Archive for August, 2010

Gourmet Diner Delights

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Restaurant Review of Stand4

By Angela M, Baruch College

With its wide windows, Stand4 (24 East 12th Street) is filled with a fresh and bright ambiance. There are tall tables and stools near the windows for a quick bite to eat, more comfortable seating at the back, and a fully stocked bar between.

Perfectly crispy and without that unpleasant oil drip, my first dish was sweet potato fries. An ideal food to munch on while waiting for the rest of your meal to arrive, the fries were served with a mustard and mayo dip, much like most of the appetizers on Stand’s menu.

Tempura battered bread and pickles came next. Stand’s B&B pickles are a twist on the classic New York side crunch. If you’re in the mood to channel Snooki’s least harmful obsession, this appetizer will prove to be both tasty and legal.

My next dish, chicken bites with BBQ sauce, was coated with a batter that didn’t overwhelm the taste buds nor overpower the flavor of the tender white meat enclosed within. A complete and total win. Although this is just a minor detail, I appreciated that the BBQ sauce and mayo/mustard dip were placed separately, rather than being slathered on the chicken. It kept the dish clean and ensured the lightness of each mouthwatering bite.

When Michael Symon, the famous Iron Chef, restaurateur and author raved about Stand’s toasted marshmallow gelato shake on Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” the establishment’s then most popular burger moved to second place.

The shake was rich, thicker than your average ice cream shake and sweet with white fluffs of unearthly goodness.

As previously mentioned Stand was once most famous for their gourmet cheeseburgers. Topped with your choice of melted American, Mozzarella, or Swiss or cheddar cheese with a  mini-bowl of extra cheese on the side, the burger was tasty, yes, most memorable was the cheese and extra cheese.

As deliciously creamy as the gelato shake was, it left my mouth begging for refreshment. Normally, I would have just gulped a glass of water, but since I was at Stand, I could not pass up the opportunity to try their homemade ginger ale. Prepared on the premises, the puree is a house blend and, unlike every other ginger ale I’ve ever drank before, actually tastes like ginger! I could not have asked for a better refreshment to complete my meal. I would gladly — and most likely will — come back to Stand to do it all over again.

Get an awesome student discount for Stand4 here!

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Spa Day

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

A new semester starts in twelve days at my college. I can hardly believe that the summer is already coming to a close, but I’m also excited to get started on a new year at school, where I will inevitably make new friends, start new projects, and continue to change intellectually and physically. I want to kick off the start of this new year positively, both feeling and looking good. During the summer, it was so hot outside that I sometimes sacrificed style just to stay comfortable. Now that school is starting, I can’t wait to once again be able to slip back into my regular fashion and beauty routine. With that in mind, there has never been a better time to splurge on a fabulous spa day.

At Eve in the West Village, the services include facials, waxing, tanning, and nail care. Go in for a quick freshening up before school starts, and receive 10% off with valid student ID, bring the coupon in and receive a $20 Honey Brazilian Wax or a $40 full body spray tan. These amazing student discounts will give you an extra boost of confidence to help you face your first day back at school all the more exciting. We have enough to be stressed out about with piles of homework, strict professors, and the constant distress over our budget. With the unbeatable student discounts at Eve, looking good and saving money are two less things to stress about in the already overwhelming life of a college student.

-Elisabeth, Eugene Lang College

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Work of Art

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Last night, Bravo‘s hit reality show “Work of Art- The Next Great Artist,” whose premise is to discover the next big thing in art through grueling weekly challenges and eliminations,  came to a surprising end. After duking it out with two other finalists, the underdog, Abdi Farah, ended up taking the grand prize-$100,000 and an opportunity to showcase his work at the coveted Brooklyn Museum. As the show came to a close, I overwhelmed by a series of emotions- happy that one of the two people I had been rooting for from the beginning had won the show; sad that I hadn’t decided to become a talent agent because I’ve ‘discovered’ just about everyone from Britney Spears to James Patterson (well their work blows up after I listen to them which may sound a bit egotistical but I know some folks can relate to this feeling) and angry that I have absolutely no artistic talent!

