LP VINYL RECORDS

Big City

Help Navigating the Big Cities

Big cities—Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, etc—are awesome places to live and fun places to visit. However, whether you’re just visiting or planning to ditch your quaint country cottage for a chic urban flat, you’ve got to know how to maneuver the city. Of course, public transportation systems are different depending on where you go. Comparing the MBTA (Boston) to the New York MTA will yield a striking number of dissimilarities. Follow this advice, though, and soon you’ll be a pro no matter which subway system you’re using.

• Plan your subway trip before you leave — Long before you duck into the subway station, use maps and online resources to plan out your subway trip. A number of Web sites will assist, if not do most of the work, when it comes to choosing a train line, figuring out transfers, directions, and more. Google “Hop Stop” for a great subway trip planner (has trip planning for New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, and more).
• Figure out how much you’ll be using the subway — Will you be in NYC for a weekend? Chicago for a week? San Francisco for 2 hours? Just be conscious of how long you’ll be in the city. More so, how many times do you expect to use the subway? This will help you decide on which subway card or ticket to buy. For instance, Boston’s Charlie Card will save you 30 cents every time you use the subway system, but it might not be worth the effort to get the Charlie Card if you’re only using the subway once to get to the airport. Just plan according, and look up each city’s respective subway ticket purchase options.
• Pay attention to service alerts and delays — Subway systems are great for getting from here to there, but none of them are flawless. Construction and maintenance have to be done, and this often causes train delays or temporary line closures. Major alerts will be identified near subway entrances and communicated over loudspeaker systems within the subway tunnels, so take off your iPod while you’re waiting.
• Be extra wary of the train directions — It might be simple to select the train line you need, but the work doesn’t stop there. Be particularly conscious of which direction you need to go in (uptown, downtown, outbound, inbound, westbound, etc). Look, if you don’t know which direction you need, just ask someone for assistance! you won’t look stupid or unprepared, I swear. It’s better than going in the wrong direction and ending up confused and lost in a foreign area of the city.
• Practice using the subway system — If you’re visiting for a while or moving to a new city, take some time to learn the system. Choose various lines and just hop on and off at various stops. In this way, you’ll learn the geography of the city and also get acquainted with the metro system!

And realize, subway systems aren’t just for the main metropolitan areas. Moving to a neighborhood just outside the city? Keep these tips in mind, anyways. It’s still likely you’ll have access to major subway lines. For example, if you’re moving into one of the many condos in Jamaica Plain (a neighborhood right outside the Boston metropolitan area), you’ll still have great access to the MBTA. So keep these tips in mind, too!

MERLE HAGGARD – Big City

Adagio Teas Ingenuitea Teapot Enjoy the superior flavor of tea with this ingenious teapot. Steep loose tea as easily as using a bag. With three easy steps your tea is ready to enjoy. Step 1: Place tea leaves and hot water inside. Steep according to taste. Step 2: Placing teapot atop a cup opens a valve at bottom. Tea flows down. Step 3: Your cup is ready. Toss the teaves and place teapot in dishwasher. Durable, microwavea…

Box of 144 Cocktail Drink Hawaiian Paper Parasol Umbrella Picks $3.99 Paper Hibiscus Cocktail Parasols. Assorted colors. (1 gr./DB) 2″ parasol on a 4″ stick. Accessories not included….

Wilton 2104-9008 Chocolate Pro 3-Tier Chocolate Fountain $59.99 Serve melted chocolate with style and finesse with the Chocolate Pro fountain by Wilton. Using three tiers, this electric fountain holds up to four pounds of chocolate and continuously flows down the levels, allowing you to dip your snacks and fruits. It is great for parties and gatherings, and really makes your party more distinguished….

O Brother, Where Art Thou? $6.69 The best soundtracks are like movies for the ears, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? joins the likes of Saturday Night Fever and The Harder They Come as cinematic pinnacles of song. The music from the Coen brothers’ Depression-era film taps into the source from which the purest strains of country, blues, bluegrass, folk, and gospel music flow. Producer T Bone Burnett enlists the voices of Alison Krau…

Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970-2002 $7.98 This is the first attempt to consolidate all of Sir Elton’s hit singles, from three labels, in one collection. It once would’ve required at least four CDs to own the best stuff here. Many think the legendary performer was at his best in the early to mid-’70s, and the incredible string of singles that ran from 1970′s “Your Song” through 1977′s “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” remains mighty imp…

Very Best of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons $8.91 No Description Available.Genre: Popular MusicMedia Format: Compact DiskRating: Release Date: 14-JAN-2003…

Star Trek (Three-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray] $30.84 The perennial sci-fi franchise is reinvigorated, courtesy of “Lost” creator J.J. Abrams. Reckless Starfleet cadet James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), logical Vulcan instructor Spock (Zachary Quinto), down-and-out doc Leonard “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban), and the rest of the Enterprise crew come together for the first time to stop a vengeful Romulan (Eric Bana) who’s traveled back in time, creating an altern…

The Princess and The Frog (Three Disc Combo: Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) $23.95 Disney returns to traditional animation with this loose adaptation of E.D. Baker’s novel “The Frog Princess.” In early 1900s New Orleans, Prince Naveen–transformed into a frog by a voodoo curse–mistakes the beautiful Tiana for a princess whose kiss will break the spell. But when the smooch also turns Tiana into a frog, the pair must race to find a way to change them both back, falling madly in l…

Little Big Soldier (Bluray + DVD Combo) [Blu-ray] $13.49 In this historical action farce set during China’s Warring States Period, bumbling peasant soldier Jackie Chan miraculously survives an ambush…and believes he’s found his ticket for reward when he comes upon wounded young enemy general Leehom Wang. Getting his prisoner safely back through the home lines, though, proves to be another matter. Yue Wu, Xiao Dong Mei co-star. 92 min. Widescreen (Enha…

Fiskars 9424 Garden Bucket Caddy $11.99 Our Garden Bucket Caddy makes it easy to carry all of your essentials when you’re out in the garden. It fits snugly on a five-gallon bucket, freeing up the internal space for dirt, yard waste or supplies. Deep, large pockets provide ample space for tools, gloves, beverages and even a cell phone. Sturdy canvas construction is light, durable and easy to clean….