After a damp and dreary weekend, Rory Dog and I enjoyed a long walk in Central Park this morning.
As we were making the final turn toward home, we passed the Subway shoppe on Columbus Avenue and 84th. Its bright decor caught my eye, a contrast to the earthier tones employed by the coffee shop, barber shop, nail salon and grocery store on that block.
It seemed cheerier and more welcoming.
Funny…I’m not sure it’s getting the same reception from the neighbors.
You see, Subway used to be one block away at Columbus and 83rd. When it closed its doors, I heard the locals rejoice…like a crack palace had finally been shut down.
Chain restaurants get that kinda treatment around here.
Remember Fox Books in the movie You’ve Got Mail? Big, bad Fox Books moved in the Upper West Side, and people picketed in outrage. Eventually local store The Shoppe Around the Corner had to close.
David didn’t defeat Goliath in that story. (But Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks got together..so that was nice.)
When Subway reopened its doors less than a year later just a couple of blocks up the street, folks weren’t too happy.
Me? I think the chain restaurants that are successful tend to be successful because they have a good product. So we shouldn’t poo poo them because they are doing something right.
No one in the neighborhood seems to mind the 10 Starbucks.
That’s right — 10.
Posted in Books, Business, Celebrities, Commentary, Cooking, Dogs, Entertainment, Family, Food, Foods, Health, Home, Humor, Life, Movies, Philosophy, Restaurants, Shopping, Walking
Tagged books, bookstores, Business, celebrities, Central Park, chain restaurants, commentary, David and Goliath, dog walks, Dogs, entertainment, family, food, Foods, Fox Books, Health, home, Humor, life, Manhattan, Meg Ryan, Movies, New York City, New York City Central Park, New York Upper West Side, philosophy, restaurants, Starbucks, Subway restaurants, The Shoppe Around the Corner, Tom Hank, You've Got Mail movie
Book Culture is opening their doors literally around the corner from my brownstone apartment and taking up the ‘small bookshop mantle’ that Meg’s character abandoned lo’ those many years ago.
Now, the modern version of the movie’s ‘big bad Fox Books’ exists today — Barnes & Noble is just a couple of blocks away. So it will be interesting to see how this small store will compete on selection and pricing.
The Sticky Egg 
Being neighborly
After a damp and dreary weekend, Rory Dog and I enjoyed a long walk in Central Park this morning.
It seemed cheerier and more welcoming.
Funny…I’m not sure it’s getting the same reception from the neighbors.
You see, Subway used to be one block away at Columbus and 83rd. When it closed its doors, I heard the locals rejoice…like a crack palace had finally been shut down.
Chain restaurants get that kinda treatment around here.
David didn’t defeat Goliath in that story. (But Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks got together..so that was nice.)
When Subway reopened its doors less than a year later just a couple of blocks up the street, folks weren’t too happy.
Me? I think the chain restaurants that are successful tend to be successful because they have a good product. So we shouldn’t poo poo them because they are doing something right.
No one in the neighborhood seems to mind the 10 Starbucks.
That’s right — 10.
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Posted in Books, Business, Celebrities, Commentary, Cooking, Dogs, Entertainment, Family, Food, Foods, Health, Home, Humor, Life, Movies, Philosophy, Restaurants, Shopping, Walking
Tagged books, bookstores, Business, celebrities, Central Park, chain restaurants, commentary, David and Goliath, dog walks, Dogs, entertainment, family, food, Foods, Fox Books, Health, home, Humor, life, Manhattan, Meg Ryan, Movies, New York City, New York City Central Park, New York Upper West Side, philosophy, restaurants, Starbucks, Subway restaurants, The Shoppe Around the Corner, Tom Hank, You've Got Mail movie