Optometrist on our block.

I recently had to go for my annual eye exam, and in scrolling through the optometrists that are accepted by my insurer, I stumbled across Dr. Jennifer Tsai. Dr. Tsai’s optometry studio is called Line of Sight and is on the south side of 29th Street between 10th & 11th Avenues (pictures courtesy of https://www.drjennifertsai.com/ and https://www.lineofsightvision.com/). You’ve walked by it a thousand times if you live on this block.

My visit was great—Dr. Tsai seems very thorough and careful in her approach; her and her staff are approachable and easy to talk to; the equipment seems brand new; the office is pristine; and they have a nice selection of eyeglasses along with some staff members who will helpfully tell you whether you look good or ridiculous in certain frames. Would highly recommend.

Did you guys know there’s an hourly-rate hotel on 10th Avenue & 14th Street?

I was walking with a friend around Chelsea a few weeks ago, and she pointed out to me a squat little brick building on the west side of 10th Avenue and 14th Street that seemed extremely out of place. It is called the Liberty Inn, and I’ll let a New York Times article from 2011 take it away:

Inside the lobby, the concierge sits behind a pane of bulletproof glass. A vending machine displays boxes of condoms and bottles of lubricant beside packs of Oreos and Skittles. Every so often, luggageless couples inquire about a room.

This is the Liberty Inn, the last of the meatpacking district’s hourly-rate hotels; in 2008, New York magazine called it “unabashedly the place to go for some afternoon delight.” Robert Boyd, who has managed the establishment since 1977, prefers the term “romance hotel.”

“We take in your everyday business and travel clientele,” he said. “But we focus on couples looking for a romantic moment, if you will.”

Liberty Inn Focuses on Romantic Moments, by the Hour - The New York Times (nytimes.com). At first I was surprised that a place like this still exists around here. But at second I wasn’t the least bit surprised—when it comes right down to it, humans are gonna human. And you might as well make it convenient for them, right along the West Side Highway.

Store opening in Chelsea: Diaman Discounts on the northeast side of 24th Street & 7th Avenue.

A tree grows in Brooklyn. A store opens in Chelsea in the middle of a pandemic. Diaman Discounts opened on 24th and 7th last Saturday. It is what I’d call a “dollar store plus,” meaning that most things are a dollar, but it also has some other items that go for slightly more than a dollar. For example, I somehow walked out with a pack of socks and white t-shirts for less than $10.

The image shows the owner, Mamadou Diaman, along with a guy running for City Council in District 3, Arthur Schwartz. Mamadou, thank you for taking the initiative and executing on an idea while we’re still muddling through this whole ridiculous COVID affair. It is what makes New York great.

Also, I had a thought-provoking conversation with Arthur Schwartz in Mamadou’s store (Arthur helped Mamadou open the store from the legal side). You can read more about Arthur’s views here: Getting to Know You: City Council District 3 Candidate Arthur Schwartz – Chelsea Community News.

Arthur has a particular interest in police accountability, and I asked just for my own curiosity how he would increase accountability. He informed me that, currently, civilian complaints about police officers are reviewed by the “NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board.” That board can conduct investigations and make findings about police misconduct, but those findings are then just submitted to the NYC Police Commissioner, and the Commissioner makes his own determination about whether any discipline is necessary. Arthur suggested that the law should be changed so that the board has its own disciplinary power, separate and independent from the Commissioner. Interesting.