Tag Archive for: New York City

4 Things You Never Knew About Labor Day

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labor-dayHappy Labor Day!  When you think of this holiday — what comes to mind?  A three-day weekend? A chance for a brief vacation?  A trip to see family and eat BBQ?  The official end of summer?  I know — me too.  But actually — it’s meant to be a tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of America.

Here are some lesser-known facts about the holiday:

1.  Labor Day was almost on May 1st

Labor Day signifies the end of summer, but it nearly could’ve been the start. In 1884, the American Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions declared that by May 1, 1886, all employers institute an eight-hour workday. However employers didn’t respect this, causing workers to strike, which lead to the Haymarket Riot in Chicago. President Cleveland was worried that the tainted history of the date would lead to more riots, so in 1894 he moved the holiday to the first Monday in September. Read more

Instant Gratification Apps

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shake shackWe live in a society where quicker is better and right now is best. With the popularity of services like Amazon, Netflix and iTunes, having things brought to us in a snap is becoming more and more common. To satisfy our need for “instant gratification” there are some apps that will bring you what you want, when you want it! Most are start ups, and designed for people who work long hours and don’t have the time or energy to check things off their to-do lists themselves.

I’m a big fan of outsourcing and here are some of my favorite apps for this:

wun wunWun Wun – This app allows you to place an order from restaurants, groceries, and liquor stores and they will deliver it to you in under an hour for free. I recently used it when I was craving some Shake Shack, but I didn’t want to have to trek the 22 blocks to get it. I timed it and the delivery guy arrived in 50 minutes, and the food was great. The other delivery services in NYC like Seamless and Delivery.com don’t service this restaurant, so it was the perfect solution for my burger craving. Just a heads up – their messengers’ work for tips. So be generous with your tipping.

Available in – New York and the Hamptons.

UPDATE: This app has changed — full details here. Read more

Checklist for Bringing the Suburbs to the City

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Dalas skyline and suburbs

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I grew up in the suburbs so moving to the city was a bit of a culture shock for me. It’s always a bit of worry when you’re moving to a completely different town or city. You have no idea what to expect.

Grow your own vegetables – My dad has a garden that is his pride and joy in the summer time. He grows tomatoes, kale, basil, peppers, zucchini and lots of other veggies. So going outside to grab an eggplant or a squash was super easy growing up. But now in the city it’s a bit more challenging to grow a garden.

Host a garden party on your fire escape – Okay, so it won’t be your typical garden party with gazebos and fancy hats – but it is possible to bring a relaxed, outdoor vibe to a fire escape or roof deck near you.

Sign up for a farm share – To get that home grown feel in the city, why not join a CSA. Farm shares work with family farms to deliver organic and naturally-grown produce from a small local farm directly to your door. The shares allow you to become a “member” of the farm for a season. It’s great because as the harvest changes you get to discover plenty of new tastes and foods.

Watch an outdoor movie – You can’t get much more suburban the laying in the grass, stargazing and watching a movie with friends. Now you can experience this in the city too. Bryant Park runs a summer film festival every year showing all of your favorite classics.

How do you bring the suburbs into your life?

Breather App Gives You A Break

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Photo Jun 25, 5 22 27 PMSometimes it’s hard to get a minute to yourself — to think, to breathe or even just to zone out. So I tried out a new app called Breather. It’s an iPhone app which describes itself as a quiet space in the middle of the hustle and bustle. On Breather you can book a room in New York City and Montreal where you can meet clients, work, or relax. It costs $25 per hour. Breather rooms are designed to give you the perfect time-out experience; whether you need fast WiFi, a desk or a comfortable couch to kick back and read on.

Overall I was very impressed with my free trial hour. I booked a room near where I work in Rockefeller Center, which is an incredibly busy area. It was amazing how quiet the room is considering I was right in the middle of Midtown. I almost forgot where I was. It was easy to check in using the app and all I had to do was show my ID to the doorman at the building and he allowed me up to the suite. When I checked in, I was given a pin code to get into the actual suite. I got to relax, chat with a friend on the phone and answer some emails. I definitely plan on using this service again, and I would recommend it if you need to be more productive and get away for just a few minutes.

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App Makes Life Easier and Delivers On Demand

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wunWhile I love my to-do list, sometimes it gets really overwhelming to try to accomplish so much in one day. I’ve posted about limiting your to-do list before, but sometimes it just is not possible to cut your list down. That’s why I love apps where you can outsource your errands!

Unlike TaskRabbit which allows you to hire someone to assemble furniture or deliver groceries, the Wun-Wun app exclusively offers deliveries. With this app you can have anything you want delivered to you anywhere in Manhattan!

Sign up with a credit card and phone number and with a few taps one of their 200 helpers is on his way. Most deliveries are free (the app itself costs $0.99) but restaurant and coffee deliveries cost $20.

Just for fun, here is a list of ways you can use the Wun-Wun app:

1. Have someone else do your grocery shopping while you binge-watch “Breaking Bad”
2. Have wine delivered to your apartment while cooking for a dinner party
3. Have deodorant delivered while at the gym
4. Have your picnic brought to you in Central Park
5. Have medicine delivered to your door when you’re home with a cold

The best part is you never have to pay cash (or leave your couch) and the tip is included. The possibilities are endless really. Once you start outsourcing your life — you’ll find that you have much more time to do the things you really love!

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Wun-Wun via The App Store $0.99