New York on the Clock | THIRTEEN

Zhang Libin and Lucy Wang run Lao Bei Fang Dumpling House in Elmhurst. A trained chef, Zhang specializes in hand-pulled noodles, molding and whirling dough all day at the front of the kitchen.

Kiebpoli Calnek is an aerial performer, instructor, and entrepreneur who teaches aerial rope and silks classes from a Williamsburg studio. She has performed in various venues throughout New York City, and hopes to perform all over the country with her company, blacK*acrobat.

Ali El Sayed is the owner and chef of Kabab Cafe in Astoria. Ali specializes in northern Egyptian cuisine, while his brother's restaurant up the street represents the South.

After Matthew Winkler lost his job as a suit in the music business, he and his wife launched Dog's Best Friend dog walking and pet care.

Ellen Sirot, the "It of Digits," is a former dancer who has appeared in countless print and television advertisements over the past 20 years. Her Lloyds-insured hands are her livelihood, and she plans her life around keeping them safe. Over the years she's learned how to keep her hands looking half their age, and she now focuses much of her knowledge and attention on her own product line.

Jose Manuel runs a small shop in Astoria where he hand-crafts evening gowns, accessories, and party decorations. He works closely with his customers to ensure their satisfaction while maintaining the integrity of his own aesthetic.

Samara specializes in the "Raks Sharki" (Oriental Dance) of the Middle East and North Africa and choreographs the Mosaic Dance Theater Company. She also instructs an annual seminar at The Ailey Extensions.

Judy Fresco just finished her last year as an educator with WNET's Adult Education program. Changes in Department of Education funding have brought the program to an end, but Judy remembers the many students she's helped online, over the phone, and by mail.

Donna and her husband run Peter Pan Donut and Pastry Shop in Greenpoint. A favorite stop for both neighborhood regulars and out-of-town visitors, Peter Pan features hand-cut donuts and a few seasonal and special items, such as their donut ice cream sandwich.

Russ Makofsky, a life-long chess player, teaches children and adults the basics and finer points of The Royal Game for Chess NYC in the heart of New York's chess community, Greenwich Village. Although the name Makofsky won't share the renown of Kasparov, Fischer, or Spassky, Russ says you don't have to be a Grandmaster to make your mark as a great teacher.

In Central Park around 86th Street burns a forge, and beside it stands Larry Hagberg, blacksmith. Larry performs this ancient craft to meet the NYC Parks department's present-day needs. He heats steel and beats it into the day's necessary form, whether it's a lantern key, a bench divider, or his own personal artwork.

Hamilton Bennett, 22, made his Brooklyn Cyclones debut several weeks ago after a successful college pitching career (it included a perfect game) at Tennessee Wesleyan. Growing up, he idolized Tom Glavine and later modeled his location-reliant pitching style after the Braves' southpaw. During the off-season he lives with his wife in Tennessee.

John Reardon loves to make pictures and gets paid most quickly when he makes them on skin. John tattoos customers at Saved Tattoo in Williamsburg and is the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting a Tattoo.

Shawn Lesflores is entering his 13th year of employment as part of the city's pest control efforts. He's part of a crew that goes where Sanitation won't, cleaning out trashed homes and burned buildings that serve as open invitations to rat infestation and assorted pestilential horror. Despite years of service and union membership dues, the team now fears for its future, as it's first in line for the city's upcoming budget-driven layoffs.

Andre Costa, known to his students as Mestre Foca, began practicing Capoeira over twenty years ago, and recently attained his red cord (equivalent to a black belt in Karate). In 2006, Mestre Foca and his wife, Ana, along with the help of their students, renovated a studio space on Flatbush Ave in Park Slope, establishing the borough's first Capoeira cultural center, Raizes do Brasil Capoeira Brooklyn.

During the warmer months, artist Joe Forte sets up shop on Thompson between Bleecker and 3rd St in Greenwich Village. There he sketches street scenes and sells his art to whomever passes by. Joe doesn't keep a New York City address; he lives in his Chevy van and spends a third of the year in his native Canada and another third in Key West, Florida. He's been coming to New York for fourteen years.

Alan Fierstein is the founder of Acoustilog, Inc. and provides acoustical consulting services to a variety of clients. The results of his inquiries often include custom technical devices or expert court testimony. He's been manufacturing acoustical gear since 1976 and was the owner of Sorcerer Sound, a recording studio for many Downtown artists, as well as Norah Jones' Blue Note explosion.

