I Left “Philly” but I Still Miss… (part 2)

Husband, Teenager, baby kitty and I have been living in Utica for about ten months now. As I mentioned in part 1, I’ve been loving it. The air up here is cleaner. There is no traffic worth talking about out loud. Getting anywhere I want to go, oft takes 8 minutes. Which is a far cry from what life used to be like in PA. We moved north for the fresh air and to find the house of our farming dreams-- and so far, we're happy here. And yet, I've discovered there are a few things I miss from living in the Philly Metro area.  I put together a list of 10. This is part 2. :)

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6. Saks Off 5^th. Traditionally, Off 5^th is the outlet hub of the Saks Fifth Avenue brand. Which means, if you like style and fashion the way I do—Off 5^th provides access to some really cool designers (think: Louboutin, Coach, PRADA, or whoever you’re into) at far more affordable prices. If I were to show you some of the pieces I was able to purchase from Off 5^th that “I could never” if it was on the rack at Saks proper—you’d be amazed.      

7. Apple Store. We’re an Apple family. Our Teen has an iPad and the Apple pen. We all have iPhones. And we all like to play with the new (same) toys Apple comes up with every season. Driving to Syracuse to get a phone fixed when it gets flushed down an unsuspecting toilet or when the pen accidentally endures a full wash/dry cycle. Meh. It’d be cuter if there were an Apple Store in New Hartford.

8. Hip City Vedge. Two words. Orange. Creamsicle. It’s a vegan milkshake that shalt definitely bring all the boys to the yard. And so now you’re like, that’s all fine and well Envy, but it’s winter now. Try again in the summer. Fine. And so now you’re like, but what’s a “Hip” “City” “Veg”? It’s an all- organic vegan burger joint that likes college towns and makes vegan fast-ish food so good --if you’re a carnivore, you may convert.

9. Blackbird Pizza. While not the first if it’s kind, Blackbird Pizza revolutionized the FULLY vegan pizza shop. They even perfected their own brand of seitan (ooh look, I rhymed). And they made a fabulous vegan Philly cheesesteak (Wit and Witout) (if you know, you know :).

10. Monster Golf. This one is for my teen. Monster Golf is a monster themed, black lighted, but everything is neon, indoor golf course. The children of all ages (read: me) loved to have parties in their cool, Monster High styled “tea rooms”, whilst swinging haplessly at golf balls in the dark. In sad news, Monster Golf closed some years back and I was sad. If someone is looking for a great business idea to bring to the Utica/Rome area--you're welcome. :)

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