This post’s peek into regular life feels so grounding to me, as a reminder of the walks and things seen and tasted…it reminds me of why social used to make me feel connected to real people instead of isolated in my thoughts. Also the windows 🥹
I am a firm believer in picking out restaurants, coffee shops and bars based on walking by and looking in the windows, and gladly accept the occasional mediocrity which then ensues. My traveling companions, not so much…
It's a hard sell. And to be honest, I'm guilty of looking up reviews when it comes to restaurants. It's probably because we don't eat out too often so I want some kind of assurance. I actually do get annoyed if I pay a lot for a mediocre meal since it's seen as a treat 😬. But everything else, including cafes and other places, yes!
Yeah, I generally bow to the desire to look at reviews first if I'm going to do a nice dinner out with others (though that isn't *always* proof against mediocrity...) — and when I'm traveling alone, I tend to eat at cheaper places anyway, so if the reuben or whatever isn't the best ever, at least I'm not out a fortune!
You're right, it's not always proof. Happened just last weekend when we were in Philly and we went to a place that had glowing reviews and was recommended by a friend. It was a fun place and the food was good but nothing special? Maybe I was expecting too much. Well given the prices these days. Every entree is $35+ wherever you go it seems.
I'm glad you're rediscovering the art of discovery. 👀
I have peculiar instincts, one of which was, at a very early age, challenging myself to wander in miles of woods until certain I was lost, then teaching myself to find my way back. What amazed me, aside from the bones and creatures I came across, was that I always found my way back. That habit served me well after moving to NYC back in '95. I continued the joy of wandering discovery of both places and lifestyles, always finding my way back to me.
Had a cell phone for a couple of years, but it brought me more stress than peace, so I've been without, ever since. I feel like the only person who doesn't have a cell phone, but I feel more happy and free than the people I see around me.
Time has eroded my mobility, but I still wander and discover the world through my mind, journal, and judicious use of the www.
Holler if you wander around 108/Amsterdam. The Hungarian Pastry Cafe across from Cathedral grounds around 112 is usually worth the trip. But I believe the peacocks are no longer in residence, sadly.
That is another neighborhood I am never at (it's probably beeb decades!) and I will be sure to check out that cafe. Maybe that's next on our list. My kid and her friends walked the entirety of Manhattan from tip to tip. Wish I can do that but like you, my mobility is also limited these days.
Congrats on the election! I joked with my kids that this meant we would have to move back but quickly assured them that we are staying in the Midwest. Jon and I chuckled over the memes pronouncing Shakira Law coming to New York. Thrilled for you all and thankful for the hope and enthusiasm this has brought to people all over the country!
Those memes were so funny! The joy and celebration felt like a long time coming, but there's now a lot of work to do. You know the racist threats, scrutiny, and vindictive nonsense is coming...
I agree with so much of this. Not only have we lost the art of discovery but also the willingness to experience something bad or mediocre (I.e a bad restaurant that turned out to not as great as expected). We’re obsessed with finding the best thing out there with a five star rating (hence why we rely on maps so much).
It's so hard. As I commented up thread, because eating out is a treat for us (we very seldom eat out) I do rely on reviews but I think I might try to go more by recommendations from friends, acquaintances, and readers! instead.
Congrats on your new mayor, Yes on 50, NJ, VA and everyone across the country! Feels good to feel good!
Getting lost and finding a gem is one of the best things about traveling. I have so many memories and little treasures that were discovered by accident and have an accompanying story. Like you mentioned, the best thing is that it can be done locally too (shop local!).
Having lived in both the UWS and Park Slope, I agree that both are village-y in their own bougie ways, but not as village-y as Beacon, ha ha! I have been too busy this fall to do the NYC fall wandering that I love so much. I have a longstanding plan to spend an afternoon looking around some nyc neighborhood that I have only seen at night, but it hasn’t happened yet. Didn’t even make it to Open House NY this year. Hmpf.
Hey Andrea! I didn't know you lived in the slope. Oh and for sure definitely bougie. I've been here long enough to se the transformation. I haven't been to that event in years. Double hmpf!!
I've been feeling the same thing, so I built myself a little web app where you select something you're looking for (a restaurant, bakery, cafe, art gallery, museum, etc.), direction, mode of transportation, and how far you want to go. It'll randomly select a spot and take you there, but you don't know what it's called, reviews, or anything about it. The goal was to get lost-ish in a city and just see what I find along the way without over optimizing. Had some fun with it in London last year and took me to parts I probably wouldn't have gone otherwise.
