Relax, You're Just Absentminded

I panicked this morning – my wallet was gone.

I knew it was gone because I have wedged myself into little habits where I keep certain possessions in a specific place. I’m not really one for routine, but it is nice to know that if I leave my keys and Subway card on my bedside table when I get home from work, they will be there in the morning. But this morning, after I grabbed my keys and Subway card, I wanted to check my wallet to see if I needed to stop at the ATM on the way to work for lunch money. (Isn’t that cute I still call it lunch money).

I scrambled through my abyss of a bag – since when did so much stuff coagulate? – and alas I concluded that my bulging wallet was absent. I guess it didn’t take long because the pink hearts and the sheer weight of the thing make it stand out. So the panic began…

Where is it? When did I last use it? What if someone stole it? Let me search everywhere…under the bed? No. Kitchen table? No. Maybe it somehow found its way to the bathtub? Of course not, Yael, how can you be so silly at a time like this? What if the giant cockroach that visited last night carried it away into the building’s foundation? No, it would never fit through any crack. Oh, my parents always warned me about pickpockets in New York. Mike’s dad doesn’t take the Subway just for that reason. How could I be so naïve!!?! Crap, I’m late for work.

I was so distracted for my entire commute that I hardly noticed the older woman jabbing her elbow into my ribcage from 86th to 59th (ok, maybe I did notice a little). I couldn’t even open the really really exciting book that I just started (Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre). All I could think about were pickpockets and keeping my bag close to me. The latter isn’t really that hard to do when you are packed into the cattle car they call the Subway.

Really, I don’t want to bore you with anymore of my cliché dramatic writing, so I’ll just let you know how much of a pea brain I had yesterday (but only yesterday of course). When I arrived at work, there was my wallet, sitting open, on top of the scanner, to the right of my computer – exactly where I had left it yesterday when I took out my corporate Amex to make an airfare purchase. I’m very lucky my building has honest janitors who decided not to take home said wallet as an early Christmas gift. Yes, I’m a doof. I’m blaming on all the chemicals in the city air.

Still, I felt this experience could lead to a good blog post a) because it’s embarrassing and people like to read about others’ embarrassments, b) because most other people in the city would also automatically assume they’ve been pick-pocketed and c) to display to you that petty theft in NYC is and has definitely been on the decrease for a while.

According to this weekly police report, there were 481 incidences of burglary reported in the last week, 1,901 since 10/1, and 17,727 year to date in NYC. That may seem like a lot, but the latest government census data has the population of New York City at 8,250,567 (plus at least 1 for myself ). Roughly, .002% of the population was robbed in the last week, .023% in the last month and about 2.1% in the last year. Your chances are pretty low my friend, especially because those statistics are from all five boroughs, not only Manhattan. Another thing I found interesting in the report were the percent changes in crime statistics. Although statistics state robbery occurrences are up 1.9% since last year, they are down 6.5% since two years ago, 20.8% from seven years ago and 74.5% from fifteen years ago. If I had known that data this morning, maybe I wouldn’t have panicked so much and would have actually been able to chew my Cheerios instead of just swallowing them whole.

That report shows statistics for all other categories of crime in the city as well and if you’re interested in looking, you should check it out. I’m very impressed with the police department for actually producing a comprehensible ONE-PAGE document (the one page is key!) that has relevant information for the curious public to steal a peak, if you will.

At least in a world of crooks, I can feel safe knowing that I have only a 2.1% chance of getting robbed in a year. However, the probability of me being absentminded, well, I forgot, what was I talking about?








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Umbrella Today?

Despite our oh-so-unusual 70 degree weather of last week, despite the current 90 degree temperature in my hometown of Valencia, CA, despite how much we don’t want it, it’s raining in New York today.

Walking to work, I could pick out the responsible ones – the folks who chatted with their local weatherman this morning. I could also pick out those that didn’t; clambering around with briefcases held high over their heads and important documents clutched to their chests. Tattered hairdos and stained suede shoes romping through the misplaced puddles of Times Square, these folks need help.

