One of the things that I’ve both loved and been amazed by most in the city is food delivery system. It seems to me that you can have nearly any food product that you want delivered here. It also seems that any product that you want period can be delivered and the delivery cost appear to be relatively low.
I guess that this is in part because of the lack of folks driving (though cars are everywhere I’ve decided half of them are taxis) and the nightmare it is getting around the city. It is fascinating how fast the delivery folks get the food to your table. Last night I ordered Chinese at 9:50. The restaurant is about 6 blocks away and the food was here before 10:05. I ordered Italian a few weeks ago (lasagna, calamari, hot bread). The restaurant is about a 15 drive. Again, my food was hot and delicious and delivered in less than 30 minutes. How is this possible?
I have not run into a restaurant yet that doesn’t exist. I’ve been told that even McDonald’s delivers. There’s a mere $6 minimum for delivery and you get a free pop (or soda as its called here) with a purchase of $10. Interesting right, this place blows my mind! It also seems that most of the delivery folks are either walking or on foot. The bikers in NYC are some of the bravest people on the planet. I wouldn’t be caught dead on a bike anywhere in the city besides a bike trail. But who am I kidding, when was the last time I was on a bike period. LMAO
As a side note I have encountered another phenomenon of interest. My pal ordered an iced tea that came in a sort of soup container (at least 20 ounces). There was a hole at the top for a straw and apparently in NYC people drink directly out of this container, out of a soup container. The thing is it looks like a soup container! There’s apparently a drink you get in Harlem that is one of these soup like containers full of alcohol and I’m told one of these drinks and you’re good. Apparently?!?!?
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide...
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
My NYC Beauty "Parlor" Experience
Most women struggle with their hair as has been highlighted by the recent Chris Rock phenomenon Good Hair. In Ohio, my typical trip the salon as we call it in Ohio ran me about $60 or $70 for a wash, condition, blow dry and press (not to simplify the process at all). If I wanted color , cut, trim, or any sort of hot oil or vitamin treatment the price easily starts creeping into the low hundreds.
Since in moved to the city I’ve been hearing about the $10 Dominican blow up. I’ve been hearing different takes on this process so finally decided to check it out for myself.
My first question was “How do I know that someone is Dominican?” Certainly it’s not appropriate to ask. Second, “do only Dominicans offer this service and if so why?” The most important question perhaps is “Is a wash and blow out for $10 possible?” And maybe one additional question is what is a “blow out”. When I blow dry my hair it’s like a limp afro and no disrespect to the afro or those you are still rocking it but I don’t want an afro, I have a lot of hair on my head. I wondered is it possible to blow dry ones hair to straight, silky perfection (this is what I’m looking for).
So after work this week I decided to go to the first “Dominican” beauty salon that I found. If decided that there are two within 2 blocks of me. How do I know they are Dominican do you ask? Well on has Dominican in the name and the other looks like the first so there you go there’s my logic.
I decided to the one that’s on the way to my house from work. I went in and of course experience a severe language barrier. Note to self: I REALLY need to learn Spanish especially in my neighborhood. Once we were able to communicate what I wanted I learned that a wash and “blow out” was $18 and a wash, condition and blow out was $23. Not bad at all and much cheaper than home. We got started and boy did this wonderful woman give me a wash. They put in a leave in condition and put me under the dryer. They took me from under the dryer, rinsed out the condition and then to my surprise put huge rollers in my hair. I can’t remember the last time I had rollers. After the rollers I went under the dryer again for about nearly an hour. I have to admit I was feeling a little nervous at this point. After the dryer another woman started taking out the rollers and I was actually pretty impressed and satisfied with what my hair looked like and actually could have paid my $25 and been out. However, I knew because of the language barrier it’d be a lost cause to deviate from the process. Next they take crazy hot blow dryer and blow out each section and your hair gets unbelievably straight. Once again I was satisfied with what I saw and could have paid but apparently there as another step. She reached for the hot curlers and started to hard core bump my ends. For those of you sistahs reading, you remember back in the day before you were introduced to the flat iron and your hair dresser used to give you the page boy with the hard bump at your ends LMAO. Well what really blew my mind was this grandma like sweet woman then swept one side of my hair behind my ear, wow!
Overall the experience was wonderful and the women in the shop were very friendly. The price was right and I had to do minimal fixing when I got home. Is this is a possible option when one is sick like I was but needs their wig split? Definitely. Will this become my new hair care option? Probably not. Either way, I think I can say that I experienced the Dominican blow out though it wasn’t $10 and I’m not sure these wonderful ladies were Dominican.
NYC or Cleveland; You Decide…
Since in moved to the city I’ve been hearing about the $10 Dominican blow up. I’ve been hearing different takes on this process so finally decided to check it out for myself.
My first question was “How do I know that someone is Dominican?” Certainly it’s not appropriate to ask. Second, “do only Dominicans offer this service and if so why?” The most important question perhaps is “Is a wash and blow out for $10 possible?” And maybe one additional question is what is a “blow out”. When I blow dry my hair it’s like a limp afro and no disrespect to the afro or those you are still rocking it but I don’t want an afro, I have a lot of hair on my head. I wondered is it possible to blow dry ones hair to straight, silky perfection (this is what I’m looking for).
So after work this week I decided to go to the first “Dominican” beauty salon that I found. If decided that there are two within 2 blocks of me. How do I know they are Dominican do you ask? Well on has Dominican in the name and the other looks like the first so there you go there’s my logic.
I decided to the one that’s on the way to my house from work. I went in and of course experience a severe language barrier. Note to self: I REALLY need to learn Spanish especially in my neighborhood. Once we were able to communicate what I wanted I learned that a wash and “blow out” was $18 and a wash, condition and blow out was $23. Not bad at all and much cheaper than home. We got started and boy did this wonderful woman give me a wash. They put in a leave in condition and put me under the dryer. They took me from under the dryer, rinsed out the condition and then to my surprise put huge rollers in my hair. I can’t remember the last time I had rollers. After the rollers I went under the dryer again for about nearly an hour. I have to admit I was feeling a little nervous at this point. After the dryer another woman started taking out the rollers and I was actually pretty impressed and satisfied with what my hair looked like and actually could have paid my $25 and been out. However, I knew because of the language barrier it’d be a lost cause to deviate from the process. Next they take crazy hot blow dryer and blow out each section and your hair gets unbelievably straight. Once again I was satisfied with what I saw and could have paid but apparently there as another step. She reached for the hot curlers and started to hard core bump my ends. For those of you sistahs reading, you remember back in the day before you were introduced to the flat iron and your hair dresser used to give you the page boy with the hard bump at your ends LMAO. Well what really blew my mind was this grandma like sweet woman then swept one side of my hair behind my ear, wow!
Overall the experience was wonderful and the women in the shop were very friendly. The price was right and I had to do minimal fixing when I got home. Is this is a possible option when one is sick like I was but needs their wig split? Definitely. Will this become my new hair care option? Probably not. Either way, I think I can say that I experienced the Dominican blow out though it wasn’t $10 and I’m not sure these wonderful ladies were Dominican.
NYC or Cleveland; You Decide…
Monday, December 7, 2009
Why Am I Sick Again!
I’m not sure if it’s the subway or I haven’t built my NYC antibodies yet, but I am sick with flu-like symptoms for the third time in 45 days. The first time I figured was my seasonal cold that lasted almost 10 days. The second was a flu that I caught just over a week later when I was in Cleveland that was so bad my cried (I’m not a crier). This cold came after a weekend of partying.
Though I had a full weekend, I was bundled up and ate well (all the reasons folks have given me for being sick again). I’ve been resting and even taking vitamins. This place is trying to kill me!
Though I had a full weekend, I was bundled up and ate well (all the reasons folks have given me for being sick again). I’ve been resting and even taking vitamins. This place is trying to kill me!
There's No Place Like Home
For my faithful few readers I’m happy to admit that I’m getting more adjusted to life in the Big Apple. Some of the people and attitudes that I run into on a daily basis are still a bit aggravating but overall things are getting much better. I’m feeling more comfortable in my apartment and neighborhood, I finally feel like I’m getting a clue of the NYC transit system, I’ve found some great restaurants and dives that I can call favorites, I’m feeling like I’m in a better rhythm at work and getting adjusted to the pace and intellectual capital. I’m also meeting some really great people.
Still, there’s no place like home. Despite the numerous visits from my folks (which I thoroughly enjoy) I still look forward to my visits home. The winter holidays are one of my favorite times of year. NYC, is an amazing place to be for the holidays. 34th street and 7th avenue, Times Square, Harold Square and the neighborhoods are really something to see during this time of year. You have the Macy’s Parade, a myriad of shows and events, skating at Rockefeller Park and these are the things that I know of as a resident of Ohio. I have seen the decorations at Macy’s and their beautiful window scenes.
No matter how great the city is, I still love the holidays in Northeast Ohio. I hear this year Youngstown is having a holiday parade (I don’t think I’ll be making that). Cleveland has WinterFest which is actually really nice and the downtown public square is decorated pretty well. There’s just something about being curled up on my parents couch (my dad always makes us a fire) and watching tv on my pops theater sized flat screen. There’s something about my aunts and uncles arguing over the last sip of ‘brown’ as they call it and my little cousins running around my house as like crazy persons. There’s nothing like going for a run to the grocery store and running into someone you haven’t seen since you were a kid. I think my favorite thing about being home is the food. I love my mom's cooking and there are some neighborhood restaurants that though I know they are the greasiest, non-healthy options available, I just have to have when I come home. (Shout out to Fosters/Harmony Grill)
Thanksgiving was great as always, the days were filled with family and neighbors and the nights with friends. I had a great time watching cable and hearing about all the wonderful and ridiculous things going on at home. I went out one night with friends and only spent $30 total on drinks and food and I was Santa that night. Youngstown is certainly not the most exciting and frankly not the most beautiful place that you’ve ever since on the holiday’s but its home and we all know there’s no place like home.
