Maybe it’s just me, but this summer has been pretty awesome in terms of overall weather condition and everything. I just loved it over here in your city [NYC]. This is one of my favorite snaps which I took walking across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

Even though I have to go back and I do look forward to people over there in Berlin, I am also gonna miss this place a lot, lot, lot, …

No, it’s not Fringe week just yet. Don’t get all Shakespeare-eyed on me and reminisce about those days you became an unpaid stage hand just so you could watch the gritty and real life of off-off-Broadway productions. Don’t think of that time you did gigs with your band for free drinks. Don’t even try to recall the PA gig you did on the Sopranos in hopes that some day you will make Second Second Assistant Director.

No. Forget those dreamy gigs you’ve taken in the past. Live in the now. Let’s snap back into reality as Eminem would say. It’s time to take a deep look at your wallet, your pocket, your bank account and measure it against your lifestyle.

Are you living with more than 2 people you’ve never met before you started living here? Are you working multiple jobs and having barely enough time to sleep? Do you survive on Cup of Noodles and Mac n’ Cheese? Does the thought of free food still excite you?

It seems that a lot of people did take into account all of the above and the big moves have finally started. A few of my personal friends have done so, but this New York Magazine article proves it: people are fleeing NYC for more affordable places where their dollar goes farther. Places like Buffalo, NY - imho one of the biggest architectural nightmares ever. But you know what? It beats sleeping on an air mattress.

Are you moving?

One of my biggest issues with the subways are that you never really know when they run. When taking a bus, there is always a schedule at the stop which gives you an estimate as of when a bus might come, but I did not see something like that on the subway - maybe yet.

Of course I could check out the tripplaner website beforehand, but let’s reserve my beef with the tripplanner for another blog post.

So while I am really glad that the subway system runs all around the clock, I have also found myself numerous times standing on a platform in the middle of the night wondering when my dear train comes to bring me home. Just add to the uncertainty of time, the uncertainty about the overall service (”It’s the weekend, does the 2, 3 stop here?”), rats and all kind of weird people to make this experience a lasting one.

Last weekend I went out with some friends in Williamsburg and to get their I took a L-Train from Manhattan to Bedford Avenue and I noticed that the L is the first one of all the lines I’ve used that actually displays the time of when the next train runs right on the platform. At least in Brooklyn.

And while I was waiting for the the train at Spring St, they kept announcing an ETA for the next train every three minutes. Not that you need it so often, but it’s still a nice service.

So this is still pretty rare for NYC and the system is probably a pilot. All the people I talked to about it so far were joking about the MTA raising prices soon to compensate the spending on the panels. ;) Even though I oppose raising the prices (Of course!), I feel like this system is long needed.

Does anyone share my enthusiasm and know more?

On Friday as we headed out of town to visit family, we got stuck in some really bad traffic on the FDR due to an accident. Luckily, we had some reading material generously provided by the fellow in the van in front of us.

If you can’t see it, across the rear windows of his van reads the poignant and poetic statement, “USA LOVE IT OR GET THE F..K OUT”. His flowery, almost musical language continues on the door panel below with, “IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE SIGN CALL 1-800-EAT-SHIT”. Truly a man of conviction and purpose, he also drew upon his artistic creativity to place a rubber chicken inside the door so that its body hangs out, with a sign describing who he is portraying for those without his pure, artistic vision: “OSAMA B.”

I’ve seen vans that claim to be art cars before, but never have I seen such a brilliant translation of performance art on a moving vehicle before. I hope you take your show to Broadway one day. Bravo, sir.

Photo from telegraph.co.uk

Having been a big fan of the 1981 mini series, I was excited to hear that Brideshead Revisited was coming to the big screen. Not able to persuade my husband to accompany me, I went to Chelsea Clearview Cinema with a friend (fittingly from England).

Visually stunning, the film travels from historic Oxford to the title country estate to Venice. Reminiscent of Atonement, the story similarly takes place among the English aristocracy around the onset of WWII and the clothes are fabulous. The plot revolves around a young painter’s involvement with a wealthy, Catholic family and the love triangle that develops as a result.

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Things in my beard

I got a bagel this morning from Pick-A-Bagel on 23rd and 3rd ave. and I realized something, bagels and cream cheese just do not mix. I am still finding bits of it hours later. Yum! You can also ‘toss your own salad’ there, as their sandwich board states.

Okay, where were these people in the early 90s when I was an airline and hotel sales rep with a bladder the size of a pea? I know — TMI !!

Anyway, if you’re out and about, and gotta go, you have a google for toilets. Called Diaroogle

, they describe themselves as “The Premier Toilet Search Engine”, and go on to say that they cater to “the discerning, on-the-go defecator who is brave enough to use a public bathroom, but still demands a hygienic and private bathroom experience.”

You can access from your cellphone [more likely the situation], or check it out on your laptop. Oh, and they ask for input from users, and focus on the nicer toilets in town. My advice as an experienced pro– find a hotel or a Starbucks

There were some chores to be taken care of today. Some mundane tasks, but they happened to be on Central Park East. And any task that’s on CPE is OK by me. The neighborhood is filled with the sort of NYC essence you’d find in a Woody Allen film or a Neil Simon production. Something about the place just exudes classic New York.

