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