CHARLES MOURNET

A group of three teenagers walk down an upper east side street in search of food to  satisfy their cravings. The teenagers found their satisfaction not in the burger place up the block but in the recently opened Chop’t Salad Store.

    The craze has taken the upper east side by storm. The rising draw to salad spiked when two new Salad stores, within five blocks of each other, opened in the past 6 months. The Salad Chains Chop’t and Just Salad are both on the rise and decided to tap the Upper East Side as their most recent target.

Salad has become the new junk food to health conscience consumers. Teenagers off from school and businessmen after work all find haven in the salad bars scattered throughout the neighborhood.

    The reasoning may be more simple than most would think. Teenager Brad Hershenson explained, “The new salad places have made salad an actual option when I’m choosing what to eat.” His friend, Max Preston, built on the idea saying, “ I often get called out by my friends for being a picky eater, but with the many options I can always find something I’m okay with.”

Salad Bars may be on pricy side, making them ideal for the fat walleted upper-east siders, but the large quantities and fancy choices prove to be worth the money. The gluten free dressings and portion controlled servings at Chop’t, similar to Just Salad, allow customers to make the smart choice for lunch or diner. The customer can customize a salad at either of the new locations, as well as ordering a “chef-designed” salad. From a smokehouse steak salad, to a tandoori fire salad, or just a typical cobb salad, the franchises have put a new spin on the salad lifestyle.

America has become known for high rates of obesity but with new trends in eating previous images may change. According to Robert Jeffery, in the annual review of public health, “Obesity has increased dramatically over the past two decades and currently about 50% of US adults and 25% of US children are overweight. The current epidemic of obesity is caused largely by an environment that promotes excessive food intake and discourages physical activity.”

    New salad stores provide the opportunity for adults to get a healthy meal despite limited time to cook. According to Tahlia Weinstein, a full-time worker and mother of two, “sometimes I try to eat healthy but I don’t have the time too, so I find myself eating carb-chalked meals. Just Salad allows me to pick a healthy option and still have time to do all the things I need.”

The new trends in thinking surely point to new trends in health. After all, if teenagers can pick salad, anyone can pick salad.

A lady in her early 20’s lies sprawled on a bright pink lawn chair, catching up on her summer reading– in the middle of a New York City Street.

The Department of Transportation approved Baruch College’s proposal to close down East 25th street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues in late 2012. Two months later, in late February of 2013, Baruch College held a ribbon cutting in celebration of their campus’s newest addition. The new plaza had many doubters, but continues to prove to be successful as time passes.

 “The closed street lets me enjoy the break between my classes,” remarked Baruch College sophomore Jill Barclay, the owner of the pink lawn chair. The new plaza has ensured a place for students to gather after long, stressful hours of class. Freshman Daniel Dornbaum built on the idea explaining how “the plaza serves as a community center.”

Baruch president Mitchel Wallerstein commented in a New York Times article that the plaza is a “win-win” arrangement for the community. The community district is noted for having very limited outdoor space, so Baruch’s plaza not only serves students, but also the surrounding citizens.

According to DNAInfo.com, prior to the closing, the street was reportedly crossed an estimated 20,000 times a day– sometimes illegally. The jaywalkers, in a crunch to get to class, cut across the street submitting themselves to possible dangers. Since the plaza has been created, the possible dangers are no more. Students can now safely cross the street without checking for oncoming traffic.

Along with the newfound safety, students also have developed more school comradery. Baruch College has already taken advantage of the street turning it into a playground for a day, completed with a bounce house, for their annual spring fling.

The students can also be found doing collegiate activities across the plaza. With a simple  glance around one could find students digging into a book or getting homework done before class.

The plaza is just one of Baruch College’s many plans to modernize and and update their New York City campus. Facing the issues of space like most small commuter colleges, Baruch’s administration has shown promise in adapting to limitations and making the most out of small benefits.

The closed street allows for Baruch students, like Jill Barclay, and surrounding members of the community to be at peace in a mesmerizingly fast paced society.