Henna Designs: Some Subtle, Others Flamboyant

9th Ave. Elevated

By Claudie Benjamin A dragon, peacock or band of intricate lace drawn on your hands, arms, small of your back, base of your collarbone.  What’s your pleasure?  Shaira Halani who goes by Saira professionally, has been working as a henna artist and specialist in...

Commitment to Immigrants Needing Legal Representation

Community Activist, West 72nd Street

By Claudie Benjamin   Not long ago Attorney Laurence Borten was reading an article in The New York Times illustrated by what he thought was quite an extraordinary image.  Then, he says, “I saw from the credits that the photographer was one of my...

Alterations with Finesse and Heart

West 72nd Street

By Claudie Benjamin   There are many folk and fairy tales where the magic lies in transforming simple threads into garments of gold and silver.  Luxury tailoring is the hallmark of Alteration Specialists, a business created in 2014 by two brothers who saw a...

“Shady Cash”

50 West 66th Street, CENTRAL dARK

New York Post Journalist Jennifer Gould digs into the $127 million financing connections of 50 West 66th Street and another midtown development in her article “How Shady Kazakh Cash is Building NYC’s Poshest Pads” and even throws at bit of shade at...

The Call You Make When School Lets Your Child Down

West 72nd Street

By Claudie Benjamin When Steven Goldstein, Esq., describes the difficulties, some children have as they struggle to learn, he gives examples of various alternatives to the conventional approach used in the schools that works for some, but not all children. For...