We have to have a lot more talks, but it was really what Sheila saw in me, and then I saw in them how they were supportive, and I was looking for co-partners to collaborate with. And it just kind of happened naturally. I had actually never been to Bay Ridge before. So that was my first time coming to Bay Ridge, looking at the studio, meeting Sheila, and I just took a chance. My right eye is not the same, but now I can see much better. And I have to have stronger contacts than the one right eye. But I'm so blessed. I want to cry thinking about it because I laid in bed for weeks. I wasn't able to drive. They told me my eyesight might never come back again. And I got this laser surgery and my eye started to heal. My eye had an infection in it, and the infection got really bad. Then my eye turned white. But if you wake up every day and realize if you're able to see out of both your eyes, that's such a gift in itself. I had to really work through that illness because at one point I thought, well, what if I lose my eyeball? My whole eyeball was turning white. But I can see out of it today.
SPEAKER_18KT and Katie have a strong connection, bonded by both mutual trust and a willingness to trust in positive energy and take chances. So when did transformational tones begin to establish itself in Bay Ridge?
SPEAKER_06It was June 2025. That was when it was just an idea. It was just an idea. Yeah. All her friends are like, that's a bad idea to do that. But her and I are a good kind of crazy. We're like, no, we can do anything. And because I had her support, I was like, yeah, we can do this. And because I had the green spa support, Sheila, Maureen, Maria, who became our co-partners, and they're also coaches, are like, yeah, let's do this. So originally we didn't open the doors to the public. We are just doing it from June up until January, small intimate events, one-on-one sessions. Schools were coming here like teachers and doctors, and we were having these experiences in our studio. And then Katie and I decided that it was now time to make the space open to the public, which is what we did in February.
SPEAKER_18I asked the ladies how they balance trying to connect with themselves and the world on a deeper level with the need to, you know, pay bills, which can sometimes create, I don't know, low vibrational stress.
SPEAKER_06I appreciate that you brought up, oh, that's lower vibrational, because what we're experiencing in today's world is toxic spirituality bypassing, where if you feel something and you're honest about it, like, hey, I'm having this experience, that's low vibrational. But part of the human experience is the duality. You're not always gonna feel good. I think that we need to have more conversations about the shadow side of, hey, I'm actually not feeling good today, and that's okay. I tend to believe that's kind of my gift, where I will sit down with people and I will tell them what I'm experiencing, what I'm feeling, and I'll eat I'll often do it with people we work with, the people we put on shows together, the people I make music with. I'm honest with my co-partners about that. And what I found is through being honest about my experience and my mental health, it opens the doors for others to feel safe talking about what they're feeling. And as an entrepreneur, some days I don't feel grounded. And it's my responsibility to wake up, like, okay, how can I feel the best today? And it really does come down to routine. What I've been mastering is waking up earlier with the sun, getting out of bed, not necessarily going right to your phone, drinking water with lemon or tea, having oatmeal for breakfast, listening to something positive. But the thing is, that can't always be perfect because we're human. And I think that we're getting away from the day of the guru where I'm this high vibrational being and I don't ever experience contrast. So you have to be like me. And then when people aren't positive, they feel like they're failing. And I want to separate myself to be like, hey, actually, sometimes I feel the same way, and this is a safe space to show up as you are, and like, let's work on this together. Let's work through these feelings so then we can raise the collective consciousness and understand even if you're not feeling good, or let's say you're in a bad mood, there's nothing wrong with you. There's a lot going on in this world. It's a high-pressure society, and I don't believe we were meant to really hold as much as we do and have access to all these things that are always in our face. So it's so natural to like feel what we're feeling, but then you have these spiritual gurus are like, no, be positive. Well, I want to let you know it's okay to have these feelings and let's come back down into our bodies and feel what you're feeling and know that it's a safe experience to feel whatever pain you're going through and alchemize that into purpose.
SPEAKER_18Now that they're open to the public, Katie Meisner is teaching an art for joy class.
SPEAKER_05I think that I'm just a naturally creative artistic human. I've always liked projects or just painting or crafts. Growing up, I like kind of knew that, but I also could just feel the business side of my brain. And then when I went through high school, went to college, I was like, you know what? If you take art and you take business, that's advertising. And so that's where my passion in art and business comes together through that process of business advertising, business art. I still liked the projects. So as I was working on my advertising degree, I chose to also get an art minor. So I do have a bachelor's in advertising and a minor art. I always used to think to myself, I want to advertise and advertise and advertise until I get too old that I want to be like an old little art teacher for kids. So it's kind of ironic that when Katie, I want to say her idea first. What if you taught an art class at the studio? We put together Art for Joy. It's an art class. I like to take it personally more of a group craft project. I want everyone to just come together and I will have an idea. For example, last Sunday we did an event. I printed out a picture of a half-drawn girl and I had a bunch of markers, and everyone got together and sat in a big circle, and we all drew the other half of the girl and then made up a secret that the girl had, and then all went around and showed our pictures and told what the girl's secret was. So we're doing a craft together and socializing and laughing and listening to music versus come to this art class.
SPEAKER_06You're working on getting certified in art therapy. And one thing we learned through being entrepreneurs together, you can't have it be clinical art therapy. So now we call it creative wellness. And you have to have clinical notes. Although we are working with an art therapist now, and she only does pop-ups every once in a while. So we mainly stick to the creative wellness. Which I like. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I think it's a great term for art.