Throughout the past five or so years, I’ve attempted to weed out a hidden artistic talent by buying a how-to-draw book, sketchbook, canvas, brushes, etc (you name it, I bought it) and getting to work. It wasn’t until about the summer of 2007 that I discovered and subsequently lost my muse- a tall dark and handsome man who I had fallen in love with and who unfortunately didn’t share my sentiments.  I poured my aching heart out onto the pages of my sketchbook- the converse sneakers that he so often wore, the horses in Central Park that we’d ride on in my daydreams. For the entire summer, I drew and the work was unbelievably good.

After the initial disappointment of love lost subsided, however, I could barely even draw a straight line. It made me wonder:  Was I just hallucinating? Were all those amazing drawings just a figment of my crazy imagination? My only piece of evidence, the sketchbook,  is no where to be found so I guess we’ll never know.

These days the only doodling I’m doing is in the pages of my Hello Kitty Activity book. Whenever I need to stock up on art supplies (color pencils in my case) or fine papers for resumes or presentations, I always head to A.I. Friedman. They offer a wide selection of products for the home or office- everything ranging from computer supplies to custom framing.

A.I. Friedman’s  great prices and the even greater student discounts that are offered throughout the year allow  you to shop til you drop without feeling an ounce of guilt. Whether you’re just looking to stock up on school supplies, furnish  a home office or embrace your inner artist as I continue to do,  the experts at A.I. Friedman can help with all of your creative needs!

-Milka, The New School

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Walk Right In

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

I’m writing this with a cold towel on my forehead and a mug filled with Chamomile tea, but sadly this isn’t a West Village fashion statement or a way to prepare for an acting gig. Instead it’s the harsh reality of getting over strep throat. But I’m not writing this to vent or for anyone to feel sorry for me. I’m writing this to let you know about a quick way to see a doctor and get a prescription (Before I start I have to say that the first thing you should do is go to your school’s medical center and see what they can do for you. These health clinics are run with you in mind so don’t put off something for fear of confidentially or even laziness; if you’re not feeling well just make an appointment at the health center – I guarantee no one wants to hang out with a sick person.)
Since it’s the summer and I’m not in school at the moment I went to my insurance company’s website (in this case Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield) and used their search function to get a list of doctors by specialty and distance from my apartment. The problem is that I apparently picked the one week of the year when most of the doctors in this city are on vacation to get sick. I called 15 offices and I got nowhere.
I was suggested a plan B by a friend’s mother who’s a nurse and this turned out to be a great option and the one I’m highly recommending to you. Maybe you already know about these, but many regular pharmacies like CVS, Duane Reade, and Walgreens have convenient walk-in clinics. A walk-in clinic is a small clinic at a drugstore where they have an on-site doctor who will give you a checkup. They also take a plethora of insurance plans, which is also a major plus. I went to a Duane Reade in the Upper East Side (unfortunately CVS and Walgreens don’t have any locations in Manhattan), and after waiting 10 minutes I was seen by a doctor’s assistant who checked my blood pressure, asked me some basic questions about my medical history, and took a nice swab of the back of my throat to check for strep. I was then seen in a second room by a great doctor who asked me some more questions and confirmed I had strep after the test results were ready (about 5- 10 minutes after the assistant made me gag and took the swab). The best part of the visit, however, may have been the fact that a minute after the doctor wrote me a prescription a pharmacist was filling it at the in-store pharmacy. As I waited, I bought Tylenol, Advil, and water and read a magazine. 15 minutes after I brought my prescription to be filled it was ready for pick up. I was impressed by the expediency of the whole process and how easy it was to get diagnosed and have a prescription filled. If any of you find it a hassle to see a doctor, or even if you don’t, these walk-in clinics are efficient and a great way to get better in no time at all.
In the meantime I’m spending my days locked away in my apartment watching movies I missed out on in the theatres – anyone have any suggestions?

