What Recession?

Although I still haven't found a job, it seems that some of NYC is over this whole recession thing, and getting back into the days of conspicuous consumption.

Yesterday I had to run an errand for my Mom at Hermès. Don't get any ideas, one of her bangles needed repairing; I wasn't going in for Birkin. However, that's not to say that one of the other 20 women at the counter weren't.

I couldn't get over how crowded the store was at 4PM on a Wednesday! It's not like people were just admiring Croc bags and printed scarfs - they were actually buying things. I had to wait 15 minutes before being helped because the counter was as busy as Essex on a Sunday.

That was my first clue that maybe things are picking up. But then I realized, that was the Upper East Side, which is probably the most recession-proof neighborhood in Manhattan. So I thought nothing of it. The women were probably buying leather instead of Croc, one scarf instead of seven.

I thought my evening was ending around midnight when I had washed my face, put on my pajamas and crawled in the sanctuary that is my bed. I was wrong.

At 11:45, I get a text from SGS: "You wanna go out? Free drinks all night."

Of course, I'm intrigued. But tonight was our night off, after the past three weeks of going out nearly every night.

I responded nonchalantly: "?"

SGS: "Chris and the banker boy toys have $1500 to drop."

Me: "Shut up. Ugh I just got in bed. I srsly cannot go out S. I'm supposed to be rehabbing it tonight."

SGS: "You're going to miss out on BBTs."

That I did. In further investigation this morning, I found out that the boys' had just finished their second year analyst program, so the bank gave them a very generous tab to celebrate. WHAT?! I thought banks were suffering, cutting unnecessary costs, saving money!

And SGS told me this morning: "We popped champers like it was New Year's!"

Well, obvi it wasn't New Year's. But maybe it is a new New York? And by new I mean the old New York.