The City Runs on Starbucks

This morning I had an 8:30am meeting on Houston. It was such a beautiful spring day, that after the meeting I decided to walk the long way to the 6 train and stop for a Starbucks ice coffee. I was excited to see a long Starbucks line that snaked around the entrance to the coffee shop. The Astor Place Starbucks has huge windows that wrap around the shop and because it is close to NYU, I always find tons of wonderfully weird people who make me smile. As I stood in line, an employee with a headset walked from person to person taking orders and requesting drinks through his headset. “Double tall, extra hot, no foam, skim, latte for Sarah”, he said into his microphone attached to his head. Then he would move on to the next person as the barrister was busy filling the orders.

I love New Yorkers addicted to their liquid caffeine breakfast. And I love how the Starbucks employees created a drive through for people instead of cars to quickly fulfill their coffee addiction.

I loved watching the people waiting in line. They were all trying to rush through the line on their blackberries and ipods. All of them too busy to stop and appreciate the line. I think most people looking on would be turned off by this hectic chaotic Starbucks. I found it refreshing. That's what this city is about. People trying to get as much done, make as much money, and network with as many people possible in 24 hours.

My lesson of the day: This city only moves as fast as the Starbucks line.

Baby Cakes

It is a known fact that the best dessert places in New York will have lines. They are hot spots, everyone wants in on the action, so they are crowded. New Yorkers know this so we don't complain. I am bothered by the tourist standing in line at Serendipity that proclaim loudly, "The desserts can't be that good to wait four hours..lets just go to Ben and Jerry's."
I want to pull a Michael Spinks the moment the forsaken words are spoken, "First of all, don't talk about the Forbidden Broadway or Frozen Hot Chocolate like that! Secondly, if you knew the simple rules of the waiting game, you could appreciate the simple sweet pleasures NYC has to offer!"

Yes, Serendipity has a four hour line 7 nights a week. That's because it is worth it. The desserts are bigger than your head, and have so many layers of chocolate, caramel and whip cream you would think Willie Wonka himself got a hold of it. There is a reason Ben and Jerry's has a 10 minute line. (Don't get me wrong, the B&J Oatmeal cookie dough is out of this world, but a small cone cannot compare to the masterpieces at Serendipity).
My best advise for hitting this New York honey hole is skip dinner! If you go to Serendipity for the dessert, then only get dessert and skip out on dinner. Plan ahead! Start early and put your name on the waiting list. Then shop in Bloomingdale's, Urban Outfitters, H&M and Dylan's Candy Bar (all within a 4 block radius) then go somewhere else for food. Have all your eating and shopping done by the time your name is call. Perfect timing for dessert at Serendipity!

Speaking of sweet treats, few will find a better cupcake than at Magnolia Bakery (although my personal fav at Mag Bake is the whipped banana pudding). The line is up to an hour long with no seating inside the bakery. Because Mag Bakery does not have a hostess taking names and giving a ETD (estimated time till dessert), I have created a time line. If you are in a line that has wrapped around the corner and past the first apartment on the block, you are looking at a 45 minute wait. If you are standing in line at the MB side window (off 11th street), you will only be in line for 15 minutes. Once you have made it to the front door of the delicious bakery, you have one final obstacle. You must still make it past the Cupcake Bouncer at the door. (He resembles a bouncer that take IDs at bars or backstage to concerts however he is guarding the entrance to cupcake heaven). This man has the power to accept people into the bakery. You may have to wait in front of this man (who is usually wearing an apron) for up to 5 minutes. The line can be exhausting, but you will be rewarded with your sweetly frosted bite size cake. The park across Bleecker is the perfect spot to enjoy and savor every bite!

The city truly has sweet deals, and these little secrets are simply icing on the cake!

NYC Etiquette Guide

We were all raised to have manners. Our mamas taught us to say "yes ma'am", "no sir", "yes please", "thank you." I remember at a young age my mom teaching my brother to open doors for girls and to look at others in the eye when talking. I remember when I was about five years old, a stranger stopped my mom and me in a grocery store to compliment me. "You have the cutest blond curls," she told me. I responded as a typical kid, "I hate them." My mom lectured me the entire car ride home saying, "when someone compliments you, thank them and smile politely." I remember my mom explaining to me how I was rude to the woman in the store and next time I was to be thankful when someone goes out of their way to be kind.
These are basic manners we learn as kids and still use as adults.
Unfortunately, when you are an adult in New York City, the rules change. Yes, it is still polite to say please and thank you. But because NYC is so much different than most cities, we have additional rules that most outsiders have yet to learn.

Business Etiquette
1. Elevators - This is standard in ALL America. This is not a game of Mouse Trap. You will not get stuck in the elevator if you are not the first one off. Men should let women get on and off first.
2. Speaking of Elevators - talking on cell phones in them or loud music from your ipod is inappropriate.
3. Revolving doors - Men walk in the door first to make the second push easier for the girl. Also, only one person per divider. The door will not revolve when more than one person try to squeeze in a slot. It won't work, so stop trying.
4. Taxis - Men get in first so the girl doesn't have to crawl over the seat to slide over.

