I was at Macys yesterday, when we saw smoke in the cosmetics section on 1st floor. Got out of there asap, and from across the street, we saw the many firetrucks arrive. In the evening I read online that there was a fire in the escalator between 3rd-4th floor. Luckily noone was hurt!

Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County supporter Jo Ellen Adams, of Techalloy, gave the children staying at the Safe Shelter a nice gift this holiday season. For two nights last week a limousine pulled up to the Family Crisis Center to take the children to the Christmas light displays on 34th Street in Baltimore.

The children loaded into the limo and first stopped at the holiday train garden located at a fire station in Dundalk. From there they moved to the lit up 34th Street in Baltimore. The children walked through the Christmas displays and even got to go into some of the houses.

At the end of the night, the children were all given gif bags, and plenty of candy.

Greetings from the Upper West Side after a long and very busy day in Santaland!

Today was my first day really witnessing the swarms of bright eyed people making their way through the 8^th floor of Macy’s to see Santa. Working at huge tourist attractions while tackling thousands of seasonal tourists is nothing new – it’s very reminiscent of working as an NBC Page during the holidays.  People would come to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and skating rink, and then conveniently swing by for a tour of NBC Studios.   December was a dreadful time for many pages that cringed over the long hours and overly enthusiastic jam packed tour-goers. But to me, there was just something special about working in the building that provided the backdrop for the world’s most famous Christmas tree.

And there’s something special about Santaland…

I’m only a few days into this adventure of mine, though I sincerely believe I’ve already observed enough to devote hours upon hours describing the outrageous visitors I have met, my cheery Elf friends, the most adorable babies ever, doing whatever it takes to make a screaming child smile, the art of capturing the perfect picture with Santa, and how my face has apparently not gotten used to smiling constantly and is legit sore at the end of the day. I could go on and on!  And I will, as I plan to shed light on all different aspects of my elfin experience.

For this Sunday night blog post however, I wanted to dedicate it to the Christmas magic that is Santaland.  Macys’ attracts roughly 350,000 visitors each holiday season to Santaland. I’ve already distinguished how the crowd seems to measure up.  There are the families that come year after year to take their holiday picture, the newly-weds, the teenage-couple pretending to be way too cool but secretly you catch their eyes glowing, the “Baby’s First Christmas” visit complete with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all to witness, there’s the local family from Brooklyn, the tri-state local family from Jersey, the “I will travel to 34^th to street to see Santa” groups from Texas, Chicago, and abroad, the single dad, the single mom, the single person, the group of  five, fun, bubbly middle aged women, the group of college friends reuniting, the family of 10, the family of four, the twins, the babies, the babies, the babies, etc., etc., etc.   Ages and races are all intertwined throughout the abovementioned season forecast of visitors.

Out of all the prospects that I just mentioned, from the 85 year old grandpa to the 4 month old that may or may not have been thrust into my arms for a photo-op, the denominator is this:  Everyone Loves Santa.  Everyone loves Christmas.  I love watching everyone fall in love all over again with the magic.

People’s eyes light up when they enter the merriment and maze of wonder en route to Santa’s village.  Entertainment while waiting in line to see the big guy is provided by dancing bears, trains, dozens of gorgeously decorated Christmas trees, skating rinks, all while my spirited fellow Elves are sprinkled throughout to meet and greet passersby’s.    It’s such an incredibly humbling feeling to watch thousands of strangers face’s light up before you.  In those moments their mind isn’t on their job, or their lack of a job, or their lack of money, or loss or lack of love in their life, or whatever negative thing it is we chose to harbor on that particular day.  For those moments, it’s just about fun, and laughter, and excitement, and letting yourself be a little kid again.

In the cozy 13,000 sq. ft Santaland maze I get to experience people capturing and sharing the Christmas magic as it unfolds before them.  I feel so lucky I get to observe this!  To work in a safe haven for people to come to and feel nothing but happiness and joy.  Incredible.

As soon as they hit the outside world they risk being hit with a harsh snap back to reality.  But in those moments on the 8^th floor of Macy’s Santland…it’s really something magical.

A smile crept upon my face as I recalled one of my most favorite quotes ever and how appropriate it is for one’s walk through Santaland:

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”  Roald Dahl

-Zippy

I was out and about all day, checking out rooms for rent all over town: two in Butcher’s Hill, one north of Patterson Park, two more out east in Highlandtown. Had lunch in Canton Square and made an early-evening jaunt up to Hampden. Throughout, the folks who welcomed me into their homes also drove me to my next showing, picked me up when I missed my bus up town, and one even invited me to the bar where she works for a drink …

In any case, my fingers are still cold as I thaw out in my hotel room. So I’ll just have to tell you about my latest trip out in pictures:

On 34th Street, in the neighborhood of Hampden ...

... where the residents take Christmas decorations to the extreme.

The locals call it "Miracle on 34th Street."

That's Natty Boh: the mascot of Baltimore's local brew, National Bohemian Beer.

You know, after all the rain and snow on Saturday, I almost skipped Hampden altogether. But it turned out to be the “warmest” of all the neighborhoods that I visited — in terms of its people, and in terms of its community vibe. The bartender at the Golden West introduced himself by name and asked me what my story was; and just as I was telling him about my odyssey from the West Coast … what?!? One of my fellow hikers from San Francisco comes up to me at the bar!

