Last Monday marked a momentous occasion, one that a year ago I would have said would never happen: I drove my SUV in New York City. I had every intention of bidding a fond farewell to my vehicle the day after my graduation and trading it in for a 3X2 metro card.
And then I found this job that made me so excited that I wanted to jump out of my chair, raise my hand, and say “pick me, pick me!” I didn’t, but I thought about it. It’s in…..New Jersey. So I began researching commuting options. The possibilities on deck were New Jersey Transit or living in Queens and driving over the Triborough and GW bridges. Neither seemed to work well. Both commutes were too long and too expensive. The Queens option in particular was tough – I spent a whopping two and a half hours getting home after my interview. And then to add insult to injury I got a $165 ticket for parking in front of a pedestrian ramp that was not marked and that I could not see in the dark.
Because I sat on the GW for a good amount of time (and I mean truly sat, as in did not move an inch) I had plenty of time to look around. And I noticed something: these lit up boats crossing back and forth. They easily made five trips from one side of the river to the other during my idle time. What were they and where were they going?
I got home and spoke with my friend, Heather, who informed me about the ferry that takes people from midtown to several stops in New Jersey. New York Waterways. I looked them up and it’s a ten minute ride from midtown to Weehawken, NJ, and then a half hour drive from Weehawken to the company’s corporate head quarters. I couldn’t believe it! I felt like a great big present with a giant red bow plunked down and hit me right on the head. This was an unbelievable and delightful discovery.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg had just announced that anyone driving in Manhattan below 86th Street will be subject to an $8 / day charge. This is meant to alleviate congestion and cut down on pollution, two issues the city desparately needs to address. I discovered that the best way to drive in New York City is to find a way to not drive at all.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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Christa Avampato 