I work in the Financial District here in NYC and for the past few days I've seen a lot of protesters in the area. The are a part of #OccupyWallStreet, a grassroots protest against corporate greed. I'm finding myself more and more frustrated with them every day and not just because they make it difficult for me to get to work.
My problem with the protesters is that they are not accomplishing anything. I am willing to bet good money that most of the people that are taking part in the protest still have Bank of America or CitiBank checking accounts and credit cards instead of moving their money to a credit union or small, local bank. I'm willing to bet that most of them still buy things at Wal-Mart and Target instead of their local Mom&Pop because it saves them a couple of bucks on their purchase. I'm willing to bet that some of them even drove into the city in their expensive vehicles that take $4/gallon gasoline instead of taking public transit.
If you aren't willing to put your money where your mouth is you will not accomplish anything. The companies that are being protested do not give a single damn about whether you stand around in the Financial District being vaguely annoying as long as their checks still come in at the end of the week. If you aren't willing to pay a few dollars more for local produce at the farmer's market instead of bulk produce at the Wal-Mart or walk to the store to use less gas then you are wasting your time at the protest.
I encourage everyone who actually wants to fight corporate greed to do some research into which companies cause the most economic problems and which had the heaviest hand in causing the recession and make a point of not doing business with them. Write them a letter and tell them you are moving your bank accounts, insurance policies, and cell phone contracts to another company that takes the needs of their employees and customers seriously. Write to companies where you used to do business and let them know you will be shopping elsewhere now because of their unwillingness to consider their impact on the nation's economy and then actually take your business elsewhere. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. And stay out of the way of people trying to get to and from work. Lots of us who work in the Financial District work for charities, not-for-profits, and other businesses that are set up to help those in need and don't appreciate being treated like we kicked your baby panda simply because we are in a specific geographic area.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
It's Fall!
The leaves are still green and attached to the trees. Shoe stores still have sandals and flip-flops in the windows. Multiple flavors of lemonade are still for sale all across the city. Technically the seasons haven't switched over yet but it is 64 degrees outside and breezy which means that as far as I'm concerned it's fall, by Jove!
I love fall in NYC. Winter is really my favorite season but fall comes in at a close second place. Central Park is ablaze in red, orange, and yellow leaves and vendors start selling apple cider and hot cocoa. All the mosquitoes and other damned horrible bugs start dying off or migrating far, far away from here. The hot nut carts smell amazing on a cool, crisp day. I get to drag my giant scarves and hats out of the closet to keep me warm as winter approaches. The grocery store becomes a magical land of turkey and ingredients for pie. Dogs get dressed up in adorable sweaters to protect them from the chilly weather. This is a truly wondrous time of year!
I truly dislike summer pretty much anywhere in the country because no matter where you are (except perhaps in the Rockies or the Tetons or something) it is too hot, too humid and full of bugs. Nasty, biting, disease-riddled bugs that harass the crap out of me. The evil day star is around blinding people and burning them and causing all sorts of melanoma. It really is just the worst of the seasons, but I suppose the horrors of summer make me all the more appreciative when fall begins to roll around every year.
I love fall in NYC. Winter is really my favorite season but fall comes in at a close second place. Central Park is ablaze in red, orange, and yellow leaves and vendors start selling apple cider and hot cocoa. All the mosquitoes and other damned horrible bugs start dying off or migrating far, far away from here. The hot nut carts smell amazing on a cool, crisp day. I get to drag my giant scarves and hats out of the closet to keep me warm as winter approaches. The grocery store becomes a magical land of turkey and ingredients for pie. Dogs get dressed up in adorable sweaters to protect them from the chilly weather. This is a truly wondrous time of year!
I truly dislike summer pretty much anywhere in the country because no matter where you are (except perhaps in the Rockies or the Tetons or something) it is too hot, too humid and full of bugs. Nasty, biting, disease-riddled bugs that harass the crap out of me. The evil day star is around blinding people and burning them and causing all sorts of melanoma. It really is just the worst of the seasons, but I suppose the horrors of summer make me all the more appreciative when fall begins to roll around every year.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
One Day in Chelsea
This week we got free tickets to the Clearview Cinema in Chelsea and we decided to see the new Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess movie One Day.