I got to know Katie over the ElevationSF camping trip down to Los Padres National Forest last month (see my Facebook photo album). That’s when word really started to spread within the group that I was making the big move out to Baltimore. And so Katie came up and encouraged me that she knows the place well, that she still has a sister in Hampden, and that I’m going to love it. Well, guess who was in town visiting said sister – and having dinner at the same place where I happened to be waiting out the next bus back into downtown over a beer?!?

This is where she was telling me all about Balto ...

Well, now this photo makes me wistful for California — as I sit up in the wee morning hours, sleepless in Baltimore. That’s OK, the flight home today will drag because of the head winds, and I should be able to get some shut eye. … I wonder if I’ll dream about the snow out west that I’ll be riding on Thursday, when me and some friends head to Tahoe for a farewell boarding trip. Or maybe I’ll dream about my last hike with the ElevationSF group back on Mt. Tam this coming Sunday.

Our little camping group from the Nov. 13-15 trip down to Los Padres

But back to Baltimore, in that quirky bar, which locals regard as one of the last bastions of throwback Bawlmer charm, Katie and I chuckled over the fact that the next time we’ll be seeing each other is back in the balmy North Bay. Small world, indeed …

Now that I’ve lived in Baltimore for over two years, I’ve decided to make it a tradition to visit Hampden’s 34th Street for the holidays each year. It is a great thing to do with friends and family and cherish the moments of this season.

If you haven’t been to see the lights, they are always eye-catching. From the hubcap tree to the collection of just-a-tad-creepy Santa dolls, you’re sure to find something to remind you of Christmas.

You can also enjoy a stroll down The Avenue to visit the assortment of boutiques or stop in Cafe Hon-look for the giant pink flamingo-for a cup of hot chocolate and pose with Elvis.

Whatever you decide, 34th Street is sure to remind you of the miracles of this holiday and that there is still so much to be thankful for.

First, I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving! I did, and just got back to Brooklyn, after a rather large meal at my “in-laws” in Queens. Now, in regards to the holiday season, I recently posted photos of the Macy’s Holiday Window Display from last year, which you can view by clicking here. Last Saturday evening, after the birthday dinner at Red Lobster, we strolled from Time Square to Herald Square, and stopped at Macy’s to take photos of this year’s wonderful decorations. They have this cool “Write a letter to Santa” concept, where you can customize your own letter by clicking on a touch-screen (see photo 2, 3 and 4), and I believe the letters used for the decorations are real letters written and sent by children. Brilliant idea!

Note: when you have enlarged a photo (by clicking on it), click on the smaller photo at the lower left to see the next photo. Enjoy!

For more photos visit NYCfoto.

Every Christmas, Macy’s at 34th street in Manhattan, decorate their windows in very festive, colorful, and creative ways. These photos are from last year’s display (click on photos to enlarge); can’t wait to see what they’re going to do for 2009!!!

As they said they would, Verizon launched the Motorola Droid and the HTC Droid Eris today at midnight. It was released at their primary retail store on 34th Street in New York City. The midnight release is the first official launch in the country, but there have been numerous reports that those who have visited Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores purchased the phones ahead of the official release date. Walmart Super Center stores are also typically opening sales at midnight, though the next earliest opportunity will involve the 7AM and 8AM openings at some non-mall Verizon stores.

Many reports have also surfaced of Verizon stores carrying ample amounts of stock, with even smaller stores having as many as 50 units on hand while larger stores range into the hundreds. The stock situation is in areas comparable to the iPhone 3GS launch, where supply was often universally healthy, but is a distinct improvement over the June launch of the Palm Pre at Sprint where many official stores had at most a few dozen units and third-party retailers often had as few as one or two.

Although only fully revealed just over a week ago, the Droid is increasingly being seen as Verizon’s most important device of the entire year and signals both a more visible commitment to open platforms like Android 2.0 as well as a rapid dismissal of BlackBerries as part of its main smartphone strategy. Verizon has launched the Storm2 and Curve 8530 but has timed both releases to directly coincide with its higher-profile Droid-branded phones and guaranteed reduced attention for both.

In addition to being a flagship for both Google and Verizon, the Droid may represent a watershed for mobile GPS as the presence of Google Maps Navigation gives the smartphone one of the first truly free yet advanced turn-by-turn navigation apps bundled with a phone.

Did you get a phone early? Share your story in the comments section of this page!

via Electronista

Miraculously, yesterday became sunny, with clear blue sky and 14 degrees Celsius (57.2 Fahrenheit)! I feel that the New York winter is coming way to soon this year, thus, I was not taking this weather for granted. My bf and I bought a Dunkin Donut’s coffee each, and went on an afternoon stroll around Park Slope; which ended with us spontaneously jumping on the D train at Union Street, and taking it to 34th street, Manhattan (Herald Square). There I did some minor shopping: got a black turtleneck sweater at Zara + grey velvet leggings and a hip grey Tee at H&M. I’m telling myself it was OK, as only the sweater was a lil’ pricy ($39), and the rest was less than $20 a piece (internal justification..?). Le petite shopping was followed by some Jamaican Roti Curry Chicken at Golden Crust, Union Square, though the gravy was a little watered out. Then we did some serious window shopping in Soho, and got back home just in time before Desperate Housewives.

