Times Square Post-Super Bowl Bash

Of course the party had to carry on in to Times Square, following the victory of the New York Giants at Sunday’s Super Bowl.  It was quite a scene as tons of fans emptied out of sports bars yelling “Giants! Giants! Giants!”  Drivers were shouting the same out of their windows and passers-by were roaring.  Police officers tried to ensure the situation was kept under control through crowd-management but it seemed like they were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people coming out in their blue-and-white Giants attire.  And keeping it all under control and pleasant is important given what happened the last time the Giants were in the Super Bowl four years ago.  At that event, a staggering 176 drunken driving arrests took place in New Jersey which marks the second highest total in the state for a Super Bowl Sunday.  There can be a lot of fun and celebration; but it has to be kept under control.

More Celebrations

Because the city was so proud of itself with its win, the mayor, Michael Bloomberg promised a ticker-tape parade and ceremony would be held for the Giants a couple of days later.  As he pointed out, “Big Blue gave us a game to remember, and on Tuesday we're going to give them a parade to remember.” An anticipated 1 million spectators were set to show up at MetLife Stadium.

 

Union Square Ventures: Hiring Tactics

 

It seems like the traditional job-hunting method of sending a resume to apply for a job may soon become passé. These days in New York, up-and-coming companies are more interested in your presence in social media.  Union Square Ventures asked potential employees to show their “web presence” such as their Twitter account or Tumblr blog and to also send in a video of themselves talking about why they would be appropriate for the job.  It is doing this because it believes this method will generate higher quality candidates since the company itself has a strong Internet-social media presence.

Indeed, according to an associate at the company, Christina Cacioppo, you don’t get much depth from a resume anyway.  She herself has blogged about the company’s hiring process on its website and got the job herself having developed a profile with Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., to show her social-media savviness and suitability for the job.  Using this method to hire people really could be the way to working out more about them, what they like and how they think.  An employer also needs to get a sense of how well matched the candidate will be socially, vis-à-vis the other employees as well as the corporate thinking.  This is an especially inventive way of narrowing down the increasing amount of people applying for jobs due to current high levels of unemployment.

Delicious Dining in Midtown Manhattan

Chic French brasserie, located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, at 60 West 55^th Street, Benoit is marking its centenary, having opened in 1912.  It became part of the Alain Duncasse Enterprise in 2005. 

Today, together with Chef Philippe Bertineau, Duncasse has ensured the menu is a “celebrat[ion of] traditional French cuisine alongside seasonal ingredients.” It seems like the only criticism of the food is that the amazing gratinéed  onion soup – divine in its golden crusting encircling a “bubbling gooey and rich, beefy and fragrant” inside – is “exceedingly messy to eat,” according to reviewer Melissa Clark who wrote about it in an article in The New York Times.

At the bar, choose from any one of the delectable French and American wines by the glass, beers and more.  Private dining facilities seat up to 65 guests. For something more intimate, choose the Officine, which seats 10 in an antique 19^th century pharmacy setting from Bordeaux.  There, one can enjoy a personalized menu and the opportunity to select from Alain Duncasse’s private wine cellar.