It was a sweet romance with a bit of a shocking ending. We enjoyed it quite a lot! It was based on the book One Day (Movie Tie-in Edition) (Vintage Contemporaries)
What we did not enjoy, however, was the horribleness of the cupcake bites and cinnamon bun bites that they had on super sale. We took a chance on the cheap candy and it was very, very gross. From now on we stick candy in my purse before the movie like all normal people!
What we did not enjoy, however, was the horribleness of the cupcake bites and cinnamon bun bites that they had on super sale. We took a chance on the cheap candy and it was very, very gross. From now on we stick candy in my purse before the movie like all normal people!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Best Dining in Times Square
Lots of people are looking for excellent places to eat in Times Square so I thought I would list a few of my favorites for you. Let me know if you think I left anything out!
Best Thai in Times Square
Qi Restaurant is by far the best Thai I've had in Times Square. The atmosphere is beautiful and the food is delicious! They have some of the lowest prices of any restaurant in the TS area (seriously-they have several $8 dinner entrees and $5 lunch entrees) and they have a yummy flourless chocolate cake.
Best Italian in Times Square
Okay, this is just a smidge out of Times Square but it is very close and totally worth it. Angelo's Pizza on 57th is some of the best Italian food in the city. They are a pizza place but I've honestly never tried their pizza because their chicken parmesean is so damn good I can't bring myself to try anything else! My husband and other people who've been there with me have sampled their menu and have loved every bite of it so everyone should find something that works for them. Be forewarned that the service is not great, but quite frankly the food is good enough that the service doesn't have to be great to make it worth the trip.
Best Burger in Times Square
You've seen them mentioned on my blog before but they deserve another shout-out here because Shake Shack has the best burger in Times Square. They have the best everything, basically. Their desserts are so good, their burgers are phenomenal, and their fries are amazing. If you are looking for a nice, sit down kind of place for a burger this may not be the place for you but if you just want a good burger with a delicious shake this is the place to go.
Best Deli in Times Square
Juniors is by far the best deli in Times Square. There are lots of delis in TS (including Carnegie Deli, which is not nearly as good as it's reputation would lead you to believe) and Juniors has everything a person could want from a deli. Pastrami, corned beef, brisket, and all the standard fare served in portions big enough to feed a family of four. Go if you get the chance and also check out their cookbook! Welcome to Junior's! Remembering Brooklyn With Recipes and Memories from Its Favorite Restaurant
Best Steakhouse in Times Square
Del Frisco's is the best steakhouse in Times Square. Every year my company has our holiday party at Del Frisco's and people start talking about it months in advance because the food is so good. Their steaks are perfection and they have a lemon cake that is absolutely divine. They are pricey but it is worth every penny, especially if you can get your boss to pay for it!
Best Dessert in Times Square
This is a tough one because there is so much deliciousness in the city, but if I had to choose a place to go for only dessert I would say Jacques Torres Chocolates would be the place to go. I can't even point out one thing that you should get on the menu because it is all wonderful. Also check out their cookbook Jacques Torres' A Year in Chocolate: 80 Recipes for Holidays and Special Occasions
Best Seafood in Times Square
I don't eat seafood but my husband insists that if you are going to eat seafood anywhere in this city you need to go to Le Bernardin. A very expensive dining experience but one that is considered the best in the nation, Le Bernardin has some of the greatest seafood you could ever hope to have in your life. It takes some doing to get a reservation so call in advance!
I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Wait, what about pizza and hot dogs? Those are quintessential New York food experiences!" Well, they are, but the good ones aren't in Times Square. The best hot dogs in the city are uptown at Grays Papaya (not just good but cheap as dirt too!) and the best pizza isn't even in Manhattan, it is Grimaldi's in Brooklyn. If you want those things you are going to have to hop on the subway. I know it seems unfair that the best pizza and hot dogs are not in Times Square, but you can still have a great meal and see the Naked Cowboy!
Best Thai in Times Square
Qi Restaurant is by far the best Thai I've had in Times Square. The atmosphere is beautiful and the food is delicious! They have some of the lowest prices of any restaurant in the TS area (seriously-they have several $8 dinner entrees and $5 lunch entrees) and they have a yummy flourless chocolate cake.