Still, there’s no place like home. Despite the numerous visits from my folks (which I thoroughly enjoy) I still look forward to my visits home. The winter holidays are one of my favorite times of year. NYC, is an amazing place to be for the holidays. 34th street and 7th avenue, Times Square, Harold Square and the neighborhoods are really something to see during this time of year. You have the Macy’s Parade, a myriad of shows and events, skating at Rockefeller Park and these are the things that I know of as a resident of Ohio. I have seen the decorations at Macy’s and their beautiful window scenes.
No matter how great the city is, I still love the holidays in Northeast Ohio. I hear this year Youngstown is having a holiday parade (I don’t think I’ll be making that). Cleveland has WinterFest which is actually really nice and the downtown public square is decorated pretty well. There’s just something about being curled up on my parents couch (my dad always makes us a fire) and watching tv on my pops theater sized flat screen. There’s something about my aunts and uncles arguing over the last sip of ‘brown’ as they call it and my little cousins running around my house as like crazy persons. There’s nothing like going for a run to the grocery store and running into someone you haven’t seen since you were a kid. I think my favorite thing about being home is the food. I love my mom's cooking and there are some neighborhood restaurants that though I know they are the greasiest, non-healthy options available, I just have to have when I come home. (Shout out to Fosters/Harmony Grill)
Thanksgiving was great as always, the days were filled with family and neighbors and the nights with friends. I had a great time watching cable and hearing about all the wonderful and ridiculous things going on at home. I went out one night with friends and only spent $30 total on drinks and food and I was Santa that night. Youngstown is certainly not the most exciting and frankly not the most beautiful place that you’ve ever since on the holiday’s but its home and we all know there’s no place like home.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Amazing Young Professionals
So I’ve been away for a while but I’m back. I want to talk about amazing people. I can’t wait to start meeting amazing people in NYC but right now I want to talk about an amazing young professional that Cleveland is lucky to have.
Genna Petrolla is the Greater Circle Living Manager for University Circle Incorporated where she works to market the Greater Circle Living program, a forgivable loan program to encourage employees of eligible non-profit institutions to live close to where they work.
Genna also serves on the Board of Directors for SPACES Gallery, a not-for-profit alternative art space located on the Superior Viaduct. For over 30 years, SPACES has provided freedom, resources and an audience, thus enabling artists to engage the public in a vital dialogue about contemporary art.
She is also a part of the team that produces Messy Magazine http://messymagazine.blogspot.com/ , a quarterly online art/literary/fashion/music magazine based in Cleveland. The publication spotlights local artists, designers and musicians, is a resource for art and music related events, and encourages the average person to think creatively and share their work with others. Messy magazine also works to show the country and the world that Cleveland is a viable place to live, work and create.
Before I left Cleveland, I was in the early stages of organizing the IWSI event for GLUE. I knew if I wanted to get something done in Cleveland I had to contact Genna. As you know in the process I was summons to New York and essential abandoned the planning process for the campaign. I asked Genna to take over the process and hoped that she could pick up the few pieces and run with it. My hopes were fulfilled and more. The IWSI event was held on Wednesday, November 18th 2009, at the Speakeasy in Cleveland, Ohio and was AMAZING!!! Genna did an unbelievable job all by herself. There were over 100 people at the event and over 80 people participated and summated ideas for the campaign. Genna solicited a great partner with Terry Travis from of Cleveland365.com and there was a diverse group. She brought in three great speakers and the space looked great. It’s great to know that you can hand things off to great people and feel comfortable that they are going to be bigger and better than what you would have done. Thanks Genna you are the best! Check out some of the pictures from the event.
Genna Petrolla is the Greater Circle Living Manager for University Circle Incorporated where she works to market the Greater Circle Living program, a forgivable loan program to encourage employees of eligible non-profit institutions to live close to where they work.
Genna also serves on the Board of Directors for SPACES Gallery, a not-for-profit alternative art space located on the Superior Viaduct. For over 30 years, SPACES has provided freedom, resources and an audience, thus enabling artists to engage the public in a vital dialogue about contemporary art.
She is also a part of the team that produces Messy Magazine http://messymagazine.blogspot.com/ , a quarterly online art/literary/fashion/music magazine based in Cleveland. The publication spotlights local artists, designers and musicians, is a resource for art and music related events, and encourages the average person to think creatively and share their work with others. Messy magazine also works to show the country and the world that Cleveland is a viable place to live, work and create.
Before I left Cleveland, I was in the early stages of organizing the IWSI event for GLUE. I knew if I wanted to get something done in Cleveland I had to contact Genna. As you know in the process I was summons to New York and essential abandoned the planning process for the campaign. I asked Genna to take over the process and hoped that she could pick up the few pieces and run with it. My hopes were fulfilled and more. The IWSI event was held on Wednesday, November 18th 2009, at the Speakeasy in Cleveland, Ohio and was AMAZING!!! Genna did an unbelievable job all by herself. There were over 100 people at the event and over 80 people participated and summated ideas for the campaign. Genna solicited a great partner with Terry Travis from of Cleveland365.com and there was a diverse group. She brought in three great speakers and the space looked great. It’s great to know that you can hand things off to great people and feel comfortable that they are going to be bigger and better than what you would have done. Thanks Genna you are the best! Check out some of the pictures from the event.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Pizza
So I guess one of the many things that NYC is supposed to be famous for is pizza. I would argue that Youngstown, Ohio, has some of the best pizza on the planet. During my two years in Cleveland, I searched (to no avail) for good pizza. There were places that were sufficient and some that were even a little eclectic, but none that were known for amazing pizza by my standards.
In Youngstown, there are amazing pizza places my favorite being Wedgewood Pizza http://www.wedgewoodpizza.com/. There are now several locations but this place has the best deep dish hearty pizza ever. It’s not too greasy, the ingredients are fresh and they don’t skimp on them. Then there’s Belleria Pizza http://www.belleria.net/ that Youngstown-ers love (I’m not a fan). It’s got thick cheese, hearty ingredients and super deep dish. They too have expanded but it’s definitely a Youngstown favorite.
Then there’s the Youngstown original Brier Hill Pizza. Wiki says that Brier Hill is a neighborhood in Youngstown, Ohio, that was once viewed as the city's "Little Italy" district. The neighborhood, which was the site of the city's first Italian settlement, stretches along the western edge of Youngstown's lower north side and encircles St. Anthony's Church, an Italian-American Roman Catholic parish.
The neighborhood was the birthplace of "Brier Hill Pizza," which is a humble, home-style pizza with its origins in the Basilicata region of Italy—made with a generous amount of thick Sunday sauce, bell peppers and Romano cheese rather than the usual mozzarella. It is un piatto tipico of Youngstown; one of several dishes the area prides itself upon, as New Yorkers do so of their thin-crust slices of foldable Pizza Margherita.
Oh the NYC thin crust. I’ve never been a fan of the thin crust (it makes me think of Donato’s which isn’t bad but certainly not a favorite) until I had Trattoria Amici at work last week. I had been hearing about the Meatza Meatza Pizza since my first week of work but for many reasons we hadn’t had it. Finally my dear office mate decided it was time I was introduced to the Meatza Meatza. It was amazing! For my meat lovers this pizza was heaven. It was thin crust which I surprisingly loved and it was loaded with meat (pepperoni, ham, bacon, sausage and real tomato sauce). This little bistro is also a great wine bar and traditional Italian Cuisine. The problem is that it’s another great restaurant that’s only steps from my front door. It’s located on Lenox between 129th and 130th.
I never thought I’d find pizza that compared to my beloved Youngstown Pizza but the Meatza Meatza gets pretty close.
Northeast Ohio or NYC, You Decide…
In Youngstown, there are amazing pizza places my favorite being Wedgewood Pizza http://www.wedgewoodpizza.com/. There are now several locations but this place has the best deep dish hearty pizza ever. It’s not too greasy, the ingredients are fresh and they don’t skimp on them. Then there’s Belleria Pizza http://www.belleria.net/ that Youngstown-ers love (I’m not a fan). It’s got thick cheese, hearty ingredients and super deep dish. They too have expanded but it’s definitely a Youngstown favorite.
Then there’s the Youngstown original Brier Hill Pizza. Wiki says that Brier Hill is a neighborhood in Youngstown, Ohio, that was once viewed as the city's "Little Italy" district. The neighborhood, which was the site of the city's first Italian settlement, stretches along the western edge of Youngstown's lower north side and encircles St. Anthony's Church, an Italian-American Roman Catholic parish.
The neighborhood was the birthplace of "Brier Hill Pizza," which is a humble, home-style pizza with its origins in the Basilicata region of Italy—made with a generous amount of thick Sunday sauce, bell peppers and Romano cheese rather than the usual mozzarella. It is un piatto tipico of Youngstown; one of several dishes the area prides itself upon, as New Yorkers do so of their thin-crust slices of foldable Pizza Margherita.
