New York City - Where do they get those big building covers?

It's been nearly a year since I've been back to this massive city. And one of the first things I noticed is all the building blankets wrapped around buildings under construction.

Where do they get those things? Some even have been artistically painted to look like a real building. There sure are a lot of buildings under construction or repair.

Anyway, the weather is hot and humid. The subway is like a sauna, but it's New York City and I love it.

Some fast facts:

**Smoking is prohibited in New York City - yes, in the entire city except for some special restaurant sidewalk areas. Some people assume this means you can't smoke anywhere in the city, but that's not true. You can smoke while walking outside, but forget lighting up in any public buildings like restaurants, bars, office buildings, and dining halls. Public transportation like the NYC subway and the Staten Island ferry are off limits, too.

**Cab fare between midtown Manhattan from the LaGuardia airport is about $30 to get there, and about $40 to get back. Time of day and heaviness of traffic will change that rate. A ride from the JFK airport to midtown is set at a flat rate of $45. The toll charges are included in these figures, but not the tip.

**Trans-fats have been outlawed in New York City - you should see all the healthy fruit options now available in Central Park. Another thing NYC has done is insist that restaurants post the calorie count in their foods. You'll think twice about that morning pastry listing at nearly 500 calories.

**Buy your really good food in Whole Foods - you'll find this huge grocery store at Columbus Circle, kiddy corner to Central Park West. Oh, I know of another location and that's just across the street from Union Square Park.



Time to go exploring.

Cheers,
Sheree