See each of the submitted stories below.
Gabriella Kessler
Commerce
State and Bond
A portrait of how two stores on the same Brooklyn street are feeling the impact of the recession in very different ways.
Bond Street, Brooklyn
Christopher Tignor
Commerce
Life On Location
Despite, or perhaps due to the economy, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn the film industry is moving forward stronger than ever, leading to sometimes bizarre, sometimes profitable situations for locals.
1066 Manhattan Ave. apt. 1, Brooklyn, NY 11222
David Marc Fischer
Commerce
listen
160 West 56th Street, New York, NY, 156 West 48th Street, New York, NY
David Marc Fischer
Bright
Get the Message
Times Square, NY
Andrew J. Simmonds
Employment
Stuck in the Rain
The economic slow down has had a devastating impact on day laborers residing in Spring Valley. This reduction in demand is evident by the number of people standing along Maple Avenue throughout the day waiting for someone to drive by and hire them for the day. Most of these individuals are reluctant to say anything or seek public assistance due to their illegal immigration status. Many of these individuals have young families living outside the United States supported primarily by remittences. These remittences have been greatly reduced over the past several months due the significantly lower demand for day labor. Although this economic indicator identifies significant and acute economic hardship, it is hardly noticed or acknowledged by most of the residence of this and the surrounding communities.
Maple Avenue, Spring Valley, New York 10977
Stuart Lutz
Behavior
Bald tires on SUVs
One thing I have noticed is bald tires on SUVs. These large tires often cost a few hundred dollars each, and were probably routinely replaced during the good times. Now, I have noticed many bald tires on SUVs, since the owners probably can't afford to replace them. It's bad news for us car drivers and cyclists.
Yoland Philpotts
Commerce
I have been thinking a lot about uncommon economic indicators since I have heard a few on the show. Two that indicators that I recently thought about:
1) During the recent spring fundraiser I don't remember hearing any dollar for dollar matches. What I heard offered were many one dollar for every two given matches. I wondered if this was representational of a change in the ability of the big donors to give as they usually do.
2) I was walking past 8th and University or 5th ave I don't remember which, but the BBQ's that was located there had closed. For a very popular restaurant that is not that expensive to close made me wonder if it was an indicator of the state of people's personal economies.
8th streeet and University
Queens'09
Housing
The Once St. John's Hospital
Queens Blvd.
Queens09
Housing
Queens Blvd. between Woodhaven Blvd and 57th Ave.
brian
Behavior
Long-haired dudes
A study on the economy's impact on men's hairstyles.
[Editor's note: we have contacted Brian to notify him that his video must be loaded in Youtube and their url pasted into the form. That is the only player this page currently supports. Please check later to see his long hair uncommon economic indicator.]
Thomas Brown
Behavior
POEM: Unshackle The Hand
Unshackle the hand…
House of care, the game has been written
Interfere with nature…you’ll get bitten
Know that it is supply and demand
Your character however is your passion to command
The defect, the wild card …the hazard … The Reserve
The House… can trust and confidence it preserve
The dare … sans gold, a multiple out of control
Has stretched and fractioned the metric to date
Unshackle the hand…it’s getting late
Stir and stimulate
It’s double toil the tool of trouble
Triple ready’s the new bubble
Ante up for obligations direct and moral
Easing … Hood wink seizing...Robin those that make
Moving goods and services to those that take
Unshackle the hand… as while we deteriorate
Butterfly wing can’t correlate
Risk… guarantees so effortlessly bet
By those so divine… so driven... so set
The mother of all spawning spoiled sisters and brothers
Fannie and Freddie going shy on the future fortunes of others
Unshackle the hand…let new form creations
The veiled stimulation a stacked deck of reallocations
Teleprompters cannot say what wizards lay
Natures markets correct ... by the way… all pay
Impeach the accusers who preach and now mate with the abusers
Seek no more regulation; your authorization … keep fair and free from manipulation
The game of bail… monopolies of all variations… you hail as we all fail
Our economy for sale…for burial…. now shovel ready
Unshackle the hand… allow markets to steady
Ford-ward will move Fiat as green- back shoots seed
Unshackle the hand… is the command...is what we need
Unshackle “The Invisible Hand” may God speed
©Thomas Brown June 13 2009
Internets Celebrities
Behavior
Make It Rain
The Internets Celebrities investigate the celebratory act of "making it rain" in today's economy and ask some tough questions:
1) Does "making it rain" make sense as a means of maintaining confidence in this harsh economic climate?