Oh the NYC thin crust. I’ve never been a fan of the thin crust (it makes me think of Donato’s which isn’t bad but certainly not a favorite) until I had Trattoria Amici at work last week. I had been hearing about the Meatza Meatza Pizza since my first week of work but for many reasons we hadn’t had it. Finally my dear office mate decided it was time I was introduced to the Meatza Meatza. It was amazing! For my meat lovers this pizza was heaven. It was thin crust which I surprisingly loved and it was loaded with meat (pepperoni, ham, bacon, sausage and real tomato sauce). This little bistro is also a great wine bar and traditional Italian Cuisine. The problem is that it’s another great restaurant that’s only steps from my front door. It’s located on Lenox between 129th and 130th.
I never thought I’d find pizza that compared to my beloved Youngstown Pizza but the Meatza Meatza gets pretty close.
Northeast Ohio or NYC, You Decide…
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Periodicals and the Sex Diaries
Mom, relax, this post isn’t bad you can read on. I will keep this as g-rated as possible since my mom and more importantly my dad read this blog.
So let’s talk about Cleveland first this time. There has been a lot of discussion around the country about the decline print media. Many may argue that the decline has been accelerated in Northeast Ohio. There’s my hometown publications The Vindicator http://www.vindy.com/ and The Buckeye Review (yikes). Aside from seeing a family member or maybe yourself in these publications, they are not the best. As you move around Northeast Ohio in Akron there’s the Akron Beacon Journal http://www.ohio.com/ which though it isn’t the best has some really solid journalist with very interesting articles. It keeps you informed which I guess is the point, right? Then in Cleveland there are several papers and magazine arguably most popular or well known being the Cleveland Plain Dealer www.cleveland.com. The Dealer has gone through many changes during my two years in Cleveland and is often the discussion of many forums and events throughout the city. This is another publication that though it has its shortcoming has some great journalist and keeps you informed. I’ll admit I don’t scribe to any of these publications and can’t remember the last time I had a hard copy, I read them all online.
Then there are various Cleveland magazines, my favorite being the new Canvas Magazine http://canvascleveland.com/. It isn’t my favorite because I’ve been in it or because I’m a good friend of the Editor and Chief Jay Bobo, my it’s my favorite because of the quality of writing, interest level and range of topics and overall professionalism associated with the final product. It has a great web presence too, especially since it's essentially a one man show. I truly think it’s going to revive print media in NEO. The fact that it’s free and is provided as a true source of information and entertainment to the community helps a lot. There are other publications: Cleveland Magazine, Scene, Kaleidoscope, and the Free Times to name a few. All of these publications are cool but none of them compare to the amazing New York Magazine http://nymag.com/.
My boss insisted that I read the NY magazine each week. Initially I was a little annoyed since I couldn’t figure out how I was going to get it read in addition to all the reading I have to get done for work. (I haven’t been reading the way I should since grad school, no excuse). Anyway, I started reading and loved it. The writing is impeccable and witty and a little sarcastic which I like. The articles are incredibly interesting and it’s a great way to stay informed of everything NY from politics, to theater to concerts and parties.
Then I discovered the Sex Diaries http://nymag.com/news/features/sexdiaries/2009/60297/?imw=Y&f=most-viewed-24h10. OMG! I was up until 6:00 am last Friday night (I didn’t get in until 4:45, the drought is not that bad yet) reading these damn things. The SD’s are a critical (but highly sympathetic) reading of New Yorkers’ sexual habits and anxieties says the tagline on the website. This thing is unbelievable. Let me give you a quick passage from The Trader Who Will Fly for Sex.
12:32 p.m. The hubby keeps annoying me with texts. Decide to humor him. After all, he is letting me have sex with his wife.
8:20 p.m. We meet at T.G.I. Friday’s. Wifey looks like her pics, which is good. Hubby seems a little nervous. I act like I’ve known them forever—give him a hearty handshake, kiss her on the cheeks. We order drinks and talk.
9 p.m. Back at the hotel. We are both undressing wifey. She has massive breasts, which I love. I play with them. Hubby is naked, playing and taking pics.
9:30 p.m. Wifey ****-******* me … awesome. Hubby alternates between taking pics and encouraging her.
10 p.m. We have sex in a variety of positions. While it feels good, there is no way I am losing control. That is a big swinging no-no, unless the couple wants that.
11 p.m. Halfhearted sex for the second round, but I am tired. I dutifully take the camera for a bit.
11:30 p.m. Saying our good-byes. I tell them to keep in touch and send me the pics so I can store/post them on my AFF profile.
WHAT?!?!? Then there’s the Ex-Banker Living on Alcohol, Hook-ups, and Unemployment. This one was the juiciest and note this is just a snippet.
1 a.m. With friends at Marquee, where I catch the eye of a handsome boy in an Hermès tie and immediately start eye-B.J.-ing him. He is a 28-year-old M.D. who graduated from Yale. He buys me SoCo-lime shots and I tell him that 28 years old is too young to be an M.D. He responds that he’s just that good.
4 a.m. He asks me to come back to his place and I’m skeptical, but he says he lives on Park Avenue with his older brothers. He has me at “Park Avenue.”
5:30 a.m. Sitting in his penthouse apartment, he opens a bottle of Dom and we watch South Park—that should have been the first sign. We pass out in his room. I think we hook up.
DAY THREE
8 a.m. He freaks out and asks me to leave. When I get home, I look him up on Facebook and see that he graduated HIGH SCHOOL in 2009. He is 17 YEARS OLD and it was his parents’ penthouse.
WOW?!?!? I imagine this is enough of a preview to get a few readers and maybe a comment or two. I’ll admit it, I love it and I’m hooked. I bet you didn’t see this one coming, well here you go. My final thought. Cleveland print/web media give us some new exciting material, may the sex chronicles of the restless and their sex patterns in City.
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…
So let’s talk about Cleveland first this time. There has been a lot of discussion around the country about the decline print media. Many may argue that the decline has been accelerated in Northeast Ohio. There’s my hometown publications The Vindicator http://www.vindy.com/ and The Buckeye Review (yikes). Aside from seeing a family member or maybe yourself in these publications, they are not the best. As you move around Northeast Ohio in Akron there’s the Akron Beacon Journal http://www.ohio.com/ which though it isn’t the best has some really solid journalist with very interesting articles. It keeps you informed which I guess is the point, right? Then in Cleveland there are several papers and magazine arguably most popular or well known being the Cleveland Plain Dealer www.cleveland.com. The Dealer has gone through many changes during my two years in Cleveland and is often the discussion of many forums and events throughout the city. This is another publication that though it has its shortcoming has some great journalist and keeps you informed. I’ll admit I don’t scribe to any of these publications and can’t remember the last time I had a hard copy, I read them all online.
Then there are various Cleveland magazines, my favorite being the new Canvas Magazine http://canvascleveland.com/. It isn’t my favorite because I’ve been in it or because I’m a good friend of the Editor and Chief Jay Bobo, my it’s my favorite because of the quality of writing, interest level and range of topics and overall professionalism associated with the final product. It has a great web presence too, especially since it's essentially a one man show. I truly think it’s going to revive print media in NEO. The fact that it’s free and is provided as a true source of information and entertainment to the community helps a lot. There are other publications: Cleveland Magazine, Scene, Kaleidoscope, and the Free Times to name a few. All of these publications are cool but none of them compare to the amazing New York Magazine http://nymag.com/.
My boss insisted that I read the NY magazine each week. Initially I was a little annoyed since I couldn’t figure out how I was going to get it read in addition to all the reading I have to get done for work. (I haven’t been reading the way I should since grad school, no excuse). Anyway, I started reading and loved it. The writing is impeccable and witty and a little sarcastic which I like. The articles are incredibly interesting and it’s a great way to stay informed of everything NY from politics, to theater to concerts and parties.
Then I discovered the Sex Diaries http://nymag.com/news/features/sexdiaries/2009/60297/?imw=Y&f=most-viewed-24h10. OMG! I was up until 6:00 am last Friday night (I didn’t get in until 4:45, the drought is not that bad yet) reading these damn things. The SD’s are a critical (but highly sympathetic) reading of New Yorkers’ sexual habits and anxieties says the tagline on the website. This thing is unbelievable. Let me give you a quick passage from The Trader Who Will Fly for Sex.
12:32 p.m. The hubby keeps annoying me with texts. Decide to humor him. After all, he is letting me have sex with his wife.
8:20 p.m. We meet at T.G.I. Friday’s. Wifey looks like her pics, which is good. Hubby seems a little nervous. I act like I’ve known them forever—give him a hearty handshake, kiss her on the cheeks. We order drinks and talk.
9 p.m. Back at the hotel. We are both undressing wifey. She has massive breasts, which I love. I play with them. Hubby is naked, playing and taking pics.
9:30 p.m. Wifey ****-******* me … awesome. Hubby alternates between taking pics and encouraging her.
10 p.m. We have sex in a variety of positions. While it feels good, there is no way I am losing control. That is a big swinging no-no, unless the couple wants that.
11 p.m. Halfhearted sex for the second round, but I am tired. I dutifully take the camera for a bit.
11:30 p.m. Saying our good-byes. I tell them to keep in touch and send me the pics so I can store/post them on my AFF profile.
WHAT?!?!? Then there’s the Ex-Banker Living on Alcohol, Hook-ups, and Unemployment. This one was the juiciest and note this is just a snippet.
1 a.m. With friends at Marquee, where I catch the eye of a handsome boy in an Hermès tie and immediately start eye-B.J.-ing him. He is a 28-year-old M.D. who graduated from Yale. He buys me SoCo-lime shots and I tell him that 28 years old is too young to be an M.D. He responds that he’s just that good.
