The Lower East Side Is Not What It Used To Be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas, anymore."
                                              --Judy Garland as Dorothy in "The Wizard Of
                                           Oz," 1939

                               That is how I felt yesterday, darlings, as I strolled through this part of town I hardly venture into.  But my beloved was taking a job enhancement test at a nearby school, and we were going to meet up with Auntie Alvin for lunch.  Which is how I found myself on the corner of Broome and Essex Streets, waiting for them to pick me up!  Like a common prostitute, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Can you imagine?

                                 I was terrified!  I mean, I was way out of my comfort zone.  You see, I am just an Uptown Girl, living in an Uptown World!!!!!!!!!!  Downtown is something else!

                                   Remember how this area was portrayed in movies like "Crossing Delancey," and "Enemies: A Love Story?"  It really used to be that way!  A heavy Jewish influence.  That is gone.  Now, it is all Yupsville, with fashion shops charging fifteen thousand dollars for some frou-frou thing, start-up hipsters trying to establish themselves in venture after venture that will go South, and the further encroachment of Chinatown.  Not a bad thing, but where is the diversity that was?

                                   Sure, Russ And Daughters is still there.  They catered my beloved's bar mitzvah, I'll have you know.  But, would you believe, they wanted us to wait an hour and forty five minutes?????????  Me???????????  For Kasha Varnishkes and Pickled Herring In Cream Sauce??????????  Get this--I tried to use MY influence!!!!!!!!  I told them I was The Raving Queen!
The hostess wouldn't listen, though one cute waiter, who must know, yelled "Yeah!" at the mention of this blog.  But an hour and three quarters wait???????????  I don't have to go through this, at Sarabeth's!!!!!!!!!!!!  But that is the Upper East Side, where I am more comfortable.

                                      Next, we thought we'd try Katz' Deli, where I had been several years before, and where the famous scene--you all know it, darlings--from "When Harry Met Sally" was filmed!  The line was all the way down the street.  Forget The Raving Queen, honey!  He doesn't need this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         After Auntie Alvin walked our feet off, we ended up at Congee Village on Allen Street.  I loved the almost Tiki-esque quality of the decor, the green plants on the ceiling, and the food was scrumptious and plentiful.  My Hot and Sour Soup, combined with the Chicken With Garlic Sauce I had, opened my sinuses up so much, I was ready to sing "Norma!" at the Met, that night!   But I didn't!
Instead, afterwards, we bade a fond farewell to Auntie Alvin, and hightailed it back to Brooklyn!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         Who knows what the Lower East Sid will be the next time I go?  Of course, how soon will that be???????  Not too, after yesterday, I can tell you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           When will our culture learn what Martha Scott said in "The Turning Point--"
 "Tradition is continuity, and continuity is tradition??????????"