 |
November 15, 1999 Issue
GROUND RULES: Not everything in every issue appears on our website. If it is available online, the article title appears below as acolored, underlined "hot link," which you can click on to read the full text; ifthe article title below is black, the full text of the article is notavailable online. For more information on getting copies or reprints of articlesthat aren't on our web site, call New York Magazine's Information ServicesDepartment at 212-508-0755.
| FEATURES Failing at Four BY RALPH GARDNER JR. Why are Manhattan's 4-year-olds cramming for tests and meeting with tutors at an age when most kids make their first friends, play with blocks, and watch Barney? Because their parents are worried that if they don't score high on the ERB, an aptitude test required by the best kindergartens, they'll never get back on track, to the right college, a good job, a happy life. Critics say the test doesn't measure creativity, social intelligence, or many other traits that make a child special. Should the rat race really start in preschool? The Numbers Racket In some New York households, SAT tutors have become surrogate parents, therapists, and, since some can raise an SAT score by 150 points or more, guarantors of a bright future. The author, a veteran tutor, has seen firsthand the problems that the obsession with test scores can create. A true tale of higher education and familial dysfunction. The Culture Vulture Bob Sillerman has become the AT&T of concert promoters by buying out local live-music venues and theaters nationwide and weaving them seamlessly into his publicly traded conglomerate, SFX Entertainment. He's reinvented the industry, and made a lot of people rich. But should one man be in control of so much of the country's culture? Franchise Players Deciding on a Caribbean resort is no day at the beach. To make it easier, our reporter tirelessly ran the gamut of all the latest resorts, from Ian Fleming's former getaway in Jamaica (Naomi Campbell's personal pick) to Time Out in Barbados, a veritable sports bar by the sea that hosts three happy hours a day. GOTHAM
| DEPARTMENTS The City Politic BY MICHAEL TOMASKY Who are the undecided voters, and what will Rudy and Hillary do to get them? Media Why Fast Company has heat while Talk turns cold MARKETPLACE Vicente Wolfe's new design shop; Museum-grade handbags; marionettes made easy Smart City Soft Packs: Six unconventional carry-ons that will turn your vacation into a trip Sales & Bargains A savvy shopper's guide to this winter's best coat deals THE CRITICS Even the heroes have their own agenda in The Insider | Theater BY JOHN SIMON The Manhattan Theatre Club makes a double play Theater Photographer Daido Moriyama's profound artlessness Classical Music Houdini the Great's magical metaphor for freedom Dance American Ballet Theatre shows the many faces of love Television When it comes to Ric Burns, familiarity breeds contentment The Insatiable Critic The gang's all here at the new Mortimer's, er, Swifty's CUE Intelligencer Classifieds |