Port Authority has a pretty sweet system to get you to the Meadowlands. You go to the NJ Transit ticket windows, tell them you want a round-trip ticket to the Meadowlands (only $10!), walk across the hall and outside, and a bus is literally sitting there waiting for you. Buses start taking people over about 2-3 hours before an event. I got on the bus at 6 pm to head to the Genesis concert and stepped off at the Meadowlands at 6:20 pm. Not such a bad deal.

The bus ride there is definitely more pleasant than the one back, mostly because everyone is still sober. There were some pretty obnoxious/scary/thought-they-might-start-a-riot types on the way back to the city.

I  don’t necessarily have beef with Jersey (I’ve spent most of my life at the beach in South Jersey), but for some reason North Jersey has always bothered me. I don’t know if it’s because of the characters I knew in college who were from N. NJ (Guido types with way too much “Jersey pride”) but whatever the reason, seeing this as the bus entered North Jersey just reinforced my distaste for it:

WTF? That’s the best you got North Jersey? I wish I’d known this in college when all the lame asses were whooping it up about having “Jerzeyyyy in the houseeee.”

This is why I love New York. We wouldn’t be caught dead bragging about being an embroidery capital. If anything, we’d lie and blame it on Jersey.

*Stay tuned for pics and a review of the Genesis concert.

why i love new york city | 1 Comment »

Walking down Broome Street today, I spotted this:

 After I crossed the street, he said, “Did you get the picture?” I was somewhat embarrassed that he caught me taking a picture of him, but then I thought: If you’re walking down the street with a cat on your head, you’re asking for attention. I told him I was actually too far away and the shot was blurry. He obligingly posed for me and then hit me up for money. I gave him a dollar and told him to get kitty some treats. She deserved it.

pets, why i love new york city | No Comments »

I’ve already mention my love for fummer (see a few entries below), but my true love is autumn and everything that comes with it. Mainly football and Sam Adams Octoberfest, but the cool weather, changing leaves, and festive decorations all play a part too.

So, you can understand why I jump at the chance to experience anything that has to do with this season. When a friend mentioned a brewery that he frequents because of their seasonal Pumpkin brew, my eyes lit up. “When are we going??!!” I asked eagerly.

Although Heartland Brewery has five locations in the city, my friend’s favorite is the one in Union Square. So, that’s where I met him to experience my first “Smiling Pumpkin Ale” (obviously their official name for it, not mine). He threw me for a twist though: Instead of ordering a plain old pumpkin ale, he ordered us Jack O’Lanterns: A pumpkin ale with a shot of cider in it.

Since I’m so used to Sam’s Octoberfest in the autumn (which is a slightly heavier, darker beer), I figured pumpkin ale would be along the same lines. Errr I was wrong! It was much sweeter than I thought it would be, although the cider probably added to that. You could taste the spices in it, like cinnamon, but in no way was it overpowering.

According to the website, the beer is made with honey-roasted pumpkins and simmered with ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Yumm…boy did those go down easy. Heartland Brewery offers an amazing assortment of beer - I can’t wait to go back and try Farmer Jon’s Oatmeal Stout(right up my alley, as the website claims it’s a substitute for Guinness).

The details in this place are great - every beer has a comical logo to accompany it, which means your beer will show up with a coordinating glass and coaster:

Make sure you check out their website. The beer listing is phenomenal - they tell you the color, flavor, ingredients, a comparable beer, what meal you should enjoy it with, and more.

food, reviews | No Comments »