That app sounds great. I do much better getting lost-ish if I'm traveling but when I want to do the same things at home I fall into the trap of efficiency. I guess it makes sense though. Vacation time vs. fitting something in sandwiched between work, meetings, and all the other banalities of life. Trying to adopt more of the vacation mentality to city living though.
solo paso a decir gracias! te leo desde hace 14 o 15 años ya, amo new york y brooklyn mas aun ! cada miércoles desde Argentina te leo y cada tema y tu mirada me hacen reír o llorar o emocionar pero sobre todo pensar, pensarme como madre, como mujer, como adulta .
También se agradecen tus recomendaciones al final de cada texto y seguir leyendo y navegando a través de tu guía.
Alejandra, so nice to hear from you and thank you for this kind comment and for reading for so many years. I do feel like your name is familiar! All the best to you all the way from NYC 💕
Taking the subway and getting off at random stops to wander around was how I eventually learned my way around Manhattan. That period of time for me and my relationship with the city felt like an offshoot of going to a big campus Land-Grant University for college and growing up in Florida with regular family trips to Disney World (with their paper maps!). This type of exploration feels like it gets lost in the car culture of the suburbs and exurbs/rural areas because of the sprawl itself, plus the added costs of traffic and gas consumption when your driving is meandering.
That said, at Kinokuniya earlier this year, I bought a book only because the cover had a dog and a commuter train in Japan -- three of my favorites in one picture, haha. It is called "The Passengers on the Hankyu Line"
oh, I like that cover. And yeah, I didn't think about it, but very hard with car culture. Also Bryan! Shiota is having another exhibition opening this week! 293 Tenth Avenue in Chelsea.
Jenna! Thank you! I had no clue whatsoever that Shiota is opening a second exhibition in the city. The description of Echoes Between sounds like I'll have a lot to think about when I exit the gallery. I'll make time to go see it before I (hopefully can) travel home for Thanksgiving.
This is such a thought-provoking piece. I couldn't agree more... and follow through less! I keep meaning to get outside, but I sit at my computer, working from home, all day, every day. (I am meeting some friends for happy hour this evening, though. Yay, me?)
On another note, how is the Amy Tan book? I read The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman a few months back, and loved it. I learned a lot, too.
I just started the book. My kid gave it to me on my birthday months ago and only getting around to read it. I just love how she is this amateur birder and who knew she was such a talented illustrator. It's charming so far - just a nice calm read about her observations.
Also, I am like you. work at home, computer, blah blah. There are days when I don't leave the apartment, so go you for happy hour with friends!
This dovetails with my concerns about the general enthusiasm toward outsourcing all our thinking to AI. Being lost and working through it, whether that's spatially or intellectually, is what being human is about. Problem solving. Thinking. Honing your instincts for crowd behaviour and place to figure out where to go, where to eat. I can't speak for everyone but I love a mediocre diner. I do not need to five-star my whole way through travel. Sometimes I just want to sit in some offbeat place and absorb the local vibe. Sometimes I want to stumble upon the back door of a Roman cookie factory and buy a big bag of mixed amaretto cookies from the workers, who were tickled that this weird lost Canadian would even try to speak (terrible, halting) Italian. I would probably never have that experience these days; this was in 2001.
My concerns as well. Which is why I put myself on notice because I tend to obsessively research most everything I buy. It's also such a time suck when I can be doing better things with my time.
What you described is how I love to travel (and yes, I do think it's still possible to travel this way—if you leave your phone in your bag). I'm trying to bring a little more of that wandering to my everyday life here.
Hey Karin! Always love to hear from old blog readers. Just curious, how you found this newsletter?
And thanks for that recommendation. Being from Portland, I know the coffee will be good! (for Mark, sadly I have had to quit coffee for medical reasons 😭)
I think I just Googled you, which is probably not helpful/replicable if you’re trying to expand reach. I had really been missing my longform blogs from the 2010s. You were such a stand-out for such good writing to match your wonderful photos, and a lot of it!
My deepest, most sincere condolences on having to give up coffee 😭.
So glad you found me! There's an archive here of the last 3 years. I missed long form reading and writing too and have been slowly transitioning off most social media ad just focusing most of my online interactions here.
I am having such trouble reading books recently. Like, I just can’t get started. I go in cycles where I read back to back to back, but since the summer I’ve been off. 😑
This post’s peek into regular life feels so grounding to me, as a reminder of the walks and things seen and tasted…it reminds me of why social used to make me feel connected to real people instead of isolated in my thoughts. Also the windows 🥹
I was going to tell you about this! Bryan says hi.
I am a firm believer in picking out restaurants, coffee shops and bars based on walking by and looking in the windows, and gladly accept the occasional mediocrity which then ensues. My traveling companions, not so much…
It's a hard sell. And to be honest, I'm guilty of looking up reviews when it comes to restaurants. It's probably because we don't eat out too often so I want some kind of assurance. I actually do get annoyed if I pay a lot for a mediocre meal since it's seen as a treat 😬. But everything else, including cafes and other places, yes!
