NYC: Cheap thrills with an old flame

New York (CNN) — New York City and I broke up almost 10 years ago. I said it was my fault, but I lied. Money drove us apart. The city was happy to take, but unwilling to give. At least to me. Finally, I left. But I wasn’t happy about it.

A few years later I read an article about a guy who jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge and survived. This is how he described what happened as soon as he leaped,”I instantly realized that everything in my life that I’d thought was unfixable was fixable…except for having jumped.”

That’s how I felt looking at the city framed in the rearview of my cousin’s pickup the day he helped me move. NYC and I could have worked something out. But it was too late. I was off to another town. The city kept the cat.

So, when I recently returned to New York, courtesy of a TV show, I was especially giddy. OK, I wasn’t financing the trip myself, and, yes, I was staying in the storage room of my friend’s apartment in the West Village. But New York didn’t know that.

Here’s what New York saw when I landed: A guy in a suit holding a card with my name on it. Now this is not a common occurrence for me, it was just a fringe benefit of the aforementioned TV appearance. For a moment I pretended that I was waiting for my luggage so the city could take it all in and see how far I’d come. Kind of a “How ya like me now?” moment directed at my ex.

But NYC’s too cool to care. And if I’m honest with myself, that’s why I love it. After a few minutes I admitted to the driver that I didn’t have any checked luggage. Unsmiling, he stared at me for a moment and then turned and started walking to the car.

And then there she was. Is there another city in the world where a glimpse of it makes you feel like you’re hang gliding while sipping a martini?

And that’s the paradox at the heart of visiting New York. The most expensive city in the United States provides the cheapest thrill: You just need to arrive and look up.

Of course you also have to eat, but that can be done on the cheap, too. Yes, NYC is rightfully famous for its upscale restaurants (Ai Fiori and Recette are two buzzy new comers), but it also has a host of handsome, not-insanely priced options like Momofuku and ABC Kitchen. And it’s home to my favorite eatery: The closest bodega.

Bodegas are mini grocery stores. The name comes from the Spanish word for grocery store. Many of NYC’s bodegas were opened by Puerto Rican and Dominican immigrants, but they are now owned and operated by a rainbow of ethnicities. In Lower Manhattan, they’re never more than a block or two away.

They are chock full of soda, water, beer, newspapers, fake aphrodisiacs, cigarettes, chapstick and all the other sundries you might need during your long days away from your usually small living quarters. But more importantly, bodegas are beacons of hope in the tumult of the big city. They are first-aid stations, reality checks, enablers, canteens, information booths, shelters and — this is my favorite part — makers of affordable sandwiches.

The Canadians can have their government health insurance, I’ll take the security of two gooey eggs, salt, pepper and a slice of cheese on a kaiser bun for under four bucks. Or a thick turkey sandwich with cold lettuce, tomatoes and mayo to mop up what I spilled down my gullet at a bar on a long night.

As it turns out, high rents and the proliferation of chain stores are pushing bodegas toward extinction. You know how people say that New York has turned into a playground for the rich? They’re right. Just window shopping on Hudson Street can lower your FICO score. Average rent for a two bedroom apartment in Manhattan is north of $3500. Throw in a doorman and you’re talking another two grand. That means two months rent will pay for a year of public college where you can take a course in psychiatry and earn a living examining the heads of people who live in Manhattan.

But, if one can secure affordable digs for a visit (my friend’s storage closet is constantly filled with visitors from out of town. God knows where he keeps his luggage. Oh that’s right, he probably can’t afford to leave), the concentrated wealth of Manhattan provides more than just thoughts of revolution.

It has created wondrous architecture and soul nourishing public spaces like the newish High Line, a 1930s elevated railway that’s being turned into a park on Manhattan’s West Side. The High Line is a miracle of art, native grasses and city views. It’s for walking. And sitting (there are lounges with wheels that slide on the remnants of train tracks.) It’s elegant.

I wonder if NYC will take me back. I’m in love again. Now I just need to find an affordable apartment.

