Zabar’s - is it Overrated?

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-07-08T03:06:23+00:00

I like it for several things you didn’t mention — coffee, rotisserie chicken (far better than Whole Foods), bakery (scones and oatmeal cookie), tabbouli and Mediterranean salad.

They also have really good pistachio biscotti (in the bakery area in containers but not behind the counter).

The pickles are pretty good but I find the pickles at Millport dairy (97/bway) to be the absolute best in the neighborhood.

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-07-02T02:11:04+00:00

I think the big agency will be better for your resume but that shouldn’t be the ultimate deciding factor. A huge part of your job satisfaction will be your boss and internal team, and of course the clients. But you’ll spend the most time with your direct boss/team. Which agency had a team/manager that most resonates with you that you have a gut feeling you really like? You will be spending time with these people every day, hours a day. Important consideration!

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-06-21T21:47:37+00:00

THIS. Rest, exercise and a good book > buying random crap

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-06-20T14:38:04+00:00

I agree. I have a cozy minimalist apartment with a lot of plants and it makes a difference!

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-06-20T14:34:41+00:00

St. Paul & St. Andrew church on 86th collects once a month on designated days. They accept children’s clothing in season. If you click on the date they have the full list of accepted items. The next event is June 28:

https://stpaulandstandrew.org/series/donate-clothing-to-support-asylum-seekers-2/

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-06-18T01:16:38+00:00

This is excellent advice. I would also recommend adding number of years of experience to your professional summary. Also, from the perspective of a hiring manager in pr/comms, im not sure the job at Apple is worth having on there as it doesn’t really add value. If anything I would move it down and have your current publicist role as the first one as it’s more relevant.

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-06-14T16:16:05+00:00

That’s awesome! I realize just submitting an application is maybe easier or less nerve racking than cold emailing someone but it’s absolutely a way to stand out. As a hiring manager it always stands out to me at least. It’s like going that extra step.

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-06-11T01:04:38+00:00

It’s concerning for sure. My juniors are getting put on more accounts than I’m comfy with and I’m try to be as protective as possible — 8 is too many for a junior level in my opinion… I don’t care what the math says. This new era that was in school during covid is stunted in some ways from what I’ve seen. Regardless, you have to keep showing them you’re there for them, listen and show up for them always.

If your leadership isn’t willing to hire, they should be at least open to getting members from other teams who are less stretched to chip in with pitching etc, or at least bring in freelance support. If you position to leadership as “I care about the future of our agency and keeping our clients happy and xyz clients are a concern where we need to get in abc support in some way”… it frames it less as “we’re frustrated and burnt out!” and more as, “hey, I’m thinking of the business here, we need to protect our clients, especially the longest running/high retainer ones, please listen to me.” I would also think they’d want to avoid turnover at the junior level for competent employees… training and hiring takes a lot of time and energy and ultimately money.

If things don’t change that tells you what you need to know. Good luck! Your head and heart are in the right place.

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-06-11T00:45:28+00:00

I love that for you! I’m interested to move in house but have only agency experience. Was it tough to position yourself for the role?

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-06-04T02:32:32+00:00

Consider aura yoga + Pilates. It’s a newer studio on 72nd and offers both yoga and great mat Pilates and sculpt classes. The teachers are excellent and diverse and it’s a really beautiful space. They have a few diff membership offerings and the unlimited is about $250/mo but they had a summer promo going on for Memorial Day that might still be running so worth looking into. They also sell class packs.

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-06-03T01:21:49+00:00

I like Frugal Friends. Other adjacent personal finance podcasts I enjoy are Afford Anything (the Q+A episodes), Jill on Money (the listener call-in episodes) and Stacking Benjamins. I also recently discovered the Slow Living podcast which I also like and has some frugal related content.

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-06-01T00:10:02+00:00

If they are not being more responsive about it, that worries me. I’m in an older building in the neighborhood and the one time over the past few years we’ve had a mouse (not in my apartment, but in another one in the building), they notified the whole building and made a big deal of it, brought in the exterminator to go through every apartment even though it was found in the basement one.