Jake Nouel has worked at the Empire State Building for 30 years and now leads a team providing for the landmark's demanding electrical needs. One of the team's most consistently time consuming tasks is the setup for the building's evening lighting schemes. We managed to interview Jake on the 72nd floor as he and his team brought in yellow panels for that night's display - yellow, blue, and red in honor of WNET.org's 5th Annual Celebration of Teaching & Learning.

Kersha Brown spends her workday reading commercial and residential water, gas, and electric meters on the east side of Manhattan. Descending into dark basements can be unsettling, she says, but so far she's only encountered scurrying rodents and lurking cockroaches.

Young restaurateur Anthony Amato owns and operates Mezza Luna Pizzeria in South Williamsburg. Anthony's spot fills fresh cannoli to-order. On a hot day in July he sat down with an espresso to give us this interview.

Jahdan Blakkamoore emigrated from Guyana to Brooklyn at age eight. He grew up on reggae imports and made an early mark as a standout performer in New York's hip-hop and dancehall scenes. Since then he's teamed up with Dutty Artz producers Shadetek and DJ/rupture to melt grime, dubstep, cumbia, and other styles into the sound of his debut album Buzzrock Warrior. Whether accompanied by a DJ or performing with his band Noble Society, Jahdan finds joy in music and aims to share that joy with his audience.

Brooklyn-bred Maureen Hackett has worked for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation; she redesigned the gardens at Gracie Mansion, the mayor's residence; and, on the side, owns and operates her own horticulture business designing gardens for private residences. Currently, she's the horticulturist for the 34th Street Partnership, where she spends her days beautifying Bryant Park and the streets around Herald Square.

Boba Fett-masked accordion player Nathan Stodola more or less supports himself busking sci-fi theme songs near the Highline and Washington Square Park while pursuing a graduate degree in engineering from Columbia.

If you've ever admired the window displays along Saks 5th Avenue's flagship storefront over the last seventeen years you've seen Koji Yoshioka's work, but you probably haven't seen Koji. He spends most of his day down in the basement workroom, three levels below the ground floor, dressing mannequins in designer outfits he carefully puts together but admits he probably wouldn't wear himself. When he's not working, Koji plays chess and caters to his bossy cat Hana, which means "flower" in Japanese.

Philip Sherman has performed over 20,000 circumcisions and claims to have been at one time the only mohel in Manhattan. He's the cantor at Congregation Shearith Israel in the Upper West Side, also known as The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, New York City's oldest synagogue. We joined him for a bris he performed in Lawrence, Long Island. You can find him online at eMohel.com.

Known as Star Eyes, Vivian Host has been a DJ for over 15 years. After moving from California five years ago she joined up with like-minded DJs to form Brooklyn's Trouble & Bass crew. Fans and practitioners of the D.I.Y. aesthetic, she and Trouble & Bass work to keep some of the rave chaos in New York City's nightlife.

Laura Berning earns a living by knocking on strangers' doors and asking to peek inside. She's scouted and managed locations for major Hollywood motion pictures, including Quiz Show, Donnie Brasco, and Spider-Man 2. Generally, Laura sticks to scouting Manhattan, snapping photos and putting together location files for directors to review. Never show a director a location you don't have permission to shoot, she warns.

Betty Rincon helps her mother run a well-known chain of Dominican style hair salons in Harlem and Brooklyn. We caught up with Betty at Clara's in East New York off the Alabama J stop. She works seven days a week, and only takes off Christmas and New Years Day. Eventually, she'd like to open a salon in Atlanta or somewhere else in the South.

Carlos Sarabia emigrated from Jalisco, Mexico to the United States, bringing his mother's breakfast torta recipe with him. Now he operates the coffee cart on the corner of 9th Ave and 33rd Street - just down the block from THIRTEEN's headquarters - Monday through Friday mornings from the break of dawn until noon.

Chris Baker pilots tugboats for Staten Island-based McAllister Towing, one of New York City's two towing outfits. Back in May, our crew joined Captain Baker as vessels from the United States and Canadian Navies called to port for Fleet Week 2009. Captain Baker's tug, the Rosemary McAllister, helped dock the U.S.S. Iwo Jima, an 844-ft Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, and the U.S.S. Roosevelt, a 500-ft Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

Gerry Menditto was born and raised in Coney Island. He began working as an electrician at Astroland in the mid-1970s and eventually found himself at the controls of the world-famous Cyclone roller coaster. Now he oversees a crew that inspects, repairs, and operates one of America's oldest thrill rides - not an easy task considering the Cyclone is 82 years old and exposed to corrosive, salty air.