If you go …

EAT
The Spotted Pig Puts the “gastro” in gastropub. Michelin-star food in an unassuming setting. The restaurant’s famous friends give it a hint of glamour. Can the rest of America copy this idea already? (I’m looking at you Los Angeles.)
Cafe Angelique Sunny, yummy and bustling. A little French cafe where you can fill your stomach and your Moleskine notebook.
Momofuku If you’ve never had real ramen, don’t go here; it will ruin you forever. Otherwise, stop by for some of the best in the country.
Little Branch Sasha Petraske’s (the man who helped spark the cocktail renaissance and the getting stale faux-speakeasy phenom) most democratic bar. Perfect, and I mean perfect, cocktails complete with dim light and occasional jazz.
Prune Butchers gave away bone marrow for free when chef Gabrielle Hamilton started selling it at this influential little bistro 20 years ago. Since then, marrow, and Prune copycats, have started showing up everywhere. This OG of Euro-peasant fare still has a certain sparkle that sets it apart.
Cherry Tavern This dive bar will do. Smells like industrial cleaner and sounds like Interpol. Killing time here is not only legal, it’s encouraged. 441 East 6th Street

PLAY
High Line Oscar Wilde described golf as a good walk ruined. The High Line is a good walk enhanced.

STAY
A friend’s house. Or find a place on Craigslist.org where people make their apartments available for short stays.

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Pomp before policy as Hu arrives in U.S.

Andrews Air Force Base, MD (CNN) – The white 747 with blue stripes and adorned with a flag landed at Andrews Air Force Base Tuesday afternoon, bringing a president to Washington. But this time it was an Air China jet stopping in Air Force One’s usual parking spot, to begin an official state visit by President Hu.

The real story of the Hu visit will be the serious topics up for discussion away from carefully choreographed ceremonies: trade, currency, and security. Each is an issue without easy answers. But even with one of America’s most complicated relationships, policy talks start with protocol.

The visit opened under dark skies on a chilly and drenched tarmac, with Vice President and Mrs. Biden leading the eight-member welcoming party that greeted China’s leader.

As the 747 turned off the runway, a military honor guard took up its position. Across the wet concrete, a red carpet was rolled out just before the doors opened and American and Chinese delegations lined up below the stairs. The Air Force band struck a welcoming note as Hu stepped out into 37-degree air. With every step planned, Hu shook hands with Biden and the greeters at the base of the plane.

The visiting leader hugged a child as he and Biden worked the lines. With the honor guard standing post on both sides, the two walked to the front of the red carpet. The Air Force band played the Chinese national anthem followed by the Star Spangled Banner and both delegations stood at attention.

The American delegation included Ambassador Jon Huntsman and his wife, Mary Kaye; U.S. Chief of Protocol Capricia Penavic Marshall; and Colonel Lee DePalo, the 11th Wing Vice Commander at Andrews Air Force Base. In attendance on the Chinese side: their ambassador to the United States, Zhang Yesui; the Chinese Foreign Minister; the Minister of Finance; and embassy staff members.

Hu then climbed into a limousine affixed with a Chinese flag on its left front and an American flag on the right. With a full motorcycle escort, the long motorcade headed to Washington where Hu’s first event is a private dinner with President Obama Tuesday night.

The short ceremony was a precursor to the real pomp and circumstance scheduled to take place on Wednesday. A formal state welcome will greet Hu before a day of meetings at the White House. Hu will also be the guest of honor at a State Dinner Wednesday evening, the third of President Obama’s administration.

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Magazine picks America’s healthiest airports, BWI Shuttle

If you’re traveling over the holidays, chances are you’re not looking forward to spending time in a crowded, stressful airport. Faced with the prospect of long waits, deafening public-address systems, and indigestion, you may quickly lose that festive feeling.

Still, airports are not all bad. In fact, based on research Health magazine has done to find America’s Healthiest airports, some are actually working hard to make your traveling experience healthier by offering nutritious food, special relaxation zones, walking paths, the latest safety technology, and a whole lot more. We scored the nation’s major airports, see how we did it, and then asked a panel of expert judges (meet them here) to help us choose the top 10.

