One sleepless night, I was watching QVC. And there it was: AeroGarden Pro100, a tabletop gardening kit that calls itself “aeroponic.”

As a locus for five-star hotels, Columbus Circle lost some luster during the early nineties, when the St. Moritz and Plaza became outclassed by newer, more luxe properties around town. But with the reopening of the Plaza and the debut of splashy Six Columbus—not to mention a surge in shopping and dining options—the blocks near Central Park’s southern edge are suddenly hot again.

Big family? Lots of friends? Secret Santa? Everybody, at some point in the holiday season, has to acquire gifts in bulk.

Or so nearby it doesn’t matter.

One person’s clean quest ends with a Japanese toilet.

Problem: leaky faucet, crumbling grout, shelves still in a box. Answer: the odd-job man. A search for someone willing to sweat the small stuff.

What’s so wrong with popcorn shrimp? Learning to love Time Warner Center, Home Depot, Red Lobster, and the rest of the new chain gang.

Canceling is a New York art—especially over the holidays.

There are many upper west sides, but none of them have been considered cool. Until now: Barneys Co-Op just landed on Broadway and 75th, lighting up a ten-block stretch that could become a place you go out of your way to visit.