However, I took a closer look at the maps where the pedestrian deaths were listed by location. I found that on Broadway, there were no deaths around the NYU campus (from 4th to 8th St).  But on 3rd Ave, there were two deaths around the campus (from 2nd to 14th St), one of which was a 67-year-old male. And there seems to be a higher number of red dots (which represents fatalities) uptown than downtown.

Moral of the story? Don’t go above 14th St.

Photo: Flickr courtesy of fabrisalvetti

Sexton talks about our school’s high standard of intertwining the experience of living in New York with the NYU education, but just as we make businesses thrive, we also cause them to wither up and die. And to be honest, I’ve learned nothing so far from G-Ho’s neighbor, the Archive (and I hate buildings – other than dorms, of course – that have their own names). The Hub Station brought both business and a sense of communal warmth to the neighborhood, which will now probably be brought back somewhere to the East Village which, of course, is also falling victim to more rich white people.

Photo by Frank H Jump

Now, you may have already heard about this, but the Mets’ recent loss to the Brewers kept them out of the playoffs and marked the final game to be played at Shea. It’s official, it’s really happening, and it sucks.

This right here is perhaps the most disheartening symptom of a serious problem – New York’s inability to keep the old. I’m not talking about stuff like the Chrysler Building or the Public Library, but other, more local landmarks that have a lot of meaning for nearby residents yet are being built over and changed anyway.

I understand that an old business or restaurant that has been closed for a few years, no matter how much of a landmark, ends up being something of a waste of space. But in the past few years, it’s been happening over and over again, and many of those who fought for preservation are passing away as well.

Now all this may sound meaningless coming from me, the NYU student, or me, the Jamba Juice fan, or me, someone who only came to New York a couple of years ago. What do I know about preservation and historicization?

I know enough to remember meeting Mookie Wilson in a press box at Shea; I also remember Todd Pratt hitting the home run in Game 4 of the 1999 NLDS, beating the Diamondbacks and causing a near-riot – cops had to ride horses onto the field to maintain order. I remember going to Yankee Stadium many times as a kid, clutching a pretzel as big as my head, my dad and uncle explaining to me when it was a good time to bunt or why a pitcher might intentionally walk somebody.

Most of all, with Shea and Yankee Stadiums, I remember being a part of something larger, part of something that had been around for decades, that had entertained, thrilled, and – ask any Diamondbacks zealot – sometimes even disappointed fans from all over. I remember walking into these stadiums and being in awe of the spectacle. And I’m sad that future generations of kids won’t have the same privilege.

Yogi, I guess it’s really over.

Photo: Flickr courtesy of llahbocaj

1. Magnolia Bakery: Okay, okay, it was on Sex and the City and now it’s a New York dessert institution. But that doesn’t mean it’s good. I don’t understand why people wait on line for 20 minutes to get one of the overly rich, too-sweet flavor bombs they call “cupcakes.” Buying one won’t make you quirky, worldly, or sophisticated – it’ll just make you nauseated and wondering why you spent five dollars on cupcakes. Don’t get the diabetes-in-a-cup at Magnolia: If you really like your treats sweet, head up to Billy’s, which was actually founded by one of Magnolia’s creators who split off to open his own bakery when he became dissatisfied with Magnolia’s recipes. The pastries there are worth the price of the subway, trust me.

2. Those random stores on Broadway: Yellow Rat Bastard, David Z, and that “concept store” by Astor Place—does anyone actually shop at these places? The former two belong to that shady brand of New York small businesses, as evidenced by the fact that David Z’s Yelp page is littered with comments complaining about poor service. I’ve walked into a few of these stores and the merchandise itself isn’t bad, but it’s not that cheap, and though they’re sometimes crowded, well…have you ever met someone who actually bought a piece of clothing at that Benetton?

3. Lack of Burger Kings: There’s a McDonald’s on Broadway at Waverly, a McDonald’s by Alumni, a McDonald’s on 1st Avenue—yet the only downtown Burger King is on CANAL Street? The two Burger Kings by my office in Midtown are always packed, so it’s not like a Whopper wouldn’t sell south of 14th. What’s the deal then? Even Target graced the East Village—albeit, for a weekend—but we don’t get a freakin’ Burger King? If you think I’m overreacting, go to the one on Canal and order the chicken fries, then tell me we don’t need one by Washington Square Park.

4. The new motorloop at Union Square: The north side of Union Square Park used to be an open lot perfect for skaters, hobos, and drunk gay men on their way back from Splash. Now the entire area is enclosed by a chain-link fence, and what was once a broad swath of pavement is now…a perilously narrow two-lane expressway? Are they trying to turn Union Square into a traffic circle? Whose idea was this? Take a memo, city planners: Union Square doesn’t need more traffic. Ask anyone who lives in Carlyle or Palladium. Just be careful you don’t get run over.