SPEAKER_18So, what are some of the other classes Transformational Tones is offering? How do they set the mood?
SPEAKER_06We do sound baths, we do somatic sound therapy, we do red light yoga, vinyasa glow. A lot of our classes, you come and you experience the lights because for me, it's always been very healing to be in the black lights. It's a nervous system regulation. Same with the red light therapy.
SPEAKER_05We also are doing more pop-up events. Through this journey, we are realizing that yes, we have classes, but also back to our roots, we love events. The first one that we did in the studio, I would say it was a success. It was a great time. And somehow we got 22 people in here. We just honestly promoted it for a week, which is a very small amount of time. Each of our instructors had a 30-minute slot, and everyone could just come and go. And like whether you stopped in during the 30 minutes of yoga or 30 minutes of art or 30 minutes of sound bath, it was a great way to see a quick glimpse of everything that the studio has to offer. And from that, we're like, well, that was so great, amazing, successful, and fun. Let's do some more of that. Now we're working towards having like a monthly event schedule or monthly pop-up schedule where each of the instructors can have their own event, which we are putting together for April. And then going forward, who knows? I mean, we could do like a duo event. Or honestly, the options are endless when it comes to pop-up ideas, as long as it falls in that art music sound category.
SPEAKER_06I love to offer herbal drinks too. I do this thing called golden milk in the winter, and then in the summer do lavender lemonade, and then we'll make that part of the class. My signature is Thumb Bath Sunday. I've been doing that since 2020. It was my way of supporting people during the pandemic. I originally was streaming it, and then it got really popular through streams, and then I was like, wow, people really like this. I'm gonna create an event out of it, and then we would do a full-day EDM lineup where it would be black light art, movement, herbal drinks, and then listening to music, and then a sound bath at the end, and then everyone would go home feeling refreshed and wake up feeling good the next day, versus oh, I feel awful. I drank all night, it was fun with the music, but now it's Monday and I feel like trash. So that was my way of trying to create more sober, fun experience with all the elements that people love and people leave feeling grounded and refreshed versus oh my body, I hurt, I'm throwing up, you know.
SPEAKER_18What's going on in April?
SPEAKER_06April's gonna be such a busy month in Bay Ridge. We're gonna have tons of pop-up events and we have two classes a week, and it's really fun. We're gonna do a special announcement where I will be available for two days only, where people can come get somatic sound therapy sessions. I learned about somatic sound therapy through Niage. She is an incredible mentor. You can only get mentored for somatic sound therapy through her. It's trademarked. So I'm gonna start offering what she taught me here at the Bay Ridge Studio. Nobody else is offering it in New York State, and we're gonna be doing a special announcement where people can come work with me, get their one-on-one sessions. And I'll be doing one group sound bath class led by me personally. So that's gonna be announced very soon.
SPEAKER_18Some April dates. On Monday, April 6th, Transformational Tones will host Mix and Art Monday. On Saturday, April 11th, Plant the Seed, a Community Flower Mandala. On Friday, April 17th, an immersive art and vibrational experience. This at the Sultan Room. On Saturday, April 18th, an Aries New Moon ceremony. On Monday, April 20th, a Green Light Special. And on Thursday, April 30th, April Awakening. You can follow Transformational Tones on Instagram at Transformational Tones. To see the complete list of classes, please go to TransformationalTones.com, click on the location drop down and select Brooklyn. In fact, give the whole website a read to find out more than what we covered here. And be on the lookout for those events. And also the incredibly popular Soundbath Sundays. You can follow KT at KT underscore the underscore alchemist8, and that's the numeral eight on Instagram. And follow Katie Meisner at KT Media Agency. Only in the basement though. But when you say almost the home as if they were through the wall, like it was next door or something.
SPEAKER_04And then I would hear like someone would be walking in the dining room. But in a house, not just like the house. Walking back and forth.
SPEAKER_18Looking for something to do this Friday, March 27th at 6 p.m. Come on the special leading of my haunted Bay Ridge Walking Tour. The reading material used in today's episode included Monitor Take Two by Dennis Hart, as well as articles from Bay RidgeFlag Court.com, The Bay Ridge Home Reporter, Brownstoner.com, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Daily News, The New York Times, and Pastdaily.com, thank you to the guests Samia Aljami, Prissy Canny, Tony Cristiano, Tani Gibalaro Malone, Hassan Haider, Katie Meisner, Caitlin Tassone, and Shaki Usarova. A special thank you to contributing journalist Sarah Barculi and her on LinkedIn. That's S-A-R-A-D-A-R-K-O-U-L-I. I've got tours coming up on March 27th, March 29th, April 12th, and April 18th. For tickets and more info on all my tours, go to Linktree slash the Wallbreakers. That's L-A-N-K-T-R.ee slash the Wallbreakers. Or follow either my at Bay Ridge Digest or at the Wallbreakers Instagram accounts. If you're interested in more info about advertising rates or other various audio production capabilities, please go to thewallbreakers.com or email me at james at thewallbreakers.com. For more info on how to submit a story lead, please go to BayridgeDigest.com. You can also get in touch by emailing Bayridge Digest at gmail.com. So until April 9th, my name is James Scully. This has been the Bayridge Digest Podcast episode 11. And I'll catch you on the flip side. Thank you very much.