Check out this surreal slideshow of New York City made to accompany the book “The World Without Us” by Alan Weisman. It is supposed to depict the gradual decent of our city’s infrastructure anywhere from 2 days to 15,000 years after humans no longer exist. The picture above is from the 300 year mark.

I’ve not read the book but the description sure sounds interesting:

“In this far-reaching narrative, Weisman explains how our massive infrastructure would collapse and finally vanish without human presence; what of our everyday stuff may become immortalized as fossils; how copper pipes and wiring would be crushed into mere seams of reddish rock; why some of our earliest buildings might be the last architecture left; and how plastic, bronze sculpture, radio waves, and some man-made molecules may be our most lasting gifts to the universe.”

After getting an iced latte at Freeze Peach in Astoria today, I noticed some text on the cup. It said, “Made from Corn – 100% Compostable”. The fact that one of my favorite coffeeshops respects the environment made me very happy. Hopefully, more businesses will start using recycled/ compostable materials. Plus, it’s kind of awesome to drink out of something that feels like regular plastic, but is made from renewable corn.

I have a room for rent in my apartment. It’s cheap and small and cheerful (and on Craigslist). In the 12 hours that the ad has been up I have received 15 responses, all very earnest and friendly, but I’m really noticing a pattern. Everyone is laid back, clean, and responsible. Everyone. Well… a few are “lade” back and one is even “layed” back but you get the point. I’m not even sure what laid back means in modern context anymore. Do I care if they’re laid back? Am I laid back? And of course you are clean. Everyone is clean… until you’re not. I’m clean too, except in my own bedroom which looks like monkeys live there. Responsible is another adjective that I don’t really get in this context. Responsible to who? Your three kids? Responsible for a dozen murders? Or do you just mean that you pay rent on time? Does that need to be said? I would assume it was a given, frankly. About half the respondents are from out of state, but moving here for school in a few weeks. Great…. but I’d love to have this settled by then, and I want to actually meet you before you show up at my door with a bindle on your back. I also mentioned that I am planning on getting a kitten soon, mainly to warn anyone who is allergic but that seems to be a cue to anyone else who has a pet that their animal would be welcome as well. So far I have offers for a dog, two cats, and a parrot. They also all seem to want to reassure me that they enjoy living with others, and that they get along well with roommates.

I’m sure one of these people will end up sleeping in my apartment for the next year, but really… how did the script for this sort of thing become so standardized? Is it written down somewhere? The people responding to this ad must have found a form letter online it seems.

So I am still wondering, in this age of cell phones, why we still have those phone booths. Actually I use the term “booth” lightly because they are no more than 3-sided shelters, and only from the waist up, at that. Despite the fact that the “shelves” have wide gaps, and hardly hold anything, there are still cell-phone users who lean up against them.

As a former sales rep who really depended on those self-contained phone booths to afford me privacy I got a job offer in one) and block out city noise while I conducted business, the switch to these paltry enclosures forced me to seek out hotels and climate-controlled buildings. Once, when my boss was about to break the bad news in mid-July, that our salaries were being cut by 20%, he started the conversation with “I hope you are at a phone in an air-conditioned building because this will be a long conversation”. I can still feel my stomach dropping in the lobby of 30 Rock.

Now I read in the Times that the sides of these outdoor phone-enclosures are advertising cash cows. The companies who put them up, are not even concerned about the phone functioning or not, or even if the phone is still there! They are making more money from advertisers than they would ever make from phone calls! I don’t know, but it would seem to me that this is just another way that corporate America can “sneak in” their ads. Read about it at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/nyregion/17phones.html?ex=1345003200&en=998d9ef603df3511&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
I think bus shelters, buses, and subways provide enough venues for commercial propaganda! Dirty, garbage-filled eyesores with phones that don’t work anyway, or with wires popping out of metal walls, are shameful and another thing that makes our city look dirty and neglected.

Several other NYC based blogs have been raving about Walk Score, a website that purports to be able to score your neighborhood based on its walkability. First off… I tried 20 addresses in Manhattan and never once got a score below 95… so… yeah. I pretty much knew that. New York is great for walking, especially Manhattan.

Let’s be honest though… I don’t find my neighborhood to be as walkable as others. They score the area around my apartment as a 95. I’d say that’s WAY too high. Their algorithms are supposed to judge a neighborhood based on availability of schools, parks and public spaces, well connected streets, a pedestrian centric design… yeah, find me a place in Manhattan that DOESN’T fit all those criteria. So I searched… the Village is decentralized and seemed to work counter to what they are looking for. Nope. Way over on the East Side? Nope. Financial District? Nope. Around the Battery? Nope. All these places scored 95 or better. Upper Manhattan? Maybe… just maybe. Seaman Ave? Supremely walkable it seems. Dyckman? Walkable. Vermilea, Sherman, Post and Nagle too. For a moment it seemed that Manhattan was the most perfectly walkable place in America… but then I found it. W 220th Street, at the far end of the island, pretty much under a bridge, and less than a block long. Perfect. W 220th’s score? 80. 80% walkable.

