Monday, September 6th, 2010

The three-day weekend is a tricky beast in New York, particularly Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. On these holidays one is expected to leave town. Many venture forth to the Hamptons, others to Fire Island and still others to family homes in Connecticut or even further afield to somewhere like Maine. Tell people that you are staying in town over one of these long weekends and they will likely look at you like you've grown a second head, and say something like "Why on earth...". But the truth is that staying in New York on these weekends is maybe one of the best decisions a local can make. First, you save yourself the hassle of physically getting out of town, a challenge even in the best of times. No Hampton jitney, no car service to the airport, no rushing to make a train. Just the simple commute home. And then, the glory of a semi-deserted city filled mostly by tourists who don't venture anywhere you want to be at anyway. You can get into restaurants that you'd never have a shot at otherwise on these weekends! Run the errands you want to run, like actually venturing into Trader Joe's and not coming out a lunatic ranting about lines that go all the way to the produce section! These weekends are glorious.

Verdict: Love New York Today