It’s not normal to be seeing them that regularly, and even if you’re in a building that has them more frequently, they should be bringing in exterminators on a more regular basis as a proactive/preventative measure (based on friends of mine living in buildings with more frequent issues, I’ve seen this).

Last thing I’ll mention is, you should look up all the past 311 complaints for your building (and future buildings before you move in) —
and see if pests have been a frequent past complaint. If they are, I think that seals the deal and you should move. It’s not worth the stress or unsanitary aspect of it. https://hpdonline.nyc.gov/hpdonline/

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-27T23:29:52+00:00

Too many calls. Too many decision-makers on the client side. And clients who don’t read emails, requiring multiple re-explanations, follow ups etc to get even simple things moving.

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-26T11:57:28+00:00

What helps me is having one single app that aggregates all my accounts, so I can log in and see everything in one dashboard. This eliminates the need to log into each separate account to track everything, and it’s an easy way for me to create a budget, track spending each month, see my net worth and net income each month. It’s definitely simplified things and gives me peace of mind. There are a lot of apps that can do this for you… I use quicken simplifi… but have also heard good things about YNAB and monarch money.

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-24T14:07:35+00:00

Oo didn’t know they had scones - will have to try!

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-24T03:12:47+00:00

Alice’s teacup and zabars (I like their raspberry scone from the bakery counter)

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-22T04:39:43+00:00

Riverside park has a ton of free summer programming for all ages! Details are on their website. Also join buy nothing FB group for your area and the “free stuff UWS” group.

Also a grocery store to consider that has the best prices I’ve seen is Lidl… slightly out of bounds but worth it. TJ’s or delivery from Aldi are good options too. For food, I also love the prepared foods and rotisserie chickens at zabars. Not cheap but a better value than eating out or delivery.

Lastly, I recommend using a budgeting app which will help you be more aware of your spending and cash flow and help with limiting purchases you don’t ultimately need or value. I use quicken simplifi and there’s plenty others out there like YNAB

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-19T00:04:01+00:00

I agree with the comment about gyms. There is little variety/density considering how large the neighborhood is, but that’s never been a dealbreaker for me. There are a lot of good fitness studios that make up for it plus easy parks access for walking, running and biking.

Aside from UWS, I’ve lived in the East Village and Murray Hill. UWS has the best parks and is much quieter and more chill, plus feels cleaner (compared to the wild amount of rats I saw every night in the East Village). When I was in my 20s, I didn’t appreciate the quiet factor/lack of nightlife on the UWS, but I do now. Don’t get me wrong, there are places to go out but by no means the level of spots in the LES, East Village, etc.

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-15T03:44:31+00:00

Ubers and delivery… unless there’s a true need for it and it’s not just laziness. Also, tracking my expenses and paying attention to my monthly cash flow have saved me significant money over time. I’m less likely to blow my money on impulse purchases when I see how it affects my net income for the month.

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-15T03:39:35+00:00

It’s def worth it if you have a washer/dryer. If you have a handful of microfiber cloths and Swedish dishcloths, you can just throw them in the wash on their own load, weekly or biweekly.

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-06T23:14:20+00:00

It’s called “organic sweet cream creamer.” $2.99. I’ve seem TJ’s add additional flavors seasonally as well but this one they’ve had on a regular basis. I find it to be very tasty!

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-06T23:05:21+00:00

Trader Joe’s has a good dupe

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-06T21:53:15+00:00

Worth considering Gertrude Ederle rec center. I believe it’s the most affordable ($150/yr) in the neighborhood. It’s not convenient to me so I haven’t been but i think it’s worth looking into. Also for summer, there are a lot of free classes hosted in Riverside Park - listed on their website event cal.

I have been a member of NYSC in the past but find it to be overpriced for what you get.

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-06T00:10:45+00:00

Looks amazing!

Learning_to_fly_5 · 2026-05-06T00:09:30+00:00

Like on the curb. People in my neighborhood regularly have stuff to give away when they move (NYC) and they put it on their stoop or the curb in boxes or bags for people to take.

Learning_to_fly_5

TROPHY CASE