Friday Night's Alright...

Sometimes I forget that Brooklyn is actually a huge borough and that it does not simply consist of Williamsburg and Brooklyn Heights, otherwise known as the area where I live and the area where I work. Anyway, last night, I went out to Bay Ridge to hang with some friends from work who call the Ridge their home. Bay Ridge for those you out there that do not know is the part of Brooklyn featured in Saturday Night Fever... and also a very neighborhoody part of Brooklyn which makes you forget that you are actually in one of the five boroughs.

Anyway, last night featured, a trip to a delicious little Middle Eastern place called, Tanoreen, which lived up to its reviews as one of the best Middle Eastern places in New York City. Plus, it's cheap, which is always an added bonus. The group did a number on the menu, eating hummus, baba, a cool little cauliflower dish, stuffed grape leaves, okra with lamb, shepherd's pie, turkish salad, and a delicious mixed grill meat platter. The place is BYOB, but there is a wine store and a bodega right next door to satisfy all of your drinking needs. The other cool part of the dinner was that the owner/chef of the joint was very visible during the entire dining experience walking around and talking to each table making sure that everyone was well fed and enjoying themselves. It was a nice little touch that I think is sometimes forgotten in the bustling restaurant industry of New York City. Safe to say, a good time was had by all.

After a filling meal, all involved decided that we were too full to continue the evening and thus I left Bay Ridge to head back to the Burg. As a nice little surprise ending to the evening, on my way back to the Burg last night, I got to ride on one of the new R160 subway cars that was being tested on the N line. The cars are similar in appearance to the R143 cars that can be found on L line along with others in New York City. However, this new car's features the high tech display screen seen below:

The display board has a LCD screen, seen above displaying the 8 Av Local C information. The screen changes as the train proceeds from stop to stop with advisories, information about the new cars, and advertisements for MTA and the services they provide. The screen can also change according to what line the train is on so no longer will F trains that are acting as G trains for the day be suffering from an identity crisis. Additionally, as seen to the right, the stops shift down the board as the subway cars travel from stop to stop and the board let's you know how many stops you are away from your destination. (Providing a little added torture to those hipster transplants living in Harlem, who are no reminded throughout their ride that they still have 30 stops left before they are home) Like the LCD screen, the list of stops will all change according to what line the train is traveling on. Finally, the announcements are all automated so there will no longer be the classic scratchy subway voice to decipher. (Actually, I prefer hearing the announcements from real people and then sharing a knowing glance with all of my fellow passengers who are equally confused by what was just said by the conductor.)

Anyway, it was kind of cool to get a little sneak preview of the future...and to see another part of Brooklyn... and while, I don't usually write these little look at me and all of my adventure style pieces, I beg your indulgence as I am quite sure someday I am going to need this little blog to help me remember what the heck I did when I was 29 and angry... so stop judging me.