I am recently returned from the Big Apple, and – hold the front page – I have money left over. Not a lot, as Paul Daniels might say, but a whole $50 that I refrained from spending. My last jaunts across the pond have left my bank account in a post-holocaust wasteland state, and I had expected similar results this time, but due to a combination of massive self restraint and great company with an eye for culture rather than jewellery and shoes, I enjoyed a more experiential visit. As opposed to pounding SoHo, Fifth Avenue and 34th Street for five solid days, pausing only to down cocktails, I did stuff.

For the first time, I stayed in the heaving neon masterpiece that is Times Square – nothing like it for getting a cricked neck and having adverts emblazoned on the insides of your eyelids when you close your eyes. For the first 24 hours this was terribly exciting, gazing open-mouthed at the street entertainers, watching people making their way to Broadway shows dressed in their best, and laughing off the attentions of hustlers. But after that initial period, not so funny, and really just quite annoying.

Times Square - can't miss it

Not a bad view from your hotel window, eh? I jest, obviously.

Anyway, I’m trying to demonstrate what a grown up I’ve become, wait till I tell you. In the past, I’d have grabbed a hotdog from a street vendor and gone out dancing. Not this time. Although I did have one or two warm up bellinis before we headed to the beautiful and romantic Grand Central Terminal. Can a railway station be romantic? Probably not New Street or Snow Hill, but GCT is in a class of its own. A cerulian blue ceiling decorated with delicate golden zodiac symbols arcs over the heaving throngs, and the ubiquitous giant clock.

Grand Central Terminal. Not too shabby.

Hot on the experience trail, we enjoyed something a bit special to mark Adam’s first morning in NYC. NOT Breakfast At Tiffany’s – talk about letting the side down – but breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria. The beautiful art deco masterpiece facing Park Avenue is one of the grandest hotels in the world, and arguably one of the most famous. We dressed to the nines to enjoy eggs benedict in the Peracock Alley restaurant and while I had entertained ideas of pretending to be British Aristocracy, my general clumsiness and myriad bruises put paid to that. As you would expect, service was deferential and first class, the eggs perfect, the orange juice $9 a glass…

Peacock Alley at the Wadorf Astoria. Probably the most expensive orange juice in the world? Probably not, that's likely to be at the Cafe de Paris in Monaco

Much schlepping to be done to work off those eggs – we took in FAO Schwarz, resisting the urge to knock the children off the giant piano and bash out a bit of Razorlight, and admiring lifesize lego structures of Chewbacca, Batman and Harry, Hermione and Ron, and we traipsed all the way to 34th Street to Macy’s, where I got lost. In case you’re wondering, the miracle is that I didn’t spend anything on 34th Street. For all my raving about how beautiful the Chrysler Building is, I’d never actually set foot in it, and I can now advise that the ceiling is painted with a mural of the building itself – painted on canvas and stuck up there, apparently.

On Friday night, after a bit of an emotional reunion with my best friend Lou and a very pretty dinner, we made a midnight visit to the world famous Carnegie Deli for a slice of cheesecake. What arrived was roughly the size of a seal. How people can eat anything that size escapes me, I have seen smaller babies. Nevertheless, I can see why the deli is world famous, charging the same price as a Waldorf orange juice for a slice of cake that will feed a family of four.

When it rains in NYC, people in the street start charging $20 for umbrellas. I’d forgotten mine but hoped we’d strike it lucky. We were lucky to a point – we got to see New York’s most famous landmark while the weather was fine, before experiencing the tidal wave of city rain that washes over the city within a couple of hours. We caught the ferry at Battersea Park to visit that famous green statue – I’m not posting a picture, you know who I mean, and marvelled at her beauty and the generosity of the French, before carrying on to Ellis Island to see evidence of Amerca’s appeal to migrants. After a couple of hours envisaging the refurbished immigration centre in its original state, crammed with people seeking a better life, we could envisage no longer and had to brave the torrential rain that was sheeting down.

When we could ignore it no longer, we paddled to the mainland (from the ferry, in case you’re wondering, the rain was that heavy) and took refuge beneath hand dryers and napkins in a well-appointed TGIs until the rain stopped. A brief stop at the Ground Zero site to see how the WTC tribute was coming along, and then we steeled ourselves for a visit to Hell On Earth, the bargain department store Century 21, which is a cross between TK Maxx and Dante’s Inferno, but capable of rendering some fantastic steals if you have the stomach and the elbows for it.

I’d never been to Cafe Wha? before. Apparently Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan have; and many other big names in comedy and music, who have pitched up and made surprise appearances. We were knocked out by the enthusiasm, stamina and talent of the fantastic Cafe Wha? band, who covered off every genre imaginable over a five hour set – there is no way anyone could fail to have a great time, and it’ll  be high up on my list of must visits whenever I go back.

So, this is where going away with a movie buff gets tricky. I am as guilty as the next person of expecting things to appear exactly as they do in the movies. A dazzlingly sunny day was spent exploring more Manhattan streets to see the Flat Iron Building and enjoying Sunday Brunch at Dock’s Oyster Bar, before heading to Central Park to soak up some sun and relax. I thought. But what we were actually doing, it seems, was looking for the building where Dana Barrett, as played by Sigourney Weaver, lived in Ghostbusters. And it’s DAMN hard to find, because the one we passed – 55 Central Park West, if you’re wondering, as spotted and accentuated by my good self – is the correct building but had magically been extended and enhanced by those good movie bods, so that it didn’t look right, and we walked much further than necessary. Here it is, in case you’re interested:

The spooky building where Dana lived in Ghostbusters, apparently.

