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The NYC Insider's Guide
for women who aren't kids
The Three Tomatoes
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Valeries Gallery
The insider scoop on New York City nightlife
Broadway news and other fun around town
a 5 time Billboard Magazine Award winner, is perhaps best known for her unprecedented success holding the #1 position in the New York radio market as the midday host of New York’s 106.7 FM. She was also the co-creator, writer, producer and host of 'Spotlight On,' a nationally syndicated program that featured in-depth interviews with top recording artists such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sting and Celine Dion, to name a few.
Presently, Valerie can be heard on her new daily radio show, Valerie’s New York on WOR.710.com. She is also the voice of numerous commercials and television promos. She has been the “Voice of God” for many prestigious live events including: The Clinton Global Initiative, The New York Emmy Awards, The Tony Preview Concert on CBS, and many more. She writes a weekly nightlife column for TheThreeTomatoes.com and writes a theater column for Examiner.com.
As adjunct professor at the School of Visual Arts, Valerie teaches a course on Internet Radio and Voice-over, coaches talent privately, and produces promo reels and demo tapes for various clients.
An actress and writer, she has appeared in numerous off -Broadway productions and co-wrote a play with music entitled, "Spit it Out!"
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A short hop to Lenox, MA
Sometimes, it is necessary to step back and give distance to the love affair with New York. It just is. The steamy streets, the overcrowded sidewalks, the stinky, often delayed subways, and the constant challenges that are presented
force us to want to run to greenery, a slower pace and quiet. Not for a long time, mind you, but just for a break. A respite. A dose of perspective.
You needn't travel far for this step back. You can go anywhere an hour or two outside of the city, and you will find a different experience entirely.
One of our favorite short hops is to Lenox, Massachusetts and the lovely Berkshires. Ahh...Cranwell, the self contained New England resort, providing beautiful accommodations, restaurants, a spa, health club, pool, golf and more.
It is a place promoting relaxation. It is near the wonderful outlets at Lee. There, I found incredible bargains at Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors. How nice to take the time to walk around the well designed and placed outlet stores.
And later that night, how wonderful to be caught in the rain, and duck into a restaurant to avoid the deluge. Sitting on the porch under a big tent, enjoying a Malbec, watching the rain fall, it was kind of perfect.
Our dear friends, Wendy and Steve, who had so kindly invited us to join them at Cranwell, exposed us to a couple of fun places. One was Joe's diner in Lee. A small sort of coffee shop in the middle of the village that you can easily pass by.
But this Joe's diner has a great story. As a small boy, Joe, was painted by Normal Rockwell sitting in the diner in one of his iconic paintings. Years later, Joe bought the diner and proudly ran the eatery in which he was immortalized in a Rockwell
portrait.
We got a table and shared fresh strawberry, blueberry and banana pancakes (one flavor per pancake, thanks to our table's request!), delicious omelettes, awesome potatoes and even grits.
The waitress properly chided us for being difficult (with a smile of course) and we were happy.
Joe's Diner was a perfect addition to our step back away from New York City...
It was just a quick weekend away, and now, we are back refreshed, rejuvenated but kind of missing those strawberry pancakes and the slow pace of a lazy Saturday morning.
