Union Station in Utica, NY. Isn’t it pretty? I took the train to Manhattan a few weeks ago, what a blast. I can’t wait to do it again!
Union Station is built for many, many more travelers than what I experienced (about 15 to 20 of us, that day). The station is very large, and, as you can see from the photo, very clean and architecturally impressive. I don’t know much of the history of the building. It is located in the Baggs Square area, north of the city. It’s wonderfully old-fashioned– no blaring air horns and flashing LCD HDTV lights and images here. Very quiet, very restful. On a busy day, all the noise must float up to the top, near the ceilings. I could look at the ceiling there forever. Everything is beautiful.
I was shocked to see this store when I visited Manhattan. Also, shocked that I remembered it.
I love the old-fashioned, Victorian look of the building. One almost expects to see Victorian ladies with bustles and parasols, and mustached men with striped shirts and paisley mens ties waltzing in and out of the doors.
I was tempted to go in, to see if the store had changed at all…. but I was in a hurry (such is New York) and had to satisfy myself with merely a photo. Maybe next time!
I hadn’t heard of such a thing until I got the Gruene Dual 2 in 1 Steam Cleaner. What a terrific invention! And for us, it’s just in time. We are renovating the house, and had gotten rid of the yukky 40-year old vinyl tiles in the kitchen and the yukky 40-year old indoor-outdoor carpeting in the dining room, and are replacing the floors with TrafficMaster Allure flooring. We also have laminate flooring in the living room.
The kind folks at Gruene must have recognized our plight– imagine all that mopping we’d have to do!!– and sent us one of their steam cleaners to review. Thanks, Gruene! We made a video detailing the assembling of the machine, and testing it out for the first time.
I think it’s a great alternative to the mop and bucket system (which, incidentally, I hate). It’s nice to see mops enter the 21st century, finally. I also love the fact that you do not HAVE to buy special cleaning pads for the machine. As a matter of fact, Gruene encourages you to use terry cloth towels or any kind of absorbent pad to attach to the bottom of the cleaner. And it’s very easy to attach a new pad, too. No screws, no complicated clips or buttons, etc.
As we mentioned in the video, the machine is a little top heavy. You have to hold it up, or it will fall down. It’s lightweight and easy to glide across floors. If you have a textured vinyl floor, you may have to push a little harder. But the steam and the absorbent pad pick up a lot more dirt and grime than a mop and bucket, definitely. I was surprised how dirty my laminate floors were.
Overall, it’s a great upgrade for cleaning bare floors. I never liked the mop and bucket, and I never liked how the wet mops saturate the floors and leave them wet for long periods of time. The Gruene Steam Cleaner makes it nice and simple, and the floors dry quickly. Thumbs up for this one!
I wasn’t the only crazy person taking a photo of this store! lol. It’s the Apple Store in Manhattan. I SO wanted to go in and look around. But I was loaded with a few heavy bags and backpacks, and on my way to the train. I knew they wouldn’t let me in unless they checked every bag… and I really didn’t want to go through all that. Rats.
Two Asian girls were giggling and snapping photos of the store, too. They then ran off to catch the bus that had stopped on the street. I walked and walked and walked…. for MILES. I lost weight while down there, because I walked so much. Last time I lived in NYC, I lost weight then, too. All that walking is so good. It doesn’t seem like a chore because there is always something to see or do. Going to NYC is the best way how to reduce belly fat, believe me! I can’t wait to go again! And this time, I’m DEFINITELY packing lightly and seeing the Apple Store!
Went to New York a few weeks ago. I spent lots of time wandering the streets, snapping photos. Unfortunately, I’d chosen to carry my cheapo Fuji point-and-shoot camera. New York City was like a steamy tropical jungle, and despite it’s Asian name, the camera did NOT like the atmosphere at all. It went wonky on me from time to time. I very much regret leaving my better camera at home.
Anyway, as I walked along 59th Avenue, a long line of horses, carriages, and their masters awaited customers. I wondered how long this business has been going on in New York. Since the very beginnings, perhaps? Business seemed slow. I guess maybe after 300 years of horses/carriages on the street, maybe people prefer taxis? I felt sorry for those poor creatures. Some stomped their feet in impatience. They deserve to be out in the country, running wild and getting the best ab workout that hay can provide (yes, I read Black Beauty as a child). Poor horses. The city life is a tough one.