4 a.m. He asks me to come back to his place and I’m skeptical, but he says he lives on Park Avenue with his older brothers. He has me at “Park Avenue.”
5:30 a.m. Sitting in his penthouse apartment, he opens a bottle of Dom and we watch South Park—that should have been the first sign. We pass out in his room. I think we hook up.
DAY THREE
8 a.m. He freaks out and asks me to leave. When I get home, I look him up on Facebook and see that he graduated HIGH SCHOOL in 2009. He is 17 YEARS OLD and it was his parents’ penthouse.
WOW?!?!? I imagine this is enough of a preview to get a few readers and maybe a comment or two. I’ll admit it, I love it and I’m hooked. I bet you didn’t see this one coming, well here you go. My final thought. Cleveland print/web media give us some new exciting material, may the sex chronicles of the restless and their sex patterns in City.
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…
Little Neighborhood Finds & Surprises
So after an interesting weekend of bridge walking I wanted to share a few of my neighborhood finds & surprises. The first of the finds is an amazing restaurant called Jacob’s at the top of my block. Jacob’s is a pay by the pound Caribbean soul food restaurant. It’s a well lit clean tight space. You walk in grab a take out container and go to town on green, plantains, rice, chicken, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, and a myriad of other delicious foods. I must admit as much as I want to loose weight and get my NYC body together, I love good soul food. The staff was friendly and it was a lively atmosphere, great!
Then there’s Pascal’s Eatery at the other end of my block (5th Avenue and 129th). This place is amazing. If you’re looking for a good breakfast, and great sandwich for lunch and frankly a nice dinner sandwich then Pascal’s is the place. I walk past this place every day on my way to work and had not gone in. When my buddy Darin visited he raved about this place and went there every morning of his stay. The prices are very affordable and the food is great. They have a huge variety of omelets and there is a large variety of hot and cold sandwiches. Pascal’s, great neighborhood find and steps from my door.
Then there was the biggest surprise of the weekend, the New York City Marathon http://www.nycmarathon.org/. What does this have to do with my neighborhood? Well, Sunday morning my dear mommy decided to stock my bear refrigerator (it was literally bare). When we were leaving around 9:00 am we noticed barricades at the end of the block. We headed towards Lenox and the traffic was nuts. As we inched up the street we realized the street was blocked off for the New York City Marathon! Though I was extremely annoyed with NYPD’s impatience (not including the very friendly officers closer to my house) of my not knowing how to maneuver my way through the closures, it was very cool to be so close to such a huge event. The race went right past my house on its way to the Central Park Finish line. When we returned from the store and packed away the groceries we sat down for a little lunch. It was time for the fam to head out and at the end of the block we got to witness a heavy part of the race. Amazing. My beloved Cleveland has its share of races but unfortunately nothing like this. There were nearly 65,000 participants and everyone in the neighborhood seemed to be a part of the race in some way. Church bands were playing and motivating runners and folks from the neighborhood were offering cheers, smiles, pictures, high fives and hugs. It was kinda cool. When there’s a race in Cleveland you’re travel plans are barely interrupted. The NYC Marathon, a nice surprise. Check out a few flicks below.
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…
Then there’s Pascal’s Eatery at the other end of my block (5th Avenue and 129th). This place is amazing. If you’re looking for a good breakfast, and great sandwich for lunch and frankly a nice dinner sandwich then Pascal’s is the place. I walk past this place every day on my way to work and had not gone in. When my buddy Darin visited he raved about this place and went there every morning of his stay. The prices are very affordable and the food is great. They have a huge variety of omelets and there is a large variety of hot and cold sandwiches. Pascal’s, great neighborhood find and steps from my door.
Then there was the biggest surprise of the weekend, the New York City Marathon http://www.nycmarathon.org/. What does this have to do with my neighborhood? Well, Sunday morning my dear mommy decided to stock my bear refrigerator (it was literally bare). When we were leaving around 9:00 am we noticed barricades at the end of the block. We headed towards Lenox and the traffic was nuts. As we inched up the street we realized the street was blocked off for the New York City Marathon! Though I was extremely annoyed with NYPD’s impatience (not including the very friendly officers closer to my house) of my not knowing how to maneuver my way through the closures, it was very cool to be so close to such a huge event. The race went right past my house on its way to the Central Park Finish line. When we returned from the store and packed away the groceries we sat down for a little lunch. It was time for the fam to head out and at the end of the block we got to witness a heavy part of the race. Amazing. My beloved Cleveland has its share of races but unfortunately nothing like this. There were nearly 65,000 participants and everyone in the neighborhood seemed to be a part of the race in some way. Church bands were playing and motivating runners and folks from the neighborhood were offering cheers, smiles, pictures, high fives and hugs. It was kinda cool. When there’s a race in Cleveland you’re travel plans are barely interrupted. The NYC Marathon, a nice surprise. Check out a few flicks below.
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…
Monday, November 2, 2009
Bridge Walks
So this weekend was a better weekend than my first few here in the Big Apple. I decided early in the week that I was going to do ‘something’ and not watch every single crime investigation show that digitally converted non-cable tv has to offer. To my surprise and delight I got a call from my mom Thursday night saying that she and my two cousins were coming for the weekend because my cousin Linda was called for an audition for America’s Got Talent. I guess that’s an interesting tidbit. She feels that she did well so I guess I’ll stay tuned for that. What does this have to do with bridges you ask? Well hold your horses my faithful few readers.
On Monday of the week I decided that my first big weekend activity was going to be walking the Brooklyn Bridge. I was going to make a whole event out of it and go to the famous Grimaldi’s Pizza http://www.grimaldis.com/, the Ice Cream Factory http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/brooklyn-ice-cream-factory/ and stroll Fulton’s Ferry when I got to the other side. I thought this was a good start to the weekend. I didn’t really have solid plans for the rest of the weekend but I was confident that I would get something figured out.
When I got the news that my family was coming I was ready to cancel my plans. My mom said they wouldn’t get in until after midnight so I decided to proceed. I got off work Friday, ran a few errands and headed downtown. I got off the train and headed in the wrong direction like I do every time I get off at a stop anywhere besides 125th and Lenox. I headed to Southstreet Seaport http://www.southstreetseaport.com/ to meet my sorority sister Keira for drinks (it was our four year anniversary in the sorority). So after the first margarita in the chilly outdoors we decided to move indoors for another which was a bad idea. The next thing I know we looked up and it was almost 11:00 pm and my mom was to arrive around 1:00am from her 7:00 pm update. I was on the brink of bailing on the bridge walk again. I started making excuses about it being cold and needing to get home to meet the family and decided to cut the crap and hit the bridge. (Side note: my family ended up waiting for me in the car for an hour because the trains were crazy Friday night & I partly don’t know where I’m going outside of my normal routine and I’m too cool to pull out my map these days).
It took us a while to find the entrance to the bridge but when we finally got there it was a really pleasant walk. I’m fascinated by architecture and engineering (my buddy Larry is an engineer and often talks to me about the complexities of building bridges and buildings and such, I wish I was smart like that). Anyhow, this thing was amazing. It was incredible seeing the city at night and looking one way to Brooklyn and the other to Manhattan. The structure itself is pretty unbelievable and massive. One of my favorite structures in Cleveland was the Detroit Superior Bridge near my garden. I thought this bridge was one of the most amazing things I’d ever seen, massive. I would often jog (okay quickly walk) the bridge and my amazing Bootcamp instructor Rungsinee would often hold our classes on the bridge. I thought this bridge was something and not saying it’s not but these NYC bridges are really something to see. I’ve decided that I’m going to start incorporating more subway riding for reading purposes and bridges walks for exploration purposes into my down time. They seem to be great ways to entertain myself and explore and they are free (work provides my monthly metro card). So check out the pictures below of some of my time on bridges.
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…
On Monday of the week I decided that my first big weekend activity was going to be walking the Brooklyn Bridge. I was going to make a whole event out of it and go to the famous Grimaldi’s Pizza http://www.grimaldis.com/, the Ice Cream Factory http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/brooklyn-ice-cream-factory/ and stroll Fulton’s Ferry when I got to the other side. I thought this was a good start to the weekend. I didn’t really have solid plans for the rest of the weekend but I was confident that I would get something figured out.
When I got the news that my family was coming I was ready to cancel my plans. My mom said they wouldn’t get in until after midnight so I decided to proceed. I got off work Friday, ran a few errands and headed downtown. I got off the train and headed in the wrong direction like I do every time I get off at a stop anywhere besides 125th and Lenox. I headed to Southstreet Seaport http://www.southstreetseaport.com/ to meet my sorority sister Keira for drinks (it was our four year anniversary in the sorority). So after the first margarita in the chilly outdoors we decided to move indoors for another which was a bad idea. The next thing I know we looked up and it was almost 11:00 pm and my mom was to arrive around 1:00am from her 7:00 pm update. I was on the brink of bailing on the bridge walk again. I started making excuses about it being cold and needing to get home to meet the family and decided to cut the crap and hit the bridge. (Side note: my family ended up waiting for me in the car for an hour because the trains were crazy Friday night & I partly don’t know where I’m going outside of my normal routine and I’m too cool to pull out my map these days).
