TCQ&A: Dan Kohn

The TCQ&A has been revamped: Participants can choose which of 40-odd questions they’d like to answer, but they have to answer numbers one through four (and at least 12 total). First up is Dan Kohn (right), co-founder and CTO of Healing Thresholds Autism Therapy, a website for parents of children with autism. (He’s also been very helpful about suggesting ways Tribeca Citizen could improve technologically—thanks again, Dan!)

1. How long have you lived in the area? Where did you move from? My wife and I moved to New York three years ago when she was pregnant with our second son. We previously lived in Monterey and Palo Alto, California.

2. Married? Partnered? If so, what’s his/her name and occupation? My wife, Julie Pullen, is director of the Maritime Security Laboratory at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken. She also has one of the best commutes in the city, taking an empty ferry (reverse commute) from the World Financial Center ferry terminal to Hoboken terminal, with amazing views of the Manhattan skyline.

3. Kids? Pets? Two boys, 4 and 2. One fighting fish.

4. Where do you live? We’re in North Battery Park City, catty-corner from the soon-to-be-Conrad-Hotel. Interviewing someone from the wrong side of West Street may hurt your blog’s cachet, but with our kids in preschool in Tribeca, it certainly feels like our neighborhood. And for work, I lease a cube in an incubator space called Sunshine Suites on Desbrosses between Greenwich and Hudson. It’s a nice high-tech space, with friendly management.

5. My most-frequented restaurants: I’m a big fan of Tokyo Bay sushi. I’ve seen others here rave over Takahachi, but even with the dated decor, I think Tokyo Bay has the freshest sushi in the neighborhood. Especially when I splurge on toro (fatty tuna).

6. For special occasions, I go to: Rosanjin. I love omakase dining, where the chef decides what to serve you, and the private-dining-like atmosphere is a nice change from the typically overcrowded restaurant scene. My wife’s favorite for a romantic meal is Marc Forgione.

8. Sweet-tooth satisfaction: Banana Nutella crepe (not on the menu, but they’re happy to make it) at the Cosmopolitan Café.  I just tried Wooly’s Ice on your recommendation and thought it was excellent. By far the smoothest shaved ice I’ve ever eaten.

The Quaker at Weather Up Tribeca

9. Most delicious cocktail: The Quaker (Quaker rye whiskey, cognac, housemade grenadine, and fresh lemon juice) at Weather Up. I also just tried the bar at Brushstroke and was impressed by the drink and décor. I’m looking forward to going back with my wife and trying the omakase drink menu (the bartender makes four half-size drinks for you of his own choosing).

10. I usually order in from Dean’s, and I always order the Organic Field Greens Salad.

11. I can’t resist popping into: Duane Park Patisserie for the leaf-shaped almond cookies covered in chocolate.

13. When I walk into my apartment, the first thing I see that I bought in Tribeca is: My son’s bicycle, purchased from Gotham Bikes. With my toddler on the back of my bike and my 4-year-old next to me, we’ve already been to Governors Island a few times this summer. He’s gone almost 10 miles, while still on training wheels! But I took the training wheels off last weekend, and I’ve been running behind him trying to get him comfortable without them all week.

15. How I stay fit: The Hudson River Park bike path is an amazing resource for our neighborhood, especially since I can ride with my kids without worrying about cars.

16. Where I get beautiful: Ray’s Barber Shop ($12 haircut) in the Cosmopolitan Hotel.

Teardrop Park

17. What’s the area’s best-kept secret? The worst kept is the gorgeous new Pier 25. It’s an amazing park, but incredibly crowded on the weekends. Teardrop Park, right behind our building, is one of the nicest playgrounds and parks in the city, and is almost never crowded. From the water spout in the sandbox, to the two-story-slide, to the open field for practicing baseball, it is an amazing place.

18. A recent enthusiasm: My wife and I were blown away by the private magic show at the Theater Bar. I juggle clubs, and I’m somewhat of a connoisseur of sleight-of-hand tricks, but even sitting three feet from the magician and taking part in each trick, we had no idea how he did any of them. Great setting (you walk through the basement kitchen to get behind the bar), and just a huge amount of fun for a “date night.” But as we found when we tried to bring some friends, the magician is only there Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

26. I tend to take out-of-towners to: World Financial Center Winter Garden, to look out at the amazing progress of the World Trade Center.

27. I wish I lived in…. Anywhere looking out on Duane Park.

31. A doctor I’d recommend: My primary care physician, Dr. Anthony Azar, just moved into gorgeous new offices he designed. He’s on Lafayette, a block south of Canal. He’s thoughtful and well-read. I also like my dentist, Dr. Bahram Hamidi, whose Tribeca Dental is in a spacious, high-ceilinged basement office at 80 Warren. For the kids, we like Dr. Michel Cohen’s TriBeCa Pediatrics, and particularly his physician assistant Kerry. Also, Dr. Renee Wild and Dr. Menka Sinha at 67 Hudson are some of the best children’s dentists I’ve ever heard of. It’s such a strange thing that both of my boys actually enjoy going to the dentist.

32. My most memorable celebrity sighting: Not firsthand, but Jon Stewart was nice enough to help my kid’s nanny bring their stroller up the stairs into Moomah.

Children's Tumbling with Suellen Epstein (photo by Wickham Boyle)

43. I wish you had asked me about: Best kids’ classes: Suellen Epstein has been teaching Children’s Tumbling at Murray and Broadway since 1978, and we love her toddler class. Moomah has great art classes.  Our boys get tired out at NYC Elite Gymnastics and Playgarden. We love the swim coaches at the Downtown Community Center and Richard’s music class at the Church Street School. We also like Super Soccer Stars, which now has classes at Pier 25 on weekdays and in the P.S. 89 gym on weekends.

If you’d like to do the TCQ&A—or you want to recommend someone—email tribecacitizen@gmail.com.

 

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