Garine Isassi

Commerce

Vehicle Buyback

Interesting marketing ploy and even more interesting if it's true --We got a letter from our honda dealership in NJ where we bought our van in 2001. They say there is a "severe shortage of vehicles in the pre-owned inventory" and want ours b/c of our "Honda vehicle ownership status" - which, i guess, means they know it's in good shape. They promise to take our van as a trade-in at $2,000 over the blue book value. Of course, that means we would have to buy a new car . . .

Rte 3 West, Clifton, NJ

Renee Lux

Behavior

Lobster Tail Theft

from Greenwich Post, April 9, 2009 Police Watch:

A man was arrested April 4 and charged with sixth degree larceny and second degree criminal trespass. Police responded to a shoplifter at Whole Foods on East Putnam Avenue. Investigators determined Allen had put packages of lobster tails in his jacket. When he left the store and was confronted by employees, he fled, dropping two packages worth $55.

East Putnam Ave., , Greenwich, CT 06831

Furyk Clark

Behavior

Food Not Flowers

In past years i had planted flowers and maybe some herbs to help spice up my cooking when i did my deck-gardening. This year it's potatoes, cabbages, peas, carrots, etc.

nancy goodman

Behavior

Parking!

I thought I was just getting lucky, but it now appears to be a regular event that there are about 15% empty spaces at the Larchmont Train Station. And yesterday evening (saturday), I got an on street parking space at 65th and Broadway!

There's a silver lining! (sort of)

Anselmo

Swindlers

What Would Shirley Booth Think?

Duane Reade at 49th & 9th in Hell's Kitchen is selling a 16-oz bottle of Dickinson's witch hazel for $8.49. Same item two weeks ago was selling there at a non-sale price of $5.89. That's a 44% increase!!! Store brand for same item selling for $5.69. Is there something in the vital worldwide witch hazel market (joking....it's such a basic, "nothing special" type of product) causing such a scary run-up in price? Don't think so as price for store brand 16-oz bottle at Target in Brooklyn is selling for $1.72. Shame on you, Duane Reade. Anyone else noticing price gouging at any of the 50,000 DR's in our town?

721 Ninth Avenue, Hell's Kitchen, NYC

Christine Fulton

Behavior

Summer Day Camps

I live in Fairfield County and summer camp is a favorite spring time subject among the parents. In the past few years, parents have lined up early in the morning, logged on as soon as camp registration opens to ensure that they are not 'stuck' home with their children during the summer months. Just last week I decided to sign my children up for 4 weeks of summer camp (nearly 4-6 weeks after registration has opened) and found that they got in with no wait. I spoke to one of the camp directors and he indicated that because of the economy, people really are scaling back in this area (just as my husband and I have chosen to do by only sending our children for four weeks).

78 Lyons Plain Road, Weston, CT

beth

Bright

there's always Banh Mi's!

Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwiches), under $5, amazing food.

Elizabeth & Grand, Manhattan, Bergen & Smith Cobble Hill

elizabeth

Employment

pay cuts

15% pay cut for our whole company. I make what I made 3 years ago now, and it's not that much. :( I guess at least I have SOMETHING....

manhattan

Jessica Kessler

Commerce

Where have all the stoop sales gone?

I live in Park Slope and have noticed that their are fewer stoops sales this year than in years past. I am not sure if people are selling things through different means (ebay, craigslist, etc.) or if they are holding on to things in hope of selling them later at a better price. I would think that it would be the opposite, since people need the money more. Very strange.

South Slope, brooklyn, Ny

Heather

Employment

Unraveling

I was laid off March 2, 2009. My friends far and wide have been wonderful in helping me look for work. They have provided me with people to call to network, which is the best way to find employment.

A friend from high school contacted me through Face Book and gave me the name of a woman at a PR firm to contact. Today I called her, but she was no longer at the firm. It appears that she was laid off.

This seems to indicate the depth of the unemployment crisis. The laid off are reaching out to the employed network, and finding out their network contacts have also joined the ranks of the unemployed.

300 West 21st Street, New York, NY 10011

Kenneth P

Commerce

New Doctor Office Fees

Made an appointment with my long time primary care physician and was told of their "new policy." $50 fee for 'no-shows' and $25 fee to cancel/reschedule. Sounds like they took a cue from state legislature scrambling to make a buck.
63rd and Broadway.

Dara B.

