one city block (lyn)

In Manhattan, every city block is a microcosm of a small town.  Today I circled just my block and nestled among the many apartment buildings, I counted: 

• 8 hair, nail and brow salons (wonder what this says about New Yorkers?)
• 4 dry cleaners/laundromats
• 3 parking garages
• 2 tobacco/newspaper stands
• 2 banks
• 1 pharmacy
• 1 US Post Office
• 1 shoe repair
• 1 flower shop
• 1 locksmith
• 1 clothes boutique
• 1 toy store
• 1 eyeglass place
• 1 shade and blind store

But mostly there were places selling food:

• 2 delis
• 2 newsstands also selling candy
• 1 incredible, always-packed ice cream parlor
• a street vendor selling fresh fruits and vegetables
• a small market
• a very large gourmet market (Agata Valentina)
• 9 eating establishments, including: 
• one of the best sushi restaurants in the city, a newly-renovated pizza parlor, Subway, a Mediterranean take-out place that some NYC poll voted as having the “best lemonade in New York,” an eat-in bagel place, a Chinese restaurant, an understated American restaurant that serves some of the best hamburgers I have ever had, a Greek restaurant, and a soon-to-open 24-hour diner (its predecessor closed in late summer).  

Since starting on Weight Watchers, I have avoided all of the food places, except for Agata, and even there, my purchases no longer include pastas and desserts. But I do miss the ice cream parlor.  Especially when my son comes back with his mint chocolate chip ice cream.  Sometimes there really is no good substitute for the real thing.