I feel it has a lot to do with the preserved buildings. Especially the ones that are open to the public like the Frick Collection. Or just the tree-lined sidewalks that overlook the Central Park Zoo.

So I meandered into the park from 6th avenue and after going over a gazebo, some picnicking folk and taking in the skyline from different angles, I just found a nice boulder to rest my butt on and looked at the Victorian Gardens. It was filled with kids - sounds of laughter, screams, and laser-like noises in the distance from below and sounds of honking, sirens, and horses to the side.

A live unadulterated stereo of New York City. Perfect place to take a nap. It was awesome.

Last night marked the end of Bryant Park’s 16th annual movie series with Superman closing season. My first Bryant Park movie experience, I had expected a crowd - but I hadn’t realized how big that crowd would be.

I arrived a little after 5 and already the park was packed. Luckily, a friend had gotten there earlier and reserved a not terrible spot. We munched on a modest picnic of fruit and cookies as our respective significant others joined us. Some female picnickers next to us required my husband’s help opening a wine bottle and rewarded us with free, much appreciated glasses of wine.

After watching some folks in Superman costumes and listening to a couple business sponsors, the show began. The crowd sang along to the 80’s HBO song which opened the movie (I have to admit it did make me a little nostalgic). I had never actually seen the whole film, but I enjoyed the ridiculous dialogue and the terrible effects. I understood why the film had acquired the cult following that it must have, judging by the enthusiastic audience. The sound died at a climactic part of the movie, right as Lois’s car was filling with dirt. The audience chimed in with their own sound effects and a rousing version of the Superman theme music. After some further technical problems, the film came back up to show Superman reversing time and saving the night.

Yesterday while riding the quiet E train, a woman who was handicapped started smoking a cigarette on the train. No one got up no one complained. The doors opened at 71st Continental Avenue, some of the smoke exited the car. A few minutes later, she started smoking another cigarette. Again, no one complained, a lot of heads turned, but that was it.

She was in violation of the MTA NYC Transit code - Disorderly Conduct would have been the charge she could suffer.

This evening on the Queens bound F train, a woman had placed a giant shopping bag on the seat next to hers. I wanted to sit on this seat - even though there were other empty spots. So I squeezed on, having a portion of my behind take up a tiny bit space that remained empty on the chair. The woman proceeded to remove the shopping bag and got up.

“Thank you,” I said to her. “You’re welcome,” she responded with some bitterness in her voice.

Nice leather pants by the way, lady.

I saw these flowers growing on the side of the road near Queensboro Plaza. We’d decided to walk along the 7 train’s route from Sunnyside to the Queensboro stop, a largely industrial area. Right next to a parking lot, we saw these plants, sprouting up like weeds.

As I waited on line to get admission for the museum of Modern Art, better known as MoMa, I heard many people speaking in different languages. The guy behind me poked my head with his umbrella several times spoke German. But he also sheltered me unwillingly from the rain (for a little bit).

Once inside the museum, it seemed more like the local Whole Foods than a museum. Everyone and their mothers was there. And since I’m not a big fan of modern art nor do I know anything about Dali except for the fact that he painted a lot of crazy things including melting clocks, I was paying attention to the people.

It seemed to me that everyone in there wanted to follow a certain decorum. People, it occurred to me stared with serious faces at the captions on the walls even if the content was hilarious. . . which some of it totally was. And another thing I noticed was that there was no way the 3 security guards in each room could come even close to enforcing the strict “no photography” policy. MoMa authorities, if you’re reading this, I suggest a throwback to grade school - CONFISCATE until they leave the premises.

And lastly, many people were talking about how slippery the city was with flip flops on. . . since it rained tonight. Now I’m exactly the type of person to tell you, I told ya so.

Today I moved from my BK sublet up to a friend’s place at Lex and 28. Doing so, I yanked my luggage into a cab to go up to the new place, and on the way, the cab hit a lady on the bike.

Now, the good news is - she did not die. But she could have.

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After years of reading the hype and missing the Dosa guy of Washington Square Park (located right in front of the park, Sullivan St. and W 4th St) I finally had my lunch date with him today and it was spectacular. As expected, he knew what Jain meant and both his Sambar and Chutney were Jain. Also, the dosa was 100% vegan and he even sprinkled on this delicious hot powder on my dosa.

But what I didn’t expect was a tofu-drumstick with a sugarcane instead of a stick in the middle. The chewy and absolutely flavorful savory treat was a surprise I had not expected. Needlessly to say, the $6.75 for a can of Iced Tea, a plain spicy vegan Dosa, and a single drumstick with the side of chutney and sambar was by far the best lunch I’ve had in quite some time.

Catch him tomorrow if you can. I hope to visit again soon.

The American Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria has re-opened, despite being in the process of a major expansion, which will make it bigger and better than ever.
It’s a bargain at $10 per adult [discounts for children, students and seniors]. It’s free on Friday from 4pm to 8pm.

AMMI is not an all-day affair; you can get through it in less than two hours. But definitely check out the schedule of film screenings. And, despite the Greek exodus to suburbia, you can still find some good Greek food, as well as awesome Middle-Eastern, Latino, and Italian bakeries and eateries. Check out this video tour by a local opera singer, as he eats his way through doughy, yeasty treats.