Congratulations to the winners. And to those airports that failed to make our list: Please shape up!

1. Phoenix Sky Harbor International

42 million passengers per year

Our top scorer won rave reviews for its commitment to a comfortable, low-stress experience for flyers. Sky Harbor’s healthful dining options scored well on the annual Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine airport-food scale, which measures the percentage of eateries with healthy offerings at major airports. Tempting low-fat choices include Yoshi’s Asian Grill’s avocado-cucumber sushi and edamame, Roadhouse 66 Bar’s veggie burgers, and Oaxaca’s vegetable burrito.

“Burrito spots are great in airports because they often have several options that are healthy and fast,” says judge Amy Lanou, Ph.D., a senior nutrition scientist for PCRM. Also elevating the Phoenix experience is a video-paging system that lists and announces names, making them accessible amid the usual din.

There are even two pet parks where traveling canines can work off energy before or after a flight. And the airport is always open to change: After a family with a disabled son suggested upgrades, the airport recently added adult changing stations to its family bathrooms. Plus, the airport’s bathrooms are widely known as some of the nation’s cleanest.

2. Baltimore/Washington International

21 million passengers per year

Baltimore/Washington International now features soft music and comfortable lighting at one of its key security checkpoints, instead of the usual crowding and confusion. The changes are part of the Transportation Security Administration’s new Checkpoint Evolution program designed to reduce stress and hike safety.

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“High-stress areas are the perfect camouflage for bad guys,” says TSA spokesperson Christopher White. To take stress down another notch, walk the BWI Shuttle, a 12.5-mile hiking-and-biking path that circles the airport and goes through wetlands and forest areas; it’s accessible from public areas of the terminal. Still stressed? Get a seated massage at the Destination Relaxation spa. Health.com: America’s healthiest spas

3. O’Hare International (Chicago)

76 million passengers per year

Big airports usually have a great selection of healthy food, Lanou says. That’s one reason why O’Hare International, the second-busiest airport in the world, is in PCRM’s top 10. More than 90 percent of its 100 restaurants offer low-fat, fiber-rich, veggie-heavy meals. CIBO Express, for instance, has grilled veggie salads and kosher crackers and chips. O’Hare also wins points for its super-fun children’s play areas and the fitness facility in its on-site Hilton Hotel, which offers workout equipment plus massages, a sauna, a lap pool, showers, and a Jacuzzi. Day passes are $15.

4. Detroit Metropolitan

36 million passengers per year

A white Christmas is wonderful — except when it ruins your travel plans or makes them unsafe. Detroit Metro is working hard to limit the risks. The National Weather Service recently recognized the airport as the nation’s first “StormReady airport system.”

Airport police officers, firefighters, and field-maintenance and security personnel are being trained as weather spotters; if they’re aware of approaching storms, they alert airline employees (who consider boarding delays), disseminate information to keep ticket-holders from being stuck at gates without knowing why, and develop evacuation and sheltering plans. And should the weather delay you in Detroit (always a possibility during the winter), finding a healthy meal is easy. The airport partners with local health organizations to flag heart-healthy dishes on restaurant menus. Sushi, anyone? Health.com: America’s healthiest restaurants

5. Denver International

50 million passengers per year

The largest airport in the United States can also boast about its energy efficiency. Acres of solar panels provide enough electricity to run half the airport’s train system. The green electricity dramatically reduces carbon emissions — equal to the impact of 255,000 gallons of gasoline (enough to power 500 cars for a year). The airport also has a recycling system built into the runways and taxiways to collect 70 percent of the glycol used to de-ice aircraft.

