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Childcare on Upper West Side: The River School

My 3 year old son has been going to the River School for the past year and he absolutely loves it.  The teachers and administrators are great, the facilities are wonderful, the activities are a lot of fun, and the kids have a great time and learn a lot.

Indoor Ferris Wheel and 34-feet Long Animatronic T-Rex in Times Square: Toys R' Us

The Toy's R Us in Time Square is a really fun place to spend a few hours with the kids. It's like a mini amusement park with an indoor ferris wheel, 5 ton, 20-feet high, 34-feet long animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex, and many many great things to see and buy.

Digital Camera: Canon PowerShot SD800 7.1MP

I had to buy the perfect digital camera in order to capture all the magical moments with my 2 year old son. The Canon PowerShot SD800 answered the call. Not only does it take great photos,  but it also takes great videos.

All-in-One Color Printer/Fax/Copier/Scanner: Brother MFC-665cw

I wanted to get a basic "all-in-one" device that prints color&bw photos/docs, copies, faxes, and scans. The Brother MFC-665cw has done a good job for me and it is even wireless.

Great Hotel at Disney World (Florida): Polynesian Resort

If you're looking for the perfect hotel/resort to stay at during your Disney World vacation, then go ahead and book a stay at the Polynesian Resort. It is terrific !!!

Fun Activity for Kid's Birthday Party: "Disney Cars" Pinata

I wanted to find a fun activity for my son's 3 year old birthday. He's a big of the Disney film, "Cars", so I decided to buy a "Disney Cars Pinata. " My son and all his friends absolutely loved it.

Thomas the Tank Engine Festival

If your kids are big fans of Thomas the Tank Engine, like my son is, then you should definitely go to the "Thomas the Tank Engine" festival in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where they have a real, life size Thomas that you can ride in, as well as a lot of activities and festivities celebrating Thomas.

Good Web Site for Dad's: InteractiveDad.com

I came across a very useful web site for dads which has a wealth of useful info. Interactive Dad Magazine - Free online magazine for dads focusing on family and finance.  Updated daily.

Safety Gate for Baby: Summer Infant's Extra Tall Walk Thru Gate

I installed Summer Infant's "Sure and Secure Extra Tall Walkthru Gate" in my apartment and it has done a very good job for my family.

Japanese Restaurant with Buffet: Todai

If you want to have a great all-you-can-eat buffet of Japanese food, then Todai is the place for you.

Swim Class for Children: Crunch Gym at 75 West End

My 2 1/2 year old little boy is enrolled at a swimming class at the Crunch Gym at 75 West End Ave (63rd Street). It's a great swimming pool and he loves the class.

Real Estate Agent to Rent Your Apt: Douglas Gomez, Halstead

I hired Douglas Gomez, a real estate agent with Halstead, to handle finding a tenant for my apartment in the West Village. Douglas did a very good job for me. We discussed our plans up front (e.g. when to have open houses, what type of tenant I wanted and what type I didn't want, where to advertise etc) and Douglas executed very well and I got a tenant in a couple of weeks. As the landlord, I did not pay a fee for his services as that is covered by the tenant.

Gymnastics Class for Toddlers: Chelsea Piers "Tumblin' Tots" Class

My 2 1/2 year old has been going to gymnastics class every Saturday morning for the past few months at Chelsea Piers. He's in the Tumblin' Tots class and really enjoys it. There are different gym apparatus for them to climb on and activities for them to participate in. They also have rock climbing for the kids.

Contractor: Eddy Sigcha / ESGC

So it's true that most contractors are absolutely awful. However, Eddy Sigcha of ESGC is one of the few really good ones. He's worked on a few projects for me (renovated my kitchen, bathroom, built my kitchen cabinet etc) in the city and everything turned out very well. He's very dependable and responsive.

Moving Company: All Star Moving & Storage

All Star Moving did a good job for me on my move from the West Village to the Upper West Side. Everything went quite smoothly.