We saw the Lion King – way better than the cartoon, and every bit as fabulous as I’d heard and read. Emerging into the bright lights of Times Square, we jumped in a cab to scramble to the top of the Empire State Building. Personally, I prefer the Top of the Rock, but I decided that an NY Newbie deserved to make their own mind up and dutifully hit the 86th floor, and the 102nd floor to look out over the illuminated city. Man, it was cold.

Look how pretty.

You wouldn't think you could miss him, would you?

… And i’m exhausted.  (I was supposed to write this yesterday–the actual one month celebration date, but I was taking a day long nap) I’ve been all over the place and there still are areas I have yet to visit/discover. I took the day off of exploring NYC to just lay in bed and rest. A lazy day can do one good, specially after walking so much.

Which isn’t to say I’m tired/over it or anything like that. I’m still in full honeymoon mode, and though I’ve been irritated by rude/clueless pedestrians here and there, the thought of breathing fire and raze people down to ashes has yet to cross my mind–which is a true miracle; I’m known for being a bit of a hothead with a violent streak.

The post office and the DMV are completely backwards here (which was suprising) but again, small price to pay and nothing to really lose your head over when you put everything else under perspective.

I love the Dekalb Ave stop, home to my best friend the Q train.

My favorite thing about the city is still the Subway system, I don’t know why but I love it; completely obsess with it and the whole inner workings of it: the lines, the tracks, the platforms and how it makes people happy or irritates them depending on how quickly or late the trains get to them or take them to their destinations.  Also of great importance is the assorted collection of characters begging for change or performing from train to train all day or at the big stations just trying to earn some money (everyone truly think themselves talented).  As much as I love the subways I wouldn’t dream of spending the entire day and night down there like these people do.  Oh and the rats, lets not forget the rats, especially late at night, moving about around the tracks completely oblivious to the coming trains. Talking about fearless.

Here in order, are the things I currently like the most:

• The Subway: trains, stations, and the screeching sound it makes as it approaches/passes a stop, something aking to the Ringwraits/nazguls from Lord Of The Rings.
• Grand Central Station: really love the inside of the building, it is quite busy and noisy but I could just sit there and write.
• 34th Street: yes the Empire State building is right there but I just like the shopping experience of it all and my fave deli is around the corner.
• The Strand: everyone in the city wants to work there, I put in an application just for the fun of it, it truly is book-heaven and the coolest place.
• Central Park: amazing in scope and scarier than scary at night which makes it even more thrilling.
• Prospect Park: I live a couple of blocks away, it is my Central Park away from Central Park–just as awesome, just as scary and though it isn’t anywhere near as big it feels like it is.
• Park Slope: my neighborhood is pretty cool, I gotta say I lucked out.
• The Public Library/Bryant Park: I love the building and the lions.
• Time Square: yes it’s always chockfull of tourist and some of them may smell, and though I’ve never been a fan of the tourist attractions or the awfully crowded (and extremely overpriced as a result) places, the reaction these people have at being in Time Square is somewhat cool to watch.
• Coney Island: there’s a sense of something long gone, something that used to be amazing there that’s now gone, but you can feel its ghost; the remnants of it still lingering in the air. It is at once sad and inviting.
• The weather: granted, the weather should be up in the list near the top but though it has been cooling down slowly but surely, I’m waiting for it to get really cold to place it at number 1.

There are still tons of places I’ve haven’t been or haven’t visit enough like Chinatown and the Lower East Side, which I have only passed by on my way somewhere else.  I’m gonna concentrate on those place for all of October.

From here on out, we’re just going to get straight into the awards with each post. After all, you probably just glance over this intro crap anyway.

Most Overused Headline: The Daily Pennsylvanian’s 34th Street Magazine
“Going Green?” Barf. Not only are we tired of reading these tree hugging pieces, but we’re certainly sick of hearing that trite cliche.

Raunchy Word Invention: The Daily Northwestern
You cooked up the word “sexting” and found a way to not only anchor an entire column around it, but also use it in a headline. Bravo.

Slow News Day: The Miami Hurricane
A 400-word story about hand sanitizers? Seriously?

Best Free PR News Section: The Chronicle at Duke
Congrats. You succeeded in running a news section chock-full of stories that look like they were written by the university’s PR minions themselves. And you guys say you’re an independent newspaper? Hah, right.

34th Street is a major cross-town street in Manhattan, connecting the Lincoln Tunnel and Queens-Midtown Tunnel.

At the west end of the street one finds the Hudson River, the New York Waterway ferry dock, the West 34th Street Heliport, the Hudson River Greenway, the West Side Highway, and the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City’s main convention center. On the West Side, 34th Street is in the neighborhood Hell’s Kitchen and overlooks the West Side railway yard. On Tenth Avenue is a McDonald’s with a drive-through (a rarity in Manhattan) and its own small parking lot. On Ninth is B&H Photo Video, a large retailer of photographic and electronic equipment.

Further east at Eighth and 33rd, the Post Office and the new Penn Station dominate on the south side of the street, serving Amtrak trains to destinations all over the United States and Canada, and Long Island Rail Road and Transport of New Jersey trains to suburbs. Above Penn Station sits Madison Square Garden, which calls itself “the world’s most famous arena”.