Yeah, I generally bow to the desire to look at reviews first if I'm going to do a nice dinner out with others (though that isn't *always* proof against mediocrity...) — and when I'm traveling alone, I tend to eat at cheaper places anyway, so if the reuben or whatever isn't the best ever, at least I'm not out a fortune!
You're right, it's not always proof. Happened just last weekend when we were in Philly and we went to a place that had glowing reviews and was recommended by a friend. It was a fun place and the food was good but nothing special? Maybe I was expecting too much. Well given the prices these days. Every entree is $35+ wherever you go it seems.
I'm glad you're rediscovering the art of discovery. 👀
I have peculiar instincts, one of which was, at a very early age, challenging myself to wander in miles of woods until certain I was lost, then teaching myself to find my way back. What amazed me, aside from the bones and creatures I came across, was that I always found my way back. That habit served me well after moving to NYC back in '95. I continued the joy of wandering discovery of both places and lifestyles, always finding my way back to me.
Had a cell phone for a couple of years, but it brought me more stress than peace, so I've been without, ever since. I feel like the only person who doesn't have a cell phone, but I feel more happy and free than the people I see around me.
Time has eroded my mobility, but I still wander and discover the world through my mind, journal, and judicious use of the www.
Holler if you wander around 108/Amsterdam. The Hungarian Pastry Cafe across from Cathedral grounds around 112 is usually worth the trip. But I believe the peacocks are no longer in residence, sadly.
Wanted to drop by and say I loveee The Hungarian Pastry Cafe. It’s one of those places that feels untouched by time.
two recommendations - def on our list!
That is another neighborhood I am never at (it's probably beeb decades!) and I will be sure to check out that cafe. Maybe that's next on our list. My kid and her friends walked the entirety of Manhattan from tip to tip. Wish I can do that but like you, my mobility is also limited these days.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Congrats on the election! I joked with my kids that this meant we would have to move back but quickly assured them that we are staying in the Midwest. Jon and I chuckled over the memes pronouncing Shakira Law coming to New York. Thrilled for you all and thankful for the hope and enthusiasm this has brought to people all over the country!
Those memes were so funny! The joy and celebration felt like a long time coming, but there's now a lot of work to do. You know the racist threats, scrutiny, and vindictive nonsense is coming...
I agree with so much of this. Not only have we lost the art of discovery but also the willingness to experience something bad or mediocre (I.e a bad restaurant that turned out to not as great as expected). We’re obsessed with finding the best thing out there with a five star rating (hence why we rely on maps so much).
Yes, and all those hours wasted on reading reviews of everything before we travel, buy, eat. I confess I do this way too much.
I’m also guilty of this too! Definitely want to try doing less of this
It's so hard. As I commented up thread, because eating out is a treat for us (we very seldom eat out) I do rely on reviews but I think I might try to go more by recommendations from friends, acquaintances, and readers! instead.
This made me miss Brooklyn along with Mamdani’s win!
Congrats on your new mayor, Yes on 50, NJ, VA and everyone across the country! Feels good to feel good!
Getting lost and finding a gem is one of the best things about traveling. I have so many memories and little treasures that were discovered by accident and have an accompanying story. Like you mentioned, the best thing is that it can be done locally too (shop local!).
And the GenX article...oof yeah.
Having lived in both the UWS and Park Slope, I agree that both are village-y in their own bougie ways, but not as village-y as Beacon, ha ha! I have been too busy this fall to do the NYC fall wandering that I love so much. I have a longstanding plan to spend an afternoon looking around some nyc neighborhood that I have only seen at night, but it hasn’t happened yet. Didn’t even make it to Open House NY this year. Hmpf.
Hey Andrea! I didn't know you lived in the slope. Oh and for sure definitely bougie. I've been here long enough to se the transformation. I haven't been to that event in years. Double hmpf!!
I've been feeling the same thing, so I built myself a little web app where you select something you're looking for (a restaurant, bakery, cafe, art gallery, museum, etc.), direction, mode of transportation, and how far you want to go. It'll randomly select a spot and take you there, but you don't know what it's called, reviews, or anything about it. The goal was to get lost-ish in a city and just see what I find along the way without over optimizing. Had some fun with it in London last year and took me to parts I probably wouldn't have gone otherwise.
