Nitehawk Cinemas

Nitehawk is unlike any theater I’ve ever been to before. First of all, they typically play indie or already released movies rather than the latest Hollywood blockbusters. To see those, one must go to nearby Williamsburg Cinemas. It’s a glass and chrome building that has more of the typical theater vibe. It’s where I saw Deadpool and where I’ll see X-Men: Apocalypse once that comes out.

Secondly, Nitehawk serves a variety of food and drinks. Beer, tea, coffee (both types, however, were vetoed by Laura and Stephen), cocktails. Take your pick. Menus are seasonal, something I mourn after becoming addicted to the fall/winter seasonal popcorn: maple butter. Nitehawk also serves food and drinks themed around a particular film that’s playing.

One of my favorite features of Nitehawk is their monthly themes. February was Cabin Fever for late night shows (12 or 12:10 AM). March was Irish month. April brunch was When Nature Strikes Back, playing Twister and Princess Mononoke among others. Late night shows were werewolf themed.

A sense of glamor lingers at Nitehawk. Rather than buying a bucket of greasy popcorn and slurping down a pop, customers can instead have a meal and a drink. Each triangle-shaped table is assigned a waiter who takes your order before or during the movie. Payment is collected near the end- again, you need to spend at least $10 to be able to use a credit card. It isn’t difficult to spend that on food as the seasonal popcorn is $8.50 a bowl. It’s absolutely worth it though!

Stuck in the Past

For being such an important and seemingly modern city, aspects of New York are surprisingly old-fashioned. I, like most Americans, am accustomed to charging most things to my credit card and using cash sparingly. Living in New York has taught me to always have cash on hand as some stores and businesses require a $5 to $10 minimum charge to use a credit card. If I’m looking to get a hot chocolate or a bottle of water, I don’t want to have to spend additional money to buy something I don’t need for the sole purpose of using my card. Bodegas here are almost exclusively cash only. Some businesses, like vegan diner Champs and café chain Swallow, are cash only. Credit limits and cash only are understandable for small towns and small businesses, but it’s bizarre to find this is a normal part of New York life. If you’re short on cash, questionable ATMs are available inside and outside most businesses. (A word of warning: watch out for these. They charge around $3 per transaction, don’t always work, and ‘customer service’ from the ATM company is a joke. I used the ATM inside Ange Noir and the money was taken out of my account but I didn’t receive any from the ATM. Calling the ATM company was as useful as yelling at a wall as the man who answered was dismissively, extremely unhelpful, and told me to wait 24 hours. I contacted my bank next and they were far more professional and helpful—a big thank you to MSUFCU! I received ATM credit and won’t be touching a skeezy ATM again.)

Additionally, most of the grocery stores and bodegas I’ve been to in Bushwick don’t have price scanners. Each item is individually tagged with the price, which the cashier then punches into the register. I’ve also seen some using a calculator to figure out the total cost rather than using their cash register. How is a bunch of individual tags more convenient than scanning a barcode? And why have a cash register at all if the cashier is going to use a calculator instead?

Another New York oddity is being asked to bring a hard copy of a resume to an interview. I’ve never been asked to bring a paper resume with me before I moved to New York. Four interviewers have required a hard copy of my resume, despite me having submitted one electronically at the time of my application. I’ve become familiar with the library around the corner so that I am able to print off my resumes.

It’s strange that my small, suburban hometown is more progressive than parts of New York.

 

 

Trader Joe’s in New York

Thus far I’ve stayed clear of Trader Joe’s because I’ve heard the warnings: the stores are packed, the lines are long, and you’re sacrificing at least an hour of your time just waiting in line. I’ve seen pictures of how long the lines at the Manhattan ones can be. Also Trader Joe’s is about a 30 minute bus ride from my apartment in Bushwick so it hasn’t been convenient for me to go and buy groceries there.

However, now that I’m staying in Brooklyn Heights with Trader Joe’s about a 10 minute walk away, I decided to try it out. Their hours are from 8 to 10 and I went around 11. It actually wasn’t that bad. There was a line, but it wasn’t the “wrapping all the way around the store” one I’d heard about. I filled up my basket with some things I needed and others I certainly didn’t but that called to me anyway and went to take my place in line.

Trader Joe’s is such a popular place in New York that there are special positions: line directors. A guy stands at the end of the line and directs shoppers into three different lines (green, yellow, and red). You wait your turn in the line. Another employee at the front of the line directs you to whichever lane that just opened. Cashiers have a flag with their lane number on it and once they finish a customer’s transaction, they wave the flag and the front director then instructs you to go to Lane X.

I thought I’d be spending an hour in line, but it truly wasn’t that bad. I’m sure it’s a different story after 5 pm when people are getting out of work but my experience wasn’t bad at all. As a bonus, my cashier was very friendly which isn’t always the case with New York.

A Stinky Situation

When I’m asked what New York is like I have two answers: “Big and dirty.” It’s essentially a larger and grimier Chicago.

Littering is a common issue in America and other countries, but I have never seen it done to the extent that it is in New York. Garbage is everywhere. On train tracks even though there are signs urging travelers not to do so, the streets, sidewalks, and in parks. Last week when I was walking Ollie to the park I saw a woman roll her window down and throw her cup into the street.

Why do New Yorkers treat the street like it’s their own personal garbage can? This is a question I’ve asked myself often ever since I moved here. It isn’t as if there is a shortage of garbage cans. They’re easy to find actually. I can walk down pretty much any street and there will be a trash can somewhere. Is it laziness? Do they feel entitled to discard their trash so that it is no longer an inconvenience?

I believe it’s a mix. And I can’t help but contrast the behavior of New Yorkers with Japan. In Japan it’s actually difficult to find public garbage cans. There are some outside restaurants and convenience stores or in parks, but in Japan the custom is that you take your trash with you. You don’t throw it in the street or leave it on the train tracks (though there are plenty who will litter.) As a child I was taught not to litter so watching how carelessly New Yorkers litter is difficult for me.

We all live in this city together so why not keep it cleaner?