34th Street is a major shopping street. Though it endured a decline in the 1970s, it rebounded late in the 20th century with new stores and new energy. A giant video board and light display at 34th and Broadway is like a mini Times Square. Between Seventh Avenue and Broadway, one will find Macy’s, the famous department store immortalized in the Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street. It claims to be the “world’s largest store.” The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ends on 34th Street.

A block south of 34th, at Sixth Avenue and 33rd Street, is the Manhattan Mall, an indoor shopping mall built inside what had been the flagship location of the Gimbel’s department store. Branches of large chain stores also operate between 8th and 5th Avenues.

East of Herald Square and the hectic shopping district: Victoria’s Secret, American Eagle, Footlocker, Aldo, Forever 21… just to name some.

On Fifth Avenue one finds the Empire State Building.

34th Street is one of my favorite streets in New York City. It is the first street I got to see just after arriving for the first time in this incredible city. And the second time also…

These pictures were taken at the Express In-Store Fashion Event last week, at their 34th street Manhattan location. Pic quality not so good though, since we used a cellphone cam. The Event was in collaboration with InStyle Magazine and Caress (Shower Gel). In addition to the fun fashion show, we got free drinks, shower gel samples, and InSide’s Anniversary Special Issue. I also purchased a pretty necklace – click here to see picture. 

Got it for $40 at Express on 34th street. They had a fashion show the day I was there - posting the pics later.  However, they’re taken with cellphone cam, so not the best quality.

I decided to take a different path home from the gym the other day and, low and behold, I found this awesome little thrifty, home furnishing store on 34th street. Now I have an excuse to go work out.

I have been having trouble sleeping lately- and by lately, I mean, oh, the past year. I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t seem to get in a good shut-eye session these days. Even on nights when I sleep a full eight hours by the clock’s count, I sometimes wake up feeling like I spent the night out boozing instead of snoozing. I can’t figure out if it’s just that the city’s too loud (I don’t live in the quietest neighborhood), or if I actually have some kind of problem. I’ve recently learned that I have an old-man snoring habit (I know- so sexy), which makes me think that perhaps obstructed breathing is the culprit; but I also wake up with a kinky neck (again, so sexy), so I’m wondering if my cheapo Kmart pillows are to blame. I thought of buying one of those nasal ease things, but again- too sexy. Since getting a doctor’s appointment in this city is like getting tickets to MJ’s memorial, and nasal strips likely won’t fit over my Chamorro nose anyway, I decided to do what I should have done a long time ago: I bought some new pillows.

Pillows are curious things, because they seem so simple, but can cost so much. I mean, should a bag filled with goose feathers really cost $200? If you’re going to charge me that much, you’d better throw in the bird, some stuffing, an apple pie, and a couple sides of mashed potatoes. There are obviously cheaper pillows, like the ones I’ve been breaking my neck on (Only $15 for a spinal dis-alignment? No way!), but, as I’ve learned, they quickly fall flat and leave me feeling like the hunchback of Notre Dame. So yesterday I sucked it up, hauled myself to Macy’s, and cozied up to the “natural filling” section of the pillow corner. Goodbye, synthetic pain in my neck; hello, goose down glory.

I was pleasantly surprised to find myself in the midst of a sale. (While the recession certainly blows, the one good thing about it is that there are a lot of sales.) Since the Macy’s bedding department is organized more efficiently than the Dewey decimal system, it took me less than five minutes to find the pillows for me: hypoallergenic, medium support, down surround, 50% off. I took them up to register and got ready to pay my dues.

When I got home, however, I approached my new bedfellows with trepidation. What if they didn’t work? What if they left me in worse shape than I started off in? What if I was in fact allergic to the down surround and ended up with Lisa Rinna lips in the morning? No matter: I had trekked all the way up to 34th Street to get those suckers, I had to give them a try.

It’s amazing how a simple swap of head support can transform your sleeping experience from Best Western to Hotel Bel Air. It didn’t even feel like my own bed. I sunk into my new pillows like a fat kid in some quick sand, and after a few minutes of tossing around, I was out like a light.

Despite a batch of 3:00 am love bites from a horny mosquito, I had a pretty good sleep. So good, in fact, that I turned off my alarm this morning and just lay there for an extra 45. I wouldn’t say that my problem is solved, but going down surround was definitely a step in the right direction. After all, soliciting a slumber isn’t so bad when your head is resting in the lap of luxury.

Today was day 6 in NYC. Notice I said New York City this time and not Port Chester. I woke up early this morning in The Bronx (my brother’s apartment), after a long night out. Took a shower and drove my brother’s other car back to Port Chester. I wanted to get back as early as possible so I didn’t miss out on another fabulous breakfast with the fam. I was so nervous to be driving my brother’s old car. He just bought a brand new car and thought he’d be nice and lend me his old ‘beat up’ car for the week. I thought it was a nice gesture, but after driving it I’m not so sure. The car is so temperamental! I discovered I have to talk nice to the car, schmooze it just the right way and practically caress it before it’ll even turn on for me! And that’s just to get it started. Then on the road it makes weird noises, and that’s not helpful driving on the crazy roads in New York. With the impatient, speed racing drivers out here, the very narrow lanes, and pot-holes on the roads and highways – the last thing you want is for your car to start acting up. I’d hate to be stuck on the side of the highway here. Don’t think anyone would stop to help, and if someone did I might be suspicious as to why they were stopping.  Oh, and to top it all off, the car stereo didn’t work. So driving around with my own thoughts can be pretty distracting.