“You’ve got to tip your hat to Denver International for establishing themselves as a model,” says judge Steve Howards, executive director of the Clean Airport Partnership, a nonprofit group devoted to improving environmental quality and energy efficiency at airports. Denver also receives high marks for its close-to-75-percent on-time arrival and departure rates, the second-largest public art collection in Colorado, free Wi-Fi, and healthy restaurant choices. Health.com: America’s healthiest grocery stores

6. Washington National

19 million passengers per year

Anything that helps you take your mind off the fact that you’re in an airport waiting to be crammed into a tiny airplane seat is a good thing. The museum-quality artwork at Ronald Reagan Washington National is the perfect diversion. Architect Cesar Pelli integrated 30 works — stained glass, marble and glass mosaics, terrazzo, cast bronze, hammered aluminum and copper, and traditional paint on board and canvas — into terminals B and C. If your flight’s got a major delay, you can even get some fresh (fume-free) air at this airport: Try the walking-and-biking trail that goes through the airport grounds; flyers can access it by exiting terminal C. Our judge Tom Parsons, CEO and founder of BestFares.com, also gives Washington National props for being one of the easiest airports to get around in because of its one big terminal.

7. Dallas/Fort Worth International

60 million passengers per year

There’s no better place for a family lay­over than Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW), which has two 600-square-foot play areas that feature padded airplanes, taxis, and luggage for climbing, plus a TV showing kids’ cartoons. DFW also scores high for its green fleet. Of the airport’s 580 vehicles, from buses to lawn mowers, 540 are hybrids or run on compressed natural gas. And thanks to restaurants like Tequilerias, which serves nutritious options such as jicama and mango salads, the airport stands tall in PCRM’s food rankings.

8. Logan International (Boston)

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28 million passengers per year

If you’re a green fanatic, you’ll love this: Logan’s terminal A, its biggest, is the world’s first airport terminal certified by the U.S. Green Building Council for using the highest green construction standards. It features roofing that reflects heat, special stormwater-filtration devices, low-flow faucets, waterless urinals, self-dimming lights, recycled construction materials, and more. And Logan’s compressed-natural-gas shuttle buses prevent 7 tons of pollution emissions from reaching the atmosphere and causing smog every year, the equivalent of taking nearly 800 cars off the road. You care more about comfort than the environment? Logan pampers all weary travelers with 50 wooden rocking chairs, 16 decorated by local artists.

9. Portland International (Oregon)

15 million passengers per year

You’d expect an airport in the crunchy Northwest to go all-out for the environment. Portland doesn’t disappoint with a paved bicycle-and-walking path that links local hotels, businesses, and regional hiking and biking trails to the airport. The airport offers free covered bicycle parking adjacent to the terminal, too. Our judges also laud Portland’s recycling of cooking oil into biodiesel fuel, the abundance of live trees in the terminals, and the musicians — mostly local stationed throughout the airport to lower the stress level.

“Loudspeaker noise on top of ambient noise is really hard on your senses,” Lanou says. “The whole traveling experience is a lot easier when you know you don’t have to listen to just PA-system announcements.” Not surprisingly, Portland’s Laurelwood brew pub offers certified-organic beers. And the airport gets high marks for on-time departures: 80-plus percent in the latest Transportation Department annual reporting period.

10. Philadelphia International

32 million passengers per year

If you get sick at the airport, what do you do? In Philadelphia you can head straight to the new AeroClinic, where nurse practitioners and physician assistants can diagnose and treat minor conditions like colds, allergies, and flu. The facility also offers well-care checks for people who have high blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid problems, and diabetes.

If you’re feeling fine, get a dose of heart-healthy wine at Vino Volo, the airport’s new wine-tasting bar. And if you’re traveling on a Saturday or Sunday, bring your laptop because Philly International features free

Wi-Fi weekends to help you keep your mind off the stresses to come.

Slash: ‘I was a productive junkie’

(CNN) — He’s the rock demigod who lives and breathes music, but whose heart beats thanks in part to a pacemaker.

The former Guns N’ Roses guitarist, whose real name is Saul Hudson, is probably the most recognizable man in rock ‘n’ roll. Yet beneath the mane of curly locks and leather top hat is a devoted musician who kicked a drug and alcohol addiction because it was getting in way of the music.

“I was a productive junkie … I was driven by music. I did have these distractions, but I managed to be functional as best as I possibly could,” he told CNN.

