For the last few days, I have been riding the bus to work in the mornings and then walking the 1.5 miles to my apartment in the afternoons. The weather has been wonderful lately, not as hot and humid as the first few days. The temp has been in the 70's, and there is typically a nice light breeze. As I've been making this walk, I try to soak it all in the things I see along the way. A lot of these things are specific to New York, and I thought I might share a few of them with you all...
Of course there are the stereotypical places.
The News Stands
The Fruit Stands that you find every few blocks- really cheap and usually good fruit!
Subway stations
Then there are the more subtle places. New York has a ton of stores and shops that sell often odd and specific things. For example...
I've been told Pickles and Olives is pretty awesome. Since I love pickles and olives (and cheese!), I should be covered. Let it not be mistaken, they sell both Kosher and non-Kosher items per the sign on the door. Speaking of pickles, does anyone know how to open a really stubborn jar? I've been trying to get this pickle jar open for almost a week. I need some help! I've tried hitting the side on the counter, hitting the side with a spoon, running it under hot water, and someone today overheard me telling a fellow resident about it and suggested I hit the bottom of the jar on the counter. All of this was to no avail, and I still have no pickles. Any ideas?
I digress.
New York is also known for having as many if not more dogs than people. At any given time, there are hundreds of dog owners taking their dogs of all sizes for walks and bathroom breaks. Granted, there is always pee on the sidewalk, but at least the majority of people clean up the poop. I wanted to take a picture of one of the dogs on the way home, so I asked a girl if I could take a picture of her French Bulldog. As soon as I whipped out the camera, this little cutie began showing off.
While on the subject of dogs, one of my favorite parts of my walk home happens on the First Avenue route. I pass a doggy gym called Biscuits and Bath. People here are serious about their dogs. I remember a lady I used to work for lived in NYC for a while, and after she moved here, her friends asked her one day to which school she was sending her dog. Wow. Anyway, the doggy gym, I have gathered, is a place where people take their dogs for play dates, exercise, and old fashioned fun. They put all the dogs in one big room, and this is what happens...
You have what I refer to as the Active Area. These puppies are the ones that are currently running around and playing with each other. They are usually hanging out with the staff getting a good rub, running from side to side, or play fighting with another dog.
Then you have the Rest Area. These dogs have either been playing and are taking a short break or are the breed of dog notorious for laziness. There is usually at least one bulldog in this area (like the one on the right).
Finally we come to the Nap Area. These dogs are just plum worn out and are usually passed out on the side. Now whether they eventually join the rest of the crowd, I can't be sure, but these puppies are definitely down for the moment.
Of course, there are always the proud puppy parents waiting to see if their dog is playing nice with the other kids.
Now, if I decide to take the 2nd Avenue route with a stop along the way to the post office, one of my favorite parts of the walk is watching all the nannies in the park. New York surprisingly has a lot of greenery and landscaping along its streets.
And there is a very small park along 2nd Ave where I see nannies of all nationalities hanging out with their strollers and charges. I didn't dare take a picture because I didn't want to upset anyone, but you can try to imagine it.
To reiterate the delivery phenom, I took some more pictures.
Drugs
Liquor
and Salad of course
Space is always an issue in the city and therefore parking is an issue. Cars will line up right on top of each other to make room. Because of this, the typical means of parallel parking is to continue bumping the car in front of you and behind you until you are snugly in the parking spot. Consequently, you would be hard pressed to find an unprotected car that doesn't have dozens of dings and scratches on the bumper. To counter this, people have become creative.
You have the Bumper Bully (a variation of this is the Bumper Badger).
The Bumper Blanket
And the Bumper Bar (which in my head I have named the Screw You Bar - NYC style).
Trash is not just trash in New York. Surprisingly, the city seems pretty good about recycling. On certain days of the week, there are huge bags of trash lining the streets for pick up. You have the bags full of cardboard and paper, which I am assuming go to their own specific spot. You have the bags full of plastic and glass. And then you have really strange things like furniture. I guess it is so difficult to move here that people just throw away their furniture. I have seen perfectly good couches, dressers, beds, mattresses. And today I saw this TV. It was sitting on the sidewalk along with some other large furniture pieces and the rest of the trash bags. I think today must have been a regular trash today because the bags were all black.
I have been trying to do my part. I keep my trash separated. The plastic, paper, and cardboard go in their respective bins.
And the rest of the trash goes in my "trashcan."
It's kind of fun to watch all the trash go down the little chute.
Well, that's all of my material for now. I am sure on my many more walks home over the next few years, I will probably see more and more bizarre and noteworthy things. If I find anything else particularly interesting, I will be sure to share it.
And don't forget, I need ideas about the pickle jar! I need my pickles!
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