Street Etiquette
1. Side walks - We don't stop in the middle of them. Tourist like to stop, stare up, and take pictures..all on the busiest streets of Manhattan. People die this way. For your own good, go with the flow.
2. Umbrellas - This is a big one. Our streets barley fit all the people on them, let alone people and their umbrellas. When you must use an umbrella raise or lower it when you see a person coming. If you raise your umbrella higher, then the person approaching should lower. This avoids an umbrella collision and everyone getting wet. Golf umbrellas are unnecessary in the city. They take up the entire sidewalk leaving no room for anyone else's umbrella. Be courteous. Use small umbrellas and avoid accidents.
3. Sidewalk grates - these are the the grates built into the ground on every NY street. They are safe to walk on, but the holes create an obstacle for healed shoes. Men should always opt to walk on the grates so women's high heals don't get stuck in them.
4. Hailing taxis - if someone is hailing a taxi on the corner, that is their corner. They have claimed the next taxi that passes. You must change corners or wait until they are gone to claim the next taxi.
5. Personal space - for as small as Manhattan is, New Yorkers like their personal space (meaning the 5 inches of space that surrounds their body). Strangers should not invade this.

Subway Etiquette-
I believe the Urban Etiquette Handbook said it best:

Rules of the underground: (1) Knees may be no more than six inches apart. (2) If you can't control your offspring, watch as a stranger does it for you. (3) What did we say about checking out the girls? (4) The Post is only 25 cents—buy your own. (5) Holding the subway door makes everyone on the train love you. (6) As does loud music. (7) Lie down on subway only if dead.

The rules are simple and they help make this busy New York life a little easier. We all know not everyone will follow these rules. But clearly their mama didn't raise them right!

The Village People

I don’t trust NYC neighborhoods that don’t have a Starbucks in a 6 block radius.

(Dunkin Donuts is NOT a substitute).

Seriously...this is Manhattan...one of the business capitals of the world. How can you walk 6 blocks and not see a Starbucks?!

Let me introduce you to a NYC neighborhood that does not have Starbucks. Its called the East Village. I just spent 2 hours looking at an apartment in this neighborhood. Actually I looked at the apartment for 5 minutes and spent the other 115 minutes getting to and wandering around lost in the East Village.

I have lived in Manhattan over two years. I like to think I know my way around the city. However when you take numbers off the street sings and replace them with names like Allan and Eldridge then how am I suppose to know which way is North? Its like they use all street sign numbers on the important parts of the city so they were left with random names by the time they needed to label streets in the East Village. I stopped and asked for directions 3 times, but no one spoke English (and I’m not kidding).

And furthermore - what is wrong with the East Village??? I passed several people doing laundry and and just sitting on benches in the middle of the day. What jobs do these people have that allow them to do laundry in their pajamas in the middle of a Monday afternoon???

I guess this is what makes NYC unique from other cities in the world. I left work at Rockefeller Center which is in the middle of the biggest landmarks in the world. I left the business men, investment bankers and five star restaurants and got on a subway. A few stops later I got off in the East Village. Not one sky scraper can be seen in the village. I passed mom and pop eateries like Ramirez Subs, and The Village Pizza. I passed old women cracked out on park benches and hippies walking around with guitars. Clearly this is not a part of town I would feel comfortable living in, but some people love this!

I decided to pass on the apartment in the village before I even saw the building. I wanted to save this apartment for someone who would truly love the village. I'm sure there are 3 special girls that are looking for a cute walk up where they can work on paintings, music and their herbal garden.

Tax Guy Says...

Today I got my taxes done by the famous "shady tax guy." Everyone in the media industry has heard of him. And we are willing to pay an arm and a leg for 15 minutes of his time because we are guaranteed LOTS of money in return.
While I was signing papers I asked him what I can be doing this year to ensure even more money next year.
He said there are 3 things that will score me more money.
1. Buy a house
2. Get married
3. Have a baby

Needless to say, I have a very busy year ahead of me!

The Search is On!

Searching for an apartment in NYC is the absolute worst! It ranks right up there with getting stuck on the subway with a homeless man who has just peed himself, or sharing a park bench with a man dressed as a wizard casting "spells" for 30 minutes.
I have spent countless hours on craigslist, on free websites, and fee websites. It is useless. There has to be an easier way to find an apartment. In any other city, it takes a day to find an apartment under a grand that usually comes with an actual living room (that you can actually live in), a kitchen (that is separate from the bathroom), and if you're lucky you will get a window that has a view of anything other than a brick wall (example: sunlight, grass or a tree).
So why in the city that runs the world is it impossible to find a drywall box to live in?

