Saturday, February 13, 2010
Another blizzard
It is February and we had another blizzard. This time we got a total of 17 inches. The snow literally pillowed on the branches of the Douglas Fir growing outside of my window. This time I stayed inside during the storm but got out two days later and took pictures in Prospect Park. Enjoy them.
It snowed last night
Last night we had 18 inches of snow and it was as close to a blizzard as I want to get. New York does not come to a halt when it snows. In fact it doesn't even pause. I work on 34th street across the street from Empire State Building. From the looks of things at 4:00 p.m., shoppers and tourist were out en masse, enjoying the sights and the bargains. However, by 7:00 p.m. the wind picked up and things began to empty out. The wind was so fierce, it hurt the skin on my face when I walked from Lane Bryant across the street to the Starbucks for a cup of coffee. Tiny splinters of ice pierce any exposed skin. The snow was blowing in torrents down the alley formed by the street, into the stores and down the subways. At this point, I was ready to go home but as I said, the Big Apple does not stop for a little snow, even though somebody forgot to tell the shoppers. We closed early at 9:30 and we left the store by 10:07. I arrived at the subway stop at 11:30 p.m. because the trains are slow on the weekends. The walk from the subway stop to my apartment was some trek. The wind was blowing and the snow made visibility difficult. Walking in deep snow drifts is trickier than you might think. I stepped off a curb only to have my leg up to my knee deep in snow. I fell completely over, luckily into deep snow so I injured little more than my pride. I am a slow learner since I did the same thing the next morning on the way back to work.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Che Ching, Che Ching, Chinatown
Shopping in Chinatown deserves its very own post. `
WARNING: BUYER BEWARE. Just in general.
Nothing in Chinatown is authentic. If you buy anything with a gold finish, jewelry, purses with metal, etc. it will rub off or turn green. Bronze finish is better.
AND DO NOT BUY ANYTHING WITH TECHNOLOGY CONNECTED TO IT.
NO PLASTIC ACCEPTED, YOU MUST BRING CASH.
BEWARE OF GOING BEHIND LOCKED DOORS
DO NOT EAT AT MCDONALD'S OR ANY OTHER CHAIN STORE. Eat at one of the Chinese Restaurants (I recommend the Excellent Dumpling House (which is noted by the New York Times.) All Chinese Restaurants take cash only. If you do not want Chinese, turn right or left on Mulberry to Little Italy and eat Italian.
Now having said that, I love shopping in Chinatown. On my first trip, I was looking for two purses. I wanted a yellow and a green one. I found them, one at each of two separate shops on Canal Street. They were gorgeous and just what I wanted. The original asking price was $40 and $45. I got one down to $35 and the other down to $40. $75 for two purses is not bad. I did not realize I would need cash. (Actually, I brought only what I budgeted but funny thing, spent more),so I had to go get cash at the local Bank of America, right there on Canal Street. When I returned, the store clerk began wrapping up my purse, then noticed something was wrong. He exclaimed, "Oh wrong label!" He went to the back and returned with a silver medallion. He then commenced to unscrew the medallion, on the purse, and replace it with one which proclaimed Giovanni Versache. I looked at him as though he was crazy. Surely he mistook me for someone who cared.
So, I walked out of there with my $40 "Versache" handbag, for which I later learned, I paid $10 too much.
NEVER PAY MORE THAN $30 FOR THE HANDBAGS IN THE SHOPS LINING CANAL STREET. You can get some of the same bags at the street fairs for $20 and some on the street for $5. I have a bag I bought on the street, for which I am constantly complemented, for $5. But then, I have a talent for picking out good looking hand bags.
On my most recent visit to Chinatown, I was shopping for a handbag for my sister-in-law, who wanted a "Chinatown Designer" handbag. It was a lesson in Chinatown shopping. This time, I did stick to my budget of $30. In Chinatown, you will be accosted by men and women who will secretively whisper to you, "Want Chanel, Gucci, Coach?" I decided to see what she, an attractive young girl of Chinese descent, in this case, had to offer. I followed her as she went down Canal street and turned left on a crowded side street. She handed me over to another gentleman, also of Chinese descent, in a shop, on this side street. He directed me to follow him. Now, I am not stupid, I would not have followed him had there not been several other tourist, including a substantial looking tourist gentleman included in this expedition. We went through, what I can only described, as a very obvious secret door (made from the same cheap white panels as the walls but with no doorknob.) I think we went through another door which the Chinese gentleman locked behind him. We then passed through two additional rooms until we finally arrived at our destination. This 10' X 10'room was lined with bags which were designated as, if not designed by, Chanel, Coach, Gucci and probably some other designer, but I was too flabbergasted too notice. These bags actually have the designer's names as part of the fabric or construction of the bag. I am not a person who understands wanting to have someone elses name on my person so I was less than impressed but asked, "What do you have for $30," which was my budget. He looked at me and with a straight face said, "Oh, these designer bags>" I tried another tactic and asked him which was his least expensive bag. He pointed to one of the Coach bags and quoted a price of $40. I told him I could buy the same bag on the street for $30.(Which I could in Queens but not Manhattan) He reiterated to my visage, endowed with my "teacher face," with which I have taken in too many "My baby sister tore up my homework" lines to count, that these were designer bags. I then asked him how much for the Chanel bag, the only one I actually found attractive. He responded, "Oh, Chanel bag most expensive. I told him I only had $30 to spend. His body language screamed insult at my ignorance of the value of the counterfeit, Chanel, etc. bag business. He did not budge. There were too many tourist willing to pay $40 or more for a rip off bag. What is the world coming to? So, I followed him out and did notice as we were leaving that I had been locked in this room which did not have even an exterior door knob, with a good 25 other people. I returned to the "Pink" shop which is where I find good prices and beautiful handbags. I prepared to make my purchase when I realized that I did not have $30 cash so I headed to the Bank of America.
