I finally remembered my camera today. Behold, The Bryant Park Lawn! They rolled up the ice skating rink in March and promptly rolled out the lawn like a trade show carpet. Isn't New York-style simulated nature great? Look, there's even a leaf for a touch of naturalism.

Thank you Bead Center for 1) existing and 2) for being only three blocks from my work building. It's my one-stop shop for repairing any of my sparkle barrettes. They have every type of rhinestone -- flat back, pointed back -- in seemingly every color and size. I finally bought proper glue and tweezers so I can set the stones accurately without the Crazy Glue residue. #colormeexcited

Bead Center NY
989 Sixth Avenue (36th/37th Streets)
Garment District
212.279.2323

Ominous skies over the Garment District. But look at the detail on those buildings. Very Gotham City. Hurricane Irene comes early and takes all of us umbrellaless people by surprise. Grrr.

I guess it's getting tougher and tougher to find office space these days, to the point where one is forced to crouch near an outlet in the lobby of this busy Garment Center building.

The coffee shop's Garment Center location


Just in case they correct their logo, I will have had proof of the typo.

From Gregorys [sic] Coffee

How is this a crème brûlée croissant? The name of this fine-looking pastry perplexes me. Crème brûlée, I can believe, but not croissant. And no one at Gregorys [sic] Coffee on 7th Avenue & 39th Street seems to know what's in it. I thought chain stores are required to provide ingredient lists and nutrition information as per the Mayor's last-year ruling, at least in-store, if not on their Websites. Not so for Gregorys, who also doesn't feel the need to punctuate their name properly.



And sadly, the typos don't end with the name (their logo, for heaven's sake!) Please read their tagline: "GREGORYS COFFEE STRIVES PERFECTION, THE RESULT IS A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SECOND TO NONE."

This dress, with its sweet lace neckline, greets me every morning on 6th Avenue & 41st Street. It seems quite suitable for someone. Not for me, but for someone.

Should you need your own personal meditation time, find this planter
on the NW corner of 39th & Broadway.

Now that my Garment District Zen Garden has been majorly tampered with (they removed the entire Modernist beautiful Milliken Building to which it was attached, but more on that later), I must seek visual peace in other places. Will this moonscape-style planter perched atop a self-serve newspaper kiosk on a crowded corner do?

click this link to get your free ticket to the Southwest Porch event

Garment District blog, 39th and Broadway featured my pics in their post about the Southwest Porch yesterday. So I took a gander. And found this link in the comments section. A party! At the Southwest Porch, this Thursday, 6-9pm.

Here's what I would like to know. What are the various prices on a small (12 ounce) cappuccino in and around Midtown. Now that I would find useful. I think I will just have to compile a list myself. Excuse my while I do some research.

Okay, here is my list, starting with my favorites on down to ones I haven't tried yet. Note: all prices are before sales tax.

Macchiato Espresso Bar

141 E 44th Street (Lex & 3rd)
New York, NY
Midtown East

212.867.6772
small cappuccino $3.15

Pain Quotidien
Bryant Park
70 W 40th Street (btwn 5th & 6th Avenues)
New York
Midtown West
212.354.5224
small cappuccino $3.69

Pret a Manger
1410 Broadway @ 39th Street
New York
Garment District
646.572.0490
small cappuccino $2.79
BEST VALUE!

Macaron Cafe
161 W 36th Street (btwn Broadway & 7th Avenues)
New York
Garment District
646.573.5048
small cappuccino $3.75

Amish Market
240 E 45th St (2nd & 3rd Avenues)
New York
Midtown East
212.370.1761
small cappuccino $3.25

Joe The Art of Coffee
Graybar Passage
Midtown East
Grand Central Terminal
New York
212.661.8580
small cappuccino $4.00

'wichcraft
Bryant Park kiosk
11 west 40th street @ 6th avenue
New York
Garment District
small cappuccino $2.95*
Read about Coffee Happy Hour on Midtown Lunch!

Zest Cafe
1441 Broadway (40th & 41st Streets)
New York
Garment District/Times Square
646.572.0490
small cappuccino $3.00*

Europa Cafe
1412 Broadway (39th & 40th Streets)
New York
Garment District
212.398.9822
small cappuccino $3.25*



*Haven't tried these yet.
**FYI, a small cappuccino at Starbucks is $3.20





This post is featured on Midtown Lunch for December 12, 2008