Miraculously, I hear comments like that around the city fairly regularly, but when a pregnant woman gets on a crowded train, I don’t see that many people offer up their seat… Our priorities are fucked.

[photo courtesy MSN.com]

Here is where this monotonous story takes a frustrating turn… Every single day, without fail, one of the four large escalators is out of order, roped off with one or two mechanics toiling in it. It is understandable that within a building where over 750,000 commuters pass through daily, there will be some wear and tear. But, I am not exaggerating when I say that EVERY SINGLE DAY, one escalator is out. Have we not progressed as a culture enough to have escalators working correctly at rush hour? It doesn’t seem like the most advanced technology in the world!

Does anyone else notice this at Grand Central Terminal? How about elsewhere in the city?

[photo courtesy rmangio.com]

Is anyone else both horrified and amused by the state of parades in this city?

Anyway, I saw it at City Cinemas Village East theater on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 12th Street. I had been to the smaller theaters here in the basement, but because this was a big blockbuster (unlike their usual independent and art house films), they had this one in the main theater. This place was INCREDIBLE!

It was large and rotund, with stadium seating and lots of artwork all over. There was a vestige from a balcony box, and an orchestra pit that has been turned into more seating. At the top of the theater, there was a beautiful artistic dome, with ornate paintings and carvings, and incredibly in-depth art work. I noticed a number of Stars of David throughout the theater, so I am assuming, based also on the location, that this must have formally been a Yiddish theater, and has since been converted.

Does anyone know about the origins of this awesome movie house?

Living in the largest city in the country and one of the most densely populated metropolises in the world, one would think that cell reception would be optimal, at least from the major carriers here in the States. I formerly had Verizon, and I rarely found myself with less than 4 bars of service. It was quite nice. When my work gave me a Blackberry on Cingular (which has since merged with AT&T), I was shocked to learn that their service is seriously lacking in the New York area. And, the pocket of town where reception is the worst apparently has its epicenter in my apartment. To utilize that old cliche`, they can send a man to the moon, but I can’t order Chicken Loh Mein from my bedroom.

While it is not specific to cell phones or NYC, another phone-related trend that I have begun to find particularly cumbersome is the amount of options that phone companies give you before you can actually leave a message for someone. If I call a friend and just want to leave a quick message, I have to first listen to their actual message, then have to wait for instructions (ie “Please press 2 to leave a message and wait for the beep”) as if I haven’t used the phone in 15 years. Next, I have to wait for the directive to press # when complete if I would like more options, and then have to listen further to the machine telling me that I have the option of leaving a callback number, or even paging the user. Now, first off, who actually presses the # button when complete to check more options? Has this feature ever really been used? Moreover, does anyone actually use the page/callback feature? Isn’t this a bit archaic? To me, this is the equivalent of a computer having a typewriter mode.

What’s with customer service lines? Ironically, these have become models of bad customer service. A couple of things… First of all, are there any companies that aren’t receiving “higher than normal call volumes?” This has been going on for like 10 years now. GET SOME MORE EMPLOYEES! And, why do I have to type in my account number if I am going to have to tell the agent once they finally pick up? It’s not like these numbers are 4 digits long. They are often 20 digits, and have letters and numbers combined. And them offering me the chance to just say them out-loud to a computer prompt doesn’t help. They never hear right anyway, so it is just a big tease. Lastly, what’s the deal with the million comments, questions, and offers that a company gives you at the end of a customer service call. Once they have helped you (or not, as is often the case), they then ask if there is anything else that they can do for you, and if they have helped you, and offers that may be relevant to you, and then end with asking if you want to participate in a free survey… Who in the hell actually does these surveys? Why would you?

Phones were first invented to improve efficiency and provide for simpler, faster communication. At this time of shitty service and horrible wait times, phones have actually made things more difficult. It is an interesting phenomenon. Luckily, though, we have the Internet, which makes both email and instant messaging service readily available, and as more and more customer service functions are incorporated into company and product websites, hopefully these dreaded CS numbers will eventually be a thing of the past.

[photo courtesy gotaxnow.com]

A Denver newspaper is reporting that a local man actually went through surgery to “whittle” his thumb down to a size that makes his iPhone operation more manageable. Man, do I hope this is a hoax.

Thanks to Spencer from Metroblogging LA for the tip.