Now stick with me, there is a reason for this bird walking. When I tried to get cash from the ATM machine, my card did not work. I went into the bank and signed up to see a representative. The gentleman who helped me was an American of Chinese descent. He competed in the New York Marathon, so he has my utmost respect. It took a while for him to get me a good card giving us time to visit. I told him about my strange visit to the back room. He was a good twenty-five years my junior, but he looked as if I were a recalcitrant child and said, "You know they had a police raid of those places last week." I responded that I thought that was a waste of police effort, since none of the people who buy that stuff believe it is really original, and would not buy the original, since, they do not have the money. He said, "Oh its not the merchandise. Its the locked doors. What would you have done if there had been a fire? The firemen would have no way to get to you, through the locked door, and how would all those people have gotten out of that narrow exit?" I know my naive and foolish face turned beet red. When my son, Christopher, reads this, he will just shake his head and wonder how in the world I survive in this City.
I can only ascertain that if the designer name is a permanent part of the bag, it will be more expensive. I have only shopped the shops along Canal Street. Chinatown is actually so large it completely surrounds (and apparently owns) Little Italy.
I get bored with handbags after one season so these are perfect for me. With a little care, that is about how long they will last.
WARNING: BUYER BEWARE. Just in general.
Nothing in Chinatown is authentic. If you buy anything with a gold finish, jewelry, purses with metal, etc. it will rub off or turn green. Bronze finish is better.
AND DO NOT BUY ANYTHING WITH TECHNOLOGY CONNECTED TO IT.
NO PLASTIC ACCEPTED, YOU MUST BRING CASH.
BEWARE OF GOING BEHIND LOCKED DOORS
DO NOT EAT AT MCDONALD'S OR ANY OTHER CHAIN STORE. Eat at one of the Chinese Restaurants (I recommend the Excellent Dumpling House (which is noted by the New York Times.) All Chinese Restaurants take cash only. If you do not want Chinese, turn right or left on Mulberry to Little Italy and eat Italian.
Now having said that, I love shopping in Chinatown. On my first trip, I was looking for two purses. I wanted a yellow and a green one. I found them, one at each of two separate shops on Canal Street. They were gorgeous and just what I wanted. The original asking price was $40 and $45. I got one down to $35 and the other down to $40. $75 for two purses is not bad. I did not realize I would need cash. (Actually, I brought only what I budgeted but funny thing, spent more),so I had to go get cash at the local Bank of America, right there on Canal Street. When I returned, the store clerk began wrapping up my purse, then noticed something was wrong. He exclaimed, "Oh wrong label!" He went to the back and returned with a silver medallion. He then commenced to unscrew the medallion, on the purse, and replace it with one which proclaimed Giovanni Versache. I looked at him as though he was crazy. Surely he mistook me for someone who cared.
So, I walked out of there with my $40 "Versache" handbag, for which I later learned, I paid $10 too much.
NEVER PAY MORE THAN $30 FOR THE HANDBAGS IN THE SHOPS LINING CANAL STREET. You can get some of the same bags at the street fairs for $20 and some on the street for $5. I have a bag I bought on the street, for which I am constantly complemented, for $5. But then, I have a talent for picking out good looking hand bags.
