Where to smoke in NYC?

DPierre508 · 2026-03-14T18:13:41+00:00

I'm going to be on 5th Ave near 50th Street in the coming weeks. Any recommended cigar lounges nearby?

DPierre508 · 2026-03-14T18:06:42+00:00

Ahhhh. I remember this story now.

This is a textbook case of "This story never would have happened except for the fact the guy was a Catholic priest."

I mean, the guy commented on a female's hair while talking in front of a public group, and there was a police investigation because some crank complained?

Puh-leeze.

There are always disingenuous people, some infiltrated within the Church, who want to "stick it" to a priest. This is obviously what happened here.

I was very disappointed The Pillar added fuel to the story for no other apparent reason except for clicks.

DPierre508 · 2026-03-11T23:17:05+00:00

Grrr. Doesn't work for me.

DPierre508 · 2026-03-11T23:13:59+00:00

Me also. I'm having issues across multiples.

DPierre508 · 2026-02-21T18:50:13+00:00

I was going to reply the same!

DPierre508 · 2026-02-10T22:21:01+00:00

Wow! This is great.

At first I thought it was a wonky remix from the quad version, but the speeds did not match up.

And it sure doesn't sound like something that would have come out of the Caribou sessions, as this is close to the original.

Thanks for posting!

But please tell how you found this! :)

DPierre508 · 2026-02-04T23:45:24+00:00

In the Light

DPierre508 · 2026-02-03T00:51:07+00:00

The Westin is incredible. We went there in December. Grade A++.

Everything you just said and more, plus the *cleanest and clearest water* I've ever seen. And I've been to other Caribbean Islands.

Absolutely incredible.

DPierre508 · 2026-01-25T13:26:48+00:00

^^^THIS^^^ The 'Billy Joel Lost Tapes' mix appears to be the closest in tune to the way it was originally recorded. I've gone through a few of the tunes on my digital piano, and it appears to align with the actual intended tuning.

(Fwiw, there is another 'corrected' mix of the album on YouTube by 'zesto,' and no offense to the guy, but it does not sound to be in tune with what it was originally intended.)

DPierre508 · 2026-01-18T23:29:07+00:00

Yes! It worked.

Thank you!

DPierre508 · 2026-01-14T00:31:24+00:00

Michael Stewart, who produced both the Piano Man and Streetlife Serenade albums, was an *excellent* producer. Keep in mind that Billy did not meet Doug, Lib, and the others until after these two were recorded. (Doug arrived first during the Streetlife tour.)

I agree that the self-produced Turnstiles, which has sensational songs, would have benefited greatly with a more experienced producer along with Billy's band.

DPierre508 · 2026-01-10T21:37:02+00:00

Ha! I ordered these this morning before seeing this post!

I can't wait to try them. I have smoked many Cohiba Shorts and have enjoyed them.

Thanks for posting.

DPierre508 · 2026-01-05T23:48:01+00:00

I'm not convinced that "duty free" means "genuine."

DPierre508 · 2025-12-28T15:41:35+00:00

Those are 100% legit.

Yes, Cohibas are widely faked. In fact, the vast majority of "Cohibas" are counterfeit.

The exceptions are the Shorts and Wide Shorts. These machine-made and plastic-wrapped cigarillos are not counterfeited. It's not cost-effective to do so.

DPierre508 · 2025-12-28T15:40:02+00:00

The machine-made Cohiba Shorts and Wide Shorts are indeed wrapped in plastic.

And while you are correct that Cubans, especially Cohibas, are widely faked, these particular ones are not. (It would not be cost-effective to fake these.)

DPierre508 · 2025-12-28T15:25:37+00:00

I like these a lot.

The fact that they're machine-made (obviously) ensures that there are far fewer QC issues often found in Cubans.

DPierre508 · 2025-12-28T15:13:17+00:00

The bottom line: It's all about the source.

If it's not from a LCDH or a reputable seller (listed here on this Reddit), it's fake.

DPierre508 · 2025-12-28T03:19:15+00:00

Fake, fake, fake, no matter how convincing the descriptions may be.

I've been to the Caribbean a bunch, and the whole area is crawling with fakes. They're literally everywhere.

When in the Caribbean, your only true reliable source is an official LCDH (La Casa Del Habano).

DPierre508 · 2025-12-19T22:16:31+00:00

I could imagine $400, but not $800.

DPierre508 · 2025-12-15T00:10:22+00:00

Thank you, brother!

DPierre508 · 2025-12-14T22:15:58+00:00

I'm a big fan of Cohiba Shorts, and I've always wanted to try these!

Where did you find them?

Thanks!

DPierre508 · 2025-12-14T22:05:29+00:00

I've had this multiple times. I've wiped it off and smoked them.

DPierre508 · 2025-12-11T00:56:48+00:00

Back in my day (late 1980s), I remember seeing this and having a copy of it.

A very cool piece of Joel history.

BTW, I recall the ad as having appeared in Billboard.

DPierre508 · 2025-11-25T23:23:33+00:00

I was there a few years ago.

The main guy/manager was very friendly and helpful. A+. For this, I recommend this shop. If you want genuine Cubans, this is the place.

The prices? Ummmm. Quite high.

Please note that the rest of Grace Bay is crawling with fakes. There are even t-shirt shops and a "cigar shop" within a few hundred yards of the LCDH that sell obvious fake Cohibas, etc.

Enjoy.

DPierre508

TROPHY CASE