When I left the office to get some lunch a few minutes ago, a girl was sitting on the sidewalk on 6th Ave between 19th and 20th. As I walked by the first time, I noticed that she looked young and healthy, and not especially homeless. (When I lived here, I’d always get seriously annoyed by hipster-types begging for cash.) On the way back, I realized she wasn’t homeless. Her cardboard sign had a bunch of stuff handwritten on it, but the part that caught my eye said “please god give me money to help me pay my rent.” Huh? Instead of begging for money from strangers, why not take charge of your life and do what the rest of us do when we can’t afford to live in Manhattan — MOVE AWAY!

Allo peeps. Stavros ‘ere.

Ah memories of tv shows past…

Right, to business. Last night I met the NYC massive in the Pioneer bar on Bowery and it was a great night. I’d say a sobering experience, but in truth my head still hurts from all the beer. Dana, Chris, Melissa, Michael, Anna and Lisa were there as well as a few others whose names I didn’t catch. Melissa made a memorable entrance, stayed a while then headed north again from whence she came.

We all chatted, swapped stories and had a really good time. Did I feel like a fish out of water? hell no. I was made to feel really welcome. A couple of my friends came by as well, which was nice adding to the mix. The bar filled up in no time and had a really good vibe to it and at the end of the evening the non-smoking thing did make a real difference. A great evening.

So far we’ve done the shopping , ridden the m15/m06 buses (great ways to see New York) and shopped. Is it cheaper here? Yes, but you’ll need to buy in bulk to make good the savings. Today we’ll head for South Ferry and head out to Staten Island. When we get there we’ll turn right around and head back. After that we’ll head for DUMBO and finish off the evening with a walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge.

I hope to post a bit more, but we fly back tomorrow so maybe not. Next week I’ll be posting some pics. Till then take care.

Ciao.

Sean

When I said I had to go home and work, I really meant I had to go home so I could be the first one to post about the meetup! (Just kidding. I swear I’ll start the work once this post is done.)

Tonight, I got to meet NYC Metrobloggers Anna, Chris, Dana, John, Melissa (although she and Anna left before I took my camera out), and Michael, along with various friends/boyfriends. Also in attendance were Sean, a London Metroblogger who’s in town this week, and a few of his friends. I figured I’d stop by for a quick drink, but I ended up hanging out for a few hours before I managed to tear myself away. It was great meeting you all, and I took a few photos to share with those who couldn’t make it.
(more…)

So the shopping continues unabated. Adidas, Kiehls and Saks on 5th (okay the last wasn’t me, but the wife instead). Exhausted? Nah, but the wallet has never taken such a mugging. The day looked really grim earlier as the clouds gathered cancelling our planned trip on the Staten Island Ferry (we’ll do it tomorrow). Now? The skies have cleared up and we’re looking ata great evenings weather. There is also the Metroblog get together just up on Bowery in less than an hour and a half. Looking forward to it.

Trip out to Brooklyn yesterday to check out bike shops, in particular R A Cycles also netted the cute Curry Source stuffed with all those things Brits here must miss….Robinsons high juice, Real Kit Kats and Heinz Sticky Pudding. Deeeee lishy Arse!

Ciao.

Walking down the street the other day, plugged into my ipod, I was listening to this trippy remix of MIA

A pretty girl with braids under her hat asked me if I was Elijah Wood last night. Yes, I replied, but still I resent the comparison. That doesn

As the twenty minutes preceding a movie these days are now fair game to anyone with a hefty advertising budget, it came as no surprise to the packed crowd at the Second Avenue Clearview Cinema, to be toasted to a few inspirational messages before they hit the preview reel.

The pre-mercial showed a man in a business suit accidentally dropping a twenty-dollar bill and walking off, unawares. A younger, grungier teen picks up the twenty and gives it a hard look.

Had a great meal at Public the other night, down on the lower east side. Definitely highly recommended to those with semi-adventurous palates. Everything was fresh and very flavorful, with interesting combinations of spices and flavorings from all over the world. A friend of mine asked me what type of food they serve, and after really thinking about it, I couldn

Tonight my friend Lisa took me to a comedy show, How to Kick People, which I see has been mentioned here in the past.

The guy letting people in at Mo Pitkin’s (which has a very pretty neon sign, as you can see) looked familiar, and after we sat down I realized he looked vaguely like someone who went to my high school upstate. I asked Todd the guy’s name, and sure enough, it was the same person. We didn’t know each other at all in high school — he was a wild, insane partier a year older than me, and I was a shy, dorky girl who didn’t talk to anyone. It was weirdly cool to run into him at a random NYC comedy show all these years later. Once I went over and said hi, he was totally friendly — he not only acted like he remembered me, but hooked my friends and I up with some free drinks. (Thanks, Dennis!)
(more…)

Yes, yes, I’m one of those lame-ass NYU students and I’m going to have to tell you that it’s great to be back in school. This is my last semester (graduating early! not late.) and I’m only taking two classes (and I’m still not getting my reading done.)

For any of you that traverse the Greenwich Village area during the day throughout the school year, I salute you. I’ve only now realized what a bitch it is to maneuver through all those flip-flop wearing, NYU sweatshirts when you hit one of those 15 minute in-between-classes breaks. NYU is certainly expanding and encroaching upon its neighborhood. I know many people who are upset by how dominant NYU is in the area and I understand. I certainly took the first opportunity I got to move out of the dorms and into the real city. But, the messiness of walking in the area does not stop outside of the doors of NYU buildings. It now takes me 15(!) minutes to get to the eight floor of the main classroom building. There are elevators that go to even floors. There are elevators that go to odd floors. And you have to get in line to get on one. The security guards love enforcing their meager authority by squishing as many people as possible into each elevator. “Take your backpacks down. Make room for a friend!”

So, while everybody in the public nyc sphere loves to hate on NYU students and how dumb they are, I also have to let you know that there are plenty of NYU students who are fighting to make it a better place (which is rather hard in a top-down power structure) for the community at large. Certainly, with such a large student body there will always be lame-os, but the people I have encountered are in general engaged, intelligent, interesting, and involved in their community. These people like New York City and, like it or not, they make up a significant part of the fabric of the city. Many will end up staying here, working and complaining about NYU students.

On a related note: Regarding the suicides that happened last year, a guy is making a documentary about the suicides and you can find info on the project here and here.