In the '80s. I lived on the Upper West Side. I was right out of college, which is a good time to live in the city. Anytime is good, but that is a particularly good time. And I happened to move there with a job. I was going to school at Northwestern University, and a casting scout saw me in The Taming of the Shrew. Who would have thought that would happen? And before I knew it, there I was, in a soap opera.

That was Ryan's Hope. Where did it film?
It's no longer on the air, but it shot at two different locations: at a tiny little studio on 51st between Ninth and Tenth avenues, and at a new studio near the Hudson River, which is now where The View shoots. I've been on The View many times. Every time I go back there, I see the same crew guys; it's a time warp. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, visiting my roots, but I have gotten so nostalgic again for New York.

What do you miss about New York when you're not there?
Walking around the city. It just makes you feel stimulated. I miss the people, their energy and directness. They're up-front in the way they deal with you. I love all New York accents, and I think New Yorkers have a pretty sophisticated wit. In California, you're either at your home or at your job or alone in your car. In New York, you're always around people. You have to see people.

Do you get recognized in New York? I'm especially curious about whether you get recognized by crime-scene investigators or by police?