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Nina In New York: An Ode To Seamless Web

A young professional's take on the trials and tribulations of everyday life in New York City.
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By Nina Pajak

One of the easiest and most-repeated selling points about this city is the ease with which a person can get nearly whatever he or she wants at any hour of the day or night. Where other cities have a certain neighborhood that keeps late hours or a handful of spots scattered about that will deliver at any hour, it's just part of the culture here. We completely take it for granted that if you have a craving for a cookie or a fried egg sandwich at 4 a.m., your only obstacle is the internal pressure to exercise some impulse control.

But now that SeamlessWeb's popularity has crested and given birth to copycat competitors, nearly every restaurant in our neighborhood is a mere few clicks away. Places that under previous circumstances, if I had wanted to sample their wares, I would have been compelled to, I don't know, put on pants. Maybe splash some water on my face. But now we can dine finely in the comfort of our sweatpants without ever having to see another human being aside from the delivery guy.

O SeamlessWeb, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

1. You eliminate the need to have confusing and increasingly loud conversations with phone order-takers in noisy restaurants.
2. You narrow down my options for me, as more and more I now order exclusively from restaurants that use your service.
3. You make ordering meals an even faster and lazier process than it ever was.
4. I'm fairly certain you're directly responsible for those last three pounds I gained as a result of reasons one through three.
5. You inspire me to spend more money support local business much more than I ever have in the past.

I think that's plenty of ways.

So is this a great development in our lives? It certainly takes convenience to a new level in a city that had already seemingly perfected that. But it's also just another way in which the interwebs make it possible for us to avoid social interaction. Then again, who am I to stand in the way of innovation? Mostly, I'm just totally addicted, as are most people I know, and I'm guessing plenty I don't. Why fight it? I'm all in. And besides…meh, I'm too tired to finish my point. Mmm, pajamas.

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Dear Readers: While I am rarely at a loss for words, I'm always grateful for column ideas. Please feel free to e-mail me your suggestions.

Nina Pajak is a writer and publishing professional living with her husband on the Upper West Side.

The Nina Archives:

Kitchen Nightmares

Home Sweet JFK

Thank You, Law & Order

Rites Of Spring

Art Is In The Air

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