See each of the submitted stories below.
Jill Waldman
Behavior
New Service With a Smile
I went in to an expensive store where the staff has always been very snotty to me. I have a 2 month old baby, and haven't been paying much attention to my clothes. I was wearing old chord pants and a baggy sweatshirt left over from college and did not look hip or fashionable in any capacity. I was looking around, and noticed that this time the staff were falling all over themselves to try to sell me clothes. They were bringing me different outfits they thought I might like, complementing me, and making small talk. I felt like a celebrity, even though I looked like a ragamuffin. I did buy something small, my first purchase at this overpriced venue.
Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY
Jax
Behavior
Upscale Recycling
It is now a common sight to see yuppies picking through trash cans around parks in Lower Manhattan.
Ellen Moskowitz
Swindlers
Ms...
Oct 16th--11:15 am... a nervous caller to my unlisted work phone stumbles with my name, claims he's working with others in my company, and asks me if I am interested in corporate stock options..."Boiler Room Revisited?"- --or a sign of recovery since the DOW jones avg topped 10,000 this week!
2000 purchase street, purchase, ny 10577
Julie Lifton
Bright
Keep On Truckin'
I drive up and down the NYState Thruway between exits 11 and 14 many times a week. Since mid-September there has been an increase in the number of trucks on the road: food transport, car carriers, etc... While I usually do not enjoy sharing the road with these big semi's, I now welcome them as a sign that the economy is improving. (too bad that has negative implications for the environment!)
Interstate Hwy 87, Rockland County, NY
Paula Beckenstein
Commerce
A free children's dinner.
I took my young grandsons for dinner last Tuesday evening, in Mt. Kisco, to Applebys, and after ordering dinners for all, I saw a clipping that said children's dinners on Tuesday evening are free!
Jacquie Flynn
Behavior
Piggy bank raiders
My husband is a coin collector, so my sons and I are very good about always checking our change to pick out anything old or rare before spending it. Since the recession began we have noticed a major upsurge in the number of Buffalo Nickels and Wheat Pennies in circulation. We've guess that hard times have caused people to raid their piggy banks.
Maywood, NJ
Ruth Ross
Housing
A nicer attitude
Each year for 38 years, I have received a nasty letter from my apt. rental office notifying me that I must vacate my apt. by a certain date, unless I sign a new lease. This year, they told me how much they value my tenancy and refunded half my security deposit!
115-502 Old Short Hills Road, West Orange, NJ 07052
Scott Gurian
Commerce
Door to Door Bond Salesman
A financial advisor from a well-known investment company rang my bell early this morning and gave me a flier about a municipal bond with a yield of 5%. I'm 30 years old. The catch is that I'd need to invest $100K and that it wouldn't mature until years after I myself start receiving Modern Maturity! Since when did they start selling bonds door to door like girl scout cookies?
Bloomfield, nj
Barbara Singer
Behavior
Health care failure
Yesterday a rather shabbily dressed man was standing next to a trash can on Park Avenue South and 21st Street. He was reading Rolling Stones magazine intently while holding the copy very close to his face. It was obvious that he needs glasses. To me this is a sign that the economy is failing, particularly regarding health care.
Park Avenue South, 21st Street
Kathryn Krase
Commerce
Ups and Downs
I reverse commute from Brooklyn to Mahwah, NJ three times a week. I was pleased to see that commercial construction on Route 17 is still happening. Then I realized something: The construction is limited to two luxury car showrooms (Porsche and BMW) and a Gas station! That's depressing, and more in line with my recent craigslist experiences. I couldn't sell a $400 tv stand for $5, listed for almost a month. Put on the free stuff list I got 20 emails in 24 hours!
AN
Commerce
Condo Developer Gets Creative, Collaborates with Students
Condos are a tough sell these days -- it takes something special. Hudson, the developer of a 44 unit condo in Carroll Gardens, hired Pratt Institute to outfit two model apartments with designs by Pratt students and faculty. Two years ago, buyers didn't need to see a sales model to sign a contract. Now they demand it and time to mull the purchase over.
