My well-traveled daughter, Jenny, was back in Chicago for just five days after her Europe sojourn  before she and her good friend Emily took off for their final spring break trip. The two seniors gave themselves a graduation gift (with a generous kick-in from Mom and Dad) of a five-day trip to New York City. It was a first-time trip to the Big Apple for both, and they were extremely excited to experience as much of the city as they could. Her trip triggered memories of my own college graduation trip to New York with my roommate Diane, 30 years ago.

Jenny believes one of the best parts of the trip was their accomodations at the Duane Street Hotel in the TriBeCa neighborhood. She had had her fill of youth hostels and the YMCA after her two months overseas, and she and Emily spent plenty of time researching to find a nice place that could accomodate their budgets. Located conveniently not far from Wall Street and the financial district and in a trendy area with great restaurants and shopping, the Duane Street Hotel sounds like it would meet the needs of both business and leisure travelers. The girls appreciated the fact that they could hop on the subway just two blocks from the hotel  and get to the myriad sites on their extensive list of “to-sees.” With only 45 guestrooms, this was a good choice for them, and they found the staff friendly and very helpful with tips and directions. They also appreciated the property-wide free Wi-Fi, warm cookies available 24/7, plush bathrobes in the room and a spacious, well-appointed bathroom.

I got a kick out of Jenny’s Facebook posting on her first morning in New York: “You know you’re in NYC when: they are filming Law & Order right outside your hotel.” Another New York moment (on the other end of the thrill scale) was spotting rats on the subway platform, but it seems everything else was pretty much a thumbs-up. Both girls were moved to tears at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum (just blocks from their hotel) but were glad to have experienced it. They also visited MOMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, took the ferry to Liberty and Ellis islands, stopped in at a jazz club on the Upper West Side and saw The Lion King on Broadway. They wandered around Little Italy, compared New York pizza with the Chicago variety they know well and, of course, enjoyed the shopping (”Mom, no sales tax on clothes!!!”). One disappointment: They weren’t picked up by Cash Cab.

Arriving back in Chicago late Friday night, Jenny now looks ahead to her final months of school. She will graduate not only with her formal degree but also some great real-world experiences gained on her travels. Best of all, she’s grown in confidence in herself and her ability to navigate a big new city (even if she mistakenly ends up in Brooklyn at some point!) and has gained a grand appreciation for the world and its peoples. 

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

Last night I encountered one of the many reasons why I love living in New York. Around 9 p.m., I made my way to the nearby 24-hour grocery store (yet another reason why I love living here). As I was rounding the corner, I passed a giant black bear standing just under the stop sign. Not a single passerby took a second look.

No, this wasn’t a real black bear that had escaped from the Prospect Park Zoo. It was a seven-foot-tall man dressed in black and wearing a giant plastic black bear head. Popularly known in Brooklyn as “Death Bear,” this performance artist will help you part ways with any painful reminders of an ex-lover or friend.

Too heartbroken to give your ex-boyfriend his favorite t-shirt back? Can’t bear (pun intended) the sight of your deceased cat’s toys lying around the apartment? Call Death Bear and he’ll come to your door to take it off your hands. The whole concept might sound a bit creepy or morbid at first, but if you think about our need for closure in such instances, it makes sense. I am interested to know what sorts of goodies Death Bear has collected. I do, however, hope that I won’t need to call him any time soon.

– Courtney Centeno, account executive

I believe working from home is the way of the day, age and future. With the world so well connected through wireless, laptops, phones, iPhones, BlackBerrys, BlackBerry Messenger, Instant Messaging, GChat, video chat, Skype and Internet cafes, connecting with a colleague or client has never been more convenient.

Additionally, with the closing of larger corporations, we are now entering an era of the niche service. People are slowly starting to realize how to customize their services to a specific niche. It is less costly, the relationships are stronger and there is less red tape and digging through large company directories to try to find the right human to speak with.

Of course, there are some downsides to not working in an office. Passing Joe by the coffee machines might remind you to follow up with that client you both met with last week. Seeing Amy at reception might remind you to put up an auto-reply on your email while you are in meetings all afternoon.

Here are some useful home office tips I have found very helpful in keeping myself organized in Brooklyn:

• Have a landline in addition to your cell phone. BlackBerrys and iPhones make life pretty easy, but a call through a landline will never drop on you or create static. I am used to using a BlackBerry for work and personal, but I also like having a landline, with a light that blinks for voicemails and a speakerphone. A landline can even change your presence over the phone.
• Have a large calendar over your desk. In addition to keeping track of things on your computer’s calendar and your phone’s calendar and, maybe even, a small planner you carry with you, have something large and visible over your desk as well. It’s an extra thing to write on, but writing something down three times will also keep you from forgetting.
• Keep a dry erase board for weekly and monthly goals. Dry erase boards save paper and they are a great way to keep your goals organized and color-coordinated.
• Purchase cabinets and shelves with closing doors. In a home office, it’s easy to get trapped between being home and being in the office. Having closing cabinets will help you close down on nights and weekends.
• Pick a spot in your home with good natural light. Plants and sunlight will also keep your mood chipper and your oxygen flow higher.

These tips can also apply to your workspace in your away-from-home office as well. I wonder how many global travelers work from home offices?

– Courtney Centeno, account executive

After warding off several colds this season, I thought that, perhaps, I would finish the winter with a record-breaking immune system. Unfortunately, I have succumbed to the sniffles and congestion. Being snowed in and bedridden last night, I thought it would be an opportune moment to practice my home cooking.

Whenever someone was sick in our house, my Filipino grandmother always made a popular native dish known as arroz caldo. Packed with ginger, chicken, rice and garlic, arroz caldo is the best remedy for a cold and the only Filipino dish my mom agrees to cook in the house because it doesn’t make the kitchen “stink like fish.”

This was my first time attempting to cook Filipino cuisine in my Brooklyn apartment. The aroma immediately took me back to the days when my Grandma would prepare wonderful Filipino dishes for us. The arroz caldo was a hit, and it almost tasted just like my grandmother’s. I highly recommend this recipe for anyone with the sniffles.

– Courtney Centeno, account executive

Last week Alex Young and I attended a relaunch event for one of the oldest hotels in New York City, Hotel Wales. Situated on the Upper East Side, Hotel Wales is the perfect example of a boutique hotel perfectly suited for its location. The property is just as quaint as its surrounding neighborhood.

Several weeks ago I attended an event for a Midtown-esque hotel in the heart of Park Slope in Brooklyn. Anyone who has visited Park Slope knows that you can’t turn a corner without seeing a Baby Bjorn or a stroller. Why anyone chose to place a nightclub hotel in the center of a family neighborhood, I will never know.

Walking into Hotel Wales, one feels as though it has been there as long as the Upper East Side has existed. Everything from the marble staircases to the old-fashioned wallpaper emits a feeling of old, classy New York money. The rooms are styled with cozy linens, French doors and antique-style picture frames. I imagine a stay at the Hotel Wales is unlike the typical hotel experience. Instead, it probably feels like being a guest in a home as old and luxurious as Manhattan itself.

I urge our readers to stay tuned. After meeting with the hotel’s general manager, I hope GT will send a journalist to review one of the renovated suites. Perhaps we will even host an event at this special New York venue.

– Courtney Centeno, account executive