I have not been to Whole Foods in Tribeca for a few months and the change is remarkable. The produce is not as fresh as it was. And there are many items I used to buy there they no longer carry. Their ice cream choices have really declined. And their meats look like they have been sitting in the stall for too long. I would go with Fresh Direct. They have consistently improved their produce and meat/fish department. — Nancy on Crowd Sourcing: What’s going on at Whole Foods?

What has really annoyed me lately is that they don't carry tonic water- except for a smallish bottle for $6.99. I like a good gin and tonic in the warm weather, but the tonic shouldn't cost more than the gin! We used to have Best Market, and before that, Food Emporium, for everyday basics that WF deems to low brow to carry, but now I have to have a list of items that I look for when traveling outside of the neighborhood. — Robert Ripps on Crowd Sourcing: What’s going on at Whole Foods?

This type of fare system has been in existence in Tokyo for a long time. But in Vienna, residents pay about $300/yr to ride the entire well maintained system (including suburban trains). No ticket sellers (only machines for non-residents who purchase by zone-based fare), no high tech wickets to install or service. If you are caught, the fine is very steep. That is progressive and it would give all NYC area residents a huge break. — Mark on The dodo bird, the token, the MetroCard

I have shopped at Whole Foods since it was a small store on Lamar in Austin. Now I only go there when I have to get certain things. Their 365 brand is really poor quality except for the mayonnaise which I do buy but use rarely. There are always so many people in the aisles between the stockers and the people on phones etc. They have discontinued so many items that I go elsewhere if I can. — Tom on Crowd Sourcing: What’s going on at Whole Foods?

Point taken, but from Greenwich and Warren, a half-mile away, that is too far to haul for me. Still, I'll examine. I think of GG as more of an Amish-type place, not for regular shopping... — Pam Frederick on Crowd Sourcing: What’s going on at Whole Foods?

I will like to apply for a waitress/ server/ host job — Andrea on New Kid on the Block: Savida

I used to only shop at Whole Foods and now I literally go there for a few key items at best every few weeks. Trader Joes is much much less expensive, is mainly stocked with what I need and much better experience. While it is quite a bit further, it is worth the extra effort! — Margaux on Crowd Sourcing: What’s going on at Whole Foods?

Why a "one-grocery-store town"? There is still Gourmet Garage on Broadway&Franklin, for example. Good selection, seems to be doing well in terms of customers. — Marcus on Crowd Sourcing: What’s going on at Whole Foods?

Trader Joes on Spring Street. Friendly, well stocked and best of all - not Whole Foods. — Heide Fasnacht on Crowd Sourcing: What’s going on at Whole Foods?

My Whole Foods at Houston and Bowery started going downhill in 2016 but the Amazon acquisition took it down mega levels. here's what I've written about it previously. http://theopinionator.com/question-of-the-day-why-does-bezos-hate-whole-foods/ — irma zandl on Crowd Sourcing: What’s going on at Whole Foods?

Yes! for me it's the tiny currants... — Pam Frederick on Crowd Sourcing: What’s going on at Whole Foods?

I dare you to find a golden raisin at WF. It is incredibly sad what has happened to what began in Austin, Tx as an amazing food store. Both of my last two deliveries (I did my own shopping) arrived past the 4-hour mark. And BTW, I have seen the Amazon Shopper folks making their selections in the store. I might use them for non-perishables but I don’t want them grabbing me the first bunch of cilantro they see (the one in front with the yellow and brown leaves). — TheBlackSquirrel on Crowd Sourcing: What’s going on at Whole Foods?

They've def gone generic..and I've noticed they don't have nearly the number of check out lines open..this is intentional (I believe) because they want the in store experience to be negative and time consuming to force everyone to just do delivery (it's worked with me) Oh and also I heard from the employees they no longer pay people to stock the shelves over night/early am..which is why the aisles are so crowded now with shoppers and restockers fighting for space. — julie on Crowd Sourcing: What’s going on at Whole Foods?

