Measure the “walkability” of your neighborhood

by Iva Skoch on

My home address (in New York, not in Prague) scored 92 on the Walk Score site: A walker’s paradise.

I am not surprised. When I’m there, I walk everywhere: I walk to get my coffee, I walk to get my groceries, I walk to the post office and to the library. I don’t have a car, so I am not even tempted to drive. I am pretty sure I would suffocate in a place where you have to drive everywhere. I have tried it before and I quickly realized it was not for me. As much as I love a good road trip, “commuting” doesn’t really do it for me.

Americans don’t score well when it comes to walking. According to this Market Watch article, fewer than 6% of all trips are by foot. Fewer than 13% of students travel by foot. Some three-fourths of all short trips Americans take — less than a mile — are made by car. One-fourth of all car trips made are less than a mile. That is a frightening statistic if you ask me.

How walkable is your neighborhood? Plug in your address here and the walkability of your hood will be revealed.

Unless you must see the Pope, avoid New York this weekend at all costs

by Iva Skoch on

A New York cab driver told me yesterday he expects this to be an insane weekend n New York, from a transportation stand point. “Much worse than when Bush is in town. People actually want to see the Pope, you know,” he told me.

I believe him. With the Pope arriving here from Washington on Friday, there will be massive road closings, tightened security, thousands of visitors from out of town…They are apparently already sealing mail boxes in the area where he’ll be staying (East 72nd between Fifth and Madison) and erecting barricades.

The chances of seeing Pope Benedict XVI. are somewhat slim, anyway, unless you have “tickets.” It’s kind of a funny concept – having to obtain a ticket to see the Pope. Forget the Yankees! The Pope is the hottest ticket in town and people are scalping tickets to the Pope’s mass.

Unless you absolutely must see the Pope’s shadow, my advice is: stay away from New York.

Big in Japan: Japan’s top ramen shop opens up NYC branch

by Matthew Firestone on

If you’re a fan of Japanese soul food, namely the heaven-sent goodness that is ramen, and you happen to live in the New York City area, boy do we have some good news for you!

There is no shortage of truly gourmet ramen in Tokyo, though few bowls can compete with Ippudo (?????), which is widely regarded as one of the country’s best noodles shops. Originating in the city of Hakata (????) on the island of Kyushu, Ippudo pays homage to its roots by serving up some of the best damn Hakata-style ramen on the planet.

Hakata ramen is distinguished by its rich and milky pork-bone broth, thin noodles and unique toppings such as pickled ginger, crushed sesame and pickled greens. However, Ippudo expands on this traditional recipe by adding fiery Tokyo-style red miso, savory black sesame oil and a wide range of toppings such as soft-boiled eggs and thick sheets of nori.

And now, if you happen to be a New Yorker in need of some serious ramen, all you need to do is head to the brand-new Ippudo NY, located at 65 4th Avenue in downtown Manhattan.
Although ramen has always been regarded as something of a blue-collar staple in Japan, Ippudo was one of first major commercial enterprises to vault this hearty dish to truly gourmet levels. The story of Ippudo is really the story of Shigemi Kawahara, who is widely regarded in Japan as the ‘King of Ramen.’ After launching his first ramen restaurant in 1985, Kawahara went on to open up a total of 34 shops throughout the country, and is currently aiming to bring his epicurean noodles to the international stage.

According to Kawahara: “The restaurant is the stage and the business is the art. We are not just making ramen, but creating and instilling a feeling of gratitude. My ambition is to have Japanese ramen take root around the world.”

Kawahara is credited with several ramen innovations, most notably the incredibly refined texture of his handmade noodles, which are made from several different types of blended flour. The ramen master also builds his soup stock from no less than three individually blended mixes, and is extremely proud of his roast pork, which is slow-cooked in a closely-guarded secret sauce. And finally, Kawahara is regarded as the first chef to use color designation (red and white) as a way of defining his signature miso-based ramen soups.

With a history dating back over 300 years, ramen noodles have undergone an incredible transformation from their humble origins as Chinese-inspired fast food. And, needless to say, true ramen is nothing like the Styrofoam-packaged Cup o’Noodles that are something of a staple amongst American college students. With that said, if you’re still unconvinced that ramen noodles can be as gourmet as a finely aged cheese or a hand-plucked wild mushroom, head to Ippudo NY and see what you’ve been missing.

Ippudo NY is located on 4th Ave between East 9th and 10th Streets, and is open daily for lunch and dinner. For more information, check out www.ippudo.com/ny.

French group attemps to break world kissing record

by Anna Brones on

If you were in New York’s Union Square yesterday, you may have walked past 100 or so people engaging in a chain of French kissing. Organized by French group Institut Bonheur (Institute of Happiness), the kissing party was set up to break the world record for the longest chain kiss. You gotta love the Frenchmen that is so into what this group is doing that he says, “this French kiss has to be the new symbol of what we call happiness and freedom.” Crazy Frenchies.

Get better service being stuck on the London Eye than on an airplane

by Jamie Rhein on

Here’s an observation by Mike Nezza at The Lede. Although, it was ruled by a federal court that airlines don’t need to provide passengers with comforts if they are detained while sitting in an airplane, passengers stuck on London’s gigantic Ferris wheel, the London Eye don’t have to worry about such trifles.

Just like Abha reported in her post, if you get stuck on the London Eye, you’ll get blankets, water, glucose tablets and a toilet. If you get stuck on an airplane, according to the law, you are not guaranteed water, a working toilet or fresh air. On the London Eye, you’ll also get a terrific view of London if you’re close to the top. On an airplane, if you look out a window, there’s the tarmac—maybe other airplanes, a runway or a building or two.

But, perhaps one might rather be stuck on the ground than up in the air. Those at the bottom of the London Eye may have been allowed to get off. If you’re out on a runway, there you are, and are, and are, and are.