New York City

Opened in October of 1904 and closed in 1945, the City Hall subway stop has recently been opened again to the public. Visitors were able to check out the gorgeous tiles, stunning skylights, and original chandeliers of the preserved stop. The last tour date was February 16, and the next one is April 12. Sadly, tickets have sold out for the April showing, but get your fingers ready to click purchase for the upcoming summer tour. The dates will be announced soon. Meanwhile, check out the story by Curbed and ogle over the photographs posted there.

“Tours are led roughly 16 times a year to groups of about 40 people at a time. To attend, you have to have to be a member of the New York Transit Museum and be ready to act quickly. Tickets for the City Hall station tours cost $40 each and always sell out fast,” says Curbed.

City Hall subway station

City Hall subway station entrance

Ticket office, City Hall subway station

City Hall subway station name plate

By Wendy Rose Gould

Image credit: via Flickr: Ed Yourdon City Hall Subway Stop, Library of Congress

The Wage Board and Governor Cuomo have proposed a wage increase to $8.50 per hour from $4.90 per hour for tipped laborers. While some waiters around the city may be rejoicing, it does spell some major changes for waitstaff, restaurant owners and their patrons.

For example, some establishments are toying with the idea of dropping the tipping system completely, others have discussed cutting employees’ hours, and some restaurants are looking at price increases on their menu upwards of 20%.

Read more about the new legislation and what it means for all involved.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Image credit: Flickr: David Tan

It’s National Pizza Day, AKA the day you can gobble up as many slices as you want without regret because hey, it’s a holiday!

The Twitter world is certainly abuzz with talk of the best pizza in New York City, and it seems as if everyone’s got a (very strong) opinion of their own regarding who’s got the yummiest pie in town.

Today we’ve learned that if you want to create a debate in NYC, all you have to do is ask a bunch of people which pizza place is truly the most delicious. To help us decide — and to inspire your dining options for tonight and every night moving forward — we’ve compiled a list and created a poll. Cast your vote now!

Lombardi Pizza
@Bill25_says votes for Lombardi Pizza: “America’s first pizzeria (1905) is still offering its beautiful coal-oven smoky-crusted pizza topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil.”

Artichoke Pizza
@mattpcharles writes, “Happy #NationalPizzaDay Me in awe @artichokepizza last night. Not been before, ❤️’d it!”

Harry’s Italian
@AdrianaMurillo says, “My kingdom for a piece of pepperoni and garlic pizza from @HarrysItalian Battery Park #NYC”

Joe’s Pizza NYC
@MonarchLounge actually listed a few of their NYC favorites, including Artichoke, Joe’s Pizza NYC and Robertas Pizza.

Don Antonio Pizza
@Peproman: “If you come from US and want to eat real pizza go to @DonAntonioPizza in New York.”

We’ve taken these considerations into hand, and have also added a few more to our list. Vote and let us know which is your preferred place. And if you don’t see your #1 in the poll, leave a comment!

15 of The Best Pizza Places in NYC

Artichoke Pizza
328 E 14th St
New York, NY 10003

Co.
230 9th Ave
New York, NY 10001

Don Antonio Pizza
309 West 50th Street (at 8th Ave.)
New York, NY 10019

Franny’s
348 Flatbush Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11238

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria
1 Front St
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Harry’s Italian
2 Gold Street
225 Murray Street
Concourse Level Rockefeller Plaza

Joe’s Pizza
7 Carmine St.
New York, NY 10014

John’s of Bleecker Street
278 Bleecker St
New York, NY 10014

Lombardi’s Coal Oven Pizza
32 Spring St
New York, NY 10012

Lucali Pizza
575 Henry St
New York, New York 11231

Patsy’s Pizza
2287 1st Ave
New York, NY 10035

Paulie Gee’s
60 Greenpoint Avenue
New York, New York 11222

Roberta’s Pizza
261 Moore St
Brooklyn, NY 11206

Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitano
1524 Neptune Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11224

Zero Otto Nove
2357 Arthur Ave
Bronx, NY 10458

By Wendy Rose Gould

Image credit: Flickr: Dennis Wilkinson

We live in an interesting time.

The same thing was also said amidst the boom of print media, especially when haute couture glossies first hit the market and the whole fashion industry became more of an “event” as opposed to a utilitarian means to an end (read: being clothed).

I’d argue that when online blogging hit the scene roughly 15 years ago — the late ’90s — fashion underwent a notable shift. Once “the people” received a megaphone (in this case, the Internet), their amplified voices slowly began competing with the opinions of fashion designers and magazines across the globe. Don’t get me wrong, to this day designers and glossies certainly have a huge say regarding what we wear, but the whole social aspect of the Internet indubitably turned the style world on its head.

Fast forward another five-ish years or so — into the early 2000s — when “all about me” social media websites such as MySpace were at their height. The early 2000s also marked the dawn of the Facebook era, a website which has a bigger influence on the world than most even realize. It was also around this time when deep and thought provoking online diaries shared between close friends (hello, LiveJournal) lost their luster and lifestyle blogs gained momentum.

Today, you can’t go anywhere on the web without running into a blogger or a niche website that focuses specifically on fashion/style or beauty. And with the prevalence of smart phones and Apps (fashion-focused and otherwise, including Instagram), we can’t even pick up the phone without seeing what other people are wearing or buying.

This social media/Internet whirlwind frenzy makes me wonder: Are we better dressed now compared to 10 years ago?

The Stylish City’s own founder, Mirela, says: “Everybody — stores, bloggers, fashion magazines, etc — has “looks” to draw inspiration from. There are literally thousands of bloggers, personal stylists, celebrities and reality shows we are exposed to every day.”

This undoubtedly affects our decisions when we walk into a store or peer into our closet. With the potential for more people to see how we’re dressed, are many of us less apt to throw on scroungy sweats even while sauntering around the house? And do we make better fashion choices now as a result of being exposed to the more fashionable who want to put themselves out there for the world to see?

Another question I have, in regard to the Internet/social media influence:  Do we approach fashion on a more “individual” level these days? Or does the influx of online/media inspiration cause us to all sort of look like each other?

Personally, I think cities such as NYC, where there a lot of people coming from all walks of life, are more likely to dress individually, but there’s still this “NYC vibe” that permeates all fashion in the city.

Perhaps the boom of social media has made us dress better as a collective whole, but with that have we lost a sense of individuality when it comes to fashion choices?

What do you think? Have your wardrobe decisions changed over the past 10 to 15 years as a direct result of the Internet and social media? Has it gotten worse? Or have you sort of shrugged your shoulders and not changed much at all? Share your comments below!

By Wendy Rose Gould