When I was in Midtown this weekend, I stopped by this building.
Do you recognize it? I bet you've seen it in the news! Here's a hint: people were climbing up the sides of this skyscraper as forms of protest a couple years back!
Give up? It's the
New York Times building!
This is one monstrous building. The tower rises 748 feet from the street to its roof. On top of being huge, it's also green! For example, it is surrounded by ceramic rods that help to block direct sunlight into the building, thereby reducing cooling costs. Neat, huh? (And those rods are, apparently, very easy to scale!)
Now, while this is an
amazing structure, it's not nearly as exciting to me as what occupies part of the ground floor:
MUJI!
Have you ever heard of this amazing place? After stumbling into their flagship US store one day, I've made quite a few return visits! Muji started with 40 products and now includes more than 7,000 products, including stationery, clothing, and kitchen appliances. Based out of Japan, Muji is distinguished by its design minimalism, emphasis on recycling, avoidance of waste in production and packaging, and no-logo policy. For example, products are wrapped in clear cellophane, plain brown paper labels and red writing.
Needless to say, this store is quite an experience. Every time I visit, I make a bee line
straight for the paper goods.
They have the most incredible assortment of stationery and supplies... just look at those pens!
But if that's not your thing, there are lots of other things to shop for. How about organizers and collapsible computer speakers?
Or shrink-wrapped scarves?
Or toiletries?
I mean, don't you love these cotton swabs? I don't think you can tell by the picture, but they're so much smaller than the Q-tip version!
Not to be outdone, the kitchen supply area is pretty fun!
Oh- and what about these little stamps? They each depict the skyline of a famous city... I love the ones for NYC and Paris!
As I'm sure you can imagine, I can never walk out of Muji without a bag full of goodies...
And this visit was no exception- check out my loot:
I bought some pens (which the cashier wrapped in a little envelope for me).
And this really fun planner...
The pages just show a blank clock: AM on the left and PM on the right. It's up to me to fill in the rest... isn't that a creative way to think about the day?
I also picked up a new spiral notebook (love the subtle green shade of the lines)...
And a 5-pack of notebooks. I just love these- they're the perfect thing to throw into a book bag or schlep to a meeting!
Well, there you have it... my little trip the NY Times building and Muji! If you're ever in the area and want to stop by, you can find it on the corner of 8th Avenue and 40th Street!
Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a wonderful day!
