I was filling up my gas tank today unwillingly. $3.09 is the local price here for all you non-natives. I was filling it up and there was a dude who went inside. Out he came 2 minutes later with a fresh, ice cold can of beer. Knowing the particular gas station very well I knew the beer might not be the freshest…I’ve seen Kit Kats collect dust in there.

So according to standard protocol for such things the man taps his can of beer twice with his index fingernails, snaps open the can and takes a swig. His face is red already, but I think he’s already had a few. He hops in his red F150 truck of a car, puts the can in the holder and drives away. Some other drivers caught a glimpse of him and shook their heads in disapproval. I wish I had his license plate so I could post it on the site, but I don’t even know if it’s legal to do so.

Anyhow, there you have it kids, another ignorant redneck straight out of the hipster capital of the world.

This past weekend I took a little trip to Philly to see the King Tut exhibit. As part of the trip, I got my friend, who’s sort of from Philly, to take me to Pat’s and Geno’s so I could conduct a taste test of their famous cheesesteaks. After sampling both, my friend called her cousin who lives in Philly and asked how to get to the museum from Pat’s/Geno’s. When the cousin heard where we ate, she asked, quite loudly, “How can you eat that crap?! Go eat at Jim’s!”

If someone who lives in Philly recommends Jim’s over Pat’s and Geno’s, I have to give weight to that recommendation, and I’ve since put Jim’s on the list of places to go next time I’m in the city of brotherly love. It also got me thinking about the “touristy” places in NYC that tourists think are good, just because they’re famous.

Tavern On The Green is the obvious first choice, followed closely by the Russian Tea Room (no matter which incarnation it is), then any one of the “famous original Ray’s” or variations thereof. But that’s all I could come up with. I left the chains out of my list simply because they are the same quality no matter where you go and they’re not famous for being in NYC. Can anyone else come up with some famous restaurants that don’t deserve to be famous based on their food?

Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosted its annual Cherry Blossom Festival, Sakura Matsuri, this weekend. Never having been there before (largely due to the rather long subway ride from Astoria) and having an affection for these short-lived flowers, I decided to check it out.

I had been forewarned that this festival gets crowded and it certainly was. With so many people, I was barely able to get through the crowds at times. But it was definitely worth it for the beautiful views.
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My roommate (literally we live in the same room) came to NYC on a whim. She had just broken up with her boyfriend, and realized that a large majority of her friends were moving to New York, so she hopped on the bandwagon.

After 8 months of living in this city, she announced that she was “sick” of it and it was getting “tiring”. I was not surprised. The rest of her friends, including me, moved here for the sheer love of this metropolis and for the advancement of our careers and personal lives. She just felt left out.

What bothers me the most about this story is that she actually does not do anything New Yorky. Her daily life consists mainly of sitting a desk at work (she’s an admin asst, something she could do anywhere), buying lunch at subway, walking to the gym, and then coming home to chat on AIM and watch TV.
On weekends she sleeps, eats subway, and goes to the least New Yorky bars imaginable. In essense, she transplanted her banal suburban lifestyle to New York, only to pay an exorbitant amount for rent and share a room.

Why do that? Just how many people live in this city who don’t love this city? How many people refuse to participate in any amazing cultural activities this city has to offer? It’s so sad.

In the past few years the Moleskine notebook has become a ubiquitous part of New York City culture, from Williamsburg to Inwood it seems like everyone is carrying one of the things. I even use the sketchbook variation myself when I’m sketching on the subway. They’ve opened up the product line quite a bit in the last few years adding watercolor books, and the new City Notebooks.

The City Notebooks started in Europe, but this spring they released the first ones for American cities, Washington D.C., Boston, San Francisco and of course New York. Later this year they’ll be adding Chicago, LA, Seattle and Montreal. The city notebooks are basically travel books. Maps, sections on bars, restaurants, shops, hotels, galleries, etc., except it’s all blank. The idea is that you use it to create your own guide to the city, filled with your own favorite places and things.

So, at nearly $30 a book is it worth it?
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So I’m officially single. It’s really sad, I thought we’d be together forever.
So far my only knowledge of the dating scene in this city has been from Sex and the City, and quite frankly, I hope reality is somewhat different.
One week ago I was sitting at DTUT writing a paper for school, when I accidentally locked eyes with a young man. He appeared to have just gotten there, since he had no drink in his hand. He came over and started a shy conversation, asked for my phone number, and then promptly left without purchasing anything. He never called. Is he collecting numbers? I really don’t get it.
For all of you who are single in New York, I have a question: does the large pool of highly eligible bachelors and bachelorettes detract you from commiting? Does the endless variety and possibilities of love make people less prone to settlng in a monogamous relationship?

So, for the past few weeks I’ve been working in Tribeca, just around the corner from the Tribeca Grand Hotel. Leaving work after dark I noticed the building pictured here, just north of the corner of White and Church. Every night, as the sun goes down the lights in this building come up. The colors change, cycling through several candy colored shades, but they seem to stay on all night. I never saw anyone in the windows, never saw a crowd on the street, never saw any evidence of anyone inside. So… my question to you New York… what’s the story with this building? Anyone know?

He’s going on and on about being a “computer expert.” I think he’s trying to get his certification. He says he’s going to be bigger than Bill Gates. Though when he says the word Gates it slithers on the s.

“I only drink on the weekends. Only Thursdays & Fridays. Don’t worry. Ya’ll gotta stop generalizing.”

He takes a swig of his open beer while no one’s watching. He’s sitting next to me. So now he’s asking “what you got that’s only for a buck?” “$2.25 for a muffin? I can get one of those in Brooklyn for 50 cents.”

Now he’s silent, they’re trying to kick him out of the store, but he won’t leave. I like drunken men in teashops. He’s a much needed distraction.

“I live in Staten Island, that’s nice right? In a condominium. That’s nice right? If I keep drinking Imma be homeless…”

Le fin…actually. . . the saga continues. So someone snuck outside and called the cops on him – they do their regular roundups. The police officer came inside and then to my shock (since I had not seen) he said “finish the beer and pull up your pants sir.” The man was butt naked inside the teashop. I’ve decided I do NOT like drunken men at teashops any longer. That was disgusting!

HOLY SHIT, THERE’S MORE (I’m writing this in sections as it develops)
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The eternal struggle of man versus nature has clearly come to a head here in Park Slope outside the famed PS 321 school. Will the sign break free? Will the tree overtake the sign completely? Who will reign supreme?

It’s finally here!!! spring has sprung and the tulips have risen! I saw this when I went to the front of
my building this morning!!!!!!

How uplifting!