The heart and soul of AskaNewYorker gathered one night at Lombardi’s pizzeria, a meeting prompted by an Englishman visiting the city named Alex, who wanted to meet us. Betty was among those who showed up. Alex did not show up. We thought the English were prompt, but Alex was a no-show. By the end of the evening we were all stuffed with pizza and agreed it was excellent, as was the rice pudding at Rice to Riches across the street.
AskaNewYorker: Hello April Uberchic! Do you have any tattoos?
Betty: Not one! What would you suggest for me, if I were to get one?
AskaNewYorker: A little kitty cat?
Betty : Not the right image. I intend to be the first un-tattooed Uberchic because Uberchic doesn’t necessarily mean tattooed, does it?
AskaNewYorker: How long have you lived in New York?
Betty: I’m one of those rare people who is a native. I was born just a few blocks from here. I grew up on the Lower East Side, near the Brooklyn Bridge and the Fulton Fish Market (before it was a tourist attraction, they just sold fish). The area has changed a lot. You can still recognize some of the old things, like the fish (she laughs).
AskaNewYorker: What are you reading currently?
Betty: Like every New Yorker, the Da Vinci Code. And I’m a really slow reader and it’s taking forever to finish. It’s very good, fascinating. If you haven’t read it yet, you have to read it, but first get a really good picture of the Last Supper, print it out and stick it in the book, because you’re going to want to keep looking at it. The book talks about it a lot.
AskaNewYorker: So, we’re at Lombardi’s in Little Italy. How has it changed since years ago?
Betty: When I was growing up, Little Italy was a huge community. The Italians joined the middle class like all of the other ethnic groups who came at the turn of the century. Now, the Italians who come now are coming on Alitalia and they’re living on Fifth Avenue, they’re not moving into tenements like was in Little Italy. Really, this area has become part of Chinatown. Chinatown has really expanded. The neighborhood where I grew up was Italian, Jewish, Black, Puerto Rican and Cuban. And now it is entirely Chinese. So the Italians around here have maintained some of the restaurants, but mostly this neighborhood is Chinese. You can get much better Italian food elsewhere in the city. New Yorkers know where to get good Italian food, and tourists come here to Little Italy for their $7.95 lunch special.
AskaNewYorker: But Lombardi’s pizza is great. Anyway, on to the next question. How would you describe the spirit of AskaNewYorker, what is closest: New York Magazine or Reader’s Digest?
Betty: I think neither. Reader’s Digest is too “pleasantville” New York. Like someone who wants to read a novel while they’re on the toilet. New York Magazine is for too select of an audience, it’s for the people they write about. I used to read it for the reviews, but John Simon is too much of a bitch, I can’t even read his reviews anymore. He’s just nasty. He turns people off, I think. The best thing about New York Magazine is Maura Jacobson’s crosswords. I think AskaNewYorker is it’s own animal, I think it’s great, because if you google a question about New York, it’s going to bring you to a forum thread on AskaNewYorker, and that’s how people are finding it, I think.
AskaNewYorker: Betty has cats.
Betty : I’m your stereotypical middle aged Jewish woman, and I have cats. Here’s a question for you: How many Uberchics have shot pool with Minnesota Fats? (one of the greatest pool players of all time)
AskaNewYorker: I’d guess none. Pray tell…
Betty : I was in Las Vegas and there was an offer to sign up if you wanted to shoot pool with him. No one signed up because they were intimidated. I wasn’t intimidated, so I signed up. I ended up in a pit, with hundreds of spectators around, playing pool against Minnesota Fats. He won.
AskaNewYorker: What else have you done which we’re not aware of?
Betty : Well, I was on the $25,000 Pyramid gameshow with Dick Clark, way back when. Gladys Knight was my partner, who was terrific and smart, and also Jack Cassidy. I got to the Pyramid at the end with Gladys, and then lost. I got a 20 year supply of Canada Dry instead of the cash. Also, about two years ago I was on Jeopardy! I came in second. It would’ve been third, but the answer to the question at the end was Betty Boop, and I wouldn’t have missed it. There was no way I could’ve lost that one.
AskaNewYorker: Time for a Jeopardy question for Betty. This New York restaurant was once owned and operated by one of TV’s “iron chefs”?
Betty : What is Nobu?
AskaNewYorker: Yes! What’s your favorite movie set in New York?
Betty : King of New York with Christopher Walken. Either that, or The Best of Everything, a movie from the 50s with Joan Crawford. There’s a shot down Park Ave when there was no MetLife/Pan Am building, and it’s a remarkable sight without that horrible ugly building in the way.
AskaNewYorker: Any other interesting facts about yourself you’d like to share?
Betty : I had a very well known nursery school teacher when I was growing up in New York, and her name was Shirley Chisholm. Google it.