[photo courtesy Wikipedia]

The various utility companies place these tanks above ground and run lines down into the infrastructure for a number of reasons. The most common use is to pressurize pipes, lines, and wires. Below NYC is a maze of water, sewage, heat, cold, and other elements, and pressurizing these delivery systems helps to keep the lines safe from the elements.

Noah: Hey man, do you know what is going on?
Dude: Yea, 11 buildings just exploded right outside!
Noah: Really? Do they know what happened?
Dude: They think it was terrorists. The President has shut all transit down. This is a mess! Get out while you can!

Stupidly, I believed every word the guy said. Once I got out and was about 150 yards from the steam billowing out from Manhattan’s cavernous underground, I asked a guy wearing one of those surgery masks what was going on (believing that the mask somehow made him official), and he told me that there was a train crash on the 6-line. That was when I realized the guy didn’t know anything, since I already knew the explosion was a good block from the subway tunnels.

It is truly amazing how rumors start, and how they spread. Did you hear any ridiculous stories before you knew the truth?

[photo courtesy UNC.edu]

As it turns out, this spooky, dark building is actually a former hospital! The Renwick Smallpox Hospital operated from 1856 through 1886 as a quarantine and treatment facility for all local cases of the highly contagious disease. Once the hospital closed, it operated for another 65 years or so as a nurse’s quarters. The building may look familiar, as it’s architect and namesake, James Renwick, also designed St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Now abandoned for fifty years, the Renwick Hospital stands as New York City’s only landmarked ruin.

Further Reading:
- Roosevelt Island
- Google Maps
- Short YouTube Video
- Photos 1
- Photos 2

[Image courtesy JPG Magazine]

One of the gems in which I recently began visiting is the East River Park, along the FDR, between 7th street and Houston. In addition to great views, this water’s edge patch of green has a soccer/football field, baseball diamonds, basketball and tennis courts, open utility pitches, and a track. I go with buddies there at least once a week for the past month. We usually play soccer, but we also sometimes play football. And you don’t need a massive group to play. You can go solo and join one of the many pick-up games!

MORE AFTER THE JUMP.

I was also recently made aware of kayaking, right here in Manhattan! Operated by Downtown Boathouse organization, you just walk up and get a boat. THIS IS A FREE PROGRAM! As long as you can swim and are willing to brave the Hudson, you are ready to go.

If you are all about personal endurance, individual challenge, and strength-building, Manhattan’s City Climber’s Club is a really cool gym devoted to rock climbing. Not an expert? That’s fine! CCC caters to all levels, and is well respected for their friendly, knowledgeable staff and day trips to the mountains. It is not cheap, but a really cool activity none the less, and it is pretty accessible in “Upper Midtown West.”

If you are looking for more of an organized team activity, there are a number of different organizations that promote competitive sports and other outdoor/athletic pursuits. One of the most notable is Zog Sports. This company not only encourages activity, but also really pushes the social aspect of their leagues. Their teams tend to be a lot of fun, and great exercise. You can set up whole teams (for your companies, for instance) or just join as a single. In addition to a company softball team that I am running, I also will be joining their touch football league. Their teams are open to both men and women. Zog is now branching out from their traditional business model, and they now offer a number of one-off activities outside NYC. For instance, they offer a White Water Rafting trip (I am signed up, will let you know how it is) in the Poconos, and Wine Tasting events in NY State vineyards.

If you are like me and HATE to exercise but love competition, I have just the tip for you! Crunch Gym offers organized dodgeball. It is a pick-up game program, so there are no regular teams. As long as you are a member, just drop in and join in! They play the game at two locations (Wednesday at the SoHo location, Thursday at the Kips Bay location). I try to play both, time permitting. It is a ton of fun, and really great exercise. And it is co-ed. There are usually at least 25% girls participating, if not more

If hiking is your bag, Metro-North’s Harlem Line offers service to Appalachian Trail. About 70 miles north of the city, the station offers accessibility to all sorts of hiking trails within a short train ride from Manhattan.

This is just a snippet of a few possibilities, but the opportunities are fairly endless. The NYC Department of Parks & Recreation has lots more info, so be sure to browse around their page.

Does anyone else have cool ideas for outdoor activity in the city?

[photo courtesy ChelseaPiers.com]