Hell’s Kitchen Local

Little Pie Company combines two things I love: baking and sharing good food with my family and friends. There is something especially comforting about a handmade pie, and I always enjoy seeing what seasonal flavors they have available.

This restaurant has delicious catfish, Cajun fries, lobster mac and cheese and cocktails to-go, which I’ve packed for summer picnics in Central Park. The mango margarita has a real kick!

The arts are the lifeblood of NY-12 and Hell’s Kitchen is home to so many incredible theaters, museums, dance studios, the list goes on. But, if I’m seeing a show, Gershwin Theatre is one of my favorite places to go.

My favorite place to grab a Guinness and some wings, or my current favorite, their braised-beef brisket tacos (formerly sliders) after a long day or week.

I LOVE THIS STORE. They have so many cute trinkets. You can always find a cute little gift here or a fun card. This store is so cute and the staff is always so nice.

Hell’s Kitchen Park is a real neighborhood park, made even more so by the local volunteers who help maintain the plantings, and those who promoted the new mural on the east building facing the park. This is exactly the kind of public space this City needs more of. It became one of my favorite places and a core memory from this campaign: standing in that park surrounded by the labor leaders and rank-and-file members from the unions backing this race, looking out at a crowd of working New Yorkers who built this city and still fight to make it work for everyone. That’s the coalition I’m running with, that’s the neighborhood I’m running for, and Hell’s Kitchen Park is where it all came together.

This was my home for 10 years while dancing with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in the early 2000s and again for the past six years as I’ve been teaching at Ailey Extension. I love teaching Pilates Fusion on Sundays at 11am. My students are of all ages and levels but are all so open and receptive to my unique style which combines Pilates, dance, yoga, mobility, stability, muscle activation and breath work. I have people in-studio and from all over the world online as well. Then I get to teach dance classes to the kids and teens. I love getting to help shape young dancers and share what I’ve learned throughout my journey as a performing artist.

I don’t find myself in bars too often (I’m such a morning person!), but Vers is definitely one of my more frequent nightlife haunts. I have many fond memories of grabbing drinks with friends here before seeing a Broadway show. I recently attended their monthly musical theatre trivia night and had a great time. I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable and was very much challenged.

This place is just fantastic, and my daughter gets to eat for free! The quality of the food is incredible, and the small sushi bar that they have on the island is surprisingly good.

Hells Kitchen Pilates makes me happy because it’s more than just a place to train — it’s where I’m building a new pilates community. I’m meeting friends who are also my neighbors, and I’ve found the perfect space to focus on my body and practice what I love. I actually discovered it by chance one day while walking through the neighborhood. I decided to take a different street than usual and saw Nadya, one of the owners, with her beautiful dog Lucky, cleaning a new space that said “Pilates.” I asked her about it and told her I would love to work there — and now I get to be part of this amazing community every day.