nw3 to nyc

Observations on moving my family across the Atlantic

Monthly Archives: April 2013


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Financing the election

The New York Times produces a fascinating table of how much each candidate for the New York Mayor has raised and spent.

I predicted in an earlier post that Speaker Christine Quinn would get the Democrat nomination, which concludes on 10 September. The golden number is 40, she needs 40 per cent of registered Democrats to vote for her to get the nomination. The papers here are predicting she is pretty close based on various polls. So far she has raised over $6.5 million, nearly double her closest rival, Bill de Blasio. Interestingly they have both spent about the same so far, around $1.1 million.

Unfortunately I can’t get it to look fancy here on this page, but the interactive map is at:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/03/16/nyregion/how-much-the-nyc-mayoral-candidates-have-raised-and-spent.html?_r=0

It’s great though, when the best the New York Post can do is print a photo of Christine Quinn walking to work in her business wear and be critical about the fact she is wearing trainers, like that’s news.


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Blast off to a new subway

The Upper East Side of New York is not well served by the subway. Everyone treks to the Lexington Line to get a 6 (slow) or a 4/5 (express) train down town. I don’t commute, but R does and is no fan. Unsurprisingly it is crowded and generally unpleasant for commuters and marginally better for people like me who use it off peak and occasionally.

The first phase of the 2nd Avenue subway is due for completion in December 2016. This has been a very long project for the MTA (Mass Transit Authority) here in New York, which started decades ago, halted due to the city’s failing finances in the 1970s and re-started in 2007 after a vast and long consultation. A new T line will be constructed in four phases and  run from 125th Street in Harlem almost to the bottom of Manhattan to Hanover Square. 16 new stations will be built, with the 86th Street station the most significant in the Upper East Side.

E’s class is doing a project on the subway this semester. They even had a trip to the construction site – dismissed by E as incredibly boring, but I would have loved to have gone. Despite her lack of interest, she came home with a great way to remember how to spell subway (not sure what the proper term for this is):

Superfast

Uptown or downtown

Big and Fast

Where it’s traffic-less

And underground

Yes, it’s great!

I was in the apartment of one of E’s school friends, who lives on 2nd Avenue. Her mother said that the blasts from the construction were so bad sometimes that light fittings fell from the wall. She said that each building has sensors that monitor the impact of the blasting and that there are limits within which the buildings are supposed to move. According to the MTA’s 2nd Avenue March Newsletter, there have been 407 controlled blasts in the area and the cavern beneath is 61 per cent excavated. Blasting can take place any time between 8am and 8pm. I can hear the blasts and I’m at least an avenue away and high up. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be on top of it. Literally. Residents are assured that the blasting will cease by the end of the summer, when no doubt there will be huge sighs of relief equally measurable.

When we went apartment hunting last year we avoided 2nd Avenue like the plague. One realtor tried to reassure us that the construction works going on outside her property just off 2nd Avenue wouldn’t go on forever. I am so glad we didn’t listen as I walk by it regularly and it’s a terrible road with constant noise and terrible pollution. It would take a brave soul to buy on 2nd Avenue at the moment, someone willing to put up with the inconvenience now will of course gain in the long term. Not having to walk to the Lexington line will be a huge advantage for those nearer the East River so maybe an apartment on 2nd Avenue won’t be so bad – in 2017.


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And everything changed

Yep, still on about the weather. I was walking home from my sweaty spin class (enough said about that) this evening and was amazed by the change in atmosphere here. All the cafes and restaurants that normally hide under awnings and behind double entrance doorways to keep the freezing drafts out have converged onto the pavements. The pavements are alive with chatter, clinking glasses and happy people sitting outside, eating in the warm air. What a lovely way to spend an evening, I felt quite envious. They are in sharp contrast to the cafes that don’t have outside space and the poor souls trapped by the 2nd Avenue subway works, which are almost empty save a few solitary diners who eat alone, reading newspapers and looking out the window. I walked home, buzzing from the exercise and no longer hiding from the weather: jacket open, my red face warming the evening air just a bit more. I could get used to this.


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I’m so confused

What is happening with the weather? It is boiling today. I didn’t need to wear my fabulous J Crew hooded coat or one of my many scarves or hats. In fact, I wore a much missed Belstaff jacket and was too hot in that! What is going on? The playground is full of confused toddlers who career around in jumpers and unexpected freedom that comes from not having to wear a padded coat. Everyone is smiling and talking to each other. This is most odd. Obviously this is perfect weather for the Century 21 bargain sunglasses, so I am happy about that. I am less happy about the 6o-something man lying pretty much naked bar a pair of bright blue shorts on the deck of a building I can see from my kitchen window. I hope that’s not the start of a phase. Come back cold!


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Squid-u-like

In the spirit of experimenting with as much weird foodstuff as possible here in New York, here is the latest:

IMG_0240

 

Yes, that’s right, it’s dried squid. A posh version of scampie flavoured fries (a personal favourite, which I miss).

Reverse the packet and follow the instructions:

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So, consider bringing Prepared Squid with you to share with your friends, an bring a second packet, in case it isn’t enough. Just to entice you further, have a look at the contents:

IMG_0243

 

I had it with a gin and tonic earlier and yes, it did destroy my tastebuds and I didn’t have any more after the first bite.

Enjoy.


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Art smart

The Affordable Art Fair opened in New York this weekend. Taking place in the downtown area of Gramercy (ish) the well heeled, cool and, err, well us, converged on the Metropolitan Pavilion on 19th Street. Going early was definitely the right move with the spaces empty of people and gallery owners keen to say hi and coo over J who was, bang on schedule, fast asleep. Funny that the first person I spoke to was British, a gallery owner from Cambridge, I couldn’t help saying the remarkably stupid greeting ‘oh, you’re British!’ Like she didn’t know, but she humoured me with a ‘yes and you are too’. I must stop doing that, I think it unnerves people. There were many London galleries represented, in fact, you’d hardly know you were actually in New York, there seemed to be so few New York galleries there. I think it’s pretty normal at these places to find a load of stuff you hate, a load of stuff you think ‘yeah, it’s ok’ and the odd gem. We found our gem; our art of New York, limited edition print, but ironically it will be shipped from Canada. And not so affordable. Expensive afternoon, that.

http://affordableartfair.com/newyork/


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Must be time for ice cream

It is officially Spring – well I think it is Spring and it is warmer now and I didn’t wear a hat today, so it must be. Must be time for ice cream. I have tempted the Spring fates by eating it in March, but hope I’ll be forgiven. NW3 had pretty good ice cream places, one in Hampstead was in the old butchers, but you’d never guess; Gelato Mio in St Johns Wood and Holland Park, to name two, was good, bit too creamy for me, but fine after a wander through the park. But here in NYC ice cream is an art. We have a really good place called Emack and Bolio nearby. It is small and funky inside with the wackiest named ice cream with Deep Purple Chip (black raspberry with white and dark chocolate chips) and Caramel Moose Prints (caramel with mini peanut butter cups) giving you enough calories to take up your entire daily allowance in one sugar cone. We ventured to Greenwich Village last week and found Cones. My, my that was good. They open until midnight! Impressive. They serve ice cream laced with Johnny Walker whiskey which led R to remark “Yeah, it’s ok, once it’s numbed your mouth”. Not sure that’s really a recommendation. And the search will go on.