NYC · Politics

No justice

In a slate article discussing Amy Cooper’s threat to call police is a good summary:

Amy didn’t call the cops because she was scared of Christian the birder. That much is obvious from the video. She called them to prevail in a power struggle with a black man who dared to challenge her authority to do as she wished in public.

The media has been saturated with images of similar entitlement and rage in recent weeks, as throngs of predominantly white Americans protest COVID-19 business closures and demand their states resume business as usual, knowing that black lives disproportionately hang in the balance. These white protesters, who know they have the privilege to be armed and intimidating without facing police violence, are rejecting a shared responsibility for safe public spaces. Christian Cooper’s offense was to insist that Amy Cooper, too, had a responsibility to protect a shared public space. Amy’s response demonstrated that public safety is not shared by all

NYC

The Price of Nice Nails

NAILSTEST13 master1050

The typical cost of a manicure in the city helps explain the abysmal pay. A survey of more than 105 Manhattan salons by The Times found an average price of about $10.50. The countrywide average is almost double that, according to a 2014 survey by Nails Magazine, an industry publication.

With fees so low, someone must inevitably pay the price.

Ever wonder why getting you nails done in NYC is cheaper then just about everywhere else?  Doesn’t it seem incredible that one of the most expensive cities in the US could have a service that is cheaper then almost anywhere else?  This is a great expose in the NYT about how workers are exploited.
I particularly liked this map showing the number of Starbucks vs. nail shops:
Salons3 artboard 300

Source: The Price of Nice Nails

News · NYC

Buy or Rent?

Is it better to rent or buy?

The NY Times has a great interactive calculator for evaluating the trade-offs of buying vs. renting. It looks to cover everything:

  • House Price
  • Interest rates
  • Length of mortgage
  • Downpayment
  • Planned time to occupy
  • Future rental rates
  • Housing market expected increases
  • Taxes
  • Maintenance fees

It produces a number like:

If you can rent a similar
home for less than …
$961 PER
MONTH
… then renting is better.

Is It Better to Rent or Buy NYTimes com