The New York tabloids are all over Governor Eliot Spitzer’s scandal, and resignation, after being engulfed in a prostitute ring. And the New York Times just blew the lid on Kristen, the girl whose services and company the governor paid for. If his wife is New York’s First Lady, it stands that Kristen would be New York’s First Prostitute, right? Yeah, and Monica Lewinsky was the First Intern….

Now, at 22, she is the unwitting, and as yet unseen, star of the seamy drama that is the downfall of Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York. Kristen, the high-priced prostitute described in a federal affidavit as having had a rendezvous with Mr. Spitzer on Feb. 13 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, has spent the last few days in her ninth-floor apartment in the Flatiron district of Manhattan. Born Ashley Youmans but now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupré, she spoke softly and with good humor as she added with significant understatement: “This has been a very difficult time. It is complicated.”

Now I don’t want to make a big deal out of this, but just think about it for a second. What’s the problem here? Spitzer is a human being, same as the rest of us, and so is this girl. Should he not have been judged based on whether or not this would affect his ability to govern? Did anyone even think about before piling on him? Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of France, divorces his wife and marries his girlfriend and no one bats an eye. Spitzer’s downfall, same as Bubba’s, was not the crime, but the cover up. That’s because the U.S. holds politicians to a different standard than the rest of us. That only leads to more hypocrisy, cause human beings are not about to change, and the oldest profession in the world is sure as fire going to generate some more First Prostitutes in future.

Published below is an interview with Broke-Ass Stuart, author of the highly acclaimed Broke-Ass Stuart’s Guide to Living Cheaply in San Francisco, who now has New York in his broke-ass cross-hairs with a 350+ page Guide to Living Cheaply in New York City. 

I contacted him to ask him about the book and about his life, and as you will see, he’s not just a writer, but someone who is actually living the life. He moved to New York from California and is simply writing about what he’s doing everyday, and how he survives in the Big ‘bad’ Apple. This, along with some original and colorful language,  makes his guidebook a must read for anyone on a tight budget in NYC.

     
 
Question. You’re all set to launch a guide to living cheaply in New York in Nov 2008. Is that right? Can you tell us a bit about what’s in it?
Ans: Yes, that’s the plan.  I’m working my ass off right now to get it done.  This is hands down the biggest project I’ve ever worked on because, I’m basically building a 350+ page guidebook from scratch, whereas, when I did my SF book I had my zines to build on, and when I worked for Lonely Planet, I had the previous author’s work to build on.  So you wanna know what’s gonna be in the NY book huh? Pure unadulterated awesomeness, that’s what.  It’s gonna have a list of places where you can score free food with your drinks (like how the Crocodile Lounge on E 14th St gives you a free pizza every time you buy a drink).  It’s gonna let people know where the best cheap drinks, food carts, and greasy spoon diners are, as well as hipping them to where all the cool free and cheap sights and entertainment are.  And best of all, I talk a lot of shit in the process.   
 
Question. From what I can see, there’s considerable authenticity in your books, which makes it seem like you really walked the walk, and it’s not just something which you wanted to write about, so you went around looking in the city. Is that what makes your guide books different from other budget travel or city guides? Or is there something more?
Ans:  Yeah, I think that’s a huge part of it.  I write mostly in a first person narrative telling about my experiences wrangling these weird cities, while also delivering useful information.  It’s almost like a collection of very short stories mashed up with a regular guide book.  So that’s a big part of it.  But once again, I think it’s the shit talking that really takes it the extra mile.  People seem to like it when I curse and make fun of the lactose intolerant.  
 
Question. Now you’ve written about living cheaply in San Francisco and NYC. Which of these two cities do you like better, and why? What’s different about them?
Ans:  I could write a whole dissertation about this subject.  Hmm..I think the best way to describe the difference between the two cities is that in San Francisco, whatever energy you put out there, the city gives it right back to you.  Whereas with New York, no matter how much you love it, it fucking hates you.  I’ve been living out of a bag pretty much for the past 2 years, so for me “making it” would be to have enough money to permanently take my shit out of storage in SF and have an apartment there, but spend a month at a time, a few times a year, living out of the Chelsea Hotel.  Is that too much to ask for?  I’m a relatively simple man.
 
