The New York Minute Show

New York Minute Show follower Andre from Germany was nice enough to send me a bunch of wonderful panoramic city shots like this one taken at Top Of The Rock looking south with the Empire State Building in view. Click here or on the photo to view the full set.

We’re bringing together podcasting, a New York Charity and a New York musician for a great cause. Blubrry, Brother Love and The Boomer Esiason Foundation are teaming up to raise money to benefit the Exercise For Life Scholarship fund.

The campaign, running from March 15th to May 15th is called The Blubrry Jam To Fight Cystic Fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis is a debilitating lung disease that ultimately proves fatal, cutting the life span of those afflicted to 37 years. This campaign is raising funds to help provide financial support for young people living with this disease.

You can support us by making a donation online via PayPal or by attending our musical benefit event in New York City on April 7th. The live event will be a great show and features Brother Love performing in his usual awesome style and playing songs from his new CD. Every paying entrant to the event gets a free CD.

You can find out more, make a donation and buy tickets to the live show at www.blubrryjam.com.

Thanks in advance for supporting this very worthy cause.

I got caught in a wild one while attempting to travel to Atlanta this weekend. Have a look at Newark Airport and environs as the biggest storm of the winter hits just a few days before the start of spring!

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What would you do in New York City if you were only here for a day or even just a few hours? What should you do? Listen in to hear a New Yorker’s perspective on the ultra short trip to the Big Apple.

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While I try to be as much of an optimist about New York City as possible, it is important to acknowledge the drawbacks of life in NYC.

Costs for just about everything including food, housing and transportation are high. Taxes are high too. At 8.625% the sales tax in New York City is probably higher than anywhere in the country.

A new report confirms that taxes in New York City are higher than anywhere in the United States. The New York Post wrote an editorial on the topic yesterday. The news is not good.

According to their editiorial, “New York state and city taxes consumed $9.02 of every $100 earned during the 2003-2004 tax year – far above the big-city average of $6.16. “No other city even comes close” to New York, the report concludes.” Ugh!

The upside, if there can be one, is the fact that the city provides many services as a result of these tax dollars. The Parks Department alone spends a considerable amount maintaining our many city parks including Central Park. Tax money also goes to paying for our many Public Schools and Libraries around the city.

In a city like New York the taxes need to be high in order to support the massive services required by over 8 million residents.

Should you avoid moving to New York City due to the high taxes? I say no. Instead you should plan ahead. Learn about budgeting for personal finance. Create a budget and include taxes as one of your major expenses. This will help make your plans realistic and increase the chances that your experience in the city will meet your expectations.

A quick stop at the main branch of the post office on 33d St. and 8th Avenue. The building is open 24 Hours A Day serving the postal needs of New Yorkers. The structure is magnificent but currently covered in scaffolding. Madison Square Garden and Pennsylvania Station are right across the street.

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What would you do if you were sitting in a restaurant in New York City and after the meal the check had an 18% tip automatically added to the bill? I tell you what I would do.

In the past I’ve mentioned taking the JFK Air Train from the airport to save time and money. But in what situations should you skip the Air Train? I’ll let you know my opinion.

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[tags]New York City, NYC, Travel, Podcast, Restaurants, Tipping, Airport, Transportation[/tags]

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A walk through the south building of the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 40th Street and 8th Avenue in New York City. We also get a look at the newly constructed New York Times headquarters across the street.

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Combine a Google Map with a New York City subway map and you get a very cool and useful resource for getting around town.

http://www.onnyturf.com/subway/

People are saying that the temperature peaked over 70 degrees (about 20 celsius) here in New York City today. I believe it because I was on the streets and it felt like spring.

Strolling through Bryant Park I found out that the Wi-Fi access was down and the free ice skating rink was turning into a lake. Over in Times Square the post-matinée crowd was filling the streets and enjoying the respite from winter.

Lucky for you I had my new Samsung BlackJack with me to help record the events of the afternoon. The resulting video podcast is a bit low-fi, but the scene comes across real good.

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[tags]New York City, New York, NYC, Times Square, Bryant Park, Travel, Video[/tags]

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