Optician
with lots of heart...
When
my glasses broke, I was referred to Myoptics
Opticians at 123 Prince Street by a
native New Yorker. After visiting this small shop,
I was so impressed with their service, inventory
and expertise, I wanted to pass their name along
to others -- especially those JourneyWomen living
in New York City. Not only did I quickly find
the new frames that I needed but the kind folks
at Myoptics were able to locate a replacement
part for my original pair (something that no other
shop I visited was able to do). They offered service
with a smile and got the job done quickly. They
even hand-delivered my repaired glasses to where
I was staying in Manhattan. Very impressive! Hours:
11-7 Mon-Sat, Sun 12-6. (Tel: 212.598.9306)
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A
Christmas Market...
If
you're in New York before the Christmas holidays,
Grand Central
has a wonderful Christmas market, with vendors
from a variety of shops around town. I was able
to find several gifts there -- including some
for myself -- at reasonable prices and with a
minimal expenditure of time.
Elaine, Washington, USA
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A
Chinese Department Store...
On
a recent foray into Chinatown, I found the fabulous
Pearl River Mart
and what absolute great fun I had there. This
two-level department store located at 477 Broadway
carries hundreds of well-priced, interesting
items all (of course) made in China. For those
women who enjoy wearing traditional Chinese
clothing, be prepared to be tempted by everything
from super slippers (at least 20 varieties)
to chic Mandarin dresses to charming embroidered
sateen jackets. There's one section devoted
solely to food and you'll also get the opportunity
to browse through paper products, lovely tableware,
herbal teas, inexpensive home furnishings and
more. JourneyWoman found Pearl River was a perfect
place to stock up on gifts, both practical and
whimsical and I challenge any other visiting
female to leave this emporium empty handed.
I came away with a winsome child's set of towels,
a pink pair of mini chopsticks for little girls
as well as several packets of stylish, bright
red lacquered adult chopsticks. I almost bought
a pair of black satin slippers with an original
petal design ($6.95). So sorry I didn't! For
a product preview go to www.pearlriver.com.
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She runs with
New Yorkers...
Journeywoman
was delighted to meet with Carmen Brun, the
General Manager of Crowne
Plaza at the United Nations (304 East 42nd
Street). Her hotel is so conveniently located
(minutes from fantastic shopping, sightseeing,
dining and only six blocks to the theater district).
Added
bonus: Carmen is an avid
runner and she offered JourneyWomen these tips
on terrific jogging paths in her city. She writes:
There are
some great running places in Manhattan. My favorites
include:
Central
Park : There are several running
routes throughout the park. These include a
6 mile loop, two different 5 mile loops (1 slightly
hillier than the other), a 4 mile loop, a 1.4
hilly loop, a 1.7 flat loop and a 1.5 flat reservoir
run.
Hudson
river run: You can run along the
Hudson on the new Westside path from the George
Washington Bridge to Battery Park City. For
additional mileage and great views of the city,
run over the Brooklyn Bridge. The path picks
up again on the Eastside up to approximately
East 31st Street.
When
JourneyWoman asked Carmen about jogging solo
along these routes, this was her reply: During
the day it is perfectly safe. I have run alone
dozens of times on these same paths. In the
evening, I would not recommend women running
alone, especially if they are not familiar with
the city. In fact, I would not recommend running
alone at night no matter where the city.
Don't
want to run alone? The New
York Road Runners offers group runs
in Central Park. See www.nyrrc.org
for days and times.
Ed.
note: To learn more about our JourneyWoman's
safety tips for female joggers, click
here.
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We've run
a long way, baby...
Did
you know that in 1970 only one woman ran
the New York City Marathon? By 1980, there
were 1,962 women to 12,050 men. By 1990,
women made up close to one-fifth of the crowd
-- 4,727 of 25,012. And in 1999, at 9,426
out of 32,503 runners, almost one in three marathoners
was a woman. Wow!
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