Justine Poldino

Bright

Securities Fundamentals In The Garbage

Picture of book titled "Fundmentials of Securities Industry" in the garbage, was captured across the street from the Strand Bookstore on E 12th Street on 7/29/09.

Need I say more.

corner of E12th St. & Broadway, across from the Strand Bookstore

Tess Kelly

Behavior

Sacked Out

I was recently emptying the small wastebaskets around the house and I realized we were out of small grocery bags for reuse, 2 years ago the space under my kitchen sink was so stacked with these bags from various drugstore and grocery store and (god pardon me) wal-mart runs, that we routinely threw them away. I remain curious at how we can still be making so much small trash...

1614 Mazant St , New Orleans, LA 70117

Jax

Commerce

Cosmetic Dentist Cutbacks

I use cosmetic dentists because they usually offer extended weekday hours, as well as weekend hours.

When I tried to schedule a weekend visit, my dentist informed me that weekends are now only available for emergency visits (perhaps the dentist has a side job?).

Tim Gibson

Employment

Volunteering replaces a salary

Volunteering is UP. As a New York Cares volunteer, I run Orientation sessions for new volunteers. The numbers of new volunteers without work has doubled (easily). People find purpose and worth in going out to help others even less fortunate than themselves. For them it means they can still be productive in society and although there is no paycheck, the emotional and spiritual reward makes it all worthwhile. They feel that they still count in the work force. And who knows, a fellow volunteer may be looking for staff... you never know !

John Hahn

Commerce

No Vacancy Signs - at Lake George

As you drive up rte 9 from Queensbury to Lake George Village there are 25 hotels/motels from Comfort Suites to mom & pop bungalows. On the evening of July 20, 2009 my son & I saw 2 No Vacancy out signs out of 25 hotels.
the owner of Lumberjack Mini-Golf told us this was unheard of in mid-July.

Rt 9 , Lake George Village, NY

Julie Marti

Behavior

Mowing scaled back?

I live in lovely Eastern Queens and have noticed a change in the upkeep of the greenspaces throughout the neighborhood. The grass is now almost a foot high in some areas of the parks and the many grassy malls that decorate our streets.

42nd avenue , Bell blvd

jolie solomon

Behavior

economic immunity index

what about some indicators suggesting how how
much of a lag there is in the change in people's mindset--or how a class of folks blissfully immune. to economic constraints?
i was reminded of this during your show this morming: people discussed thekindle, esp the "first 30 mins free" policy. all charms of the kindle aside, have these folks ever heard of a LIBRARY!?
thanks

Briana

Commerce

Support Local Businesses

Many of the local businesses,(florists, video stores, grocery stores) in Astoria have placed signs in their front windows encouraging customers to support local businesses and resist the urge to shop at chain stores.

3498 30th Avenue , Astoria, NY 11103

Kevin Watkins

Commerce

Economy going to the dogs

Sign in the window at a pet store on 61st and Lex.

61st St and exington

John

Housing

No Parking No Coops

Here is a link to a story on Staten Island. The parking lot of the Staten Island Railway was designated for affordable housing coop apartments even though there was property for sale nearby. They started construction work on the foundation and there has been a hole there late 2008. No Parking and No Coops.

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/12/hole_lotta_nothin_at_staten_is.html

550 - 570 Bay Street, staten island

Greg

Housing

Stalled Luxary Apartments

Over 2 years ago, a luxury apartment building renovation began in my neighborhood. Units were starting at 400-500K for a 1 bed, which seemed absurd for a quiet queens neighborhood despite "luxury" status. Today the building stands unfinished and though I don't know for sure...mostly vacant.

Kew Gardens Rd btwn 84th ave and 83rd Dr, Kew Gardens 11415

Denise Rourke Miller

Commerce

uncommon economic indicator

budget cuts have lead to overgrown vegetation blocking signs along highways and turning exit ramps into tunnels!

