Suburban "Excitement"... Was It Robert Downey Jr?

I miss seeing celebrities! Granted, they never changed my life... but it was exciting to bump into them on the streets, restaurants, bars, theatres & have exchanges with them. Of course there's lots of filming that constantly goes on in NYC... so it's a daily occurrence. But I miss those exciting exchanges!!!

While living in NYC, I never became jaded by running into celebrities. In fact, I felt more alive & always had a great story to tell friends later that day. On the downside, if a stars trailer was parked outside your apartment window, the noise & fumes from the generator were annoying- but that's a small price to pay! I have yet to meet one Suburbanite who actually saw or met a celebrity in Suburbia.

It goes without saying that in NYC, you can do something exciting every night & never be alone. There are tons of shows to see, hundreds of restaurants that stay open late & always people on the streets. Nonstop excitement, diversity & life!

The most "exciting" thing in Suburbia is shopping! There are super sale days, early morning door busters, coupon cutting sale days & even late night shopping sales... (I am guilty of the later, but haven't seen more than a handful shop at that time of night). After all, its "too late", or they're "getting ready for tomorrow" or watching reality shows in real time, rather than dvr it & watch it at a convenient time. wtf???

It's a very different mentality in Suburbia. Another "exciting" thing to do is sports!!! Well, sort of, if you consider WATCHING it on tv rather than actually participating in it. But an extremely "exciting" thing would be to get a bunch of junk food on a "super sale" AND "play" (I mean WATCH) sports for hours! Yeehaww!!!

Okay, okay... to each his own, but I am just comparing what excitement is in NYC vs Suburbia in general. Hands down NYC is & always will be exciting... for me. I live for my next visit to NYC where I am not consumed by loneliness & dependence on a car.

I realized the difference between "excitement" in Suburbia & NYC tonite in a restaurant when the waiter asked if I was Robert Downey Jr & I just smiled coyly & left the restaurant quickly, exiting like a celebrity (hahaa). As I ducked out, I  felt like maybe I made the waiters nite a little "exciting". At least I knew I wasn't going shopping at some unnecessary "sale" or passing out on the couch from the exhaustion of "watching" marathon sports while gorging.

I went home & checked my airline rewards miles. How soon before I could visit NYC - MY city of excitement? Not soon enough... not soon enough, but maybe... if I could be a double for Robert Downey Jr in his next movie! That could be exciting! And what if in his next movie he played the role of a Suburban shopaholic who watched sports nonstop on the couch. Wow, that would be a trip!!!

Thanks for visiting my blog and please leave any comments, suggestions or what you think about NYC vs Suburbia. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon.

When Ya Gotta Go... Ya Gotta Go

Suburbia wins hands down when it comes to public restrooms! What are ya talking about you may be asking?

Well, being a native New Yorker, one of the few things I complained about (while living in NYC) was the public restrooms. There are very few, so if you have bladder issues, you are in trouble... I was always in trouble!!! How many Starbucks or McDonalds can you really slip into anyway? However, in Suburbia, you can always find a public toilet. They are in retail stores, supermarkets, home improvement stores, fast food restaurants, gas stations and malls. OMG! Nature does not have to wait in Suburbia... is that an oxymoron? Anyway... Amen! I have finally found a reason why Suburbia is better than NYC & it is because Suburbia has LOTS of restrooms. I am no longer in pain & can hydrate as much as I want!

In NYC, there are verrrry few public restrooms & most of them ain't pretty!!! So yeahhhhh! I am actually happy Suburbia has something that NYC lacks... I always have access to reasonably clean public toilets. It's pathetic that this makes me happy... but it does & I am, so that's that! However...

There is one fabulous restroom in NYC & I LOVE it! I've gotta share this with you - it's an outrageous public restroom  on 42nd Street in Times Square. It is the "Charmin" (as in toilet paper) restrooms. It is a potty palace set up annually for the Holiday Season. They have deejays playing music, picture & video booths for documenting your "visit"! It is extremely clean & I have never had so much fun going to the bathroom!??? Each private bathroom is named after a city such as "Hollywood", "Chicago", "Tucson" etc. And each room (about 20!) comes equipped with a choice of a variety of different types of Charmin toilet paper to use! For the first time in my life, I had to force myself to "go" just so I could check it out! What fun, but that's a one of a kind place. Now if they ever offer THAT here in Suburbia... well, I could almost wet my pants just thinking about it!!!