It took us a while to find the entrance to the bridge but when we finally got there it was a really pleasant walk. I’m fascinated by architecture and engineering (my buddy Larry is an engineer and often talks to me about the complexities of building bridges and buildings and such, I wish I was smart like that). Anyhow, this thing was amazing. It was incredible seeing the city at night and looking one way to Brooklyn and the other to Manhattan. The structure itself is pretty unbelievable and massive. One of my favorite structures in Cleveland was the Detroit Superior Bridge near my garden. I thought this bridge was one of the most amazing things I’d ever seen, massive. I would often jog (okay quickly walk) the bridge and my amazing Bootcamp instructor Rungsinee would often hold our classes on the bridge. I thought this bridge was something and not saying it’s not but these NYC bridges are really something to see. I’ve decided that I’m going to start incorporating more subway riding for reading purposes and bridges walks for exploration purposes into my down time. They seem to be great ways to entertain myself and explore and they are free (work provides my monthly metro card). So check out the pictures below of some of my time on bridges.
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Cleveland Event
Great Lakes Urban Exchange www.gluespace.org
This is a bit of a different post. As I mentioned in my intro, I’m a part of an organization called the Great Lakes Urban Exchange. GLUE is a coalition comprised of post-boomer urbanists located in the "rustbelt," was founded to promote the power, aide in the positive transformation, and address the shared challenges of similarly-storied older industrial cities situated in the Great Lakes watershed. Among the ranks of GLUE coalition members are community organizers, urban planners, artists, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, and students living and working in over twenty cities in ten states.
GLUE was developed in the fall of 2007 as a forum for people to exchange stories, ideas, and best practices between otherwise isolated cities ranging from Buffalo to St. Louis to Minneapolis. The GLUE coalition, comprised of post-boomer urbanists located in the "rustbelt," was founded to promote the power, aide in the positive transformation, and address the shared challenges of similarly-storied older industrial cities situated in the Great Lakes watershed.
GLUE has done amazing work in its near two year existence. There have been amazing conference, expert sessions and calls, monthly meetings, and civic and social gatherings. GLUE has partnered with an solicited support from some of the most respected organizations in the country. GLUE participants are dedicated citizens and leaders of post industrial rust belt cities that love and believe in this area. I would like to share an amazing event and campaign that is coming up in Cleveland called “I Will Stay If”.
The IWSI campaign is campaign to share with our city and state leadership, in all sectors, a new take on what our cities need in order to be successful. And we want that new take to come directly and unfiltered from the people who are living and working here every day.
As GLUE has gotten to know thousands people across the region, we've learned that what you care about isn't just cooler coffee houses and music venues. Rather, it's a long-term, sustainable and equitable vision for your city.
The I Will Stay If... campaign will aggregate and share, via a powerful visual format, YOUR ideas for our cities. We look at each of the photos we collect as mini-stories. And we want your voice to play a role in shaping the larger stories of our cities.
I’m sure NYC has some great organizations and events like this but I’m feeling good about this one. For more information visit: http://iwsicleveland.blogspot.com/
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…
This is a bit of a different post. As I mentioned in my intro, I’m a part of an organization called the Great Lakes Urban Exchange. GLUE is a coalition comprised of post-boomer urbanists located in the "rustbelt," was founded to promote the power, aide in the positive transformation, and address the shared challenges of similarly-storied older industrial cities situated in the Great Lakes watershed. Among the ranks of GLUE coalition members are community organizers, urban planners, artists, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, and students living and working in over twenty cities in ten states.
GLUE was developed in the fall of 2007 as a forum for people to exchange stories, ideas, and best practices between otherwise isolated cities ranging from Buffalo to St. Louis to Minneapolis. The GLUE coalition, comprised of post-boomer urbanists located in the "rustbelt," was founded to promote the power, aide in the positive transformation, and address the shared challenges of similarly-storied older industrial cities situated in the Great Lakes watershed.
GLUE has done amazing work in its near two year existence. There have been amazing conference, expert sessions and calls, monthly meetings, and civic and social gatherings. GLUE has partnered with an solicited support from some of the most respected organizations in the country. GLUE participants are dedicated citizens and leaders of post industrial rust belt cities that love and believe in this area. I would like to share an amazing event and campaign that is coming up in Cleveland called “I Will Stay If”.
The IWSI campaign is campaign to share with our city and state leadership, in all sectors, a new take on what our cities need in order to be successful. And we want that new take to come directly and unfiltered from the people who are living and working here every day.
As GLUE has gotten to know thousands people across the region, we've learned that what you care about isn't just cooler coffee houses and music venues. Rather, it's a long-term, sustainable and equitable vision for your city.
The I Will Stay If... campaign will aggregate and share, via a powerful visual format, YOUR ideas for our cities. We look at each of the photos we collect as mini-stories. And we want your voice to play a role in shaping the larger stories of our cities.
I’m sure NYC has some great organizations and events like this but I’m feeling good about this one. For more information visit: http://iwsicleveland.blogspot.com/
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Great Finds
So I feel like I’ve been blasting NYC a lot so I wanted to start keeping a running list of great NYC finds. Consider this my version of the Zaggat without the expensive places. Please let me know if you have other great NYC or Cleveland finds.
-Iggy’s on Ludlow (132 Ludlow). They gave a $5 PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) shot deal (any tap shot). It seems to be one of the best drink deals in the city. For $40, my friends and I were feeling good. Be careful, there is a $25 minimum on your credit card that isn’t disclosed in the establishment. We had a little spat with the bartender over my pals bill but was cleared up. (She was actually cleared of the bill totally). Anyway, it’s a great dive with a good jukebox. See the pictures below for proof.
-Rin Thai Cuisine Chelsea 265 West 23rd St New York, NY 10011 This little find is close to the 1, C & E trains. The Spring Rolls, Chicken and Shrimp Dumplings, Pineapple Fried Rice, Basil Spicy Fried Rice and Pad Thai is to die for. The best thing about this place is that it is super affordable and in an interesting area. This is a great place for a date (not like I was on one) or meeting place for friends. The service is great and staff was friendly. The drink selection was expansive and affordable. See the pictures below for a look at the great ambiance.
For comparison sake, one my two favorite affordable and amazing Asian dining options are: LiWah http://liwahrestaurant.com/ (where the most expensive thing on the menu is $12 and the service is very fast and Phnom Phen http://www.ohiorestaurant.com/ who also has excellent food with great prices and fast services. Both of these places don’t have the most modern décor and best ambiances, but the food is cheap and tasty.
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…
My pal Tesh at Rin
-Iggy’s on Ludlow (132 Ludlow). They gave a $5 PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) shot deal (any tap shot). It seems to be one of the best drink deals in the city. For $40, my friends and I were feeling good. Be careful, there is a $25 minimum on your credit card that isn’t disclosed in the establishment. We had a little spat with the bartender over my pals bill but was cleared up. (She was actually cleared of the bill totally). Anyway, it’s a great dive with a good jukebox. See the pictures below for proof.
-Rin Thai Cuisine Chelsea 265 West 23rd St New York, NY 10011 This little find is close to the 1, C & E trains. The Spring Rolls, Chicken and Shrimp Dumplings, Pineapple Fried Rice, Basil Spicy Fried Rice and Pad Thai is to die for. The best thing about this place is that it is super affordable and in an interesting area. This is a great place for a date (not like I was on one) or meeting place for friends. The service is great and staff was friendly. The drink selection was expansive and affordable. See the pictures below for a look at the great ambiance.
For comparison sake, one my two favorite affordable and amazing Asian dining options are: LiWah http://liwahrestaurant.com/ (where the most expensive thing on the menu is $12 and the service is very fast and Phnom Phen http://www.ohiorestaurant.com/ who also has excellent food with great prices and fast services. Both of these places don’t have the most modern décor and best ambiances, but the food is cheap and tasty.
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…
My pal Tesh at Rin
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Weather
So the weather has been a trip for early October, all over the country. It was a cold weekend in the city and I hear it was chilly in Northeast Ohio. The wind factor NYC is no joke but then again I lived on West Ninth in Cleveland, Ohio and I'm not convinced that there is a windy street in the country.
Many New Yorkers have told me that it gets cold much later than in Ohio but that didn't seem to be the case this weekend. I figured it wouldn't hurt to start comparing the weather since it's such a ping point for so many people. Let's compare.
Cleveland 10 Day Forecast
Tonight Oct 19 Partly Cloudy 47°
Tue Oct 20 Partly Cloudy 62° high; 49° low
Wed Oct 21 Partly Cloudy 66° high; 49° low
Thu Oct 22 Cloudy 60° high; 47° low
Fri Oct 23 Showers 56° high; 51° low
Sat Oct 24 Showers 52° high; 42° low`
Sun Oct 25 Few Showers 45° high; 41°
Mon Oct 26 Scattered Showers 50° high; 42° low
Tue Oct 27 Showers 52° high; low 43°
Wed Oct 28 Few Showers 56° high 47°
New York City 10 Day Forecast
Tonight Oct 19 Mostly Clear 42° low
Tue Oct 20 Mostly Sunny 64° high; 49° low
Wed Oct 21 Partly Cloudy 66° high; 51° low
Thu Oct 22 Partly Cloudy 65° high; 49° low
Fri Oct 23 Few Showers 58° high; 54° low
Sat Oct 24 Showers 61° high; 50° low
Sun Oct 25 Partly Cloudy 56° high; 44° low
Mon Oct 26 Mostly Sunny 56° high; 45° low
Oct 27 Scattered Showers 57° high; 45° low
Wed Oct 28 Few Showers 58° high; 46° low
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide...
