From the USA Today Airline Blog, a US Airways shuttle from Boston to DC was diverted on Saturday to Albany to pick up 22 passengers, including President Bush’s daughters, resulting in a two hour late arrival. The airline claims that the diversion was not all that unusual (I beg to differ) and that the diversion was not made solely to pick up the twins. Yeah right. [Online Travel Review]
Excellent meal in SF
Thanks to a recommendation from a friend, I had an amazing meal in San Fran tonight…
The place is called the Slanted Door and it’s a Vietnamese fusion place on Embarcadero now in the ferry building. The tastes were excellent — very clean and simple but soooo good! I’ll definitely have to try it again next visit.
San Fran
Just arrived in San Francisco…
Have a kick-off for a contract job I’ve accepted and will be working in the Bay Area this week. Feeling excited, tired (early, long and crowded flight) but pumped to start something new.
Been a while since I’ve been out here, feeling good about being back. I can see the bay from my window at the moment and will be checking into local time after a quick refresh. Blogging may be lighter this week… we’ll see. I’ll probably pop a few shots into the sidebar via Buzznet and Flickr.
Looking Down the Lift in Beaver Creek
Looking Down the Lift in Beaver Creek
After reading a recent post by Gotham Gal on her mountain biking in Aspen, I recalled my own trip to Beaver Creek… Here’s a shot looking down the lift
Totonno’s Pizzeria!
We may have just had the best pizza in New York!
Totonno’s recently opened a location near where we live, so it’s not only easy to visit to dine-in but also within delivery range! Since the storm front was moving in quickly tonight we decided to go for delivery, which took considerably longer than the usual neighborhood pizza joint, but the taste was in it’s own world – beyond compare.
The usual delivery options are officially closed out… There’s just no reason to go for anything other than the best. I can’t wait to try it again from within to get a fuller experience. The pizza is thin crust cooked in a coal oven with a thicker crust than Lombardi’s or Patsy’s, but tastier! The sauce and cheese are excellent! We opted for the Margherita tonight but the Bianca (white pizza) is supposed to be great as well – perhaps next time we’ll mix in a small one to complement the first pie.
There are two other locations – Upper East and Yonkers… if you are nearby, you must give it a go.
Shake Shack – Preview Week
Just had a few dogs (yeah I know it’s early) at the Shake Shack and thought I’d file a small report for those interested parties… judging by my traffic reports, there are quite a few of you.
At the moment you can get Hot Dogs, Soda and Beer, Fries and Ice Cream. The full menu will be available on July 1 and will include quite a few more options like a Portabella Mushroom Sandwich, Burgers, Shakes, Concretes and Wine.
The Dogs are pretty good… They are Vienna Beef – the thinner kind of dogs and taste good. Far from the best dog – I’m actually partial to the Kosher Franks myself, as they have much more spice in them. There are three basic options – the Chicago Dog (10 toppings), The Taxi Dog (2 toppings – Kraut and Onions) and I can’t recall what the third is called, but it’s plain.
We had the Taxi Dogs, though I added relish. All good. Certainly worth the trip or a stop if you are already in the ‘hood (Madison Square Park) and want a Hot Dog. Definitely looking forward to the full menu.
Using cellphones on planes
ARINC and Telenor say that they will soon market new technology to allow airline passengers to use personal mobile phones aboard commercial flights, according to Cellular News. [textually.org]
iChat AViation
This is too cool – iChatAV while flying at 35,000 feet!
Sometimes technology creeps up on you, goes boo!, and suddenly you realize you are living in yesterday’s science fiction. Wireless broadband is now offered on several Lufthansa flights, and hence iChat AV video conferencing, as these Apple employees enjoy telling us… [MemeFirst]
O Captain! My Captain! Thy Joystick Is Near
Nice overview of how the QM2 gets controlled… no wheel at all. I liked how the Captain said they were just looking out the window while docking in NY (hands free) as the ship was doing a better job than they would have. It’s like the HAL 9000 for cruising the high seas. The crew is there to assure safety and to backstop the technology.
Propulsion pods, joysticks and computers help make the Queen Mary 2 nimble. [New York Times]
Amtrak’s Stationary Solution
This seems like a total rip to me… In my train travels, (I ran the corridor several times a week for a few years) I’d never get to the station with any time to kill unless weather got in the way of the scheduled train. As nice as some of the Amtrak stations are, they really are not where you spend any time. You could do much better with a bluetooth connection from your phone or a handheld like a Blackberry or Treo. I’d like to see Wi-Fi on the train, in motion… that’d be worth paying for even if you only ride the Acela for just over an hour… A day rate would be the best though giving you a single fare for round-trip day trips.