Commerce

WaChase

I work near the WaMu branch on West 4th St and 6th Ave - I also bank there. I went in yesterday during my lunch break to deposit the change I rolled from my change jar and it was a strange scene. Everyone was wearing Chase clothing and half the stuff on the walls was Chase and half WaMu. It seemed that people we being retrained to do a job they already do and the most strange thing of all - the teller who took my change didn't put it through a counter, she just added it up in her head and gave me cash.

340 Avenue of the Americas

Mark

Bright

Coupons Are Cool Again

Backstory: My company, City Shuffle, publishes The Diner's Deck -- a dining guide for Manhattan and Brooklyn that's in the form of a deck of cards and in which each of the 52 cards doubles as a $10 voucher at the restaurant it describes. (Also The Bar & Lounge Deck - same concept, but for nightlife.) They're coupons, basically - but very attractive ones that require no ripping or clipping and that recommend truly special restaurants like il Buco and Little D Eatery...

Uncommon Economic Indicator: Sales of the Deck were up this past holiday season by almost 30% from the previous year and now most of the participating restaurants are reporting about a 100% increase in card usage. They're seeing twice as many cards as this time last year. About one card a day. What makes us even more encouraged about our business is that restaurateurs are saying that check averages among Diner's Deck users are quite good, leading one chef/owner to conclude that folks who may have eschewed using restaurant certificates in the past are finding less stigma attached to using them these days. Of course, I like to think our beautiful packaging and nice list of participating restaurants has something to do with it too!

300 East 39th Street , NYC, NY 10016

john

Commerce

A spike for shrinks

All the counseling psychologists that I know have seen a dramatic spike in their business. People are stressed & are seeing shriinks.

Brian

Behavior

Rotating Basis

AMNH

Stephen Howe

Behavior

March of the Lunchboxes

For quite some time I have brought my lunch to work in a lunch box/bag but was usually the only one on the train carrying one. Now? Lunchboxes and bags everywhere--on the subway, on the PATH train, and the streets of Manhattan. And its men I see carrying them.

I like to cook--so bringing my lunch is a way to cook more at home plus make sure I am eating food that I like and think is good. Plus I tend to eat more healthily when I bring food from home. Salads and fruit are easy to throw into a lunch bag. I am less likely to buy them during a quick run for food.

With economic news and worries weighing on everyone's mind I started thinking about how much I was saving. And it wasn't just the obvious. First off, I was no longer spending the $40-$50 on lunches a week ($8-$10/lunch). And because I wasn't spending money on lunch I found that I didn't need to go the ATM (fewer ATM fees! I now go weeks--five weeks at one stretch--without going to an ATM). And finally, without extra cash and change in my pocket I found that I wasn't spending money on all those extras: coffee at Starbucks on the way back from lunch; money into the vending machine; money who knows where.

7th avenue, 32nd street

Lorrie Olsen

Behavior

Upper Deck is going, going....

More often the cheaper seats sell the quickest at concerts and sporting events. The longer you wait to make your purchase the more likely you will be limited to the pricier seating.

Gerry Neda

Employment

Recession street scenes

I live on the upper East side and I have noticed that
in keeping with the worsening economy there are an increasing number of sandwich board men walking around , apparently because this is the only work
available to these individuals - and this is providing
neighborhood retailers with a cheap source of low tech mobile advertising.

East 86th street ,Manhattan

Patricia Hume

Behavior

An institutional philosophy change?

My niece is studying to be a Waldorf teacher at Sunbridge College just north of NYC. They eat organic from the biodynamic farm on campus. The apple trees are not sprayed and the animals are free range. They also avoid pesticides by using natural alternatives like Borax. The kids in the dorm pay the extra $7 plus for eco-friendly, non- petroleum laundry products. On the other hand, the dorm mgmt. now uses cheap, fragrant petroleum based detergent to wash all bed & bath linens. It is a disheartening move. How many college student do you know who will pay $12 for laundry soap when they could pay $5 at a super store? The residents in this dorm do. One has to wonder if it is an economic indicator for the Rudolf Steiner community.

285 Hungry Hollow Rd, Chestnut Ridge, NY

Jenny Krauss

Bright

Hand made, fair trade

I've had a wholesale business for almost 10 years and sales for the first quarter of the year are more than triple what they were for first quarter 2008. I sell hand made, fair trade gifts for women, home and baby. It's pretty upscale stuff so I'm surprised to be doing so well in this economy. My best selling item is a hand embroidered belt from the Ayacucho region of Peru. I think people want to feel good about purchasing items that help impoverished women but these are hardly essentials. Go figure!