I've heard a lot of bikers say that they have to ride on the sidewalks in some areas, but I don't understand that at all. I'd just hop off and walk it.

Also, please remember that some folks are deaf or hard of hearing, so you can't assume your bell or voice will alert a pedestrian that you're there.

Most bikers are pretty considerate, in my experience. A few bad apples.

You're right, restaurants close often and for a lot of different reasons. I didn't do a very good job of saying what I meant, which is this: A handful of longstanding establishments that I chose not to patronize due to my own dog allergies - such as the Ray's pizza on 6th and 11th and the Bread Cafe on Bleecker and Christopher - received Cs (the lowest possible grade) when NYC implemented its new health inspection grade-posting rules. The connection I meant to draw was between the dogs and those sanitation scores, but I jumped to the conclusion that the subsequent closure of these restaurants was related to decreased business upon posting those scores. But you're right, there are a ton of other reasons why they might have closed, such as the loss of St. Vincents or the economy in general.

I like dogs, but I'm allergic, so I usually don't patronize businesses that allow customers to bring in dogs. (At least not restaurants, or anywhere that's more than a quick in-and-out trip.) It's just a respiratory comfort thing.

I worked in the West Village for several years, and there were a few restaurants that I enjoyed for lunch until, one by one, they started letting people bring their dogs in. So I stopped going to those places, no big deal ... but when NYC implemented their grading system, every single one of those restaurants closed. Every one. So I now believe that there's a correlation between dogs and the general sanitation of the place. If the managers are willing to look the other way on the dog thing, maybe they're missing some other things, too.

Gallerie Hudson did a beautiful job for me. Definitely not inexpensive, but when the initial quote was too high for me, they had great suggestions to get it down to my price point. Everyone was super friendly and happy to help. I'll go back, for sure.

Well, at the risk of being banned from jclist, I have to admit that I didn't care for this place. We went for dinner on Monday and the food wasn't very good. In particular, my smoked salmon salad had wilted lettuce, salmon unlike any I've tasted before (and not in a good way), and the wrong dressing. My boyfriend's pasta was okay, but nothing you couldn't achieve with last night's penne and a jar of Ragu. The servers were nice, but unbelievably slooooowwww. They lack confidence, and I think they were trying so hard not to be intrusive that they failed to be attentive. We tried for no less than 15 minutes just to get their attention to get the check. Wanted to try out the yummy-sounding ice cream selection, but didn't want to stay another hour ... so we left and went to Torico's.

The thing is, I really WANT to like this place. So we decided that it was probably an off night for them, and we'll check them out again in a few months. Talking to neighbors, I've only heard experiences like mine ... so it's encouraging to read here that a lot of people do like it. It sounds like it's stronger when the owner is there.

Oh! I almost forgot! One big A+ for the paper towel dispenser in the bathroom! It's automatic but not motion-reliant. Loved that.

Thanks, triscuit & aurora. I appreciate the feedback. I guess we'll take her to Downtown Vets and just think it through if it seems like they're trying to pump us for money.

Can anybody recommend a vet who can handle a particularly cranky cat? She's bitter, angry, hates to be handled, bites, scratches, and is just generally awful ... but we love her and want to take her for a check-up.

Saw him at around 4:30pm on Newark & Erie downtown. Looking mighty fine in head-to-toe hot pink, including a hot pink zebra-print coat. Made my day!

"The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery is the best novel I've read in a while. Loved it.

And a big high five to everyone who recommended "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortensen. That book is fantastic.

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It's pretty entertaining even if you DO live here. :)

I admittedly know very little about Peter Brennan, and maybe he?s a great guy and a great council member ? but he left a very poor impression on me today when somebody in the crowd interrupted his remarks about the no confidence measure.

He called the heckler ?rude? and then said something along the lines of, ?Just for that, I?m changing my vote.?

I didn?t hear what the audience member shouted; maybe it WAS rude. But changing your vote out of spite? That?s just offensive.

I have the same question, or at least a similar one. Specifically, I need to get rid of some old fencing. Any advice?

An out-of-town friend came to visit in December with her three little ones in tow. She really wanted to take them into the city, but the weather was a bit stroller-prohibitive so we took them to Liberty Science Center instead ... and they L-O-V-E-D it. Her kids were 4 yrs, 2.5 yrs, and 7 months. There were plenty of age-appropriate activities for them, and, from what I could see, for kids of all ages. Staff members were great with kids, too. We had a great time, and my friend has been raving about Jersey City ever since. =)

It's so true, OutOfHoboken. Dr. Khasak's office is a nightmare.

I'm stuck with him for now. He was my highly-recommended third opinion after misdiagnoses/treatment by my last two dermatologists (not in Jersey City). And my insurance isn?t too interested in my starting over with a fourth doctor.

So for now, I see Dr. Khasak. I block off 3 hours when I have an appointment, because that?s about how long it takes. There?s a sign in the waiting room that firmly reminds patients to be on time for their appointments. I?m not sure if it?s a joke or not.

When I say ?waiting room,? I?m referring to the main waiting room. There?s also an overflow room, and sometimes people even have to wait in the hall. If you?re in the overflow room or the hall, be warned: When they finally call your name, they are not going to do it loudly. You need to listen for it over the blaring TV and the screaming children. If you miss it, the staff will be sure to let you know that it?s all your fault.

Everyone on his staff is sick and tired of being inconvenienced by the patients. They make that pretty clear. I try to be as friendly as I can, and twice I?ve gotten one of them to laugh. But mostly they hate me and everyone else.

What I?ve come to like about the waiting room is that, after an hour or so, everyone in it sort of starts rooting for each other. You look around and roll your eyes at one another. People are genuinely happy for each other when they finally get called in. One lady patted me on the back and said, ?Good for you, honey! Good for you! You made it. I know it?s my turn any minute now!? It?s a sort of we?re-all-in-this-together vibe.

As a doctor, he IS competent and he IS helping me, and I appreciate that. But there must be other competent dermatologists too, so if you can avoid going there, do. It?s too late for me. Save yourselves.

Thanks, Cap'n. I guess it's not a new phenomenon, then. Just new to me!

To clarify, I didn't mean to suggest that any branch of the military wouldn't discourage gang activity. I just wanted to point out that rounding up the Bloods and sending them to Iraq may not be the best solution to the gang problem.

I'd like to discourage formal military training for gang members. A friend of mine is in the LAPD gang unit, and they've been having a problem with gang members who join the military, serve honorably, and then are discharged right back to their communities where they hook back up with their gangs. My friend arrested a gang member who had somehow smuggled a rocket launcher when he returned from Iraq. Not a good scene.

At any rate, I hope this guy is going to be okay. It's really awful that this happened.

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Ditto. Three Lives & Co is a fantastic bookstore. I never know what I'm going to find there, but I always know I'll find something good.

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My friends have a name for this phenomenon: Random Acts of Pull-Ups.