Editor's note: While the original submission was added by an employee at the Hudson group, and this site does not exist to market condo sales, we have left the interesting content that shows an uncommon economic indicator: how one business is looking for unique partnerships to weather a tough market.
111 Third St, brooklyn ny
Ciesse
Commerce
Hot Deal on Fancy-ish Ice Cream
A chain supermarket in NYC (and not your usual discounter like Key Foods or C-Town) was selling Haagen Dazs 'pints' this week 2 for $3 -- as part of an unusually deal-filled sale. A vigilant tracker of supermarket circulars (and happy hoarder of icy treats), I have never seen HD priced lower than $2.50. At most Manhattan stores, including this one, they run about $5 each. The rusty lining on this silver cloud is of course that Haagen Dazs downsized its 'pints' from 16 to to 14 ounces a while back.
1074 Lexington Ave, And other D'Agostino stores.
Abhijit
Commerce
Kids Day weekend postponed
Kids Day weekend was to be held at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ on Oct 11th and 12th this year. Now due to budget cuts its been postponed until next year.
Exit 116 Garden State Parkway, Holmdel, NJ 07733
Upper West Sider
Commerce
Desperation
Walking to my office on West 72nd Street, I was greeted by a neighbor on the street, a chiropractor, who was handing out flyers advertising his services for a deep discount.
On Columbus Avenue and 74th Street a New Jersey tourism office opened and offered giveaways: fresh scones from a NJ bakery, luggage tags, scented candles, thermal bottle covers, and the piece de resistance: a drawing with the grand prize of an all-expenses-paid weekend in Atlantic City. The rationale? People want to vacation closer to home in these tough economic times.
West 72nd Street
Upper West Sider
Commerce
Downturn in Street Fair Vendors
Last Sunday, a beautiful summerlike day, I walked near my apartment on Broadway in a couple of street fairs. To my surprise, where there are usually back-to-back vendors with no empty spaces, this time there were many empty spaces and much fewer vendors. Signs of the times?
Upper West Side
John LaVallee
Commerce
Chase bank desperate for customers
I was at the Chase ATM in the Chrysler building on Wednesday and the "customer service" reps were staking out the lobby for potential customers. There was a woman next to me using the ATM with a non Chase card and the rep approached her in mid transaction to pitch her into opening a new account. He was standing over her shoulder pointing at the screen telling her she could save the $3 service fee AND give her $100. Clearly an invasion of personal space. She declined saying she had to be somewhere but he persisted almost dragging her into the office. I know that retail banking is getting competitive but these tactics are more aggressive than charity workers on the streets. This makes me want to change my bank to a credit union.
Chase Bank, 405 Lexington Ave
Christian Hege
Behavior
Nickels and dimes
I remember this happening in an earlier recession: sortof-old coins, such as wheat pennies from the '40s and '50s, are turning up in my pocket change. I think people are busting the penny jars open.
drew harris
Commerce
Rail Freight
Every day on my way to work I cross a railroad grade crossing. The line only carries freight. Starting in 2007, I spent less time waiting for trains to pass. The trains were shorter with many open box cars and empty container carriers. I could only assume that this was an indication of less manufacturing and wholesale sales.
Recently, the number and length of the trains that I'm waiting to pass have increased. Good news I hope.
Rahway Ave & Lamberts Mill road, westfield, nj
Michael Shamoon
Commerce
Where's the eggplant?
After recently eating two of my favorite sandwiches from one of my favorite cafes it finally occurred to me what was off about them: where the sandwich used to feature a few plump and meaty slices of fried eggplant there are now only pathetic wafers of eggplant-like remnants between two hefty fried layers! (Note the distinct lack of a downsizing in price...)
There can be only one culprit for this downsizing—darn you o global economic recession. I want my sandwich back!
Columbia University, 116th & Amsterdam Ave
Häsh reichardt
Commerce
The "Wheat Back" is back
I am a collector of old coins and I have found more "Wheat Back" pennies in the past 6 months, in general circulation (in change from supermarket, restaurants, variety stores, etc.), then I have in the past 5 years. I guess people are cashing in their change from piggy banks and water bottles.
16 E 40TH St 10016
