New York City: Where Stars Are Born.

Native New Yorker Playlist:

Some of the best tunes from NYC’S best musicians:

1. Try Again- Aaliyah
   
2. We Belong- Pat Benatar
   
3. Hypnotize- Notorious B.I.G.
   
4. It’s All About The Benjamins- P.Diddy, then Puff Daddy
   
5. I Get Money- 50 Cent, did you notice a money theme with these rappers?
   
6. Big Pimpin’-Jay Z
   
7. The Jump Off- Lil Kim…k. enough with the rap and no I’m not including Ja Rule.
   
8. Belief- Gavin Degraw
   
9. Sunrise- Norah Jones
   
10. I Belong To You- Lenny Kravitz
    
11. If I Aint Got You- Alicia Keys
    
12. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper
    
13. Here and Now- Luther Vandross

OOPS, forgot Barry Manilow!

Then there's BARBRAAAAAAAAA

That’s right ladies and gents, BARBRA STREISAND. I couldn’t include her in any of the categories listed above because she is her own entity. I love Barbra so much that I couldn’t even begin to count the endless hours I spent in the bathroom (great acoustics) practicing in front of the mirror trying to sing that famous, long last note in “Evergreen.”

So Barbra, here’s to you! Salut!

Let's start at the beginning:

Clara Bow, the 1920’s silent film star hails from Brooklyn and was known as the quintessential flapper and sex symbol. When I was younger I practiced making “silent film star” faces in the mirror every chance I got, oh wait- I still do that.

Let's talk ACTORS!

I’ve always found actors/actresses so completely fascinating for a few reasons; anyone who can transform themselves to “act” like another person must be slightly schizo, anyone who can turn a childhood hobby i.e. playing house, playing mom, playing whatever job you could imagine, into a career is pretty incredible. I want to “play” and I’d also like an excuse to gain 25 lbs for a “role” getting paid to eat icecream or learn kung fu to plan an action hero would be ideal.

Here’s some of NYC’s best:
Lauren Bacall
Matthew Broderick
Steve Buscemi
Robert De Niro
Kirk Douglas
Jane Fonda
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Whoopi Goldberg
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Scarlett Johansson
Diane Lane
Jennifer Lopez (??? feel free to debate the “greatness” factor)
Walter Matthau
Mary Tyler Moore
Sienna Miller (if England could just stop claiming her, that’d be awesome. I’d like her back.)
Al Pacino
Christopher Reeve
Marisa Tomei
Christopher Walken

Let's talk COMEDY!

I love anyone who can make me laugh, I have poured over hours of Seinfeld episodes, frequent comedy clubs and am waiting for Dane Cook to ask me on a date (no he isn’t from New York City) it’s no surprise some of comedy’s greatest funny men are from New York City, after all there are about a million comedy clubs- if you’ve ever been to Times Square I’m sure you’ve gotten a flier or two. Here are some of the best comedians born in the Big Apple:

Jackie Gleason
The Three Stooges
Ray Romano
Adam Sandler
Jerry Seinfeld
Sammy Davis Jr.
George Carlin
Eddie Murphy

And what would all the actors do without....

FILMMAKERS!

That’s right, filmmakers, playwrights, composers, half of those talented people named above wouldn’t have a stage to put their talent to use on, if it weren’t for the creators.
Only if Spielberg were on the list, it may be close to complete?

Oliver Stone
Neil Simon
Martin Scorsese
Eugene O’Neill
Arthur Miller
Woody Allen
George Cukor
George Gershwin
Oscar Hammerstein
Stanley Kubrick
Tony Kushner