Many New Yorkers have told me that it gets cold much later than in Ohio but that didn't seem to be the case this weekend. I figured it wouldn't hurt to start comparing the weather since it's such a ping point for so many people. Let's compare.
Cleveland 10 Day Forecast
Tonight Oct 19 Partly Cloudy 47°
Tue Oct 20 Partly Cloudy 62° high; 49° low
Wed Oct 21 Partly Cloudy 66° high; 49° low
Thu Oct 22 Cloudy 60° high; 47° low
Fri Oct 23 Showers 56° high; 51° low
Sat Oct 24 Showers 52° high; 42° low`
Sun Oct 25 Few Showers 45° high; 41°
Mon Oct 26 Scattered Showers 50° high; 42° low
Tue Oct 27 Showers 52° high; low 43°
Wed Oct 28 Few Showers 56° high 47°
New York City 10 Day Forecast
Tonight Oct 19 Mostly Clear 42° low
Tue Oct 20 Mostly Sunny 64° high; 49° low
Wed Oct 21 Partly Cloudy 66° high; 51° low
Thu Oct 22 Partly Cloudy 65° high; 49° low
Fri Oct 23 Few Showers 58° high; 54° low
Sat Oct 24 Showers 61° high; 50° low
Sun Oct 25 Partly Cloudy 56° high; 44° low
Mon Oct 26 Mostly Sunny 56° high; 45° low
Oct 27 Scattered Showers 57° high; 45° low
Wed Oct 28 Few Showers 58° high; 46° low
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide...
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Drink Prices
So this weekend was the first weekend that I was in the City as a resident. I decided that I can't get used to the city unless I actually stay here. So Friday night at 6:45 I was at the office trying to figure out what I was going to do for the weekend.
Luckily, I mentioned to some of my colleagues that I was staying in the city and that I needed to start figuring out some places to explore. After sensing their dismay from me saying that I've been studying my Harlem Zagat (I don't think the Zagat is cool to folks who consider themselves New Yorkers) I started soliciting their feedback on where I should start. By the time I had returned from the restroom they decided that we were going out for after work drinks.
The first problem is that I did not feel dressed for an early night in the city but I had to go since they were so graciously offering to get my going on the journey. The good thing is no one ever really "knows" the city so they both checked 'what's happening emails' and came up with a small list of places to visit in the area. We decided to walk to a place called Nectar http://www.nectarwinenyc.com/ that was about a 15/20 minute walk so we didn't even have to take the train.
The place was beautiful and totally what you would expect for a hip NYC wine bar. Great atmosphere, nice selection, cool crowd and small plates in case you needed a snack. The music was low so you could still actually have a conversation and the space was intimate like every place in NYC (there is no space wasted here). I was feeling my first after work drink spot. Another colleague joined us and eventually one of my best pals Celia joined.
I hadn't paid for my two glasses of Riesling because my colleagues again graciously welcomed me to the city so I wasn't aware of the prices. When Celia's bill came for her ONE glass of Riesling it was $14!!! I couldn't believe it. A good bottle of Riesling in Cleveland (even in the grocery store or wine specialty shops) runs you about $11.99 for a BOTTLE. I was shocked. Celia and I walked back to my place and got ready to meet a friend of mine downtown.
We took a yellow cab (bad idea) so it cost us $20 (with a tip) to go from 125th to 46th street. Note: this was a time for a gypsy cab as there could have been some negotiation. We waited in a short line (I hate when they do that at clubs anywhere because they just want bodies in front of the club). Though my friend gave us a pass code (!?!?!?) to give the bouncer I was starting to get nervous because the bouncer was pulling people from behind us and charging the ladies $20-$25. $20 is my max for clubs which you will see over the course of this blog that I hate paying cover charges especially when I plan to spend money at an establishment but I digress. Luckily the password cleared us for entrance with no cover, whew!
I was feeling pretty good from the 2 glasses of wine so I didn’t buy anything in addition to being cheap but Celia needed a pick up. We made our way to the bar (which was no easy task). Celia order A shot of Jose Quervo tequila (she would have ordered Patron in Cleveland but she knew better) as to take the more inexpensive route. She gave the bartender a $20 and get $6 back, a measly $6.
So apparently alcohol in NYC is NOT CHEAP but $14 for A shot of tequila and we haven't even talked tip (which if you give 20% is $3) so a shot could run one $17?!?!? This is going to take a lot of getting used to.
So let's compare.
Shot of Jose Quervo in downtown Cleveland (no tip): $4-$9; Shot of Jose Quervo in downtown NYC (no tip) $14. Since this is the only shot I've been witness to I'll check back if I find a cheaper price to provide a range. Glass of Riesling in downtown Cleveland $6-$10; Glass of Riesling in NYC $14. The same range explanation applies to the wine.
Cleveland or NYC...You Decide
Luckily, I mentioned to some of my colleagues that I was staying in the city and that I needed to start figuring out some places to explore. After sensing their dismay from me saying that I've been studying my Harlem Zagat (I don't think the Zagat is cool to folks who consider themselves New Yorkers) I started soliciting their feedback on where I should start. By the time I had returned from the restroom they decided that we were going out for after work drinks.
The first problem is that I did not feel dressed for an early night in the city but I had to go since they were so graciously offering to get my going on the journey. The good thing is no one ever really "knows" the city so they both checked 'what's happening emails' and came up with a small list of places to visit in the area. We decided to walk to a place called Nectar http://www.nectarwinenyc.com/ that was about a 15/20 minute walk so we didn't even have to take the train.
The place was beautiful and totally what you would expect for a hip NYC wine bar. Great atmosphere, nice selection, cool crowd and small plates in case you needed a snack. The music was low so you could still actually have a conversation and the space was intimate like every place in NYC (there is no space wasted here). I was feeling my first after work drink spot. Another colleague joined us and eventually one of my best pals Celia joined.
I hadn't paid for my two glasses of Riesling because my colleagues again graciously welcomed me to the city so I wasn't aware of the prices. When Celia's bill came for her ONE glass of Riesling it was $14!!! I couldn't believe it. A good bottle of Riesling in Cleveland (even in the grocery store or wine specialty shops) runs you about $11.99 for a BOTTLE. I was shocked. Celia and I walked back to my place and got ready to meet a friend of mine downtown.
We took a yellow cab (bad idea) so it cost us $20 (with a tip) to go from 125th to 46th street. Note: this was a time for a gypsy cab as there could have been some negotiation. We waited in a short line (I hate when they do that at clubs anywhere because they just want bodies in front of the club). Though my friend gave us a pass code (!?!?!?) to give the bouncer I was starting to get nervous because the bouncer was pulling people from behind us and charging the ladies $20-$25. $20 is my max for clubs which you will see over the course of this blog that I hate paying cover charges especially when I plan to spend money at an establishment but I digress. Luckily the password cleared us for entrance with no cover, whew!
I was feeling pretty good from the 2 glasses of wine so I didn’t buy anything in addition to being cheap but Celia needed a pick up. We made our way to the bar (which was no easy task). Celia order A shot of Jose Quervo tequila (she would have ordered Patron in Cleveland but she knew better) as to take the more inexpensive route. She gave the bartender a $20 and get $6 back, a measly $6.
So apparently alcohol in NYC is NOT CHEAP but $14 for A shot of tequila and we haven't even talked tip (which if you give 20% is $3) so a shot could run one $17?!?!? This is going to take a lot of getting used to.
So let's compare.
Shot of Jose Quervo in downtown Cleveland (no tip): $4-$9; Shot of Jose Quervo in downtown NYC (no tip) $14. Since this is the only shot I've been witness to I'll check back if I find a cheaper price to provide a range. Glass of Riesling in downtown Cleveland $6-$10; Glass of Riesling in NYC $14. The same range explanation applies to the wine.
Cleveland or NYC...You Decide
Friday, October 16, 2009
Cleveland/US World Cup Bid
I must admit that I am not a huge soccer fan but since this is so cool, it deserves a post of it's own.
Soccer has been a passion in Cleveland ever since England's famous Corinthians came to town in 1906 to play the Cleveland Soccer Football Club. Professional soccer was first introduced to Cleveland in 1929, and has existed in various forms ever since.
During a ten-year stretch in the 1970s and 80s, the Cleveland Stars/Cobras of the American Soccer League hosted some of the best international teams of the day. The impressive list includes: the Canadian, Polish and Israeli Olympic teams, Glasgow Rangers (Scotland), Santos (Brazil), Eintracht Braunschweig (Germany), Preston North End (England) and more than a dozen others.
Today the USL First Division Cleveland City Stars, PASL Ohio Vortex and PASL Cleveland Pride carry on the tradition of soccer in Cleveland.
No nation embodies the values and spirit of the FIFA World Cup™ quite like the United States.
Whether you choose to call it soccer, football, or futbol, it is a game that, in so many ways, tells our nation's story.
It is a game where individuals shine through participation, talent and creativity—but team success results from hard work, sacrifice and dedication to a common cause.
It is a democratic game that requires nothing more than a ball, a patch of ground and the passion to play.
It is the world's game, and America, with its rich diversity, is a uniquely globalized nation. We are the world's melting pot, and we have brought the game with us from every corner of the earth.
This is why the game has captured the imaginations of so many Americans and continues to grow at an astonishing pace. It is in our schoolyards and stadiums, our church parking lots and cornfields, our back alleys and beachfronts, pulsing through our cities and suburbs and countryside alike.
The game has grown and never before has there been an opportunity to unify all the diverse passions that live within our borders.