-Roni Tessler

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To Be Or Not To Be…

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

Let’s face it- higher education can be very expensive these days and living in a city like NY where nothing comes cheap doesn’t remedy the situation.  As a student, I found that my bank account was so often burdened by an array of bills- credit cards, phone bills (I swear, I barely use my phone!), transportation, buying a decent meal.  Any pocket change that I managed to come across was often devoted to things of great importance- hanging out with friends or attempting to keep up with the latest fashion trends (life is a runway, you gotta work it, honey).

These days, however, the dwindling economy leaves little to no room for many to even entertain these notions.  Many are just struggling to make ends meet. An inevitable concern for students is the ever rising cost of college textbooks. With its poor buyback value (bookstores will only buy used textbooks for a fraction of  its purchase price) and lack of relevance once classes are over, students are often reluctant to fork over so much change for a textbook.

Our friends at Shakespeare and Co. are trying to make students lives just a bit simpler with their rent-a-textbook deals. Their site, http://rental.shakeandco.com, makes renting and receiving books (delivered in as little as 24 hrs) a cinch and with over three million books in stock,  its more than likely that you will find exactly what you’re looking for at a fraction of the cost.  Love to use that neon highlighter or scribble side notes onto your text? NO PROBLEM. Shakespeare and Co. encourages you to do so without getting penalized for vandalism.

So if you’re looking for a cost effective, worry free way get your textbooks for the coming semester, Shakepeare and Co. is definitely the way to go! Hurry though- classes are right around the corner!

-Milka Adera, The New School ’12

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Pretty Woman

Monday, August 9th, 2010

Although New York City boosts one of the hottest fashion scenes on the planet, my life here isn’t always conducive to looking my best. In the summer I’m too hot to feel pretty, in the winter I sometimes have to sacrifice personal style to stay warm, and during the school year my full schedule of work, an internship, and classes distract me so much that fashion is the last thing on my mind. La Petit Coquette has the solution to my style conundrum: picking out the perfect outfit when I’m already late for class is impossible, but with a drawer full of flirty, frilly bras and underwear I don’t have to forfeit feeling beautiful and confident when I’m in a rush. La Petit Coquette’s fabulous student discounts promise to add a much needed dose of sugar and spice to your underwear drawer: 10% off with your student ID, 15% off on your birthday with your student ID for sexy gift to yourself, and free bra fitting with your student ID.

Its 9:45 and you slept through your alarm again. With fifteen minutes to get to your first class, it looks like you’ll be wearing sweats to school again. Not to worry! La Petit Croquette’s lingerie will come to the rescue. Slip into one of their fun bra and underwear sets you got with one of their student discount coupons and suddenly those drab sweats feel like a designer dress. After all, real style isn’t about your outfit, its about your attitude, and an exciting new pair of underwear is an easy, fun way to make your attitude go from exhausted to confident and ready to take on the world.

-Elisabeth, Eugene Lang College ’12

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Hey there good lookin’

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Ever since I was a little girl my dad insisted that my life “wasn’t a fashion show”. Needless to say, as a severely out of touch single parent, he wasn’t understanding of his eccentric daughter’s overwhelming need to be on top of every fashion and beauty trend to hit the greater Seattle area. But as I grew up and moved to New York City, I realized that my dad was wrong: my life is a fashion show, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m just as obsessed with putting on a show now as I was then. Walking down the streets of New York is akin to strutting down a catwalk, but more importantly, New York’s focus on fashion and beauty is outlet for endless self expression. I love any excuse to express my creative inclinations through fashion, but I also know it’s difficult to do when you feel self conscious. Laser Cosmetica’s buy one get one free package deal will give you that extra kick of confidence you need to slip into your sexiest red dress. With laser hair removal, you can show off your soft, smooth legs and never have to worry about another nick or cut in the shower, or try the photo facial to refresh your skin for a boost of radiance. Laser Cosmestica also offers laser acne therapy to treat the skin’s most pesky ailment, making getting ready in the morning fun instead of stressful.

Sometimes the pressure to look good can be overwhelming, but it’s also one of the most exciting aspects of the city. Laser Cosmetica’s student discount takes your beauty concerns and makes them a thing of the past, so you can focus your future on being the stylish, confident, beautiful person, that like me, you always knew you could be.

-Elisabeth, Eugene Lang College ’12

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