After breakfast, my daughter and I had plans to meet my cousin in Times Square for lunch and an afternoon in the city. We had lunch at Ray’s Famous Pizzeria! That was great! The delicious smell in the restaurant, the food, oh and there was actually clean and available tables to sit at… that was a bonus! The cherry on top was that another cousin of mine came in from Jersey with his pregnant wife (whom I’ve never met) to hang with us as well. It was a great day! Delicious food, catching up with more of my family. Oh and did I mention…. Shopping? One of my favorite things to do whenever I’m in New York City is shop! I love the street vendors with all their cheap knock-off merchandise. I love feeling like I haggled and got a great deal on a new cell phone case or a scarf. I also love that the clothing here is sales-tax FREE. And, I love all the little shops downtown where I find the unique (and affordable) accessories and jewelry!

After an afternoon of endless walking (From 42nd street down to 26th street) and shopping. Stopping along the way at coffee shops for a little rest and iced mocha lattes. We also got caught in a crazy thunder storm with no umbrella! That was fun! We were running for cover and at one point were stuck with tons of other New Yorkers in the subway station, all of us at the bottom of the steps looking up and out to find the break in the rain to be able to run out to our destination. Even the guy with the “Umbrellas FOR SALE” cart came down to the subway for cover from the lightning and strong winds. It was a blast! But I think I was the only one who thought it was fun. Down in the subway, we witnessed a homeless person yelling profanity at random people who walked by him. It’s crazy all the different people you encounter on the subway, and for some strange reason I seemed to encounter them all this day. There was the blind woman walking up and down the train asking for spare change, another woman with her young daughter also asking for spare change. A guy with a guitar playing and singing with his guitar case opened on the floor for money to be dropped in. There were the guys with lots of big gold chains and rings on their fingers, who enter the train and stand for the entire ride even though there are available seats. The girls who have really loud conversations with each other as if they were talking from across the room, and then roll their eyes when someone looks at them. Then there are the people who bury their noses in a book or news paper or just shut their eyes for a quick nap in an effort to not be caught staring at any one person for too long. Thankfully there’s lots of art and ads to read on the subway to keep your eyes on something other than all of the colorful personalities on the subway trains.

We finally ended the evening at a cute little Cuban restaurant near Union Square, I think it was like 17th street. Great service, great food, great atmosphere! It was a nice way to end the evening. Afterward, we each headed for the train station to go our separate trains back home. The walk in Union Square was sweet.  It was around 9pm. The rain had cleared the pavement was dry and many people were out walking around. The Square was pretty lit up with all the lights from store signs, billboards and street lights. There were two ‘garage-bands’ playing on different corners of the Square. Each with their guitar cases open on the floor awaiting donations in appreciation of their music. Crowds gathered around each of them it was pretty neat. Even though I was full from the delicious dinner we had at the Cuban place, I couldn’t help noticing the delicious smell of the sweet roasted almonds cart, and the hot dog stand near the subway station entrance….Mmmmmm….

Pedestrian-Only Times Square (Source: The World Edition)

In a dramatic reappropriation of urban space for public use, Times Square was closed off to cars earlier this summer. Less well known is that Summer Streets are already in place all over the five-boroughs this summer, thanks to the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and that a section of 34th street will have a pedestrian-only zone when the next bus rapid transit (BRT) phase is installed. Interestingly, there have been many studies showing that traffic does not deteriorate when public space is added – even a mathematical theorem called the Braess Paradox to explain the phenomenon.

This Saturday, Williamsburg Walks converts Bedford Avenue into a pedestrian-only zone, brought to you by L Magazine and the Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG). The event tagline: “rethink your public space.” Yours truly, with Kittens Ablaze, will be performing at L Magazine’s Live on Bedford event on Bedford Avenue between N 6th and N 7th streets at 2pm.

Williamsburg Walks (Source: Streetsblog)

It has been argued that bureaucracy makes it difficult to engender change in New York. But many public initiatives carry the fingerprints of particular officials and their personal interests. Iris Weinshall, former NYC DOT commissioner, pitched and implemented the concept of “Thru Streets,”which improved cross-town travel time up to 25% by prohibiting turns except on Park Avenue and a few other exceptions. Similarly, although Janette Sadik-Khan, NYC DOT commissioner, has been making waves recently for her research travel to far-flung places such as Bogotá and Beijing, we can credit the successful implementation of the 200-mile New York City bike network to her avid interest in cycling.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Broadacre City

The automobile and road culture of the United States can be attributed to cold war defense programs such as the Eisenhower Interstate System, infrastructure stimulus packages throughout the last century, urban planning theories that glorified technology and the automobile, and most simply – that Henry Ford was an American. Regardless, it is important to realize that public space is at a premium whether in dense urban areas such as New York City or in areas of great suburban sprawl. Car-free zones in urban areas, with a mix of recreational and entertainment activities, address important issues on how public space should be created, allocated and utilized.

Art Under Glass: Summer of Love

So here we are, another ode to summer. I have to admit, this might be my favorite series of posts of all time! I am truly enjoying this set. This one is going to be a little different though. I would like for you all to add to this. I want to see how many stores are truly in the summer spirit! I saw a lot of funky, creative, splashy things out there. I may even revisit this post and add whatever I catch with my trusty camera phone.

