A Love Song to NYC

My January edition of Conde Nast Traveler came today-- ah, the day of the month I always look forward to (thank you my dear Aunt Anne for the lovely gift!). It's the 2006 Gold List edition-- "Very best that travel has to offer." *Sigh.* More destinations to add to my wishlist of wonders to see.

There is, as is often the case, a blurb about my beloved New York, and the fact that Harlem is experiencing yet another Renaissance (which, by the way, has been happening for years, only now that it's getting the attention of big(ger)-time investors, it's finally making the "posh" list, hence CNT).

But I predict that this "Renaissance" won't have quite the same lasting impact of the art-infused Jazz Age. Instead, the yuppies, the guppies-- and even the boomers, are buying up townhouses (well, that's been happening for about ten years, now...), and just opened is Ginger, an organic Chinese restaurant, and Carol's Daughter-- a "beauty emporium" (oh, and look-- in addition to shopping there, as so gloriously highlighted in CNT, Jada Pinkett-Smith is also the spokesmodel). And, the pièce de résistance? Move over Bill [Clinton]. Starwood is shopping around 125th Street for a new W Hotel location. WTF?! I mean, I get gentrification and how, to a certain degree, it CAN be good for a neighborhood... but this is Harlem, for heaven's sake. Looks like the "two-eight" might be on the verge of losing their "most dangerous, biggest-drug-infested-in-the-smallest- neighborhood in New York" status (a whole 0.49 square miles). Welcome to the Upper East/Upper West Side, my boys in blue (not to mention you three-oh- and two-five-ers). Oy vey.