Refrigerator: Fisher Paykel E522B

I purchased a Fisher Paykel E522B for my newly renovated kitchen. It's terrific, looks nice, and is a cabinet-depth, free-standing refrigerator that's a perfect size for NYC apartments.

Fun Place for Kids: Riverside Park South

Riverside Park South on the west side of Manhattan between 72nd and 59th streets is an awesome place to spend a day with your kids. There's a great pier to hang out at, birds and ducks to feed, beautiful sitting areas, basketball courts, and a boat basin nearby.

DVD: "Equilibrium" - A futuristic action film with innovative fight scenes

Equilibrium takes place in a future where all forms of feeling are outlawed and a man (Christian Bale) in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system. Very unique and stylistic fight scenes, complimented within an interesting storyline, make this a must-see film.

Range Hood: Kobe RA-038

The Kobe RA-038 is a terrific under-cabinet range hood that is recirculating. This is the idealrange hood for my wife because it's ideal for handling Chinese cooking and is the perfect size for our kitchen.

Rental Home on Kauai, Hawaii: Sunset Makai Hale

If you're planning on a trip to Hawaii to get away from the cold, then the Sunset Makai Hale on Kauai is a beautiful ocean-front home that can be rented. It's a magical place and I rented it for a week in 2000 for my wedding and got married on the premises.

Mortgage/Loan Officer: Melora Love

I got my mortgage for my recent Co-op purchase from Melora Love, Senior Loan Officer at JP Morgan Chase. She made the mortgage process a breeze and was a pleasure to work with. 
melora.love@chase.com

NYC Real Estate Lawyer: Ed O' Hanlon

Ed O' Hanlon, Kiefer & Hahn, is a NYC real estate lawyer who helped me with my recent Co-op purchase on the Upper West Side. He was terrific and I highly recommend him.
eohanlon@kh-ny.com

Bathroom&Kitchen Equipment/Supplies: New York Replacements

New York Replacement Parts is the Best. My wife and I spent a lot of time going to different showrooms and bathroom&kitchen dealers to look for sinks, fixtures, towel rods etc and they were all awful. Fortunately, we found New York Replacement Parts at 465 Lexington (94th street). We bought several items including Duravit "Happy D" sink, Grohe bathroom faucet and kitchen sink from them.

Tile Store: Bella Tile

I bought wall and floor tiles for my kitchen and bathroom renovations from Bella Tile. We also purchased a caeasarstone countertop through them. They have a very good selection and customer service, and competitive prices.

Booster Seat for Baby: Healthy Care Booster Seat

Healthy Care Booster Seat is an awesome booster seat. It's design, functionality and portability are terrific.

DVD: "Action" - Best TV Comedy That No One Saw

Action was way too edgy for network television.  This comedy about a maniacal Hollywood producer's exploits is not for everyone... but if this type of "in-your-face, no holds barred" humor suits your tastes, then "Action" will have you rolling laughing, non-stop.

Japanese Restaurant: Hasaki

Hasaki is one my favorite Japanese restaurants. Located in the East Village. I've been going there at least once every couple of months for lunch for the past couple of years.

Ceiling Fan: Minka Aire Concept II Hugger

I bought 2 Minka Aire Concept II ceiling fans for my apartment and love them. It is a "hugger" which means that it goes flush against the ceiling and doesn't have a vertical rod connecting it. It comes with a remote control and I bought a "wall control" (that goes into the wall) as well for extra convenience.

Kitchen Cabinets: Eddy Sigcha/ESGC

I had my kitchen cabinets custom built by my contractor, Eddy Sigcha/ESGC, and it turned out great. In addition to delivering a terrific final product, Eddy was also very helpful with designing the cabinets and recommending ideas on how to maximize space.

Bathroom Medicine Cabinet: Robern Flat Mirrored Door Cabinet S1926

The Robern Flat Mirrored Door Cabinet S1926 is a beautiful "medicine cabinet" for the bathroom. It has a back mirror inside the cabinet, 3-way 120 degree self-closing hinges, and is all-aluminum. I have it recess-mounted (into the wall).

