What is a Coffee House without pastries? – NYC Moments #104

I am so used to being able to get anything at practically anytime in NYC, so I was in complete disbelief when I went to Building On Bond, this really cool coffee house in Boerum Hill, and they had one pastry left.  Being a good NYCer, I stay up late doing whatever and I get up late.  I just want to point out to all of you that my version of getting up late in 9 am.  That means I got to Building on Bond at 9:30 am.  This is were the disbelief comes in:  did they seriously not expect anyone to want pastries after 9:30 am?  When I brought up the almost empty case to the nice guy behind the counter he said they were working on it.  This is a very simple business practice.  You order more.  If you have to you run to the bodega around the corner just to keep your customer from walking out. (as I did and went myself to the bodega around the corner).  I would like to point out that this is not the first time this has happened here.  I was so excited to have a coffee house around the corner from me, but now I’m just disappointed.  Hopefully they will get it together so I don’t have to travel into NYC just to have a nice coffee house experience.  

copyright Jillanne Ohana Emerson

4/25/09

A Meaningful Life…NYC Moments #99

This evening I happened upon a book reading at The BookCourt  in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill area.  I have to say that the most wonderful things in life are sometimes stumbled upon.  I was actually only going out for hot and sour soup and to drop off some cards at The BookCourt (yes, they do have a pretty awesome suppoly of my greeting cards) and lo and behold, there was an Event going on.  I stayed to listen for a bit and quickly became enthralled with the writing of Mr. L.J. Davis.  He was reading from his book, “A Meaningful Life”.  I will let you peruse it yourself so you can make your own decision about it, but for me it was filled with humor and wit…not to mention it is about my new neighborhood in Brooklyn, Boerum Hill.  It reminded me of why I love New York:  Vast creative talent is wonderful to be around and to aspire too.  I’m sure my life will be even more enriched by being a student of Mr. Davis…

If I live in Brooklyn am I still a NYCer?

So…like a lot of folks out there I am trying the Brooklyn thing…I have to be honest and say this is my second stint…the first lasted 1.5 months…Can you blame a girl for not liking to have the local police precinct in your cell speed dial?  It would have been more honest of my then landlord to say the area I was moving into was Bed-Sty…yeah, I know, it’s up and coming, but give me a break, I had just transplanted myself from La Jolla, California the land of fairy tales…

So here I am, braving a new borough area…this time it is Boerum Hill (and the historic district at that…).  I actually have very good friends who live 5 buildings down and a very cool landlady…AND the shop owners are nice…AND I’m 1.5 blocks from the train…AND it is quiet at night…AND I have a kitchen that is the size of most Manhattan studios…AND there is a Trader Joe’s 4 blocks away that has practically no lines (shoot!  I meant to keep that a secret…).

Mind you, there is not the Manhattan vibe here, but I guess I can commute in the whole 15 minutes…AND my passport is up to date 🙂