Howard

Commerce

Containers not good indicators

WNYC keeps running a spot claiming that the height of the containers around Newark Airport (actually, Port Newark—the container facility) is an indicator that commerce is standing still. Not exactly. The containers testify to the vast number of imports over past decade or so. So much stuff was (and is) coming into the U.S., and so few exports were leaving, that the containers stacked up at this end of the pipeline. It's cheaper to discard empties than to ship them empty back to, say, China.

Matthew Hoffman

Behavior

No photos for artists

I'm too far away to be placed on your map, but I'll send this story anyway. I'm on the organizing committee for an annual festival which includes booths featuring artists and crafters. Each entrant is required to submit photos of their work, even if they've been in the festival before. This year, a noticeable number of entrants are trying to get out of having photos printed by listing a website (which puts the expense of printing the photos on the organizing commmittee) or claiming that photos are not necessary since we know their work from past appearances. Since photos can be printed locally for 29 cents each, it seems unlikely that anyone who can afford a booth can't afford to print their own photos, so I think this is indicative of an extreme thrift mindset rather than actual poverty.
(From a former New Jerseyan and long-time listener now listening online.)

Fall Festival at Solivita, Village Drive, Poinciana, FL 34759

Caroline Smigocki

Housing

No bites on Craigslist Moving Sale Items

We are in the midst of a move, and have posted a ton of furniture for sale on Craigslist. In the past, CL posts usually resulted in a barrage of emails, but this time, trickle would be an understatement for the amount of interest our posts have garnered.

Andrew Lipetz

Commerce

Spike in camping?

Last Saturday my family and I went to Campmor, a camping/sporting goods supplier in Paramus, NJ. I've been a customer for over 20 years. I have never seen the store as crowded with campers as it was last Saturday, and it looked like they were buying the kinds of gear one buys when you're just beginning to camp. (e.g. Tents, cooking gear). I'd take this as an indicator of a switch to lower-cost vacations.

Rt. 17 North, Paramus, NJ

Andrew

Swindlers

Car on Blocks

Today on the way to the gym at 6:30 AM, I saw my first car on blocks...the two left wheels stolen. Nothing left but the axels. I had certainly heard of this phenomenon, but until today the closest I have gotten was Chevy Chase in Vacation. But in fact it actually happens.

So beware. Wheels can be removed. Dust off "The Club" and secure your ride.

Sterling Street, Prospect Heights

Peter Fifield

Housing

Castles on Cabrini

It doesn’t seem likely that the castle-like townhouses planned for the lot at 203 Cabrini Boulevard in Hudson Heights will be ready any time soon. The three 13-room, 6-bedroom, 3.5-bath townhouses were to have been built with turrets, Tudor-style arches and other finishes that mimic Hudson View Gardens and Castle Village next door.

But apart from some of the Manhattan bedrock having been removed, construction is stalled; the lot is still vacant and a neighborhood eyesore. It was featured in the New York Times real estate section recently. According to the NYC Department of Buildings web site a stop work order has been in place for a year now. The green tarp on the fence at the front of the property hangs in shreds.

203 Cabrini Blvd, New York, NY 10033

Jabez L. Van Cleef

Behavior

Schoolyard Dads

In the hardcore bedroom community suburb where I live, a conga line of SUV's would form every day at the elementary school where my kid goes. Now, over the summer, I look back and realize that more and more parents were walking to school towards the end of the spring, to pick up their kids. Not only that, but more and more of the parents were dads. This completely changes the dynamic of the schoolyard -- as an older semi-retired dad I felt a little like a fish out of water because all the other parents were women -- but now that economic times have changed, there is more bending of gender roles and interactions proceed in a different way.

Madsion, NJ

Claudia Kulesh

Commerce

Santa's Bells in Summer

The sidewalk on Lexington Avenue around Bloomingdale's in Manhattan is always crowded - workers, tourists and shoppers clog the narrow sidewalk. At the holidays, the Santas from the Salvation Army add to the crowds and the noise with their ringing bells and money collection pots.
This past week I noticed Salvation Army collection stands across from each of the two Lexington Avenue entrances to Bloomingdale's.
I don't recall ever seeing these during the summer. Is Christmas here early? Or, do more people need the services of the Salvation Army now?

59th Street & Lexington Avenue, 10022