Bathroom Toilet: Toto UltraMax One Piece

We got the UltraMax One Piece MS853113S and are happy with it. It took a little while to get used to because it's smaller and lower than our previous older toilet and the handle is on the side now rather than the front. However, we quickly adjusted and are very happy with this product.

Bathroom Faucet: Grohe Talia Two-Handle Faucet 20892-18077

The Grohe Talia (20892) Faucet and Lever Handles (18077) are beautiful and go very well with the Duravit "Happy D" bathroom sink. They have a sleek modern look and work very smoothly.

Bathroom Sink: Duravit "Happy D"

Selecting a bathroom sink was a tough decision for me and my wife and it took a while for us to select one. We ended up selecting the Duravit "Happy D" and are very happy with our choice. It's one of the deeper sinks around which was a key criteria for my wife. In addition, it looks very nice with it's "D" shape and it's towel rack is very useful.

DVD: "Circus" - A clever con man story with great twists and wit

Circus is a very entertaining, fast paced film about a con man, his collaborators, his targets, and his schemes. Nothing is quite what it seems and the combination of twists and humor results in a fun ride.

DVD: "Freeway" - Reese Witherspoon Stars in a Modern Day Version of Little Red Riding Hood

Let me start out by saying that Freeway is not for everyone ! However, if you have an off-center sense of humor for the somewhat "bizarre", then you'll love this film with Reese Witherspoon and Kiefer Sutherland. It is a modern day version of Little Red Riding Hood with some twisted scenes and wild storyline.

French/American Cuisine: Danal

I feel like I'm in eating at a restaurant in Provence everytime that I visit Danal.

Pediatrician: Dr. Alessandra Zullo

Dr. Alessandra Zullo has been my son's pediatrician since day 1 (he's 21 months old as of May 2006). She's taken very good care of our baby and done a good job of answering all the questions that first time parents have.

Kitchen Cabinet Handles and Door Locks: Kessler Hardware Manufacturing

For my kitchen renovation project, I turned to Kessler Hardware at 229 Grand Street a few times to quickly provide things that no one else had. A pleasant surprise is that they had the best prices by far.

Store to Buy Appliances: Gringer and Sons

When I remodeled my apartment on the Upper West Side, I had to buy a number of new appliances. I visited a number of appliance stores and ended buying a number of items from "Gringer and Sons" who had good prices and good service.

Ceiling Fans and Lights: Lee's Art Shop

Don't let the name fool you. Lee's Art Shop sells a lot more things than art supplies and they have an awesome selection of ceiling fans and lights.

Book on Babycare: "Babycare for Beginners"

Babycare for Beginnersis a great book that has lots and lots of big photos for showing you how to take care of your new baby.

Breast Pump: Pump in Style from Medela

The hospital staff where my wife delivered our son, recommended that we purchase the Pump In Style Breast Pump and it was great advice.

Infant Car Seat: Graco SnugRide

SnugRide Infant Car Seat

Baby Stroller: Zippy from Inglesina

My son rode around the city in comfort and style in his Zippy Stroller.

Convertible Car Seat for Baby: Britax Marathon

My son who's 2 now enjoys all are car rides as he sits comfortably in our Marathon Convertible Car Seat.

Baby Toy: Rockin' Puppy

Who needs a rocking horse when you've got a Rockin' Puppy.

Baby Toy: Electronic Little People Rescue Ride-on

Fisher Price Moose Mountain Electronic Rescue Ride-on is absolutely terrific. My son loves driving this car around the apartment and honking the fun horn.

Baby Toy: 1st Mirror

There's something entertaining about watching a baby look at themselves in their 1st Mirror. Their curiosity as they stare into a mirror, trying to figure out who's looking back at him, is mesmerizing.

Baby Toy: Leapfrog Learning Drum

My son likes the Leapfrog Learning Drum a lot and so do I. Seeing his big smile when he reacts to hearing music and lights as he bangs on the drum is priceless.

Baby Toy: Baby's First Blocks

Baby's 1st Blocks is a fun toy that my son enjoyed playing with. He developed various skills putting the blocks into the box and we also used it to practice "clean up time".