So I’ve decided that Walk Score is broken. At least for New York City. Who cares how many schools or hardware stores are within walking distance of your apartment? Tell me the things that really matter to walkability in NYC… Are there likely to be 5000 tourists trying to get a glimpse of who is on TRL in the way? Forget drug stores, how many drug DEALERS are there? Movie theatres? Don’t need ‘em. Find me the people selling bootlegs. Tell me how many piles of garbage, clusters of dog poop, or busted bicycles I’ll have to step over. How many sleeping homeless people I’ll have to dodge. How many roped off sidewalk detours are there? How much of the sidewalk is covered by scaffolding? This is the sort of thing that helps me determine walkability in my neighborhoods.

So what does your ‘hood score? How accurate do you think it is? What criteria would you add to the list?

My roommate has a sweet job perk where she gets tickets to many events at Madison Square Garden for free. And by tickets I don’t mean regular person seats, I mean a private box with an open bar and hot food.
Anyway, she’s taken me to see Sir Elton John and Rod Stewart in the past, and last night I saw Justin TImberlake.

If you’ve ever wondered what the typical Justin Timberlake fan looks like, it’s this. Only less hot, but with more glitter.

She lives in New Jersey and she wears a lot of make up. I’m not trying to be a hater, but all I have to say is that the bridges and tunnels must have been heavily perfumed last night. Penn Station was filled to the brim, literally, with girls and women with straightened hair, short skirts, and four inch heels. I’m surprised men in this city didn’t anticipate such a throng of scantily clad, highly aroused women all in one place. Where were you guys?! These girls were in heat! Next time Justin comes to the Garden, you should be ready and waiting!

Two of my favorite Greek restaurants in Astoria are currently under renovation: Anna’s Corner and Stamatis. I noticed Anna’s Corner was temporarily closed when feeling the need for some haloumi after work one day. I was not happy to find the cheapest place for it closed for renovations taking an indefinite amount of time. I peeked in the window and saw that the goat statue that always amused me on their wall has disappeared. I wonder what the new Anna’s Corner will be like…

Stamatis remains open at their original location, but will soon be reopening across the street. I’m not sure when, but the work looks pretty far along. It looks like there may be apartments for rent on the upper levels, convenient for those who want to just stumble downstairs for some authentic Greek food.

New York Society Queen Brooke Astor – who went out almost every night for 80 years – passed away yesterday at the Age of 105. A pictorial essay illustrates her life of incredible philanthropy and her betterment of the City. Her incredible energy at age 100 was more than many of my friends currently in their 30s and 40s !

Through happenstance and sheer luck, I found myself at a screening of the documentary King of Kong at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria. In a Summer that had it’s share of several fun, big-budget, entertaining movies, I have to say that this movie has been the best. It’s basically about a genuinely nice guy who tries to break the world record at Donkey Kong, the classic arcade game from the 80’s. Without ruining the story, the people involved (I really should call them characters), the drama, and the intrigue make for a story that you wouldn’t believe if it weren’t so true.

Afterwards, we got to enjoy a Q&A with the director, producer, and one of the “stars” of the film, as well as watch him play a little Donkey Kong on one of the museums classic arcade games. He wasn’t trying to set a new record there, especially since a camera crew from HBO kept interrupting him. We then walked around and enjoyed the exhibits the museum has to offer (Richard Gere is pretty short). It’s going to be undergoing a major renovation and expansion, and I can’t wait to see what it’s like after it’s all done.

Yes, there was a bit of nostalgic interest for me in this film since I grew up during the time that Donkey Kong and Pac-Man were considered cutting edge, but this film transcends that and gives you a glimpse into the seedy underworld of competitive classic gaming…a world that no one outside of it knew existed. If you’re looking for a movie to see, I would highly recommend it. There’s a certain kind of laugh that only real, unscripted, life can illicit, and this movie is full of it. It’s also pretty inspirational, to boot.

I treated myself to a mani/ pedi today. I don’t often get my nails done, since it seems like an unnecessary expense. But I decided to splurge today for 2 reasons: 1. It’s Sunday, time to relax before the craziness of the work week. 2. I recently got engaged! Very exciting! But now that I have something quite beautiful on one of my fingers (a certified conflict-free diamond from Canada), I feel the need to make my nails look other than their usual short and shineless state.

I went to Salon Tiara in Astoria. This wonderful nail salon opened recently and quickly became my favorite nail spot. Unlike some Astorian nail salons, the inside is tastefully decorated and very comfortable. The first time I went, they actually did my manicure and pedicure at the same time, which was both fun and fast. Each regular manicure or pedicure comes complete with a hand or foot massage, plus a neck massage while waiting for your hands to dry.

Each time I’ve gone there, I left with beautiful nails (or at least as nice-looking as my short nails can look) and with a relaxed state of mind. Today was no exception.