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The Hood: NYC vs Suburbia

While living in NYC, I was spoiled! Like most New Yorkers, I preferred  to stay in my own neighborhood. I would make a big deal about going crosstown or uptown. I wouldn't even consider the "bridge & tunnel" ride to meet friends for dinner or a night out.

I truly enjoyed my neighborhood. Shopping, eating, drinking, movies, theatre... everything was within walking distance or a subway ride away. Restaurants knew me, storeowners knew me, it was all very familiar.... almost like being in a small town. Not at all like the preconceived idea that people who live outside of NYC have about us New Yorkers. I would like to break this myth... New Yorkers are NOT cold, mean & nasty! We are a friendly diversified group with personality. We may be in a hurry to get to places, but will gladly stop & give directions to you, I know I did that quite often.

Living out in Suburbia, I've gotten even worse about leaving the neighborhood! My dislike of driving everywhere controls my life! I do not want to leave the house & I do not venture far away. I don't like to get on highways where drivers are talking/texting on cells & possibly drinking. Unlike NYC, when having a night out, there aren't many places to go. Sure, there are malls, restaurants with bright lights that close way too early & not much in the diversity department. So, why bother??? The only way to get directions is from your GPS in your car! There is minimum human contact and perhaps that is why the people in Suburbia seem less friendly to me than New Yorkers. I think it is because of the lack of contact with people. Everyone is in cars. People even drive to their mailboxes & drive to throw out their garbage. OMG! I refuse!!!

It doesn't really matter to me whether I am living in NYC or in Suburbia. (Well, actually it does, BUT)... I enjoy my comfort zone, as most of us do. As different as both places are, the consistent thing is that I like to keep close to my home. But living in Suburbia is definitely much more lonely especially if you're a "people person". You can't really walk out at midnight and get a newspaper, ice cream bar or have a conversation with anyone on the street. And if you decide to get in your car... it may take awhile to find a store that is open at midnight. After all, most people are getting ready for tomorrow instead of enjoying their today.

Thanks for visiting my blog and please leave any comments, suggestions or what you think about NYC vs Suburbia. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon.

GAGA-licious: Another Concert Experience

In my last entry it was pretty obvious that I preferred the NYC concert experience compared to Suburbia. But if you read it, (and I'm sure you did), at the end of my entry, I wrote that Lady Gaga was coming to The Oracle Arena. And I started to think hmmm... if this Native New Yorker is returning to perform at The Oracle, maybe I should revisit the Arena too?

I am no longer a virgin to The Oracle Arena (Oakland's equal(?) to NYC's Madison Square Garden). I had my 2nd Suburban experience going to the Arena. This time, I kindda knew what to expect with the timing, the driving, the parking, the tailgating... so I wasn't as green!

I was fortunate enough to get some tickets the night before, even though it was sold out. I thought maybe it was kharma or the universe allowing me a 2nd chance at a Suburban concert & this time not be as critical. I was psyched about seeing this New York Italian artist called Gaga & all the hoopla that surrounds her & her incredible underrated voice. Wow, can she sing!!! It was such a fantastic show, I almost forgot I was in Suburbia! haaahaa (Sorry, fellow Suburbanites)!

Her positive energy and messages about being different and acceptance was very touching. She also SANG everything LIVE, unlike some other blonde "performers"... oops I said it again! Gaga thanked the audience for spending our money to see her show & she was determined to give us our moneys worth. She wasn't kidding! She is a multi talented musician & songwriter also. I left the show a Monster, (aka a Gaga Fan), loving the Lady & her music. And even though I was in Suburbia, I saw two of the best concerts in my entire life... Prince & Gaga... within one month of each other!!! "Awesome"... but you will NEVER hear me utter "dude" so "forgetaboutit" as they say in New York! 

I still love concerts in NYC & prefer them, but think I finally was able to enjoy the event for what it was. It certainly helped having Gaga there as my support and cheerleader.

Once again, if you have any comments or similar experiences about NYC vs SanFran, please share them. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and please pass the word.