If you are one of “those people,” I’d like to share with you Umbrella Today? They claim to be the simplest weather report around, and simply put, it is. All you do is type in your zip code and the Website tells you “yes” or “no” to bringing an umbrella with you for the day. That’s it. Five seconds, max.

Personally, I like to check weather.com, my morning news show and occasionally I’ll actually look out the window to check for clouds, but that’s just me. I like a little more information. You know the basics: humidity, barometer reading, high pressure, low pressure, dew point…I suppose you could call me a geek.

Have fun with the Website, but please! don’t be one of the annoying who then bring 10 ft. wide golf umbrellas to the streets of Manhattan. Save them for the tee. There’s just not enough room.







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TJ's or Bust!

If there’s one store I relied most upon in college for food, it was Trader Joe’s. There was one only a 15 minute walk away from my senior year apartment and I would make almost weekly treks there to pickup my cherished frozen garlic naan bread, the cheapest milk around, and of course, the chocolate chip meringue cookies.

Since moving to New York, I’ve had to recover from a minor heart attack caused by the exceedingly high cost of groceries. (I’m only kidding about the heart attack part for all of my readers who truly care). I generally pay $2.59 for a dozen eggs, $1.63 for a quart of non-fat milk, and cold cuts only start at about $6.99/lb for the cheap stuff. It’s a tad depressing especially for a closet/kitchen chef like myself.

Despite the high prices, I am at least blessed with the convenience of having three large grocery stores within a two block radius of my apartment. Unfortunately, none of them are anything like Trader Joe’s with it’s chalked up walls and free samples of vegetarian chili and cubes of gruyere cheese.

This past weekend, my significant other and I decided to venture to Union Square to the ONLY Trader Joe’s in the city via the free NYU shuttle bus. Of course we went on Saturday, one of the most miserable rainy days of October, but backpacks and raincoats in tow, we trekked.

Once inside, I was whisked away to the magical land of blueberry scones and mochi ice cream where a quart of milk is only 99 cents and bananas are actually yellow. Despite the rain, it was actually a good day for us to go, because the line, which usually wraps around the entire store at a minimum 30 minute wait, only wound down one aisle. Of course we also had to deal with the fact the frozen food section was nearly empty because of a warehouse fire. (They still had my frozen naan!).

Among my favorites, I stockpiled mini pitas, lobster ravioli (only $2.99 a package), chicken sausage, a bag of Clementine’s, bananas, and my favorite, tomato soup in a carton. The long bus trip back to the UES made it so that I could not buy and carry eggs, milk or OJ, but the dollars and taste buds I saved by going to TJ’s were much appreciative. I was greeted my someone who actually smiled at me and asked me how I was at checkout and as a bonus for bringing my own bag, I got a raffle ticket to win $25 worth of free groceries (that could go a long way at this store).

I know you can hit up Zabar’s or Gourmet Garage for all of your eclectic food needs, but really, Trader Joe’s has almost anything unique you could possibly want at non-NYC prices. My question is: why is there only one?

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Street Meat Wars

If you’ve ever walked around Midtown Manhattan, you’ve undoubtedly noticed the dozens of food carts littering the ever-crowded street corners. You can always pick out the good ones as the ones with lines down the block.

Some of my first visits to the city as a young girl are filled with memories of eating hot dogs on the street. I think that’s still the image my younger brother delights in when he thinks of the Big Apple. I can’t say that I’ve actually tried a hot dog on the street since my younger years (I’m not sure how well my stomach would take it anymore), but I can tell you that there are some worth street carts out there worth a try when you’re in the mood for cultural cuisine that’s light on your wallet.

My first adventure to a street meat cart didn’t start very far from my office. I figured I’d play it safe and stand in the long line at the Halal cart on the SW corner of 46th and 6th on one of the warmer days we had last week. Several patrons in front of me ordered the $4 lamb pita so I figured I’d give it a try. They asked me if I wanted white sauce. "Sure," I said, not really knowing what that involved (Tahini? Alfredo? Mayo?). I was up for adventure. I took my sandwich to the little "office park" between 45th and 46th and chowed down. I must say, it was a very good roll-up, but my stomach was not very happy later. Maybe it was the white sauce?

