Crew Cuts

A RICH CITY

BY ALEXANDRA CALAMARI

AirTran Airways Crew Member Rich Romano is proud to call New York City home.

AirTran Airways Pilot-First Officer Rich Romano may have grown up in Hell’s Kitchen, but he still thinks New York City is a little slice of heaven—and he’s not just talking about the pizza! Now living in the picturesque West Village, Romano enjoys exploring the city “where your next adventure is right around the corner.”

BIG APPLE BITES

Romano spends as much time in restaurants as he does in the kitchen. “There are so many places, it’s just too convenient to eat out,” he jokes.

He loves Lower Manhattan for the abundance of restaurants, like Barbuto (www.barbutonyc.com; 212-924-9700), famed chef Jonathan Waxman’s rustic Italian bistro. For a romantic evening, he takes his wife to Dylan Prime (www.dylanprime.com; 212-334-4783) for sumptuous steaks. But you don’t really know amore until you’ve had pizza at Romano’s childhood haunt, Sacco Pizza (212-582-7765). “The original wood paneling is still up with all the original posters from when I was a kid,” he says. “It’s a good place to get in from the cold in the wintertime or to take a break in the summertime with an Italian ice.”

I LOVE NY

Romano lists plenty to do in NYC, including visiting the American Museum of Natural History (www.amnh.org) or taking a helicopter tour (www.libertyhelicopters.com) by the Statue of Liberty.

He also suggests simply exploring Manhattan’s neighborhoods. “Pick a subway stop on a map and just get out and walk around for about an hour. You’re sure to find something new and exciting,” he says. One absolute must-do: bask in the bright lights of the theater district.

WINDING DOWN

Although Romano loves the “hustle and bustle” of life in New York City, he likes to relax in Central Park (www.centralparknyc.org), where you can lay out in the sun during the warm months, bike or run around the park’s six-mile loop, or check out the Central Park Zoo. Romano has fond memories of the Central Park Carousel, a part of the park since 1870.

“My grandmother was a saint because she’d let me ride it as many times as I wanted,” he says.

Romano also recommends admiring the skyline from the Empire State Building (www.esbnyc.com)—where he was married—or from Brooklyn’s River Café (www.rivercafe.com; 718-522-5200), where, he says, “you can just look out over the water for a great view of Manhattan.”