Concerts: NYC vs. San Fran

During my last trip to NYC, I was bummed that we were going to miss Prince in concert by just ONE DAY! His current tour is called "Welcome 2 America", and I have never seen this musical icon perform live. I was happily surprised when his tour was coming to the San Fran area. It was going to be my first major concert since living here. 

Here's my take on experiencing a concert in NYC vs San Fran...

Both arenas - Madison Square Garden & the Oracle Arena, are very similar, except in size... MSG is much larger, & in this case, size is not necessarily a good thing. Both are similar in style, design & overall feel. 

For me, once again, its all about the driving out here in Suburbia! Having to drive, means having to allow extra time to get to the concert (traffic, weather, dining etc.) sooo prep time takes longer. Also, since you're driving, you should not be drinking, & if I am going to have a night out at a concert, I personally prefer a cocktail or two. Obviously I won't be the designated driver, but then again my sense of direction is so bad, I would probably still be driving to the concert even with the help of my GPS! The driving part has yet another added layer... the parking fee - paying a huge ($35) parking fee (cash only) at the Oracle Arena -  WTF?!!! Once parked, there are people having tailgate parties in the parking lot. I have never been to a tailgate party, so this was my first experience to see it, & to be fair, it was interesting. It was not my cup of tea, or specifically not the way I prefer to enjoy a frozen margarita!!!

It seems much more civilized, easier & fun to see a concert when in NYC. You can take the subway or a cab just before showtime, have a few drinks with dinner, no parking fees, & no tailgate parties! You enjoy the show & afterwards, perhaps have a light late dinner... which is really challenging here in Suburbia. 

There is no comparison for me... it's an obvious choice. The better concert experience has got to be going to a concert in NYC. The show at the Oracle Arena was great, Prince was outrageous & the entire evening was extremely memorable, but I'm not sure if I would go to another one. Then again, I did miss Lady Gaga's "Monster Ball" tour a few months ago in NYC & she will be returning to the Oracle this March. Come to think of it, she is a New Yorker & if she's gonna be there... We'll see, maybe I'll give it another shot also. But I still can't wait for my next NYC concert whether it's at The Garden, Radio City or Carnegie Hall... that for me is the ultimate concert experience. 

Please leave your feedback or comments about the pros & cons of going to a concert in Suburbia vs. NYC. Have a great day, thanks for checking in & please pass the word about my blog nyc2sanfran.

Yes, Virginia, There Are Four Seasons

Being a native New Yorker, I was somewhat surprised that there were four seasons here in Northern California! The weather here does not have the extremes like New York does, so I'm always surprised to hear native Californians complain about their Winter. If they only knew what is is like to experience an East Coast Winter! It can be cold, bitter & nasty... no names mentioned! haaaa

When many of my friends & family from back East talk about the weather here, the majority of them think that California (ALL of California) is always warm, sunny & has palm trees...  Well, FYI, it isn't always warm & sunny & it doesn't only have palm trees! We also have four seasons here in Northern California. The weather isn't as severe as NYC, but there are still four seasons. (Wow, live & learn, I guess).

Being the non stop complaining New Yorker that I am, I have to say that the weather here ain't so bad. Okay, okay... I still wish it were warmer a little longer & there was a little less rain, but come on, I gotta complain about something!!! Oh, did I mention the shorts & flip flops that still go on parading here in the middle of winter? Well, that's another story...


Please leave some feedback or comments about the pros & cons of living in suburbia vs. the big city. Have a good day & thanks for checking in.

Another "Normal" Day in NYC

Just another normal day for us in NYC and it went something like this...

We met a good friend for lunch in our neighborhood, the West Village, (walking distance of course), & then proceeded uptown to the theatre district in a cab. We generally, do not travel by cabs because they are expensive & can take longer than subways, buses or walking. But being under a time crunch & our friends insistence, we cabbed it.

We must have been deep in conversation before we realized that our cab driver had tourette's syndrome, because he was directing traffic & moving cars out of his way all by using his hands! OMG!!! It was scary/funny at the same time. The three of us were a little nervous & sat on the edge of our seats, since the ride was somewhat slippery as the snow/hail was coming down. The cab driver finally jammed on the brakes & banged on the partition to let us know we were at the theatre. We were seeing a matinee on Broadway & got there with a few minutes to spare. Bursting with laughter as we left the taxi realizing what had just happened & that we survived it.

