I am a huge Thanksgiving fan. Truly, I am the poster boy for being thankful and celebrating with loved ones. But, after roughly polling some of my friends and colleagues that are in my age range (I am 25), I must say that the true meaning of Thanksgiving nowadays seems to be being frustrated with your family.

Let me first assure you that I get along very well with my parents. My mom and I are extremely close, and my dad and I don’t argue all that much, but the more time I spend with them, the more I can’t wait to not be spending time with them. Maybe it is a function of them getting older and me getting wiser, or maybe their ever-present quirks are finally starting to ware on me after 25 years of being somewhat oblivious to them, but whatever the reason, I was ready to walk back to NYC after 3 days at home.
(more…)

Over the next week, many Metroblogging communities will be posting a list of 7 unique things (one per day) that their cities contribute to the world. Being such an important part of world culture, New York couldn’t pass up this opportunity!

Without further ado, below is today’s gift:

Chutzpah, balls, cojones, moxie – there are lots of ways to say it but only one way to do it, and that’s the New York way of Attitude, with a capital Type A.
(more…)

It was great driving towards the Lincoln Tunnel and looking at the cranes from far away on the ground zero site. A very uplifting pre-winter evening.

Over the next week, many Metroblogging communities will be posting a list of 7 unique things (one per day) that their cities contribute to the world. Being such an important part of world culture, New York couldn’t pass up this opportunity!

Without further ado, below is today’s gift:

Starting with the birth of film, New York has always been an ideal location for movie settings. From the famous sweaty, impatient jurors in Twelve Angry Men, to Meg Ryan’s famous orgasm at Katz’s Deli in the Lower East Side, to Michael Corleone slaying Sallozzo and Officer McCluskey in a NY Italian restaurant, to Josh Baskin (Tom Hanks) playing the piano atFAO Schwartz in Big, to little Kevin McCallister staying at the Plaza Hotel, to the Men In Black finally defeating the aliens at Flushing Meadow Park, NYC is the home of so many famous movie scenes. When you factor in the many scenes from Ghostbusters, Goodfellas, and other well-known classics, NY’s role becomes that much more respectable.
(more…)

I’m not the rural type. I seldom go anyplace that doesn’t have a lobby and elevator. But in autumn, I always get tempted to visit friends in Vermont. (Fall foliage! Antiques! Thirty-dollar artisanal cheeses made by Microsoft millionaires who wanted to “get back to the land”!)

What I especially love is browsing through old-fashioned General Stores. You can find everything from PopTarts to fishing lures to brake fluid. Coming from a place without Walmarts, I find the idea of one-stop-shopping charming. It makes me wonder what a NEW YORK General Store would carry…

If New Yorkers only had one place to buy everything we need on a daily basis, the inventory would have to include such necessities as New York Magazine, Prozac, toilet paper, a quaffable cabernet, Manolos, bagels, botox, “to the trade only” designer fabrics, arugula, toothpaste, coffee in paper cups that say “We’re happy to serve you,” soap, the Sunday Times (for the crossword puzzle — we read it on-line the rest of the week), Roach Motels, Titanium Macs, paper towels, radios that only get NPR stations, bottled water, duct tape, and trophy items (such as art-star paintings) that other people won’t be allowed to buy.

Not to worry about how this would all fit into one small store — the clothing here only comes in one color (black), which leaves plenty of room for other fare. Besides, the General Store won’t have to stock TVs because supposedly New Yorkers “never watch televsion.” Every price would be wholesale, or a special deal just for you.

What else do you think a New York General Store should stock?

During the holiday season, many New Yorkers feel left out of the Norman Rockwell vision of Thanksgiving. Even those with big wholesome families back in the Heartland can feel like the black sheep in a Blue State who doesn’t belong anymore. Holiday traditions seem to belong to the small towns we were so desperate to escape.

But if you think about it, the Pilgrims were a lot like us New Yorkers. . .

For starters, they always wore black. They thought they were better than everyone else. And contrary to public opinion, the Pilgrims were probably as deviant as anything in the Village Halloween parade. C’mon, they thought AMSTERDAM was too conservative. We’re talking about folks who liked to put each other in the stocks, administer public whippings, and address the women in their group as “Mistress.” Tell me they wouldn’t fit right in at certain downtown clubs.

But what really makes New York the ideal Thanksgiving town is the tradition of breaking bread with someone from a different culture. We do that every day here, without even thinking about it. So, before you feel bad about yourself for not living in an idealized holiday greeting-card world, look carefully at Norman Rockwell’s iconic painting of Thanksgiving. No one in that entire wholesome family seems to have thought of inviting the neighbors.

I took this shot back on a quiet crystal clear morning in January,1995, from the top of the Empire State building. I’ve rediscovered ( in a trunk) a treasure trove of old slides and videos of NYC from the 80’s and 90’s – you’ll see them here from time to time.

I posted some holiday travel tips a few days ago, secretly dreading my upcoming trip today. As a frequent business traveler, I’m used to all the travel headaches and ever-changing security rules, but on days when there’s a major holiday and lots of people traveling, all those delays add up. I’m happy to report that security at JFK wasn’t bad at all – I’m in Terminal 9 right now, after breezing through a tiny check-in line and nearly empty security checkpoint. I was kind of surprised, actually – normally, JFK T9 has more people in it this time of day – but hey, I’m not complaining.

BUT – and you knew there had to be a but – it took about twice as long as usual to get here. Traffic in the city and all the way out to JFK was horrible. It took an hour and 45 minutes to get here from the east village. It probably would’ve been quicker to take the train, which is usually the option that takes the longest (but is the most cost-effective). So for those of you who haven’t left yet, or are heading out to Long Island from Manhattan via car, plan some extra time to get there.

A girl was raped on the corner of one of the most popular and what I thought to be safe neighborhoods in the city (Bleecker St. & LaGuardia Pl. in the West Village.) After having a few drinks she was trying to hail a cab when a dark sedan pulled up. She apparently got into the car willingly and then was raped by 3 men. She was dropped off at 46th between 2nd and 3rd avenue after the crime was committed.

It’s a sad story but one that should be taken with caution by students. I agree that these cases are not as common currently, but crap happens and when you get wasted, at least have 1 friend with you.
(more…)

- Instead of a “fan friendly” ballpark, how about they make a more fan friendly ticket pricing structure?

- Westchester County officials are apparently really bored.

- While I am the least starstruck person you will meet, this is a really cool Google map!

- Well done, Lupica. Rupert, don’t act like you wouldn’t have made the book if the shitstorm of controversy had never showed up.

- It’s funny. They now ask the real Kramer what he thinks when the fake Kramer does something stupid.

- I like the “NY’s Finest” and “NY’s Bravest” monikers, but this is going too far!

[Photo courtesy of Mets.com]