Question. If you plan on writing any more guides after this, which city would the next Broke-Ass Stuart guide feature?
Ans: My publishers really want me to do Los Angeles, but honestly, the thought of trying to do this thing that I do in LA, gives me tremors.  That place is just too fucking big!  Honestly, I think London would be a great city to do next, but I’d also like to do Montreal, Austin and Chicago.  Who knows really?  Realistically it would probably another American city.  Maybe San Diego since I grew up there and know it well.  I’m sure my parents would love it if I just showed up at their door with three bags and said, “Hi guys, mind if I stay for 6 months?” 
 
Question. Is there anything else you do, apart from writing and poking around the city?
Ans: I begrudgingly wait tables (shaking my fist in the air).  It’s what pays my bills while I’m waiting for my millions to start rolling in.  Is that what you mean, or do you mean like hobbies?  I read about a book a week, I go on dates with my lovely girlfriend, I look at internet porn, and I rob old ladies for their bus money.  But other than that, not too much.  I’m pretty into watching The Wire right now.
 
Question. Anything else you want to add, about your book, or your life? Future plans?
Ans:  Um, yes, if you’re reading this, buy my shit!  Don’t worry if you don’t live in SF or NY, I have t-shirts that say “Young, Broke and Beautiful”.  You’ll love them!  They are for sale at

Question. Any specific advice for someone who’s broke, or on a tight budget, in New York? (Other than buying a copy of your book…)
Ans:  Yeah make sure to go to www.myopenbar.com and sign up for their weekly newsletter which tells about which bars are giving away free booze.  Also make sure to hit up the aforementioned Crocodile Lounge as well as the Alligator Lounge and The Charleston (both in Williamsburg).  These places give out a free personal pizza with every drink.

Chuck Squatriglia, Wired News, has an update on New York’s search for a clean, green, iconic ‘taxi of tomorrow’. The yellow taxicab is the quintessential New York City vehicle, but as icons go, it sucks. The Crown victoria is as uninspired as it is ubiquitous. You’d think the nation’s largest market for taxis - New York has 13,150 cabs carrying 240 billion million people a year…

He also adds that every taxi in new York must be a hybrid by 2012. And he ends with a question. When it comes to to cabs, as goes New York, so goes the nation. So - what’s what does the taxi of tomorrow look like to you?

Read the full article here. Well, if you ask me, the taxi of today is neither clean nor green nor iconic. If anything, it’s mean. And I prefer blue to the dirty yellow. But the article misses the main grouse about a taxi ride in NYC. It’s the cabbies, and not the cab. Ok, so green is good. But who gives a rat’s ass if the cab is yellow or blue. Who cares if it has smooth curves and a great bod. After all, you just want to get from A to B, alive and in one piece. 

Besides, it’s far more important to be able to listen or talk to a cabbie without feeling the urge to rip off the meter and wrap it around it around his neck, than it is to feel good about the color and shape or model of the cab. NYC transit authorities would be better advised to focus on tomorrow’s drivers rather than tomorrow’s taxi.

In other news, the AP reports that corporate travel budgets are shrinking. Corporate travel managers are taking a more active role in keeping on-the-road spending in check:

_ Employees are increasingly being asked to provide an economic rationale for their trips.

_ Rules that require employees to book the lowest fare, stay in pre-approved hotels or double-up in cars and rooms are being enforced more strictly.

_ Executives are pushing alternatives to face-to-face meetings, including phone- and Web-conferencing.

Ack! Economic rationale? Lowest fare? Pre-approved hotels? This is ghastly. Luckily, my editor is a bit too busy too read AP news stories, and hopefully will never see this story about travel managers cutting budgets, and will continue signing off on my luxurious getaways around New York in a state of blissful ignorance.

If you’ve been dreaming about an island vacation, with golden beaches and gentle waves lapping at your feet, and suddenly the travelbug bites you and have this irresistible urge to catch a flight to the Carribean, put a lid on it, and read this article carefully. For $20 and a weekend, you can go island hopping in the vicinity of New York, in a weekend getaway which Seth Kugel, New York Times, labels as the Five Borough Antilles trip, and includes excursions to City Island, Bronx; Randalls Island, Roosevelt Island & Governors Island, Manhattan and Broad Channel, Queens.

