For those of you who’ve balked at my New Yorker status because I live in Astoria - never mind the fact that I lived all over the isle of Manhattan from 1993-2000 - Time Out New York has named our block (well, just around the block) one of the eight “New Yorkiest blocks" in NYC. In your face! Ha! Sorry, I got a little carried away there. Anyway, I’m not surprised that 6 of the 8 blocks chosen are in the boroughs, considering midtown Manhattan is slowly becoming one huge strip mall. I mean, even Madison Avenue in the Fifties is anchored by big-box retailers like Bad Bath and Beyond, the Container Store, the Gap and Banana Republic. And with the economy tanking, is a Fifth Avenue Walmart out of the realm of possibility? I shudder at the thought.
I’m not anti-franchise. Believe me, Target and even (dare I say it) a trip to Red Lobster can be quite entertaining in moderation (those biscuits, yum). But if we’re just going to end up like a huge suburban mall I might as well put my $1500/month rent towards a house in Jersey. I mean no disrespect to my Jersey brethren, but the point of putting up with the dirt, noise and shoebox-sized living quarters of Manhattan is the fact that outside your door is a plethora of unique and individual dining and shopping experiences you can’t find anywhere else in the world. Wow, that sounded so cheesy. But it’s true.
Really, how many places are left in this country where the local fish market, butcher, florist, fruit and vegetable market and bakery are all within a block? Here’s hoping that New York’s identity crisis will blow over soon and we’ll soon get our character back. Until then, I’m happy in Queens.
I’m not anti-franchise. Believe me, Target and even (dare I say it) a trip to Red Lobster can be quite entertaining in moderation (those biscuits, yum). But if we’re just going to end up like a huge suburban mall I might as well put my $1500/month rent towards a house in Jersey. I mean no disrespect to my Jersey brethren, but the point of putting up with the dirt, noise and shoebox-sized living quarters of Manhattan is the fact that outside your door is a plethora of unique and individual dining and shopping experiences you can’t find anywhere else in the world. Wow, that sounded so cheesy. But it’s true.
Really, how many places are left in this country where the local fish market, butcher, florist, fruit and vegetable market and bakery are all within a block? Here’s hoping that New York’s identity crisis will blow over soon and we’ll soon get our character back. Until then, I’m happy in Queens.
One of the many 24-hour fruit and veggie stands on our street
The New Yorkiest block in the city
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