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With most of the city being gone last year, I picked up the confidence to bike in Manhattan for the first time with a Citibike subscription. The convenience of going wherever you like, the lack of bike commitment, and the option to go electric over the bridge have been life-changing. Iāve also gotten myself a Bluetooth JBL speaker, that all my friends have rinsed and judged me for. Honestly, itās safer than wearing headphones, and Iām having a terrific time listening to 1PLIKĆ140. The only thing I'm missing is this in matte infrared.
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Well, CitiBike in NYC and Divvy in Chicago, I split my time between the two as of late. I fell in love with the regular CitiBikes quite a few years ago here in NYC whenĀ it clicked with me just how muchĀ faster they were to get around the city than taking an Uber (which now feel about as enjoyableĀ as being on a zoom call) or taking the train. The eBike situationĀ changed everything. My friend Joe Holder refers to the pedal assistĀ function they have as positive use of "strategicĀ laziness" which I love. Not only do theyĀ help get you to a meeting far less sweaty and winded than a normal bike, they're incrediblyĀ fun. I use them for both functional transport and leisure. When the temp is just right, there is nothing more enjoyableĀ than a ride (on alucky one that is completely free of rattles) from downtown up to CentralĀ Park, around the park, then back while listening to whatever audiobook I might be finishing that week. I just wish they were even faster, though, I've had my friendsĀ describe my riding style as "insane" so maybe that'sĀ not a great idea.
Aug 26, 2021
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Idk why I only got hip to this method of transport as my primary one this summer as this is my 4th year living in New York. I was notoriously 30 min late everyday to any class before 12pm in college or any class I didnāt care about purely because my method was train or bus then train and Iām one of those people that always just thinks they have 20 minutes to spare when it takes so long for them to put a perfect outfit together and they then negate breakfast every morning. I was often late to morning shifts of retail jobs for similar reasons or the bus just was late late lateā¦ Or Iād oversleep so much going to class didnāt even seem worth it.
But now. I realize. If I had just taken a fucking bike. I really wouldnāt have been the latest girl in the world all these years. And I love biking; itās literally how I survived lockdown. my daily routine was get high all day and ride my bike around my suburban hometown to different locations and keep smoking (until this led to an actual psychosis.)
perhaps I was intimidated by nyc chaos. I will admit electric Citi bike is not for the faint of heart. Iāve almost gotten hit numerous times. And once somewhere around Times Square on my way to the JT concert, a strange man with a high quality camera took a picture up my skirt? Hopefully it was blurry as I was going the speed of light but idk. so many of the docks are broken which may cause insurmountable frustration? And there was one time this summer I went to 5 different stations and every dock all of them were dead and it felt like the electricity system was conspiring against my ability to meet my friends at Mott Street Eatery.
Regardless. Iāve felt safer transporting myself at night without the fee of an Uber. Iām more often at time. I feel like Iām flying. Ive gotten to reconnect with my passion of the bike ride. I love to whip around with my friends who equally love biking. And I feel unstoppable.
My dad wants me and my sister to invest in collapsable helmets but that feels embarrassing like borderline voyeuristic - and Iād have to really commit to the bit as I bike probably average 4x a day now. he says young people avoid safety precautions because we have huge ego. Considering the amount of accidents these fast ass bikes cause: he has a point.
Live love laugh electric Citi bike. Itās an art you should master. I have a need for speed.
Oct 7, 2024
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I spend all day in the office, and since i live in the same building as my office i spend all day inside. I love being in there because I can literally control who i see and who i donāt, but occasionally i get cabin fever and need to go outside. I usually take my bike out. A bicycle is the life hack of NYC. If you donāt have one get a citi bike. ride around the city, put on some headphones. Most relaxing way to get some air and see the city. Late afternoons are the best.
Aug 4, 2022
Top Recs from @clemence
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Do you like porn? Do you hate searching for porn? x-archives is a curated newsletter that sends you five porn links every other week. It features the curations of filmmakers, artists, writers such as Hassan Rahim, Sarah Nicole Prickett, Beverly Nguyen (her picks are definitely some of my favorites), Andrew Norman Wilson, and more. If thatās too much, thereās always Tinto Brass.
Jul 6, 2021
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Amidst the pandemic, when anxiety was at an all-time high, I asked the women featured on passerbuys to share some tracks and albums that helped them sleep, and a soothing playlist emerged from it. You have all the classics; William Basinski, Gavin Bryars, Mary Lattimore, Hiroshi Yoshimura, and more. Although, this one-hour loop of the Fishing with John theme song is probably my true go-to.
Jul 6, 2021
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I love a massage, but I always find them too soft. I had never done a Shiatsu massage until my friend Laura (who you guys should feature, she has all the deepest recs, maybe she can do an Italian restaurant edition) introduced me to Keisy Oriental Nature Center in the East Village, and Iāve been hooked since. Each time, I walk out with an insane high, like Iām floating, all tension or pain I had going in, gone. They warn you on the call that itās āno pain no gainā, so if you're into Swedish massages, this is definitely not for you. They charge about $50 an hour. While they also do reflexology and acupuncture, I wouldn't bother with that latter, since I did it for a month and it was pretty suss.
Jul 6, 2021