Getting inside the theatre, the usher told us to wait for a moment & we thought, "What now"? But the usher explained since there was a snow storm coming, a lot of seats were available & we were fortunate enough to get moved to house seats (4th row center)... we paid for balcony seats! Wow, how great. The show was an unexpected pleasure & it put us all in a great mood... we were actually humming show tunes as we left the theatre. The show was "La Cage Aux Folles", not necessarily our favorite show, but we decided to take our friend as a belated birthday gift. The show is overly stereotypical in theme, but this production was a welcome surprise with Kelsey Grammer & Douglas Hodge playing the two male leads.

After a quick early dinner at Bus Stop Cafe, in the West Village, where the waitstaff & managers all know us, we left for an evening Broadway show. (Oh, did I mention we both received a glass of wine on the house because they missed us)? This is a great neighborhood spot with very reasonably priced, delicious food. Friendly staff, nice lighting, great food selection & in the middle of the West Village! (Was that a plug for Bus Stop? Sure sounded like a thumbs up to me). Okay we then headed uptown via subway as the snow continued to come down.

We went to see "Spiderman" on Broadway with all the buzz & hype attached to it, the show is still in previews & has gotten a lot of press. So, we saw the show & it was pretty amazing. The second act is still finding its way, (even though we couldn't find it at times), but it was really exciting to be able to part of this visually stimulating show! Grant it, we went because of all the hoopla surrounding it & thought "When in Rome", but also as a great topic of conversation when we're back in the burbs. It was visually stimulating & sometimes cirque de soleil like. "Spiderman" has a thin story line & not many hummable tunes... but it was a spectacle & worth seeing... especially at a discounted price. (Checkout Broadway Box or Playbill or just google Broadway discounts)! Another NY tip... you never pay full price for a show. When we left the theatre, there was a full white out snowstorm going on. It was fun, we were laughing, taking pictures, videos & acting like kids. But then again, this is just a typical fun filled day for us in NYC! (Minus the snow... that was just icing on the cake).

Okay, this is how we live in NYC. How can you find anything close to that in suburbia? You can't! Okay, I can't... not yet! But, I wanna try. I know there's just gotta be more than I'm experiencing up till now...(Cue the music "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This"). So, please if anyone knows... post a comment or suggestion. If there could even be two shows playing in one day that were Broadway quality, that would almost be enough for me! There is The Marin Civic Center which could have great entertainment booked there, but we haven't seen anything booked there yet! What's up with that???

Oh by the way, I could probably do without the "special" cab ride. Once was enough... at least for this week!

Any ideas or suggestions for things going on out here in Marin, please leave a comment/suggestion & thanks again for reading. I'd really love to hear all your feedback.

A Return Visit to NYC: Snowy, Cold & Fabulous!

Okay, I am trying to be objective... but as I sit here at my laptop in our old building in the heart of the West Village in NYC, I realize that this is where I belong! As I look out onto the streets, hear the traffic, see the cars, watch the snow falling down & even feeling cold, I just feel alive in this city.


What is wrong with me? It is COLD and everyone in NYC is constantly complaining about the cold and the snow and the yadda yadda yadda. That's what New Yorkers do and they do it well - complain! (I can say that because I am a native New Yorker and have mastered the fine art of complaining). But come on people, NYC is full of life and non stop energy... good, bad, chaotic, frenetic and always diverse, dramatic and different.

How can anyone ever get bored or tired in a city that doesn't sleep??? A cliche... but oh so true. If I can't fall asleep in NYC, it's because I am thinking of the hundreds of things I want to do or can do. When I can't sleep in suburbia, it's because I am thinking of what I need to do, have to do and what I can't do!

This visit back to NYC reminded me of the one thing that I never liked about NYC and that was the winter weather. However, this time the weather didn't even bother me as much as it has in the past. It seemed like it was kharma or a test of my love for the city, which of course won out! I was so glad to be out of suburbia! What does that say about me? I'm not sure yet, but I am not looking forward to returning to the car driving sleepy suburban mentality where life stops at 8:00 pm and public transportation is thousands of miles away.


Check back with me as I continue to try to survive in suburbia with style, $ense & sanity and a lot of humor... and please leave me your thoughts or comments.