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“What helped clean me up at the end of the day was the fact that, after a while, it started to get in the way of being able to do what it is I wanted to do… I’ve done more in the last four years than I could have possibly done if I was still using,” he continued.

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Rock has a certain energy and attitude and that seems to be lacking in commercial rock music today.
–Slash, musician

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Since leaving Guns N’ Roses in 1996 — “As I walked out it was a huge weight off my shoulders” — he’s produced his own material, collaborated with numerous musicians and was the driving force behind supergroup Velvet Revolver, a band he’s trying to revive once again.

He fixed his place in the pantheon of rock stars during his time with Guns N’ Roses (“If I wasn’t in that band, it would have been my favorite band”) and it’s been almost 15 years since he spoke to lead singer Axl Rose after their much-publicized split.

However, the idea of a Guns N’ Roses reunion isn’t completely out of the question.

“I used to be very sort of negative about it ’cause I just don’t see it happening,” he said, “but at the same time you just never know. No efforts have been made to try and do anything about it so I guess you just leave it to chance. Maybe it will; maybe it won’t.”

While a potential reunion might please thousands of fans, Slash is looking forward to Velvet Revolver and other projects, despite the music scene experiencing what he calls “a very weird time.”

“This whole thing with the internet being the mainstay of the industry at this point is taking a lot of adjusting and it hasn’t really settled yet,” he told CNN.

“[A] certain energy and a certain attitude and that to me is very rock and roll. And that seems to be lacking in commercial music, especially in commercial rock and roll right now. I’m sure there’s a lot of guys out there who have it all together but then they can’t get a record deal.”

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Huge discounts on Heathrow Connect to encourage commuting

Airport staff are being offered huge 75 per cent discounts on season tickets with the Heathrow Connect service in a bid to get more of them to use it for commuting.

The discount applies to weekly, monthly or annual season tickets compared to the normal price and is available from 1 September.

Heathrow Airport Minicab Connect, operated jointly by BAA and First Great Western, runs every 30 minutes from London Paddington via Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell, Southall and Hayes & Harlington to Heathrow Central for Terminals 1 and 3. The air-conditioned trains take 25 minutes from London Paddington to Heathrow Central, from where there are free connections every 15 minutes to both Terminals 4 and 5.

In 2009 over 600,000 journeys were made on Heathrow Connect and the new discount is being introduced to encourage more of the 77,000 staff based at the airport to use the service. British Airways staff based at Waterside are also eligible.

In order to benefit from the discount, airport staff need to take a passport sized photograph to their local First Great Western ticket office and show a valid company or Heathrow Airport ID card. A Heathrow Connect photocard will be made at the station and can be used immediately to buy a season ticket, which from 1st September will be half of the current staff fare and 75% less than a normal fare.

“We hope these fantastic new discounts will persuade more staff to consider leaving the car at home and getting the train to work. Heathrow Connect offers a regular, reliable service to the airport and is now cheaper than ever before for airport workers.” said Theo Panayi, Heathrow’s Transport Strategy Manager.

For further information on services and times staff can call Heathrow Connect on 0845 678 6975 or visit http://www.heathrowconnect.com. The website http://www.heathrow.com/commuter helps airport staff to make better travel choices and improve their journey to work and save money, time and help the environment.

New staff fares are as follows:

– Paddington to Heathrow weekly/monthly/annual ticket is now £12.05/£46.28/£482.00 (was £24.10/£92.55/£964.00)

– Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell to Heathrow ticket is now £8.85/£34.28/£354.00 (was £17.70/£68.55/£708.00)

– Southall and West Drayton to Heathrow ticket is now £7.80/£29.98/£312.00 (was £15.60/£59.95/£624.00)

– Hayes & Harlington to Heathrow ticket is now £4.90/£18.83/196.00 (was £9.80/£37.65/£392.00)

– The discount can also be offered as part of a rail season ticket from stations between Hayes & Harlington to Reading, including connecting branch lines from Henley, Marlow, Windsor and Greenford.

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