The game is everywhere. The game is in US. We are Americans and we are ready to welcome a FIFA World Cup™ that makes the game part of the everyday social consciousness of our country.
To learn more about Cleveland US World Cup Soccer bid visit:
http://www.gousabid.com/city/local/cleveland-oh/
http://www.gousabid.com/
World Cup in Cleveland? You Decide...
Soccer has been a passion in Cleveland ever since England's famous Corinthians came to town in 1906 to play the Cleveland Soccer Football Club. Professional soccer was first introduced to Cleveland in 1929, and has existed in various forms ever since.
During a ten-year stretch in the 1970s and 80s, the Cleveland Stars/Cobras of the American Soccer League hosted some of the best international teams of the day. The impressive list includes: the Canadian, Polish and Israeli Olympic teams, Glasgow Rangers (Scotland), Santos (Brazil), Eintracht Braunschweig (Germany), Preston North End (England) and more than a dozen others.
Today the USL First Division Cleveland City Stars, PASL Ohio Vortex and PASL Cleveland Pride carry on the tradition of soccer in Cleveland.
No nation embodies the values and spirit of the FIFA World Cup™ quite like the United States.
Whether you choose to call it soccer, football, or futbol, it is a game that, in so many ways, tells our nation's story.
It is a game where individuals shine through participation, talent and creativity—but team success results from hard work, sacrifice and dedication to a common cause.
It is a democratic game that requires nothing more than a ball, a patch of ground and the passion to play.
It is the world's game, and America, with its rich diversity, is a uniquely globalized nation. We are the world's melting pot, and we have brought the game with us from every corner of the earth.
This is why the game has captured the imaginations of so many Americans and continues to grow at an astonishing pace. It is in our schoolyards and stadiums, our church parking lots and cornfields, our back alleys and beachfronts, pulsing through our cities and suburbs and countryside alike.
The game has grown and never before has there been an opportunity to unify all the diverse passions that live within our borders.
The game is everywhere. The game is in US. We are Americans and we are ready to welcome a FIFA World Cup™ that makes the game part of the everyday social consciousness of our country.
To learn more about Cleveland US World Cup Soccer bid visit:
http://www.gousabid.com/city/local/cleveland-oh/
http://www.gousabid.com/
World Cup in Cleveland? You Decide...
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Physical Fitness
So most of us are on a health and physical fitness kick right now and I am not exempt. The average gym membership in Ohio can range from $20-$100 per month. I was lucky in Ohio to have a great gym in my building that offered a free boot camp class (which if offered more than once a week would have produced a great body because I actually went). There were the usual suspects in Ohio: Bally’s, YMCA, City Club Gyms and the suburban gyms with big windows for the beautiful and perfectly physically fit to taunt us in that honestly weren’t worth the drive to. Most of those options were relatively pricy if you didn’t go all the time and often a little ways away.
When I moved here last week, I notice a fairly hip looking gym called planet fitness. My mom has been on my back about getting my NYC body which I hoped would be taken care of by the insane amount of walking that the average person does everyday (I guess I’m not that person since I only live 4 blocks from work). I decided to check planet fitness out and I couldn’t believe what I signed up for.
$1 down, $29 per year annual fee to be paid October 1st of every year, $10 per month with unlimited access (the gym is open 24 hours 5 days a week plus Saturday and Sunday), and the actual gym is underground, so there are no street level peeping Tom’s. Included in my $10 monthly membership are 30 free classes offered throughout the week. The best thing is planet fitness is just 2 blocks from my house. No, actually the best thing is the membership is $10 per month (for the life of the contract) so if I don’t make it I don’t feel to cheated. I’m not sure if there is a planet fitness coming to Cleveland or if there’s one already there but it’s feeling like a sweet deal. Maybe I’ll head there now (or not).
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…
When I moved here last week, I notice a fairly hip looking gym called planet fitness. My mom has been on my back about getting my NYC body which I hoped would be taken care of by the insane amount of walking that the average person does everyday (I guess I’m not that person since I only live 4 blocks from work). I decided to check planet fitness out and I couldn’t believe what I signed up for.
$1 down, $29 per year annual fee to be paid October 1st of every year, $10 per month with unlimited access (the gym is open 24 hours 5 days a week plus Saturday and Sunday), and the actual gym is underground, so there are no street level peeping Tom’s. Included in my $10 monthly membership are 30 free classes offered throughout the week. The best thing is planet fitness is just 2 blocks from my house. No, actually the best thing is the membership is $10 per month (for the life of the contract) so if I don’t make it I don’t feel to cheated. I’m not sure if there is a planet fitness coming to Cleveland or if there’s one already there but it’s feeling like a sweet deal. Maybe I’ll head there now (or not).
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Getting Around
So I guess it’s time to delve into some of the obvious difference between these two great cities and what better place to start than getting around. Let’s talk about Cleveland first. Northeast Ohio and actually all Ohio is in desperate need of public transportation. Take Youngstown Ohio, where I grew up. There is one public busing system that’s service has greatly decreased over the last 10 years. There was a point in time that there was talk of eliminating the bus system all together. Fortunately the service was saved but it runs fewer routes during reduced hours. Ohioans are generally very dependent on our cars. Take my family for instance (a proud GM & union family). When I was growing up we had four cars for a family of three. I had a car, my father had a truck, my mother had a car, and for some reason there was often an extra car. We were all going in different directions at different times of the day, but in retrospect it was pretty ridiculous. However, without adequate busing or public transportation, it’s difficult not to have a car.
Cleveland is much better. During my two years in Cleveland I saved a lot on gas and automobile maintenance in general. There was a fairly comprehensive transit system in that traveled east and west. (I guess too bad if you have to go north or south, just have to find a ride). Then there’s the bus in Cleveland which seems to run everywhere at all hours of the day and night (I don’t know that to be a fact because I’ve honestly never ridden the bus in Cleveland). In 2008, Cleveland RTA (Regional Transit Authority) was rated on of the best in the country. I don’t know what the ratings were based on but from my experiences the system seems great. My favorite service was the downtown free trolley. The trolley runs 7am to 7pm (it should run later for downtown) and takes you virtually anywhere in downtown Cleveland. It runs about every 10 minutes with about 4-6 cars for the two different routes. As a downtown resident and working in downtown, I loved the trolley. It picked me up and dropped me in at my front door and took me anywhere I needed to go (in downtown). The funny thing is on a nice day, every place I needed to go in downtown within reasonable walking distance (which I deemed a 25 minutes of less).
Then there’s NYC. You can get ANYWHERE on the MTA (the subway) in the 5 boroughs. It’s amazing to be in a place that you really don’t need a car. It is much more of a hassle to have a car in NYC considering the unbelievable parking costs, the need to move your car for street sweeping and trash collection purposes, and the sheer volume of traffic in NYC. The tough thing is learning the subway system (it’s not easy to learn quickly like DC). There are so many lines that take you so many places. There are letters, numbers and colors which confuses me so terribly. People keep telling me that I’ll figure it out soon, I’m trying to trust them but I’m not feeling so confident. The train is ALWAYS packed with people that reminds me that this is truly the city that never sleeps. When you don’t feel like taking the train there is are a myriad of bus lines that run everywhere too. There is the very convenient M60 bus that amongst many other places goes from LaGuardia airport to 125th and Lennox (four blocks from my place). Lastly there is the unbelievable cab system. There are yellow cabs, gypsy cabs, and car service that are all available 24/7. Cabs are everywhere. I’ve found that the different options are better for different reasons. For general travel within the city (loosely defined) the gypsy cab is great. There seems to be some level of negotiation on the gypsy cab before you get in. They often seem to be cheaper as well. I’ve found that the yellow cab is best for trips to landmarks specifically the airport because there’s a set price so you can’t be hussled too much. Lastly there’s the car service. It seems that the car service is nice at night and for entertainment purposes (travel to midtown, the club, shows, etc). So that’s my synopsis of getting around in the Midwest and the Big City.
Cleveland vs. NYC, You Decide…
Cleveland is much better. During my two years in Cleveland I saved a lot on gas and automobile maintenance in general. There was a fairly comprehensive transit system in that traveled east and west. (I guess too bad if you have to go north or south, just have to find a ride). Then there’s the bus in Cleveland which seems to run everywhere at all hours of the day and night (I don’t know that to be a fact because I’ve honestly never ridden the bus in Cleveland). In 2008, Cleveland RTA (Regional Transit Authority) was rated on of the best in the country. I don’t know what the ratings were based on but from my experiences the system seems great. My favorite service was the downtown free trolley. The trolley runs 7am to 7pm (it should run later for downtown) and takes you virtually anywhere in downtown Cleveland. It runs about every 10 minutes with about 4-6 cars for the two different routes. As a downtown resident and working in downtown, I loved the trolley. It picked me up and dropped me in at my front door and took me anywhere I needed to go (in downtown). The funny thing is on a nice day, every place I needed to go in downtown within reasonable walking distance (which I deemed a 25 minutes of less).