I didn't even post it on my page, because it left out so many. :-) — Luis Vazquez (FiDi Fan Page) on In the News: Greenhouse at your house

That explains it! I shouldn't have bothered to link to it. Next time deferring to you, Luis. — Pam Frederick on In the News: Greenhouse at your house

The easier/faster it is to ride/pay: the more people ride/pay. Your argument is short-sighted, assuming providing better service won't help with revenue (a thing that helps fund service). You'd have argued for keeping the token back in the day, and 20 years from now if every other Metro system except to NYC had switched to this better system you'd be complaining that they hadn't. — C+ on The dodo bird, the token, the MetroCard

The Eater post was a round up of standout FiDi (defined as everything south of Chambers) restaurants, but was instead a lazy update for a post from 2017. NOT included, but should should be are the following: Crown Shy, Temple Court, Sola Lab, Blue Ribbon Federal Grill, Da Claudio, Felice, Osteria della Pace, Pistillo's, Il Brigante, Bellini, 10 Corso Como, The Trading Post and the Tuck Room. — Luis Vazquez (FiDi Fan Page) on In the News: Greenhouse at your house

FYI. https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/healthy-taco-and-juice-chain-is-bombarding-manhattan-with-five-new-locations/ar-BBWbBPE — Ruben Robles on Seen & Heard: Local landscape architect + Pier 55

What is so broken about our our current payment system that it takes priority over getting our actual trains to function? Just take a look at all of the delays. https://twitter.com/NYCTSubway?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor In the past 24 hours there has been at least one delay on every single line. Zero resources should be going to building out a new payment method until the city can get the trains to run properly. — C on The dodo bird, the token, the MetroCard

Unless installed on a solid base of concrete (see stretches of Beach / N Moore / Franklin / Harrison between Hudson and Greenwich which are holding up well) they will warp in the next few years. Unfortunately it looks like packed soil in the photos above... — The Cobbler on Seen & Heard: New cobblestones for Desbrosses

I meant to reply to Jane below — James on Seen & Heard: New cobblestones for Desbrosses

See my reply above — James on Seen & Heard: New cobblestones for Desbrosses

"While it has often been reported that Belgian blocks were imported to New York as ship ballast, we have not found primary evidence to confirm this practice." Above footnote and below text from: 'Toward Accessible Historic Streetscapes; A Study of New York City’s Belgian Block Heritage' Prepared for the Historic Districts Council April 2017 "A Brief History: New York’s Belgian Block Heritage "Over the past century and a half, the stones in New York City’s streets have gone by many names. In this report, we refer to the city’s typical, 19th-century granite paving stones as Belgian blocks. These mostly rectangular, tooled granite stones were used as paving materials in cities across America. With the term Belgian block, we distinguish these stones from an earlier paving material, cobblestones, which are untooled, naturally rounded stones that generally predated the use of tooled granite in city pavements. Cobblestones were typically used up to about 1860. "Despite the name Belgian block, it remains unclear to what extent, and during what era, paving stones imported from Belgium may have provided the raw materials for New York City’s streets. It is known that the city’s early paving stones included a type of six inch-square traprock commonly called “Belgian” block, and said to have first been used in Belgium. This non-granitic, igneous stone block, reportedly sourced from the New Jersey Palisades, was introduced in 1852 and in general use after 1859. None of these paving stones are known to be in use today. "The surviving stone we refer to as Belgian block began to be used in the 1870s. It was most likely sourced from quarries within the United States. By 1877, for example, New York contractors were said to have purchased large quarries in the Northeast for the purpose of providing granite paving blocks to New York City. In 1895, the Commissioner of Public Works reported that all of New York City’s granite paving blocks were obtained from quarries on the New England coast. Stones were notably sourced from Maine, including quarries on the island of Vinalhaven. "The existing Belgian block stones in New York City streets today are presumably of this later type quarried in America. Nonetheless, we retain the term Belgian block due to its generally accepted use in referring to granite paving stones, as well as its evocation of the European character that pervaded the city’s early streetscapes and continues to contribute a distinctive sense of place today." — James on Seen & Heard: New cobblestones for Desbrosses

According to this NYT’s article it was ship ballast. You can also see in the picture why the new cobblestones failed - I suspect to save money the contractor used too much mortar and so when the heavy construction trucks drive over them they broke down the mortar and the cobblestones moved. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/nyregion/19cobblestone.html?mtrref=www.google.com — Ships in the night on Seen & Heard: New cobblestones for Desbrosses

I've heard that these cobblestones all around Tribeca served as ballast in 19th-century ships. Is that true, or apocryphal? — Jane on Seen & Heard: New cobblestones for Desbrosses