Amtrak and AT&T Wireless put Wi-Fi hotspots in six Northeast train stations: Boston (Router 128), Providence, New York (Penn Station), Philadelphia (30th Street), Wilmington, and Baltimore (Penn Station) have Wi-Fi service starting today, according to the press release. These stations process a million passengers a day. It’s $10 per day per location–unlike T-Mobile’s $10 per day throughout the network fee. They also offer a 5-pack ($30 or $6 a session) and a 10-pack ($50 or $5 a session). Business subscribers only who already participate in AT&T Wireless’s “Corporate Digital Advantage and Wireless Business Advantage” plans can purchase unlimited monthly service for $40 per month to supplement voice plans or $35 per month to supplement data plans. [Wi-Fi Networking News]
New Burger in Town…
Grabbed lunch today at New York Burger Company and was generally pleased with the food…
from the menu:
New York Burger Co. is keeping it REAL: Starting with Coleman all-natural beef, we’re trailblazing and doing things the old-fashioned was. No artificial anything! We sizzle our burgers over a charcoal grill and serve them on freshly baked brioche buns. And that’s why our burgers are so great. Our delicious sauces are homemade, our freshly cut fries are prepared in cholesterol free soybean oil and our smoothies are made with real fruit.
The fries were a bit too soggy for me, but they were thick cut and tasty. The burger itself (had the New York Cheeseburger) was a good thick burger, like one you might grill for yourself, rather than a slim patty from a fast food nation style locale. NYBC is located on Park, between 23 and 24th streets… just East of Madison Square Park and the soon to open Shake Shack…
I still think Blue9 is the best around…
Barnes and Noble — Free WiFi
Barnes and Noble in Union Square has a free Cometa Hot spot while it’s in beta… I guess until they figure out who is going to take it over. Enjoying it myself at the moment…
New Peruvian Soft Drink Packs a Punch
This is a pretty amazing development coming from Peru and apparently it’s not the only beverage product looking to take advantage of the coca leaf…
A Peruvian company is producing a soft drink with coca, the much-maligned green leaf used to make cocaine.
[New York Times]
Dave Chappelle did a parody of Red Bull called Red Balls, which was like crack in a can, but this is actually real. It only includes trace amounts of cocaine, but still…
Shake Shack Coming Soon!
We’ve been watching the constuction in Madison Park wondering just what might be coming and now we know… Sounds like a regular lunch stop to me!
Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack, the Madison Square Park kiosk, will make its unofficial debut next weekend during the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, and officially July 1. The shack will serve burgers, crinkle-cut fries, the Chicago-style hot dogs that had people waiting in very long lines last summer, PLUS frozen custard! [NYC Eats]
Curbed Launches
Curbed, a new weblog that’s based on the idea that everything in New York City comes back to real estate, rent and the neighborhoods we live in. [Curbed]
The Joy of Travel
Just enjoying the view from the train, while my iPod churns the tunes and allows my mind to wander…
Until there is wifi on Amtrak…
I know it exists, but not on my train… Headed to Philadelphia for an interview at the moment and blogging this from my laptop via the always reliable bluetooth to GPRS.
Stuyvesant Cove
Amazing! I’ve lived in the same place, near Gramercy Park and Union Square for almost six years and I never knew Stuyvesant Cove existed…
We walk a lot — not that uncommon here in NYC, but with a baby, I think you walk even more. We have our usual routes… to Madison Park and around Gramercy Park which are always nice. Recently though we’ve been enjoying Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village which is close by and very quiet once you get inside the community. On a recent loop around Peter Cooper Village (the northern area) I noticed what looked like a path over by the East River…and sure enough there is one!
Hannah and I crossed the FDR at 20th Street and found ourselves in a small oasis away from the rest of the city. It’s far from a true escape (and you’ll be able to tell that especially from the pictures I snapped), but it’s a great safe place to walk. The path is well maintained, planted and uncrowded. We saw a few runners, skateboarders, bikers and fishermen and even another baby in a stroller with her parents.
While far from Battery Park, it’s really easy to get to (no cab or subway required) and you do get the sea breeze, even if it is the East River based… I’m sure we’ll be back to watch more sea planes and boats pass by. If you are in the ‘hood, be sure to check it out.
Here are the pictures I shot while on the move. I captured the full essence of the place, including the cars and Con Edison.
Yahoo! Maps with wireless access points
This is very cool… just click the radio button at the bottom of the map you display and you can see all the hotspots in the area. It’s hard to tell whether they are commercial and free or just commercial, but helpful regardless.
Not sure if people are already aware, but Yahoo! Maps now shows “Wi-fi Hotspots,”, if the option is checked. They are represented by little Centrino logos… [Warchalking]
How to Walk in New York
Walk or don’t walk? In New York, there is rarely a choice. Andrew Womack lays the ground rules for how you should maneuver the pavement, always showing your best side under special circumstances, and what to do when sidewalk rage hits. [The Morning News]