Z is for Zipcar

Zipcar is a very popular rental car company...or as they like to call it, a car sharing company. It's a super easy way to use a car for just a day trip. Use it for an hour or 12, whatever you need, and return it at the end of the day. It's perfect for those of us who live in New York and don't bother to have a car, but would like to be able to drive out of the city for...oh I don't know...Chickfila, maybe?

Zipcar isn't the only company. Hertz has it's own form of car sharing with less fees. I've never actually made use of any of them, but probably will one day. The convenience is well worth it.

It's the last day! I can't believe it. I'm a little shocked that I managed to do this every day...and it was so great to meet so many new people is the blogosphere!

Y is for Yummy Takeout

I've told my husband multiple times that if we ever move to a different city, what I'll miss most are the takeout options. There are so many options here! We have pizza, yes, but not just Domino's or Papa John's. We have several menus for local pizzerias where we can get pizza or pasta. I'm sure you've all seen TV shows or movies showing people eating Chinese takeout, which is so delicious. But on those nights that we're tired of Chinese, how about Japanese instead? Sushi delivered right to your door! Other options are burgers, wraps, Italian, milkshakes, Mexican food...oh the Mexican food. We order Mexican food almost every week - the restaurant we order from knows our apartment number by heart (to my delight but to the embarrassment of my husband).

What kind of food would you like most to have delivered right to your door?

@dmsirjames thinks balloons should be part of my every day hair routine. #blog

via Instagram http://instagram.com/p/YqkFIhRi-c/

X is for X-Walks

You like what I did there? Yeah, I know. It's impressive.

Crosswalks are simple. You stop when you get the red hand and you go when you get the little white man. But have you ever thought about how crosswalks could help you learn a city? When I first moved here, my husband almost immediately got hired to go on a children's tour. I was left in a big new city all alone where I basically only knew how to get to my job. So what did I do? I invented the game "Follow the White Man." (I mean to have no racial connotations here, I promise.) On the weekends I enjoyed taking the subway to a random point in the city and whenever I came to a crosswalk at an intersection, I'd go wherever I had the go sign. It really helped me learn the city (well, that and my iPhone, of course).

Could this game help you explore where you live?

W is for Winter in NYC

Let me remind everyone that I grew up in middle Georgia. For 24 years I lived through winters where I would sometimes wear a heavy jacket (not a coat...a jacket) and occasionally have to scrape some ice off my windshield before I could drive anywhere. I can remember having one blizzard when I was little and then every once in a while we'd get a snow flurry. That's pretty much it.

NYC winters are SO DIFFERENT. Y'all, this little Georgia girl had to quickly acquaint herself with coats, scarves (there are so many different ways to wear them!), hats, gloves, thick socks, long underwear...it was all so foreign! Earmuffs are what I have discovered I can't live without - cold ears are absolutely the worst. And guess what? You wear rain boots and carry umbrellas for snow, not just rain!

We went home to Georgia for our first Christmas and when we came back, we drove back along with my sister and brother-in-law. That was the night of the biggest blizzard we've had since moving here - we ended up getting stuck on the interstate and having to sleep there until morning. Not on the side of the interstate...we were stuck on the lane we had been driving in. And we had no heat because we had to reserve the gas. It was crazy.

I will say though that I love NYC winters. It helps that I don't have to worry about shoveling any of it and sometimes the snow lets me go home early and get an entire day off. I also prefer being cold to being hot, so this whole winter lasting into spring is totally working for me. :-)

What are winters like where you are? Do you love or hate them?

V is for Views

There are multiple ways to get a great view of the city. The 3 big ones (for now) are the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and the Brooklyn Bridge. Now in my opinion, I know it's historic and all, but the ESB is my least favorite. It's cramped, it has walls you have to peer over, and although it has a higher upper deck, it costs extra to access it. Plus, the Rockefeller building blocks your view of the park.

It's an excellent idea to walk the Brooklyn Bridge right before sunset. By the time you get to the first viewing area, you can see the city bathed in sunlight, take some great pictures, and enjoy the views. Then by the time you're ready to return, voila! You can see the city all lit up. It's amazing.

Now Top of the Rock...it's by far my favorite. It has multiple decks and you don't have to pay extra to get to the highest one. You're enclosed by glass through most of the viewing area so nothing inhibits your view. I particularly enjoy being able to see both the Empire State Building and Central Park.

I leave you with some of my favorite views I've managed to capture.

Taken from Top of the Rock

Taken from Top of the Rock

Taken from Top of the Rock

Taken from the Brooklyn Bridge

U is for Union Square

Union Square isn't quite as popular as other squares in the city. It's kind of small and a little out of the way from the all the hustle and bustle. However, it has some great spots you should know about. Right on Union Square is some great shopping: Burlington Coat Factory, DSW, and Forever 21 are all in the same building. There's also a Best Buy. Also, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, there's the Union Square Greenmarket, where 140 regional farmers, fishermen, and bakers come to sell their wares.

Then you've got some of the spots on the outskirts of the square. Here's a list of them:

Strand

828 Broadway

Strand is a bookstore. An awesome bookstore. They advertise having 18 miles worth of books. New books, used books, rare books...all can be found here.

Stand 4

24 East 12th Street

This is a burger restaurant, but not your average burger spot. They're famous for their milkshakes. They have a toasted marshmallow milkshake that is to die for, as well as alcoholic milkshakes (let's add some vodka to that marshmallow milkshake!). Their burgers definitely aren't bad either.

Max Brenner (restaurant)

841 Broadway (between 13th and 14th Streets)

Max Brenner is a genius with chocolate. His restaurant not only has good food, but also sells his chocolate. Plus a lot of his dishes use chocolate...for example, his waffle fries are dusted with chili and cocoa powder. Delicious! You can also get fondue for 2, which is really fun.