If you haven’t been paying attention, Macy*s is one of the Kings of Windows (I just made that up…but it’s true) and is most famous for their Christmas display. People from all over the world line up to visit this mid-town Manhattan icon to see the story of Miracle on 34Th Street in the window display. But what many people miss are the tons of creative displays they put on during the year. They change their windows just about every week or two. And each time, it is something glamorous and spectacular. The visual designers here truly understand the concepts of space, colour, texture, and patterns. I love their use of decals. It just adds another dimension to the designs and helps to tell the story better. You sometimes forget that the purpose of all of this is to display clothes!

This week’s display, Summer of Love, under a series called Art Under Glass, uses the images of iconic San Francisco photographer Robert Altman. The sixties themed graphics coupled with the striking images from his latest book, The Sixties, exudes the freedom, liveliness, and revelry of the hippie movement and it’s favourite season–summer! Enjoy!

It started out as a humble imitator of the swanky dining car, but now its menus and marvels have made it into a roadside Ritz

By Gardner B. Soule

THE eating places with the most elaborate menus in the wold, in the fastest service and the most customers are not the restaurants of Paris but instead are mass-produced in U.S. plants.

The roadside diner- the long, narrow, silver-colored affair that looks like a railroad dining car – has become the fanciest, speediest and busiest of eating establishments.

The story begins more than 60 years ago, in 1892, the year Charles Duryea successfully operated the first gasoline driven horseless carriage in America. In that year a man named Charles Palmer started using horse-drawn wagons to carry hot frankfurters and beans to workmen in Worcester, Mass., factories.

What grew out of Duryea’s invention is well known. What came from Palmer’s idea is not. But as Americans took to the highways, the diner took out after the cars, and by 1953 the diner was as different from Palmer’s dog-and-bean wagon as a 1953 Cadillac is from Duryea’s gasoline buggy:

- Instead of Palmer’s menu of two choices, the 1953 diner has a menu that may run to six pages and include lobster Cantonese, crepes Suzette and champagne.

- Instead of taking the time that the Greasy Spoon used to require to prepare a meal, the 1953 diner is engineered to get the average customer in, fed and out in 20 minutes.

- Instead of peddling food to workmen only, the 1953 diner caters to men, women and children, even to clubs. It caters to truck drivers still (although the tip-off to a diner’s popularity is no longer rows of Freuhaufs but a parking lot full of Fords, Buicks – and up). It caters, above all, to families.

- Instead of functioning at night only (this got Charles Palmer suspected as the operator of a sinister trade), the modern diner is open 24 hours a day. “We don’t have a key,” says Martin Rich, who owns a diner near Port Chester, N.Y., on U.S. 1 ” I forgot where I put it.”

- Instead of being an establishment of doubtful hygiene, the 1953 diner has steel counters, leather or plastic seat covers, terrazzo floors, chrome decorations and a plastic ceiling. All- including the ceiling- can be wiped clean instantly with a damp cloth.

- Instead of seating six or eight persons at a counter only, as Palmer’s wagons did, the modern diner has tables, booths and counters, and seats as many as 137.

- Instead of being carpenter built wooden wagons, today’s diners are stainless steel, chromium plated, air conditioned, fully insulated, fluorescent lighted, deluxe eating establishments with as many accessories as a 1953 automobile. They are constructed on assembly lines with power tools, largely from prefabricated parts.

The man who changed the wooden lunch wagon into a streamlined steel car was a New Yorker named Jerry O’Mahony. He ran a diner a 7th Ave and 34th Street in 1913. Did well, too. Made $1,380 that year. But customers asked where he got his wooden diner. So he had his carpenter build some, and sold them for $300 each ($6461 in 2009). Then he kept on building diners.

Today Jerry O’Mahony, Inc. of Elizabeth, N.J. is the biggest of about a dozen companies making diners. Others include Silk City Diner, Inc., and Paramount Diner Corp. at Paterson, N.J. and Kullman Dining Car Co. at Harrison N.J. New Jersey is the state that makes the diner.

Prices Have Gone Up

O’Mahony’s prices have gone up. “Our diners,” the company boasts, “are the most expensive you can buy.” Selling prices start at $36,000 (34 seats) and go up to $110,000 (those 137 seaters)

An O’Mahony diner is delivered to its owner complete: with sinks, stoves, refrigerators, walk in freezers (a diner buys a side of beef at once), plumbing, air conditioning, heating, automatic dish washers, steam tables, phone booths, counters, stools, pots, pans, waitresses uniforms, china, napkins, silverware, toothpicks, rest rooms, fudge pumps, food warmers, and juke box outlets offering a choice of up to 100 records.

O’Mahony will include television sets if you insist, but doesn’t like to. TV keeps the customers staying longer than that 20 minutes without increasing the money they spend.

Some O’Mahony diners come with a private mahogany office for the owner, complete with built in shower.

The prospective owner usually pays only about one-fourth down. The O’Mahony company has an interest, therefore, in the owner’s success and checks the proposed location before it sells every diner. Traffic past the proposed site is surveyed.

The prospective owner is combed over pretty hard, too. O’Mahony won’t sell to an absentee owner because, with an absentee, more food goes out the back door than out the front.

If a location fails to pay off, a 1953 diner can be jacked up, put on wheels and hauled to a more promising spot. But so thorough are these surveys that not one O’Mahony diner has had to be moved in the past 10 years. Instead, bigger diners are continually replacing those whose business has outgrown them.