Best Italian in Times Square
Okay, this is just a smidge out of Times Square but it is very close and totally worth it. Angelo's Pizza on 57th is some of the best Italian food in the city. They are a pizza place but I've honestly never tried their pizza because their chicken parmesean is so damn good I can't bring myself to try anything else! My husband and other people who've been there with me have sampled their menu and have loved every bite of it so everyone should find something that works for them. Be forewarned that the service is not great, but quite frankly the food is good enough that the service doesn't have to be great to make it worth the trip.
Best Burger in Times Square
You've seen them mentioned on my blog before but they deserve another shout-out here because Shake Shack has the best burger in Times Square. They have the best everything, basically. Their desserts are so good, their burgers are phenomenal, and their fries are amazing. If you are looking for a nice, sit down kind of place for a burger this may not be the place for you but if you just want a good burger with a delicious shake this is the place to go.
Best Deli in Times Square
Juniors is by far the best deli in Times Square. There are lots of delis in TS (including Carnegie Deli, which is not nearly as good as it's reputation would lead you to believe) and Juniors has everything a person could want from a deli. Pastrami, corned beef, brisket, and all the standard fare served in portions big enough to feed a family of four. Go if you get the chance and also check out their cookbook! Welcome to Junior's! Remembering Brooklyn With Recipes and Memories from Its Favorite Restaurant
Best Steakhouse in Times Square
Del Frisco's is the best steakhouse in Times Square. Every year my company has our holiday party at Del Frisco's and people start talking about it months in advance because the food is so good. Their steaks are perfection and they have a lemon cake that is absolutely divine. They are pricey but it is worth every penny, especially if you can get your boss to pay for it!
Best Dessert in Times Square
This is a tough one because there is so much deliciousness in the city, but if I had to choose a place to go for only dessert I would say Jacques Torres Chocolates would be the place to go. I can't even point out one thing that you should get on the menu because it is all wonderful. Also check out their cookbook Jacques Torres' A Year in Chocolate: 80 Recipes for Holidays and Special Occasions
Best Seafood in Times Square
I don't eat seafood but my husband insists that if you are going to eat seafood anywhere in this city you need to go to Le Bernardin. A very expensive dining experience but one that is considered the best in the nation, Le Bernardin has some of the greatest seafood you could ever hope to have in your life. It takes some doing to get a reservation so call in advance!
I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Wait, what about pizza and hot dogs? Those are quintessential New York food experiences!" Well, they are, but the good ones aren't in Times Square. The best hot dogs in the city are uptown at Grays Papaya (not just good but cheap as dirt too!) and the best pizza isn't even in Manhattan, it is Grimaldi's in Brooklyn. If you want those things you are going to have to hop on the subway. I know it seems unfair that the best pizza and hot dogs are not in Times Square, but you can still have a great meal and see the Naked Cowboy!
Friday, September 2, 2011
The Park and German Tourists
Today we took the puppy to Marcus Garvey Park so she could run around in the dog park. She had a fabulous time!
She is always the smallest dog in the park but she thinks she is the biggest dog in the world so she gets right in with the big dogs and holds her own in the park. She loves to run around and romp with other dogs as well as making friends with all of the people in the park too. She is super friendly and is happiest being surrounded by other dogs. Lots of dog parks in the city are kind of skeevy and full of people who haven't trained or fixed their dogs and aren't really safe places for people to hang out but there are several really great parks for dogs and Marcus Garvey is one of them. For more information about Marcus Garvey and why he has a park named after him check out The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, Or, Africa for the Africans: Or, Africa for the Africans (New Marcus Garvey Library)
In addition to lots parks NYC tends to have lots of tourists too. I had a hilarious run in with a group of them on my way home from work! There were three German guys standing near the subway entrance and one of them looked really sick. I asked if he was okay and his friend gestured that he had been drinking to indicate that he was drunk, not ill. The drunk guy then turned and looked at me and yelled, "Fuck you!" His friend apologized and said in an adorable accent, "Sorry. That is all the English he knows." :)
In addition to lots parks NYC tends to have lots of tourists too. I had a hilarious run in with a group of them on my way home from work! There were three German guys standing near the subway entrance and one of them looked really sick. I asked if he was okay and his friend gestured that he had been drinking to indicate that he was drunk, not ill. The drunk guy then turned and looked at me and yelled, "Fuck you!" His friend apologized and said in an adorable accent, "Sorry. That is all the English he knows." :)
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