That app sounds great. I do much better getting lost-ish if I'm traveling but when I want to do the same things at home I fall into the trap of efficiency. I guess it makes sense though. Vacation time vs. fitting something in sandwiched between work, meetings, and all the other banalities of life. Trying to adopt more of the vacation mentality to city living though.
yeah totally, I feel like I get in a rut in my own city. If you ever want to try out the app let me know, I can send you the link :)
yeah that might be interesting
solo paso a decir gracias! te leo desde hace 14 o 15 años ya, amo new york y brooklyn mas aun ! cada miércoles desde Argentina te leo y cada tema y tu mirada me hacen reír o llorar o emocionar pero sobre todo pensar, pensarme como madre, como mujer, como adulta .
También se agradecen tus recomendaciones al final de cada texto y seguir leyendo y navegando a través de tu guía.
saludos
Alejandra, so nice to hear from you and thank you for this kind comment and for reading for so many years. I do feel like your name is familiar! All the best to you all the way from NYC 💕
Taking the subway and getting off at random stops to wander around was how I eventually learned my way around Manhattan. That period of time for me and my relationship with the city felt like an offshoot of going to a big campus Land-Grant University for college and growing up in Florida with regular family trips to Disney World (with their paper maps!). This type of exploration feels like it gets lost in the car culture of the suburbs and exurbs/rural areas because of the sprawl itself, plus the added costs of traffic and gas consumption when your driving is meandering.
That said, at Kinokuniya earlier this year, I bought a book only because the cover had a dog and a commuter train in Japan -- three of my favorites in one picture, haha. It is called "The Passengers on the Hankyu Line"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223854441-the-passengers-on-the-hankyu-line
oh, I like that cover. And yeah, I didn't think about it, but very hard with car culture. Also Bryan! Shiota is having another exhibition opening this week! 293 Tenth Avenue in Chelsea.
Jenna! Thank you! I had no clue whatsoever that Shiota is opening a second exhibition in the city. The description of Echoes Between sounds like I'll have a lot to think about when I exit the gallery. I'll make time to go see it before I (hopefully can) travel home for Thanksgiving.
This is such a thought-provoking piece. I couldn't agree more... and follow through less! I keep meaning to get outside, but I sit at my computer, working from home, all day, every day. (I am meeting some friends for happy hour this evening, though. Yay, me?)
On another note, how is the Amy Tan book? I read The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman a few months back, and loved it. I learned a lot, too.
I just started the book. My kid gave it to me on my birthday months ago and only getting around to read it. I just love how she is this amateur birder and who knew she was such a talented illustrator. It's charming so far - just a nice calm read about her observations.
Also, I am like you. work at home, computer, blah blah. There are days when I don't leave the apartment, so go you for happy hour with friends!
This dovetails with my concerns about the general enthusiasm toward outsourcing all our thinking to AI. Being lost and working through it, whether that's spatially or intellectually, is what being human is about. Problem solving. Thinking. Honing your instincts for crowd behaviour and place to figure out where to go, where to eat. I can't speak for everyone but I love a mediocre diner. I do not need to five-star my whole way through travel. Sometimes I just want to sit in some offbeat place and absorb the local vibe. Sometimes I want to stumble upon the back door of a Roman cookie factory and buy a big bag of mixed amaretto cookies from the workers, who were tickled that this weird lost Canadian would even try to speak (terrible, halting) Italian. I would probably never have that experience these days; this was in 2001.
My concerns as well. Which is why I put myself on notice because I tend to obsessively research most everything I buy. It's also such a time suck when I can be doing better things with my time.
What you described is how I love to travel (and yes, I do think it's still possible to travel this way—if you leave your phone in your bag). I'm trying to bring a little more of that wandering to my everyday life here.
Hi Jenna! This Portlander really loved Sote Coffee Roasters on 76th & Amsterdam if you ever again find yourself looking for good coffee on the UWS.
I’m so glad to have found you again, I was a long-ago reader back in your Sweet Fine Day days.
Hey Karin! Always love to hear from old blog readers. Just curious, how you found this newsletter?
And thanks for that recommendation. Being from Portland, I know the coffee will be good! (for Mark, sadly I have had to quit coffee for medical reasons 😭)
I think I just Googled you, which is probably not helpful/replicable if you’re trying to expand reach. I had really been missing my longform blogs from the 2010s. You were such a stand-out for such good writing to match your wonderful photos, and a lot of it!
My deepest, most sincere condolences on having to give up coffee 😭.
So glad you found me! There's an archive here of the last 3 years. I missed long form reading and writing too and have been slowly transitioning off most social media ad just focusing most of my online interactions here.
Beautiful photos!
I am having such trouble reading books recently. Like, I just can’t get started. I go in cycles where I read back to back to back, but since the summer I’ve been off. 😑
I (still) have the shortest attention span for books, but I've really been working on it. It takes a lot of intentional effort. Keep trying!