This week, a colleague at work told me to try the Kwik Meal on the SW corner of 45th and 6th. So I did. The line was even longer than the other cart and they had enlarged posters of praise articles from the New Yorker, New York Post and TimeOut NY. They even won a Vendy this year (basically like a Dundee for food carts, but not as much of a joke, for all of you "Office" watchers out there). These carts take the Vendy’s very seriously. Anyway, I tried the $4.50 falafel in a pita, hoping that it was the meat and not the flavor that upset my insides last time I tried Street Meat. Again…SO good! Except they loaded up my sandwich with their Greek-ish white sauce (yogurt-based) so by the time I got to the bottom, it was all mush and made a mess, though still very tasty. Even better news, my stomach didn’t revolt!


Next time I think I need to try the “Chicken and Rice” cart that everyone raves about on 53rd and 6th. I’ll let you know how that goes.

If you want more information on Street Meat, I’d recommend checking out this article on Midtown Lunch. There you will also find some great information on actual restaurants in Midtown as well. Happy eating!






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A Dollar Can Take You Far

I have a knack for finding free or cheap stuff to do almost anywhere I go. I look at this characteristic as more of a benefit (at least the friends I share my wisdom with do) than a downfall. Innovative rather than cheap. Adventurous rather than poor. It all depends on your viewpoint.

Anyways, I was inspired by yesterday’s post about what you can’t do for a penny and share with you what you CAN do for a dollar in New York City:

1) Thanks to the wonderful timeoutny.com (I highly recommend you check out their free events calendar if you haven’t already), I found a cheap eats tour of Chinatown which led me and my boyfriend in a crazy dirt cheap circle around the neighborhood’s eclectic bakeries and food shops. Our first stop was at Prosperity Dumpling (46 Eldridge St.). From the outside, you can hardly tell it apart from the block of other dumpling and bakery storefronts, but once at the door, you can smell why you came there. The small eating area (we’re talking 4’ x 8’ here) is usually crowded with tourists and locals alike all coveting for the pork and chive dumplings ($1 for 5 dumplings).

Customers like them so much that you can even buy frozen dumplings to take home at $8 for 50. Most of their other menu items are under $2 as well, but I’d highly suggest the dumplings.

2) Although this stop was not officially on the tour (what I love about Chinatown), we found a corner cart on the southeast corner of Grand and Bowery selling not hot dogs, not roasted nuts, not even illegal pet turtles, but dough balls. Simple as that, but so much fun.

For $1 you can get a bag of 20 dough balls ready made for you in essentially a waffle maker and diligently counted out like a pharmacist does with pills so you get exactly 20. You can just pop the little balls of warmthy goodness into your mouth as you stroll along to get your boba or dim sum. Think waffles meet popcorn and you’ve essentially got your snack.

3) Speaking of delicious balls of dough, Italian cuisine’s greatest creation besides pizza is the garlic knot. I’ve sampled the knots from the three pizza places closest to my apartment and rated each on texture, flavor and value. I decided the best should go to Ray’s Pizza (2^nd Ave. between 94^th and 96^th, although I’m sure there are others as well) where you can get six healthy size garlic knots for just $1. They even throw in a container of marinara for dipping. I’ve eaten the knots as a side for a meal or even just a meal in itself, whatever your pleasure.

4) Ok, so I know this isn’t a New York only thing, but I’ve got to say when you are in the mood for an afternoon pick me up and cannot afford to spend money or calories on a slice of strawberry cheesecake, head to McDonald’s and buy an apple pie. Make that two for $1.08 (tax included). There are 72 McDonald’s in Manhattan. Chances are there is one by your workplace. Just don’t go overboard with the other greasy food.

5) Lastly, I recently found out about a deal if you are a Bank of America ATM cardholder that I should have found years ago when I opened my account. On the first weekend of every month, several participating museums let you in for free! (Ok, so I know this doesn’t follow my rule for things you can do in NYC for $1, but free is good to, right?). I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the beginning of September and enjoyed the view of Central Park from the roof (they have a martini bar up there!). I have plans to visit the Aquarium and the Bronx Zoo on one of the upcoming weekends (both included in this offer). For a full listing of museums across the country go here.