On my most recent visit to Chinatown, I was shopping for a handbag for my sister-in-law, who wanted a "Chinatown Designer" handbag. It was a lesson in Chinatown shopping. This time, I did stick to my budget of $30. In Chinatown, you will be accosted by men and women who will secretively whisper to you, "Want Chanel, Gucci, Coach?" I decided to see what she, an attractive young girl of Chinese descent, in this case, had to offer. I followed her as she went down Canal street and turned left on a crowded side street. She handed me over to another gentleman, also of Chinese descent, in a shop, on this side street. He directed me to follow him. Now, I am not stupid, I would not have followed him had there not been several other tourist, including a substantial looking tourist gentleman included in this expedition. We went through, what I can only described, as a very obvious secret door (made from the same cheap white panels as the walls but with no doorknob.) I think we went through another door which the Chinese gentleman locked behind him. We then passed through two additional rooms until we finally arrived at our destination. This 10' X 10'room was lined with bags which were designated as, if not designed by, Chanel, Coach, Gucci and probably some other designer, but I was too flabbergasted too notice. These bags actually have the designer's names as part of the fabric or construction of the bag. I am not a person who understands wanting to have someone elses name on my person so I was less than impressed but asked, "What do you have for $30," which was my budget. He looked at me and with a straight face said, "Oh, these designer bags>" I tried another tactic and asked him which was his least expensive bag. He pointed to one of the Coach bags and quoted a price of $40. I told him I could buy the same bag on the street for $30.(Which I could in Queens but not Manhattan) He reiterated to my visage, endowed with my "teacher face," with which I have taken in too many "My baby sister tore up my homework" lines to count, that these were designer bags. I then asked him how much for the Chanel bag, the only one I actually found attractive. He responded, "Oh, Chanel bag most expensive. I told him I only had $30 to spend. His body language screamed insult at my ignorance of the value of the counterfeit, Chanel, etc. bag business. He did not budge. There were too many tourist willing to pay $40 or more for a rip off bag. What is the world coming to? So, I followed him out and did notice as we were leaving that I had been locked in this room which did not have even an exterior door knob, with a good 25 other people. I returned to the "Pink" shop which is where I find good prices and beautiful handbags. I prepared to make my purchase when I realized that I did not have $30 cash so I headed to the Bank of America.
Now stick with me, there is a reason for this bird walking. When I tried to get cash from the ATM machine, my card did not work. I went into the bank and signed up to see a representative. The gentleman who helped me was an American of Chinese descent. He competed in the New York Marathon, so he has my utmost respect. It took a while for him to get me a good card giving us time to visit. I told him about my strange visit to the back room. He was a good twenty-five years my junior, but he looked as if I were a recalcitrant child and said, "You know they had a police raid of those places last week." I responded that I thought that was a waste of police effort, since none of the people who buy that stuff believe it is really original, and would not buy the original, since, they do not have the money. He said, "Oh its not the merchandise. Its the locked doors. What would you have done if there had been a fire? The firemen would have no way to get to you, through the locked door, and how would all those people have gotten out of that narrow exit?" I know my naive and foolish face turned beet red. When my son, Christopher, reads this, he will just shake his head and wonder how in the world I survive in this City.
I can only ascertain that if the designer name is a permanent part of the bag, it will be more expensive. I have only shopped the shops along Canal Street. Chinatown is actually so large it completely surrounds (and apparently owns) Little Italy.
I get bored with handbags after one season so these are perfect for me. With a little care, that is about how long they will last.
Shop til you drop
Christmas shopping in New York falls into two categories. Shopping for those who have money and for those who don't. Yes, even if you have little money, there is something for you. I will not discuss shopping for those with money, just stroll down 5th Avenue for up scale, 34th for name brand chain stores, are head to the lower East Side (Chelsea) where the designers and up and coming designers have shops. I found these just a little North of Greenwich Village, walking East from the High Line Park.
If you are in New York between April and November, take in the Street Fairs. You will find their locations by going to: http://www.nycstreetfairs.com/sched.html.
There is a little of everything at these fairs. There are many of the same handbags as in Chinatown but at a little better prices. There are "Pashminas," scarves as on the street, hats, gloves, and lots of food. These are good places to bargain. If you want to get scarves for gifts etc, you can offer to buy several and get a better price. There are frequently handmade items. Some of the jewelry is great. All fairs are not created equal. Those associated with an ethnic celebrations are usually pretty good. They are generally held on Saturday and Sunday, but occasionally will be on a Friday.` They are held in the street and go on for around ten blocks.
Christmas Bazaars are held between mid November and Christmas at Union Square, Grand Central Station and Columbus Circle. These feature more upscale and more expensive items. Vendors from many other places come to these bazaars so if you are shopping for something unique, these are the places for you.
After Christmas, the MET marks all their Christmas merchandise down 50 to 75 percent. I got some elegant Christmas ornaments for my tree. I imagine the other museums do the same. Actually, after Christmas and even better, after the New Year is a great time to shop in New York.
Places to find great prices on clothes are Century 21 (across the street from the World Trade Center Site, Bolton's,, H & M and Forever 21. You can also find Marshalls and Daffy's (similar to Marshalls). And for you Dallasites, you can find your long lost Loehman's. (And these Loehman's have not only great prices but individual dressing rooms.) There are more than one of each of these stores so go on line to find the destination most convenient for your visit.
