June 12, 2009

New York Stories

I had a hell of a trip up to New York, covering the CEA Line Shows for my day job company. A few highlights:

- At the event itself, I was able to see some cool new TVs from Mitsubishi and Toshiba, as well as a few nifty accessories from several manufactures. OmniMount has a new mount product called... the OmniMount, which sort of reminds me of when Pearl Jam named their seventh album "Pearl Jam." I covered a panel on netbooks- they're here to stay, everyone agreed- and I also had the chance to see a keynote by, and meet, Aneesh Chopra, the nation's first Chief Technology Officer, who told me that despite having an iPhone that he loves, the Obama White House is a BlackBerry White House. Here's our interview with him.

- My first night in town, since I was staying at a hotel downtown, I grabbed a PATH train and headed over to Hoboken, where I lived from 2001 to '04. It had been awhile, and while a few things have changed- they have a Five Guys!- just about every block of that place reminded me of at least a couple of long-forgotten stories, whether of crazy nights out, disastrous dates, or the afternoon of 9/11. I'd also been wondering if my old apartment still had an Indian restaurant under it, but the smell, two blocks away, confirmed that it does.

Also had a steak at Arthur's, walked in Sinatra Park along the river, and even walked into the Starbucks at the corner of Newark and Hudson streets to see if the gorgeous Puerto Rican counter girl still works there (she wasn't in, but a different one was.)

- My coworker and I were walking up 5th Ave. towards 42nd Street when we saw a Google camera truck drive by. I was excited that maybe we'd be on Google Street View for that intersection, but sadly we were not.

- Wednesday night I went to Citi Field for the first time to see the Mets play the Phillies. I thought the Mets did a great job building a great park, paying tribute to Ebbets, and adding in their own touches, and I especially loved the Jackie Robinson Rotunda.

I've always had respect for Mets fans, and we had a good time good-naturedly discussing our respective teams with the fans around us. The only real unpleasantness of the evening was during the national anthem, when some guy didn't stand up, so another guy, sitting at the top of our section, decided to spend the entire anthem screaming at the first guy ("STAND THE FUCK UP! IT'S YOUR FUCKING COUNTRY TOO, MOTHERFUCKER!") thus drowning out the anthem. I joked that I should try the same thing with everyone who didn't rise for the seventh inning stretch.

And yes, I stayed until the end, as the Phils won in 11 on a Chase Utley homer.

- One thing I missed? The Hold Steady, who were playing four shows, throughout the city, over the course of the week. Unfortunately, by the time I heard about the shows, it was too late to get tickets.

I've never for a minute regretted leaving New York for Philly four years ago- after all, I've got a wife, a house, a much better jobs, and an overall much better life out of the deal. But even if I only visit once or twice a year, I'll always love the Big Apple.

Posted by Stephen Silver at June 12, 2009 01:31 AM
Comments

Enjoyable travelogue. There is nothing like New York.

Posted by: Jeff S at June 13, 2009 10:12 PM

No Carlos's Bakery while in Hoboken?

Posted by: A at June 15, 2009 12:34 AM
Post a comment









Remember personal info?