In the spirit of frugality, I’d like to share an article I came across in the New York Times. He shares a lot of interesting tidbits about making the most of your dollar in New York.

I hope you make use of this post and I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for more innovative things to do in your new (or old) city. Enjoy!

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A Helping Penny?

I think the word “help” is used too much. Everywhere I go in this city it seems I’m always being asked to help. No matter the fact that I do take time out of my life to Help (more on that later), all those who keep asking seem to think I can never do enough.

Exhibit A: On the corner by my office building – a corner I walk by at least once each morning, once for lunch and occasionally to go home – an organization dedicated to helping the homeless has set up a table with a red table cloth and an empty five gallon water bottle day after day in the hopes of collecting change for the needy. A noble venture? Yes. I’m sure the ambling tourists just stepping out of the 24 hour McDonald's (also in my office building) with their Big Mac in one hand and quarters in their pockets are sure to donate out of the goodness of their hearts. Actually, it’s probably to get the volunteer/worker/actual homeless guy wearing a red vest matching the tablecloth to shut up.

After years of trying to find innovative ways to get people to donate to my team for the MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Walk, I’ll be the first to admit that you must be charismatic and enthusiastic about the fundraising process to be successful. But as I walked by this table this morning, I heard the word “help” about 10 times in a five second period. That’s quite a lot if you think about it.

“Every penny counts! You can help!” the man in the red vest shouts.

Really? Does every penny count? So if I gave a penny and he got 99 other people in Times Square to give a penny he would have…a whole dollar!!!

Maybe I’m being cynical (see what New York is doing to me), but I’m being made to feel bad for not helping and giving a penny, when, let’s be honest, that penny isn’t going to go very far even in a homeless person’s life. What will you get for a penny in New York? Nothing that I can think of, except maybe a tune in an old juke box in a diner somewhere.

If you are going to raise money, you should at least set your sights a little higher, you know what I mean?

However, if you are new to the city and you really do want to find ways to Help, I’d suggest checking out NY Cares (nycares.org). You’ve probably seen their posters with Whoopi Goldberg and Alec Baldwin all over the subways, but they really are a worthwhile organization. Basically, you go to a 2-hour training after signing up online, and you then join the other 43,000 or so New Yorkers in the system. Every month, new projects are posted online – from dancing at the Jewish home to gardening to serving hot meals – and they are all scheduled to fit busy people’s lives (many after or before regular working hours).

If you want a bit more commitment, you can choose one of their ongoing programs; I’m tutoring the SAT once a week at the Chelsea Recreation center until May. They have projects for everyone.

So if you want to Help, don’t just throw a penny in a bucket somewhere (although, I’ll definitely hit you up come April for the MS Walk), give your time and you’ll see what a difference you can make.

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The Subway Celebrity

I had a whole other plan for my blog today.

I was going to talk about this generation’s incessant use of headphones. I was going to write about how we’ll all likely go deaf either from listening to headphones or from listening to other people listen to headphones. I was drafting it in my mind.

Then, about five minutes before I had to start drafting and start pouring coffee and refilling printer paper in my office, I saw her. That rounded-corner square button made of a silver-toned metal placed on the back center of a white trench coat. I saw it yesterday too!

Thus begins my continuation of last post’s subway characters…

In college, I used to think about the concept of “sidewalk celebrities.” At Boston University, most of your traveling happens on foot on…the sidewalks. I would see some of the same people every day, twice a week, or maybe just once in a blue moon, but something about them stuck out – the crazy rainbow-hair girl, the skateboard guy who would always hang out on a particular set of stairs, and the Care Bear backpack girl. After seeing them regularly, I would give them names like that.

Now, BU is a big school, but New York is a MUCH BIGGER city. What are the odds that I would see the same person twice two days in a row!? According to the July 1, 2006 census, there were 8,250,567 people living in New York City and according to the MTA’s Website, New York’s annual subway ridership is 1.563 billion. You can do the math.