If you are in New York between April and November, take in the Street Fairs. You will find their locations by going to: http://www.nycstreetfairs.com/sched.html.
There is a little of everything at these fairs. There are many of the same handbags as in Chinatown but at a little better prices. There are "Pashminas," scarves as on the street, hats, gloves, and lots of food. These are good places to bargain. If you want to get scarves for gifts etc, you can offer to buy several and get a better price. There are frequently handmade items. Some of the jewelry is great. All fairs are not created equal. Those associated with an ethnic celebrations are usually pretty good. They are generally held on Saturday and Sunday, but occasionally will be on a Friday.` They are held in the street and go on for around ten blocks.
Christmas Bazaars are held between mid November and Christmas at Union Square, Grand Central Station and Columbus Circle. These feature more upscale and more expensive items. Vendors from many other places come to these bazaars so if you are shopping for something unique, these are the places for you.
After Christmas, the MET marks all their Christmas merchandise down 50 to 75 percent. I got some elegant Christmas ornaments for my tree. I imagine the other museums do the same. Actually, after Christmas and even better, after the New Year is a great time to shop in New York.
Places to find great prices on clothes are Century 21 (across the street from the World Trade Center Site, Bolton's,, H & M and Forever 21. You can also find Marshalls and Daffy's (similar to Marshalls). And for you Dallasites, you can find your long lost Loehman's. (And these Loehman's have not only great prices but individual dressing rooms.) There are more than one of each of these stores so go on line to find the destination most convenient for your visit.
Window Shopping
New York is famous for its Christmas Windows. A good way to see them all is by walking down 5th Avenue, beginning a Bergdorf Goodman. The windows there are the only ones not designed for children. They are, in my opinion, the most spectacular. While there you may want to take in FAO Schwarz, the famous toy store. Next walk or take the bus, south past St. Patrick's Cathedral. If you plan to go to Mass, note that Midnight Mass is by reservation only. The 10:15 Mass is usually presided over by the Bishop and a great Mass to attend. If you are simply a tourist, remember you are in Church. If you do not, expect the ushers to remind you. As you walk down Fifth Avenue, you will not believe the lights and Christmas displays on the storefronts. Take in the windows and the lights at Sak's Fifth Avenue which is across the street from Rockefeller Center and the famous Christmas Tree. Continue down Fifth to Lord and Taylor's which also has fabulous Christmas Window displays. When you get to 34th street, turn right and continue to Harold's Square, which has a pretty dynamic light display itself. You will then be at the largest department store in the world, Macy's, which has the most famous window displays of all. The annual window displays face Harold Square. Along 34th Street is the animated display of Miracle on 34th Street. If you have time, go in Macy's,but be prepared. You know how in department stores, the entry is devoted to cosmetics and accessories? Well, the entire first floor of Macy's is cosmetics and accessories. This store is huge. The first time I walked in I turned around and walked my little ADD brain right back out. It simply overwhelmed me. But I have been back. One of the most interesting aspects of the store are the old fashion wood escalators which take you to the basement and to the upper floors. When I ride on these I imagine myself in the movie, Miracle on 34th Street. At Christmas, Macy's first floor is a symphony for the eyes.
You should also see Bloomingdales windows but it is not on this route.
You should also see Bloomingdales windows but it is not on this route.
Christmas in New York
I know you have heard that Christmas is a great time to visit New York. This is true. I hope some of my ideas will add to your enjoyment.
You will, of course want to see the tree at Rockefeller Center. You also want to see the tree and Creche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This Nativity encompasses the entire village of Nazareth and completely surrounds the tree. The Cloisters is also beautiful at this time.
So is St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which is located near Columbia University.
All of New York is dressed up for the Holidays from Thanksgiving until January 6, the Epiphany.
You will, of course want to see the tree at Rockefeller Center. You also want to see the tree and Creche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This Nativity encompasses the entire village of Nazareth and completely surrounds the tree. The Cloisters is also beautiful at this time.
So is St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which is located near Columbia University.
All of New York is dressed up for the Holidays from Thanksgiving until January 6, the Epiphany.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Lost in the MET Again
Just in case you take my warnings about getting lost in the MET lightly, on a recent visit, I found myself trapped between what appeared to be a crawl space. I turned down a stairway and found myself surrounded by two brick interior walls, like you find in a crawl space in old buildings. Oh, well, they had art on these brick walls and I eventually found my way back in the main hall. The question is, could I ever find those brick walls or stairs again? Or was I actually in a forbidden space filled with dark secrets of stolen art and haunted artists. Sounds like a good plot for a movie.
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