2) Can you "make it rain" outside and on a sunday afternoon?
3) Will you be compromising your playboy status if you squat down and pick up your money after "making it rain"? Or is it better to leave the bills on the ground where they can more easily circulate throughout the economy?
4) Don't euros make a stronger statement than dollar bills these days?
Court Street and President Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, NY
Mary Ginsburg
Commerce
Duane Reade Cancels Diabetes Education
Duane Reade has canceled its free Diabetes Self-Management Course and Support Groups, which were conducted by a dynamic RN certified in Diabetes Education. The classes helped many diabetes patients to understand and manage their condition (and probably saved many health-care dollars by preventing complications).
1889 Broadway , new york, ny 10023
David
Behavior
downgraded leftovers
In the men's room at my office, every morning someone used to leave a used Daily News (sometimes Newsweek) on the floor next to the toilet.
For the past couple of weeks it's been the free daily, AM New York.
1740 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Jerry
Behavior
a great increase in cigarette smoking
I have noticed a great increase in cigarette smoking. I have not researched cigarette sales figures... this is simply an observation of people on the streets. I did hear on this morning's show that beer sales are up and it is well known that alcohol and smoking are linked. I live on the second floor and my bedroom faces the street. Opening windows brings much more cigarette smell than ever before.
I work with one person who is a smoker and I was shocked when I learned that the price of the pack she was buying was $11. That's over $4,000 a year for a pack-a-day smoker.
29 West 26 Street, Manhattan
david weiss
Employment
local restaurant offers break to unemployed
The Thai Market restaurant on Amsterdam Ave offers a substantial discount to verifiably unemployed diners.
960 Amsterdam Avenue, , NY NY 10025
Stephanie Porto
Behavior
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
It may seem like nothing, but the other day I was taking the B54 bus back home and a rather curious incident happened that made me realize that people may have other things to worry about right now. I've been taking this bus for almost 9 years now and due to a steady decline in service and frequency, the passengers of my particular leg have always sported an edge. However the other day the bussed stopped to pick up a woman in a wheelchair. This usually illicits a collection of sighs and groans, but today nothing. Silence. As the woman went to get on she changed her mind and decided she wanted to get on through the back entrance. Still no reaction. As the bus driver made his way through the throng of passenger, everyone was still uncharacteristically silent and patient. As he finally got the ramp lowered, the retractable seat up, and her wheelchair safely oriented onto the lift the unthinkable happened - the woman stood up, jumped down from the ramp, grabbed the chair, threw it back on to the sidewalk, got back in, and wheeled away laughing maniacally. I expected an atomic bomb to explode. I winced, retracted my head into my shoulders and braced myself for a chorus of BURN THE WITCH. But it did not come. What did surprised me even more: laughter, a woman next to me remarking 'oh some people' and that was all, the crowd completely unphased. I think the man seated in front of me summed it up the best: "You just can't even say anything. It happened. Ain't nothing to do but keep moving." Ain't it the truth.
Isaac Littlejohn Eddy
Behavior
Hala Hala Bodega's Uncommon Economic Indicator
Isaac Littlejohn Eddy, the New York Times Brooklyn blog graphic reporter, animates this week's installment of "Fort Greene Illustrated." The owner of the Hala Hala bodega gives his thoughts as to why he sells more energy drinks in this economy. This animation is a submission to the "Uncommon Economic Indicator" Video Contest.
"Fort Greene Illustrated" is a 9-panel non-fiction cartoon series that tells the stories of people that live and work in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. They can be seen at the NY Times Brooklyn blog called "The Local": http://fort-greene.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/fort-greene-illustrated/
382 Myrtle Avenue , Brooklyn 11205
Susan S
Behavior
Doctor Cost Cut-No Paper Cups
I can’t believe the cutbacks some people are making. I just returned from a doctor’s appointment and I was shocked to discover that the economy has affected my medical care in a way that to me is unbelievable.. When I was asked produce a needed urine specimen I asked for a drink of water to help me. I was told by the doctor that due to cost cuts they were no longer offering water to the patients. I said that I was willing to drink tap water but was told that they no longer provide paper cups for drinking. When I replied that a sample would not be forthcoming unless I could drink some water, the doctor gave me a specimen cup to use for drinking. Fortunately the doctor gave me another cup to pee in. I guess the budget cut didn’t affect the specimen cups yet.
106 East 35th St., New York, NY