$1,250 a Week

An owner’s possibilities for profit are better than Jerry O’Mahony’s were in 1913. Today the net may run $1,250 a week. “Financial security,” says an O’Mahony circular, “is yours for the asking.”

Martin Rick, who runs the Old Post Grill diner on U.S. 1, has gone out after that financial security with an O’Mahony diner. His menu is almost as long as the highway. He sells coffee only and also five-course dinners. He specializes in Hungarian goulash and seafoods. He offers your choice of salads, cold cuts, sodas, sundaes and a dozen categories of desserts. You can wash all this down wish champagne ($6 a bottle) or with anything else. Here Rich’s is different from the typical diner, which does not serve liquor.

The kitchen at Rich’s is a masterpiece of compactness. All cooking apparatus is condensed into a space the size of a truck body – friers, baking ovens, short order grills, heavy duty ranges, sinks, storage. The only food prepared in front of the customer is ice cream dishes.

None of Rich’s waitresses has to walk more than 34 feet in any direction to fill an order. This allows Rich to maintain that 20-minute schedule, an important factor with the average check around 60 cents. His 92 seat diner has fed 2500 people in one day

Diners Heading West

Observing the success of Rich and others, the O’Mahony company is expanding. It has just opened a plant in St. Louis, the first one to mass produce diners west of New Jersey. Transportation costs from the factory to a site are high, and most of the 6,000 U.S. diners are in the East, near the New Jersey factories. But soon, the company hopes, O’Mahony steamlined diners will dot highways everywhere.

In the West, diners will have to compete with deluxe drive ins which are rare in the East. No problem, a diner executive said. Drive-ins have limited menus, he insisted, and predicted that diners would beat them.

Customers Come in Limousines

What the company doesn’t add, enterprising owners will. One owner in the East put Baked Alaska on his menu and became a success. Dozens of owners have added tablecloths and freshly cut flowers to their tables. This has worked so well at one diner – in Aberdeen, MD – that three regular customers arrive daily in chauffeur-driven limousines.

But a diner out on New Jersey 29 has added the crowning touch – a headwaiter, complete with tuxedo, who seats the guests. Yet if you approach this headwaiter in shirtsleeves, in overalls or behind a day’s growth of beard, he will seat you promptly and won’t even raise an aristocratic eyebrow.

Banksy calls himself an “art terrorist.”  His most notorious crime occured in March 2005, when he “hit” four New York museum in one day.  He managed to hang his own pseudo-historical paintings among the exhibits, including the painting (above) entitled “You have Beautiful Eyes” which was placed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

My interest in “You Have Beautiful Eyes” began during the swine flu outbreak.  While riding the New York the 6 local train from Grand Central to 8th Street.  I stepped on the subway car and was immediately confronted with the reality of a possible pandemic.  I grumbled, “Oh… dude… no” as I noticed that two of my fellow passengers were wearing surgical masks.  The doors closed and I wrapped my hand in my shirt sleeve before grabbing the railing to keep from falling down.  The train quickly jumped into motion as it pulled away from the station.  I held my breath for as long as possible and then finally turned away from the other passengers to take a gulp of air from a clean looking corner of the train.

I first noticed her at the 34th street station, when she shuffled her grocery bag to the floor to make room for an elderly woman on the bench beside her.  The girl was probably twenty-five.  Her skin was pale from a long winter and her blond hair was long and pushed carelessly back by careless fingers.  As I watched she removed a compact from her bag and began applying mascara.  That is when I noticed her eyes.  Pale baby blue that matched her surgical mask perfectly.  She removed a pencil and drew thin charcoal lines in just above her eyelashes.  She had beautiful eyes and I would not have noticed if she was not wearing the mask.

There is something unsettling about surgical masks in the city.  The possibility of contamination seems inevitable when you are packed together tightly with a bunch of strangers.  Masks are not a foolproof way to prevent the spread of germs and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has a lot to learn about the potential effectiveness of masks in controlling swine flu.  As a precaution, experts say, masks make sense for certain groups: people who are sick; and health care workers who are most likely to come in close contact with infected people.  No specific recommendation is made for urban dwellers, but it seems logical that we would fit in the last category.  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recently reported that “only 25 percent of volunteers enrolled in a mask-wearing experiment were able to don the masks properly” and “22 percent of people put the mask on upside down.”  Common errors include: not tightening the nose clip and not wearing the straps tightly enough.

Banksy’s painting also seemed relevant given the viral nature in which it jumped from its host to the museum.

Related Video:

Other Banksy Gas Mask Images:

Gas Mask Fashion and Photo Collection:

Excellent photo collection from Dark Roasted Blend, a highly visual online magazine…

For more see: darkroastedblend.com

Luxury/Fashion Surgical Mask:

Back to Banksy – Louis Vuitton Lizard:

This image is from Banksy’s Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill exhibit (New York City, 7th Avenue between West 4th and Bleeker Street).  The shop is stocked with an animatronic-powered menagerie.  The Louis Vuitton lizard sits in a cage with other cameleon lizards who have blended in with their surroundings-including Graffiti lizards.  This image reminds me of the adaptive qualities of city dwellers who have altered and adjusted protective devices, such as surgical masks, to remain in style.

Personalized Surgical Masks:

The ultimate swine flu surgical mask:

Yes, that’s a person dressed as a BlackBerry, walking down 34th Street this morning.

BTW, here’s a real wrap-up of Fashion Week in case you’re interested.