Comments on: On New York Apartments, Grilling, and the Aussie Burger

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 16:37:09 +0000

Give the sunburnt cow a try, its in the east village. They have a great brunch that serves the burgers you describe and all you can drink bloody mary's and mimosa's…for $15. Australian beer on tap, a great way to spend a lazy sunday. i am a recent transplant from chicago and all i can say is the "EL" is too loud to talk on, i'll take the heat in the nyc subway any day

By: dickrebel

dickrebel — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 19:25:22 +0000

Congrats on the new digs.

Let's get to this burger "thing".

I have done the rare meat, the over easy egg, the avocado, cheddar, bacon, tomato, onion, and some boston bibb, but the addition of that beet slice makes me swoon. I love beets. I'd have never thunk to put a slice on.

I seriously just ran out and fired up the grill (even in this wet mess).

I know what I am doing with the leftover meat from yesterday's bbq. I even have beets and a very ripe avocado on hand, as well as leftover vidalia and heirloom tomato slices.

Thanks, and good luck in your new place.

PS: you forgot the mayo.

By: ann

ann — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:37:23 +0000

hey Blake, congrats!!! What an awesome turn of events! I'm jealous about the backyard. Do you think people in brooklyn mind if you grill on your stoop?
I love the idea of these burgers and could only do it on the sidewalk, which is cool and de rigeur in the LES, but I'm still new to this Brooklyn livin'.

By: J

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 18:54:09 +0000

Ruby: ouch.

Well, as much as I'd like to walk/ride the 35kms from where I live to where I work, I think I'll give it a miss.

By: Rudy McBagel

Rudy McBagel — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 15:37:21 +0000

you could try walking

By: J

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 06:28:27 +0000

From an Aussie point of view – you got the burger quite right – yes, beets and the fried egg are truly the essentials.

But being a Queenslander originally, I support the avocado and especially the pineapple additions. For extra tropical-feel you can even go with some mango chutney (which sounds odd, fair enough, but it's good).

You guys have a great site btw. And I do kind of envy the NY transport – here in Canberra our public transport system is rubbish.

By: Terry B

Terry B — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 02:36:30 +0000

Chicago's isn't too bad–our subways and els just don't go absolutely everywhere like the NYC subway system does. And the buses don't run frequently enough. Regarding "greener," there was an excellent article in the New Yorker a couple of years ago that argued [quite convincingly] that New York is the greenest city in America. Here's a link to the story:
http://www.walkablestreets.com/manhattan.htm

By: Blake

Blake — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 16:19:12 +0000

It's true--not very often do I need a new air conditioner (i.e., once). And I'm with you, I love public transportation, and my life is simpler without a car, and cheaper, and I'm not polluting. I also forgot to mention that the new apartment is very close to 11 subway lines. That little detail that has indeed made life easier.

The New York system is old, decaying, hot, smelly, etc. But it's also unbelievably extensive and, call me an optimist, pretty reliable (and 24/7 operational). You can always count on being able to get wherever you want to go by bus or train, in fact it's assumed that most people don't have a car, so directions to parties and events are always described in terms of public transportation. It's a mindset that makes it possible to exist without a car and be fine, which isn't usually the case in other cities.

That said, the grass is always "greener" (no pun intended with the green=environmentally sound), and sometimes I wish I didn't have to spend 45 minutes getting somewhere by bus and train when it's a 10 minute drive otherwise. That's why it's important to always have reading material on hand when you're going anywhere in New York! Plus, you do get your exercise walking.

The Chicago system is kind of a disaster, right? I think it takes 2 hours to travel from the airport to the city, and it seems to have lots of delays when I'm home. But the wooden platforms are very charming.

By: Terry B

Terry B — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:56:03 +0000

Oh. And the burgers sound excellent!

By: Terry B

Terry B — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:55:28 +0000

Blake–Congrats to you and Elin on the lovely new apartment and all its amenities. Great insight into New York life. Living in Chicago, I know the balance between the excitement and aggravation of urban life–and I'll choose urban every time. But while you talk about the ability to own a car, I think of New York as offering the ability to get around without one. Whenever I'm in New York, even for extended visits, I revel in getting everywhere by subway or on foot. Sure, we have decent mass transit in Chicago, but life without a car here would still be pretty miserable. And really, how often do you buy an air conditioner or something else big and heavy enough to need a car there?