This weekend I viewed an apartment that was actually attractive. The only downside was it had no closets, and a hallway they called a living room. Blair and I passed on the opportunity hoping like every other New Yorker that we will get lucky and hit the apartment jack pot.
Today on craigslist, I found the EXACT apartment we looked at listed by 3 different brokers. It was listed as:
HUGE 3 bedroom/great closets/GIGANTIC living room. Unheard of deal! Won't last a day, true NY beauty. Call now!

Really?!?!? Because I viewed that apartment 3 days ago...so it does last a day. Further more, this "gigantic" living room and "huge" closets don't even exist!
Do the brokers think when I view the apartment I will forget about the "gigantic" living room and "huge" closets promised? Do they think I will be so excited about finally seeing the "true NY beauty" that I won't care and or won't remember why I actually wanted to view the apartment in the first place?

Another thing that gets my goat, is they don't tell you the real location of the apartment?
Last week I viewed another apartment that claimed it was on 18th and park. I met the broker on 18th and Park, then we walked 5 blocks to 18th and first. If he would have told me the actual location, I wouldn't have wasted our time. I did enjoy our little stroll across town, however now I'm avoiding all calls from the broker because I now know his intentions.

Speaking of locations, brokers should know them! Harlem is NOT the same thing as Upper East Side. And don't post a listing as "Midtown East" if it is in Long Island or Roosevelt Island. Just because LI and RI are east of Manhattan does NOT mean it is Midtown East.

Here is a rental dictionary I have made to help in my search!
Cozy - small
Quiet - you are in the middle of no mans land
Huge, Massive, Giant - average
Best deal - best deal I have seen in an hour
Steps to subway - Brox and walking steps to the subway that will take you to the city
UES (upper east side) - Spanish Harlem
Great building - its still standing
Newly Renovated - new paint

I feel like I'm dating online!
We all know the story: a person posts an overly attractive picture of themselves 10-15 lbs earlier. They conveniently forget to mention they are bipolar, have 3 kids from 3 "relationships" and own 15 cats.

Instead they accentuate the qualities that will sell:
Single female looking for man. I am full of life. I love animals and kids and very knowledgeable in the medical field.

Ummm...really? Because right now you sound like Mother Teressa.

Give it to me straight. I am going to find out with in the first glance that you highly exaggerated the truth. Don't play games, don't waste my time and stop posting pics that says "may not be actual apartment" in tiny letters at the bottom.

I know I'm not going to get a steal in NYC. I am looking for an average apartment at an average price in a decent part of town. Is that too much to ask?

Below is my posting on craigslist.
3bed/1bth will do. Safe part of town, but because of the price I will be close to nothing. I like to walk up several flights of stairs. Apartment will not have the following: a view, elevator, doorman, washer/dryer, or dishwasher. Apartment doesn't have to be clean or big. I just want a bedroom with walls and a kitchen that does not share space with the toilet and shower.

Where Did All These Pretty People Come From?

Have you ever noticed that pretty people only come out when the weather is perfect? Seriously, where are all the pretty people when the weather is miserable with snow and slush? Today was our first perfect day in the city. It was a crisp 50 degrees and clear skies, so I headed straight for the park for a jog. Central Park is always crazy with people on beautiful days. It's full of cute couples walking hand in hand, old ladies feeding ducks, owners walking their dogs, hippies reading, and athletic men and women running and biking. I ignored all these people and heading straight for the Northeast corner for the reservoir.

It rained last night so the running trial was still damp and muddy. I was hoping the mud would deter people from sharing the trail with me. I was wrong. Within minutes I realized I would be weaving in and out of slow walkers and tourist taking pictures the entire run.
Slow walkers I can handle. At least they are moving. But what kills me, are models dressed up and posing for pictures. I understand they want a unique background, but why in the middle of my running trail? I don't see you all winter posing at my treadmill? How bout next time I can't run outside, I'll jog in circles inside your photo studio. And seriously, you're a male model! I would think you would rather be outside running around on a beautiful day instead of staring seductively into a camera lens or laughing out loud to help grab the perfect "I'm so happy since I bought this shirt" shot.
Of course, if I was making the money this male model is probably making, I would gladly kick my running shoes in the closet and make stupid faces all day in front of a camera.
And I'm sure the male model was cursing me when I kicked mud on him while running by. I think it added character to his Armani suit.
I do know we need to share the park. I know nothing can be done to keep all male models off my running trail. I just think its ironic how the beautiful weather brings out the pretty people. I can just picture these pretty people in their pretty high rise apartments all winter sipping Godiva cocoa, afraid to leave the building for fear their pretty skin will go dry. Then the second the weather turns, they invade the streets like a plague. A plague of pretty people. They all pose around the city like manikins all day.
I understand we must co-exist on the same island, and their is nothing I can do about the amount of pretty people in the city. So nothing will change. I will continue to splash mud as I run by, and the male models will continue to be pretty on my running trail.

That's life.
Sometimes its pretty, sometimes its ugly, and sometimes you need to just throw on an Armani suit so at least you feel good!