It is the journey to Roosevelt Island that is the most fun. The little red tram, the closest thing new york City has to a ski lift, takes off from the brightly colored station at 60th Street and Second Avenue and whisks you across the river for the price of a subway trip. Bring binoculars and take advantage of a great aerial views of the city: watch the traffic up and down First Avenue, spot the aerobics class in a gym a few blocks down. And, especially fun if you’re ending your island hopping by returning to Manhattan after dark: peer straight into the windows of hundreds of curtain-free high-rise apartments. Come on, that easily beats a view from the Lido Deck of yet another monotonous Caribbean sunset of yet another cruise.

I believe the New York times travel section is hiding a kinky closet peeping tom. He’s advocating taking along binoculars and peeking in to the homes of apartment dwellers in Manhattan as an adventure travel plan. Have to agree, though, that it could be much more fun than watching a sunset or some palm trees. Read descriptions of trips to all five islands here.

And this ain’t the full monty, either. Say New York & Island, and only two names come to mind - Manhattan and Staten Island. But the waters of New York surround more than 30 islands, each with it’s own special attractions, history and culture. In addition to the above mentioned five borough antilles tour, notable New York islands worth visiting include Riker’s Island, which houses about 15,000 prisoners in the world’s largest jail complex. Course, if you’re an involuntary visitor to Riker’s Island, the vacation might last a tad bit longer than a weekend…..

There’s also the Ellis & Liberty islands, historic first port of call for immigrants in the 19th & 20th centuries, with landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and the Immigration center.

A visit to Lady Liberty is suggested not only because it’s one of the seven wonders of the world, but also because it gives you a better perspective about what it means to be an American. Think about what it means to immigrants when they first see this - Hope and deliverance, the great American dream and a life of prosperity, when they first sight Lady Liberty standing tall in the waters. The Statue of Liberty is not just an architectural wonder. It is a symbol of what America stands for, and what a life as an Ameican means.

For this, the foodie tour of Brooklyn, we had breakfast at Tom’s Diner, lunch with Nathan’s hot dogs in Coney Island and now, on to dinner at the Bromberg Brothers’ signature Blue Ribbon Brasserie in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Located at 280 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215, between 1st Street and Garfield Place; (718) 840-0404, the Blue Ribbon has an oyster bar and a dining room which offers everything from bakery products to an eclectic dinner menu with a mix of fine American food and French, Oriental and Arabic dishes, accompanied by plenty of kid friendly, family and group dining options.

Start with an appetizer of fried oysters, smoked salmon, hummus or some choice shrimps. The best soups are either the Matzoh Ball Soup or the Cream of Tomato. For the main course, try the New York Strip with onions, mushrooms, green beans and fries or the Fried Chicken. One plate of fried chicken is probably more than enough for two people, with four big pieces of chicken,  with mouth watering gravy of mashed potatoes and collard greens, and a cup of honey on the side to enhance the taste in between chicken bites.

But the best is yet to come. For Dessert, there’s nothing which comes close to the super-duper Blue Ribbon Chocolate Bruno, served with three flavors of icecream and a liberal dose of chocolate syrup. People come here just for the Chocolate Bruno, and end up having a full dinner.

The cost has climbed steadily upward once this place became a secret which everyone knew about, and the restaurant started winning awards and stuff. Reservations available only for groups, so if you’re single or a couple, you’ll likely have to endure a wait of between 20 minutes to 45 minutes. But it’s still worth every penny and the wait. Anyway you look at it, it’s filling, very tasty and a dinner at the Brooklyn Blue Ribbon is just the ticket to knock the lights out of you after a tiring day out in the streets of New York.

Info: 280 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215; (718) 840-0404. Web: www.blueribbonrestaurants.com Suggested eats: Fried oysters, matzoh ball soup, fried chicken and chocolate bruno. Total Cost: Approximately $65 plus tip.