NYC was just voted
the world’s favorite city. This month was my twelve-year anniversary of living here, and I love it here, too. But NYC can be a serious drag sometimes! (Remember the popularity of
this Onion article?) So, although I often point out
the positives of the city, in an effort to be even-handed, here are nine things about NYC that can drive you
batshit crazy...
NYC pizza tastes like cardboard. There, I said it.
Rats come out when the sun sets. Kids at playgrounds will actually say, "Ok, let's go, it's rat time!"
Summer is humid and blazing hot; winter is bone-chillingly cold.
Many people you know have been mugged at one point or another. (When I was mugged in my twenties, two guys in hoodies came up to me and told me to give them my wallet. In a moment of very uncharacteristic bravery, I actually negotiated with them to see if I could just give them my cash and keep my wallet because I had a Nordstrom gift card from my boss in there! They said yes!)
The average wait time at a West Village restaurant on a typical evening is 90 minutes. 90 minutes!
Everyone's apartment is TEENY TINY. For example, our friends share a one-bedroom apartment with their two kids—the baby sleeps in a mini crib at the foot of their bed and the toddler sleeps in the closet!
As a thirtysomething adult with a full-time job, it’s very normal to not have a car, dishwasher or washing machine (and have to trek to the laundromat).
The city is filled with models. (For example, at the playground this summer, Alex ended up casually chatting with
her!) So, you find yourself walking down the street feeling pretty good about yourself, and then you pass a gaggle of these ladies and you're like....oh, well, okay then.
Random things are psychotically expensive. For example, one chocolate-chip cookie will run you $4. One drop-in children's music class is $25. And I ordered a lemonade at a cafe this summer and when the check came it was $10. $10!
But in the end, I can't help it...I'll always love you, New York City.
Anything else to add?? And if you live elsewhere, what's unglamorous about your town? :)
P.S.
The Cup of Jo Guide to NYC. Plus, four posts with Gemma Correll:
How to have sex,
how to eat dinner,
how to drink wine and
how to feel pretty.
(Illustrations by
Gemma Correll for
Cup of Jo. Top graphic by
Rachel Ball for Cup of Jo. This post was inspired by Anne's awesome series called
Unglamorous Paris.)
Pop quiz: What's really in your bag right now? Tell us below...
(Kiss that little face!) What are your plans this weekend? Alex's good friend is visiting, so we'll be taking him this restaurant. And daylight savings is this weekend—one step closer to spring!!! Finally, the Bachelor finale is on Monday. Would you want to do live commenting here during the show? Will you be watching it at 8pm EST? I'd love to watch it together—it would fun to gossip with a group of girl friends!—but I'm not sure if you guys TiVo it or are in different time zones. Let me know! xoxo
(Photo of Anton from Instagram; cartoon by Roz Chast for The New Yorker)
New York got a million inches of snow this week, and these long days can be a bummer. So! My friend Gemma Correll, who lives in London and is no stranger to dark winters, put together a handy list of ways to beat the winter blues...
1. Get your Vitamin D. Studies say this helps, so it’s worth a shot. There are high levels of Vitamin D in mushrooms, fish, cheese, milk cereals and eggs (mushroom, haddock and cornflake omelette, anyone?).
4. Exercise. It can be hard to find the motivation to exercise when all you want to do is bundle up in a duvet (and/or a pile of fluffy animals) and weep quietly in a corner. But exercise really does help. Science says so, and science is always right. You don’t even have to leave the house. Do a little bit of living room yoga or dance around the house like no one’s watching to the Grease soundtrack. (Not that I do that. Ahem…)
6. Stay warm and cozy.
7. Go for a walk around town.
8. Knit a sweater.
9. Bake a cake (and eat it).
New York Magazine recently ran a story about gadget sickness, or how a phone can drive you nuts.
P.S. Speaking of daydreaming: What are three things you're grateful for?
The radio show This American Life has a a great episode where they sat in on an editorial meeting at The Onion. Every week, the comedy writers brainstorm more than 600 fake headlines, but only 16 are picked to run in the newspaper. During the meeting, there's an average of just one laugh for every 100 jokes. Tough crowd! In the interview, the writers explain why some headlines are funny, and some aren't; it's fascinating to hear the nuances.
(Another tough crowd:)
NYC was just voted the world’s favorite city. This month was my twelve-year anniversary of living here, and I love it here, too. But NYC can be a serious drag sometimes! (Remember the popularity of this Onion article?) So, although I often point out the positives of the city, in an effort to be even-handed, here are nine things about NYC that can drive you batshit crazy...
NYC pizza tastes like cardboard. There, I said it.
Rats come out when the sun sets. Kids at playgrounds will actually say, "Ok, let's go, it's rat time!"
Summer is humid and blazing hot; winter is bone-chillingly cold.
Many people you know have been mugged at one point or another. (When I was mugged in my twenties, two guys in hoodies came up to me and told me to give them my wallet. In a moment of very uncharacteristic bravery, I actually negotiated with them to see if I could just give them my cash and keep my wallet because I had a Nordstrom gift card from my boss in there! They said yes!)
The average wait time at a West Village restaurant on a typical evening is 90 minutes. 90 minutes!
Everyone's apartment is TEENY TINY. For example, our friends share a one-bedroom apartment with their two kids—the baby sleeps in a mini crib at the foot of their bed and the toddler sleeps in the closet!
As a thirtysomething adult with a full-time job, it’s very normal to not have a car, dishwasher or washing machine (and have to trek to the laundromat).
The city is filled with models. (For example, at the playground this summer, Alex ended up casually chatting with her!) So, you find yourself walking down the street feeling pretty good about yourself, and then you pass a gaggle of these ladies and you're like....oh, well, okay then.
Random things are psychotically expensive. For example, one chocolate-chip cookie will run you $4. One drop-in children's music class is $25. And I ordered a lemonade at a cafe this summer and when the check came it was $10. $10!
Do you like white wine? At 34, I’m totally the old lady who likes Sauvignon Blanc so much that she puts ice cubes in it instead of waiting for it to chill in the fridge. So this new research from Iowa State University was not surprising: When people poured white wine into a clear glass, they tended to pour nine percent more wine than people who poured red wine into a clear glass. When the glass was especially wide, white wine drinkers poured twelve percent more wine.
What's your go-to drink?