Most favorite store opening: Muji (SoHo, Broadway between Grand and Howard)
Mujirushi Ryohin mean “no label, quality goods”, and the new SoHo branch of this Japanese department store delivers on its name. Everything that I would say about this charming store has already been said in this charming NYT review of the store. Some choice quotes:
"I entered the carefully considered, gloriously affordable new Muji store in SoHo, and something inside me unclenched . . . it is the folded-down, crisp origami essence of a superstore . . . I fell in with other shoppers, all of us quietly marveling at the simplicity of each object, touching them with our fat American fingers."
Least favorite store opening: Little Marc Jacobs (West Village, Bank and W. 4th St.)
Oh, I got something truly unique alright. Proof that Marc (and my neighborhood) has jumped the sharc.
Favorite bridge: the Manhattan Bridge
Runner-up: Verrazano Narrows Bridge
The Manhattan Bridge lacks the landmark quality of its southern neighbor, the Brooklyn Bridge, as well as the spacious bikepath and lively end destinations that bracket its northern neighbor, the Williamsburg Bridge. In addition, bridge access for bikers is a nightmare on both sides of the bridge.
But despite all these shortcomings, this bridge is my favorite of the year for several reasons. First, the bike path runs alongside the northbound subway tracks, providing an opportunity to engage in the rambunctiously fun diversion of racing the B train across the bridge. Second, unlike the Brooklyn and Williamsburg bridges, the bike path is on the outside, not the center, of the bridge, and the protective railing is relatively unobtrusive. As a result, as you approach Manhattan from the Brooklyn side, it doesn’t take much imagination to feel like you’re actually flying over Chinatown. Finally, the Manhattan side of the bridge is surrounded by lower Chinatown, one of my favorite neighborhoods.
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was a close runner-up, but I decided to disqualify it because I haven’t actually crossed it. Before this year, I had no idea the bridge existed, and was blown away by its sheer size the first time I saw it this past summer. According to the MTA:
"Its monumental 693 foot high towers are 1 5/8 inches farther apart at their tops than at their bases because the 4,260 foot distance between them made it necessary to compensate for the earth's curvature . . . Seasonal contractions and expansions of the steel cables cause the double-decked roadway to be 12 feet lower in the summer than in the winter."
I’m looking forward to making it my favorite bridge of 2008, after I cross it during the Five Borough Bike Tour.
Favorite subway line: the A train northbound, between Canal and 4th St.
I vividly remember the moment I
fell in love with the
But what makes the northbound A train segment between Canal and 4th my favorite of the year is precisely the opposite sensation. As the train leaves the Canal Street station, it accelerates rapidly, and the jolting, screeching and clacking fade into a soft ambient whirr as you accelerate through the dark tunnel. If you’re lucky, you might also enjoy a glimpse into a C or E train running alongside you before they veer off on their own tracks, leaving the A train rushing alone in the dark. And just as you start to wonder if you’ve left reality for some other plane, you emerge full-speed into and then past the Spring Street station. It’s the most wonderfully otherworldly experience I’ve had on mass transit.
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