Then there’s NYC. You can get ANYWHERE on the MTA (the subway) in the 5 boroughs. It’s amazing to be in a place that you really don’t need a car. It is much more of a hassle to have a car in NYC considering the unbelievable parking costs, the need to move your car for street sweeping and trash collection purposes, and the sheer volume of traffic in NYC. The tough thing is learning the subway system (it’s not easy to learn quickly like DC). There are so many lines that take you so many places. There are letters, numbers and colors which confuses me so terribly. People keep telling me that I’ll figure it out soon, I’m trying to trust them but I’m not feeling so confident. The train is ALWAYS packed with people that reminds me that this is truly the city that never sleeps. When you don’t feel like taking the train there is are a myriad of bus lines that run everywhere too. There is the very convenient M60 bus that amongst many other places goes from LaGuardia airport to 125th and Lennox (four blocks from my place). Lastly there is the unbelievable cab system. There are yellow cabs, gypsy cabs, and car service that are all available 24/7. Cabs are everywhere. I’ve found that the different options are better for different reasons. For general travel within the city (loosely defined) the gypsy cab is great. There seems to be some level of negotiation on the gypsy cab before you get in. They often seem to be cheaper as well. I’ve found that the yellow cab is best for trips to landmarks specifically the airport because there’s a set price so you can’t be hussled too much. Lastly there’s the car service. It seems that the car service is nice at night and for entertainment purposes (travel to midtown, the club, shows, etc). So that’s my synopsis of getting around in the Midwest and the Big City.
Cleveland vs. NYC, You Decide…
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The Apartment Search
Okay, I’m back. My first week of work got me away from my posting. Let’s get down to the real talk of my transition; it began with the apartment search. From the time I accepted the position to the time I started the position was only 3 ½ weeks. Now in Ohio, that’s plenty of time to find an apartment. Basically, in Ohio, you go to the area you are interested in, go to the leasing office, look at an apartment and move in almost immediately. New York City is a bit of a different story. There are many factors that have to be considered. The number one and most important, how much can you afford to spend (which in NYC doesn’t get you a lot)? How close do you want to be to a train? How many flights of stairs are you willing to walk? How far do you want to be from work? Do you want to be uptown, downtown, midtown, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island, or even Jersey?
When I started looking for apartments I was shocked. My $1500/month (plus electric, internet and cable) in downtown Cleveland got me: 1400 square feet, two beds, two full baths, large open kitchen with plenty of cabinets and new appliances, large living room, dining room, hardwood floors, high ceilings, an amazing view of Lake Erie, the biggest residential gym in downtown Cleveland, a grocery store in the building, and underground heated parking. Not to mention I was on one of the busiest and most populated residential streets (by many young professionals’ standards) in downtown Cleveland. The most important thing is once I decided I wanted to live in downtown Cleveland, it took me one day to view the buildings I was interested in and determine the rent I could afford. Once I decided on a place there was a simple application fee and one month’s rent security deposit. For the two years I lived in the Bingham I had great maintenance service and the convenience of all the downtown amenities and the ability to walk to work.
Okay. $1500 doesn’t get you much in Manhattan. I decided that I wanted to be close to a train and near work. I decided I wanted some space and didn’t want to spend more than $1500 a month. I had no idea what I was in for. The short version is it took me 3 weeks to find an apartment after I was seeing some of the worst places I could imagine that met none of my requirements. For two apartments that I was initially looking into I had to give the brokers $150 applications fees and in one case after you submitted the $150 app fee and were accepted, then you got to look at an apartment that you would actually be able to live in (after the fee). $1500 in NYC doesn’t get you much space. Most apartments that I found in that range are about 450-800 square feet. The most shocking thing is that when you go through a broker, you have to give them 15% of the annual rent in addition to the first months rent and a security deposit. And apparently no one takes a personal check in NYC. WHAT?!?!?!
Luckily for me, I have a friend who is interested in rooming. After 3 weeks of searching I got desperate and literally started walking up and down the streets of Harlem and calling numbers. I finally found a place in Harlem four blocks from work and four blocks from the 2 and 3 express trains (which means I can get to midtown quickly, what we know as Ohioans as NYC). My place is in a brownstone and has 2 beds, 2 full baths, a connecting patio off both bedrooms, an open kitchen, and nice size living room. The biggest sale point for me was the energy efficient washer dryer in the unit! The price tag $2000/month plus utilities. The funny thing is I really lucked up. My apartment could easily go for $5000 plus a month in other areas of the city.
So let’s quickly review the similarities (I think the differences are apparent). I have about the same amount of square footage give or take. I have a patio in NYC which is great, I didn’t have one in Cleveland. I’m on the second floor in contrast to the 9th floor in Cleveland. I like being closer to the street. There’s no elevator in the apartment which isn’t a problem. The obvious difference is the difference in price. Every street in NYC seems to be very populated. It only takes me 5-7 minutes to walk to work as opposed to 15-20 in Cleveland. You can get anywhere by train which is certainly not the case in Cleveland. There are tons of places to eat and entertain within a 5 minute walk of my front door which is not so much the case in Cleveland either. We’ll see how the relationship goes with the building superintendent (which is a new concept in itself). The saga continues.
Cleveland or NYC? You decide…
When I started looking for apartments I was shocked. My $1500/month (plus electric, internet and cable) in downtown Cleveland got me: 1400 square feet, two beds, two full baths, large open kitchen with plenty of cabinets and new appliances, large living room, dining room, hardwood floors, high ceilings, an amazing view of Lake Erie, the biggest residential gym in downtown Cleveland, a grocery store in the building, and underground heated parking. Not to mention I was on one of the busiest and most populated residential streets (by many young professionals’ standards) in downtown Cleveland. The most important thing is once I decided I wanted to live in downtown Cleveland, it took me one day to view the buildings I was interested in and determine the rent I could afford. Once I decided on a place there was a simple application fee and one month’s rent security deposit. For the two years I lived in the Bingham I had great maintenance service and the convenience of all the downtown amenities and the ability to walk to work.
Okay. $1500 doesn’t get you much in Manhattan. I decided that I wanted to be close to a train and near work. I decided I wanted some space and didn’t want to spend more than $1500 a month. I had no idea what I was in for. The short version is it took me 3 weeks to find an apartment after I was seeing some of the worst places I could imagine that met none of my requirements. For two apartments that I was initially looking into I had to give the brokers $150 applications fees and in one case after you submitted the $150 app fee and were accepted, then you got to look at an apartment that you would actually be able to live in (after the fee). $1500 in NYC doesn’t get you much space. Most apartments that I found in that range are about 450-800 square feet. The most shocking thing is that when you go through a broker, you have to give them 15% of the annual rent in addition to the first months rent and a security deposit. And apparently no one takes a personal check in NYC. WHAT?!?!?!
Luckily for me, I have a friend who is interested in rooming. After 3 weeks of searching I got desperate and literally started walking up and down the streets of Harlem and calling numbers. I finally found a place in Harlem four blocks from work and four blocks from the 2 and 3 express trains (which means I can get to midtown quickly, what we know as Ohioans as NYC). My place is in a brownstone and has 2 beds, 2 full baths, a connecting patio off both bedrooms, an open kitchen, and nice size living room. The biggest sale point for me was the energy efficient washer dryer in the unit! The price tag $2000/month plus utilities. The funny thing is I really lucked up. My apartment could easily go for $5000 plus a month in other areas of the city.
So let’s quickly review the similarities (I think the differences are apparent). I have about the same amount of square footage give or take. I have a patio in NYC which is great, I didn’t have one in Cleveland. I’m on the second floor in contrast to the 9th floor in Cleveland. I like being closer to the street. There’s no elevator in the apartment which isn’t a problem. The obvious difference is the difference in price. Every street in NYC seems to be very populated. It only takes me 5-7 minutes to walk to work as opposed to 15-20 in Cleveland. You can get anywhere by train which is certainly not the case in Cleveland. There are tons of places to eat and entertain within a 5 minute walk of my front door which is not so much the case in Cleveland either. We’ll see how the relationship goes with the building superintendent (which is a new concept in itself). The saga continues.
Cleveland or NYC? You decide…
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Welcome: 9.30.09
A short introduction.
My name is Evelyn Burnett and I will confess early that I am a Northeast Ohio lover. I was born and raised in a town called Youngstown, Ohio. I received my undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. Two years ago I moved to downtown Cleveland, Ohio which I absolutely love. I was building a life and career in Cleveland, and was even starting to make a small name for myself in the civic and social space.
Then a wrench was thrown into my happy little Midwestern way of life. I was offered a job by one of the most respected and reputable organization’s in the world but the catch was that I had to leave my comfortable Midwestern existence and head to the Big Apple. I must admit that initially I was dumbfounded. I've always dreamed of spending a lot of time in New York City for personal and professional reasons but I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would live there.
Throughout the duration of my blog, I will attempt to journal and highlight the strengths and weakness of these two places. I will journal my ups and downs of moving to such a new and different place. Of course I will highlight the similarities of these two great areas as well. I welcome and encourage my readers to comment and share their experience of these two vastly different places.
Before I get into my blog, I will also disclose that I am a proud member of an organization called GLUE (Great Lakes Urban Exchange) that aims:
To bolster regional identity amongst older industrial urban centers in the American Great Lakes region by connecting the people who love them to each other
To advocate for policies that promote sustainable and equitable growth for Great Lakes cities
To serve as a gateway of engagement for city-lovers who seek to participate in revitalization conversations and efforts
To facilitate inter-city and cross-sector conversations among the change agents around the region to empower their work and the propagation of their good ideas
To turn curious, casual city devotees into empowered, engaged change agents
http://www.gluespace.org/
That being said, understand that I have a foremost passion for post industrial, rust belt cities and particularly Northeast Ohio, but I am honored and excited about the opportunity to live in a new city and environment especially one like New York City. I invite you to come along with me on this journey and share your experience if you have experienced a similar transition even if it’s to a different set of cities under a different set of circumstances. I look forward to sharing my experience and hearing your thoughts!
Optimistically,
Evelyn
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