I'm a black lady from the Lower East Side of New York. Not a lot intimidates me.

That's what's interesting about the Lower East Side: It's New York, but it's also edgy. It's not as stuffy as Tribeca or Soho.

My grandparents used to tell me stories about their trip to Ellis Island from Russia and life on the Lower East Side of New York.

My perspective comes in part from being a New York black lady, in part from being an engineer. I know I'm smart and have opinions worth being heard.

I cycled when I was at high school, then reconnected with bikes in New York in the late '70s. It was a good way of getting around the clubs and galleries of the Lower East Side and Soho.

Everybody ought to have a lower East Side in their life.