With more individual people looking for space, even if population growth were static, additional apartments would be needed to handle the changed housing patterns. That would be yet another reason why rents would go up. The results may be seen in this survey. "How Much Apartment Space Does $1,500 Get You in 200 U.S. Cities?" https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/rental-space-for-1500/
There are few surprises here, although I might have guessed San Francisco, Manhattan, Boston as the best of the worst, a slight shuffling of the order. By the way, there is a bus leaving for Wichita any minute.
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While it may not have led to higher rents, the Holy Land was distinguished by several Chino Latino restaurants, operated by Chinese chefs who came to the U.S. from Cuba and other Latin countries. I always gave credit to Fidel Castro for broadening our menus. In any case, here is an overly sentimental look at these businesses which you could never find in Wichita. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/dining/chino-latino-food-nyc-tiktok.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Now, along with Kosher delicatessens, affordable housing and comedians who tell jokes, seltzer men are almost all gone.
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The Upper West Side’s Power Couple took off for a week in Paris. When we got our boarding passes, I thought that we beat the system. It appears that every airport computer has been programmed to recognize my name and send me to the gate furthest from the front door, usually a number in the mid-five figure range. When I saw Gate 2, I was delighted. #2, the second gate.
So, guess where they started counting from? Staten Island. Do you know your card games? In Hearts, low score wins, gin rummy, high score wins. American Airlines at JFK goes for gin rummy, and 2 loses.
For dinner we went to Tasty Nouille, 121 Rue Monge, my culinary home away from home -- Chinese food. Blonde wood predominated in the furniture and wall panels. Service was erratic; English might have been the fourth language. The food was very good, though. I started with fried spring rolls with chicken (6.50€ for four pieces), akin to cylindrical chicken croquettes. Then, I had Lamen sauté au boeuf Sichuanais a/k/a fried lamen with Sichuan beef. Lamen is either lo mein or ramen or both (14.50€). The portion was large and just spicy enough. Although I spotted an ice cream parlor on Rue Mouffetard earlier, we were tired and full enough to skip it, at least for tonight.
We parted company with the London delegation until tomorrow, so it was only the two of us going to Compagnie des Glaces, 138 Rue Mouffetard, later in the afternoon. That means ice cream. I had two scoops, tiramisu and brownies (very special), 5€. When we took a stroll later in the evening, this shop and every other carbohydrate purveyor in the vicinity was closed, almost like Weight Watchers laid siege to the neighborhood. Eating establishments of all other kinds were open, protein and beverages freely dispensed. Very strange. Were my fellow chubbies snacking at home?
Walking through this home to three French kings, the last of their kind, I had a great insight, although thousands of historians probably beat me to it, but here goes. Several of America’s founders were familiar with the lavish trappings of European courts. Notably, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay had major diplomatic roles abroad. So, why didn’t they include the luxury and pomp of European potentates into the design of the American presidency?
George Washington apparently never traveled outside the 13 colonies, but he must have heard accounts of the golden palaces of Europe. Might his popularity have overridden anti-monarchic feelings among the liberated Americans if he chose an exalted lifestyle? Imagine if the 45th President were cloaked in ermine, wore a crown and carried an orb and sceptre?
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We met Lord and Lady K for dinner at La Coupole, 102 Boulevard du Montparnasse, the legendary brasserie once home to the Lost Generation. It was busy and the food was good enough, but it took the company to make the evening special. I admit that I was disappointed with the Soupes Oignons (9.50€), a signature dish. While it had a thick, gooey, melted cheese glob on top of a crouton floating in the soup, there was no melted cheese glued to the side of the crock, the best part by me.
In addition to the very good profiteroles, I had an extra treat for dessert, a gift from the Lord and Lady - Fortnum & Mason's Chocolossus Biscuits, which I previously proclaimed the finest in the world (March 12, 2022). Besides their selfless generosity, our friends offered this partially in exchange for Meghan Markle.
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As always, the news from the Middle East is checkered, one step forward, one step back. I think that many American Jews, including me, have given up hoping for significant improvement in intergroup relations, Israelis/Arabs, and instead focus on intragroup issues, Jew to Jew. On my handful of trips to Israel, my secular friends and relatives only complained about the behavior of the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jews), ignoring the existential challenge of the Arabs near and far. Here is a current example. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-05-17/ty-article/.premium/israeli-pharmacy-chains-kashrut-supervisors-put-stickers-on-products-showing-women/00000188-29ac-db37-afec-bdfcb21c0000
We walked around Le Marais, once informally a Jewish ghetto, now a hot, hot neighborhood. Since aggressively secular France was celebrating the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, the streets were packed with people off from work. Those not walking were standing in line seeking spiritual uplift at L'As du Fallafel (sic), 34 Rue des Rosiers, reputed to be the best falafel shop in Paris. We did not stop this time, but I've enjoyed their work in the past.
We continued our stroll along the Right Bank of the Seine, where other crowds sat in the sun with or without drinks in hand, but mostly with.
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Dinner was more a miss than a hit. Hô Thaï, 24 Boulevard de Port-Royal, is a small place decorated with photographs and hangings evoking the homeland. The owner takes orders and runs the register while her teenage son plays video games. We started with slightly rubbery fish cakes (8.90€). I followed with pad si iw with beef (13.90€), okay, but only okay. I lacked enthusiasm even before seeing that my bottle of Coke Zero was 4.90€.
Vraiment très bien
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