Granted, apparently rounded-corner-square-button-made-of-silver-toned-metal girl and I do ride the same subway at the same time and get off at the same stop (49^th Street NRW downtown train at about 5 to 9:00 a.m. in case you were wondering), but still, there must be thousands of others with the same commute.

According to the July 1, 2006 census, there were 8,250,567 people living in New York City and according to the MTA’s Website, New York’s annual subway ridership is 1.563 billion. You can do the math.

What I find interesting, is with this celebrity, I don’t even know what her face looks like – just the button. So if she ever switches up coats, her celebrity status will be gone to me.

Here’s another example. Before I get on the N-R-W at 59^th St. every morning, I have to ride the 6 train from my apartment at 96^th Street, and of course back again every afternoon. Three times now in less than three months I have seen the beep-boxing, smile encouraging, Da-doo-run-running duo of old homeless men singing, dancing and asking for money on the 6 train. They must target a certain demographic with their oldies tunes, but I always find them entertaining. Of course I realize they go out of their way to be heard and recognized (unlike my button girl), but still what are the chances that I end up on the same train and the same car as this duo? I’m not going to find out the math, but I’d say slim.

What is different about subway/sidewalk celebrities from regular celebrities is that only you know about them. Well, you and maybe a few others. But on the scale of someone like Madonna, Angelina Jolie and well, need I say Sarah Palin, your celebrities just don’t have the popularity. That’s the cool part though, and if it gets you through your morning and afternoon commutes, even better.

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The Subway Elite

Hailing originally from a suburb north of Los Angeles, California – a city teeming with the rich and famous – I find myself curious underneath the streets of Manhattan? Could Mr. Sweaty Armpits standing above me be a “somebody”? Wall Street gurus’s get pit stains too, I think.

I live on the Upper East Side. I work in Times Square. I ride the subway a lot. To top it off, I have to take two different lines to travel two and from work, so that doubles my exposure to weary underground travelers.

Whereas Los Angeles’ famous people are usually in someway tied to Hollywood, New York City is dynamic because it’s famous people can be Broadway or movie stars, provocative journalists, corporate CEOs or the aforementioned Wall Street gurus. (I’ll be nice to the guru’s since they’ve been receiving the bad end of the stick lately).

When you ride the subway, first of all, you are not even acknowledged unless you are rude or you happen to be in someone’s way. However, one thing New Yorkers are good at is giving up a seat for someone who needs it. People are especially generous for pregnant women, and boy have I seen a lot of them. Maybe New Yorkers reproduce more than other major cities. I’d have to check that statistic. Anyway, so maybe you are acknowledged for five seconds, but that is no way near enough time to truly make a connection with someone (hence why the Craigslist missed connections feature is popular with many).

Bringing back the comparison, Los Angeles’ elite are people you’d want to pass on the street to say you saw them, but New York’s elite could really make a difference to your life. Well, at least from the point of view of a young, recent college grad like me. I majored in environmental science and minored in journalism. If I happened to meet an exec. from Scientific American or Discovery Magazine or even the New York Times Science Section and they liked me, WAM BAM, I could land my dream job. Alas, you can’t really know unless someone wrote their name and profession in Sharpie on their forehead.

I’m the type to strike up a conversation with my neighbor on an airplane. I like how the interaction passes the time and I’ve met some interesting people over the years. However, I think people would think me as strange as my roommate did when I tried to humanely capture and release the cockroach inhabiting our bathroom if I tried to strike up friendly talk on the 6 Train.

I hope I’m not conveying the idea that I’m some naïve girl from California who wants to be happy and friendly with everyone, even if I am a new New Yorker. I have definitely had my fare share of creep experiences on the Subway in the two months I’ve lived here. Just the other day I was stared down by a man with a red gash under his eye. It wasn’t so much a malicious stare, but I think he was just trying to freak me out. Every time I looked up, there were his eyes. Come to think of it, I don’t really remember him blinking. Of course I’ve also shared a “holding bar” (what are those things called exactly?) with likely prostitutes, bank robbers and drug dealers. But hey, that’s the big city for you.

Even so, amid all of us thousands of normal people, Manhattan’s elite must be there. They can’t all be taking cabs and limos to work everyday. I’ll let you know when I find mine.

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