Here's what to do in Minneapolis, if you don't know anything all, don't have access to Google, and think Potbelly is fine dining. However, if you're willing to try a little harder than that, the next time you find yourself with 48 hours to spend in Minneapolis, here's what you should do instead:
Friday, 5:00 pm: Arrive at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). Take the light rail downtown if you're up for an adventure. If you're tired and weary from flying, take a taxi. It's not cheap, though it'll cost less than cabbing it in from larger airports in larger cities like NYC & Chicago.
Don't stay out by the airport or the Mall of America. Nothing there is on a pedestrian scale, thus it will be a baffling ordeal just to get coffee in the morning. Instead, stay in downtown Minneapolis. Check your favorite travel site (such as Expedia, Orbitz or Hotels.com) for a 3.5-4.5 star hotel. Avoid the Embassy Suites, Hyatt Place or Normandy; they've all seen better days. Consider the Millennium; it recently underwent massive renovation and was nice even before that. Other solid choices include the Radisson Blu, Hyatt, or Marquette. The W Hotel (Foshay) is hip and young. The Grand Hotel provides old school elegance. (We haven't stayed at the Grand yet; but it's on our list for a future visit.) (Hotel list revised March 2015.)
Friday, 7:00 pm: Like steak? Don't go to Capital Grille. It's actually fine, but it's a chain, a place you can find in any big city nowadays. Local options abound. SEVEN is hip and upscale. Murray's is the oldest of the old school. Manny's is a bit like how I imagine Morton's of Chicago was, once upon a time. JD Hoyt's is more of an old school supper club, but the room is nice and the food is fantastic.
Sadly, most of the vegetarian places I used to love seem to have closed. But if you're looking to avoid meat, I have a novel suggestion: Fogo de Chao. It is a Brazilian steakhouse, a churrascaria. But trust me -- vegetarians will find much to love here as long as you don't mind watching other people gorge on steak. Instead of approximately $50 for all you can eat steak, you can opt-for the approximately $25 "salad bar only" choice. Their salad bar is to die for. It makes all other salad bars cry in shame. I actually most often go to this restaurant just for lunch, and just for the salad course. It is thick with vegetables and cheeses, potatoes and pasta salads. Freshly dressed asparagus. Fresh mozzarella. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.
Friday, 8:00 pm: As noted in that other article, Minneapolis has a strong and thriving theatre and music scene. Check the City Pages to see what your options are for the evening. TC Tix is also a good place to check, it's a "half price tickets" site. If nothing appeals to you, jump in a cab and head over to the Whiskey Junction bar. There will be a band. It will be local. It will probably be blues or classic rock. The scene may be silly. It will definitely be fun.
If you like jazz, then you're in luck. The area has two fantastic jazz clubs. My favorite is the Artists' Quarter, located in Downtown St. Paul. It's worth the cab ride there and back. I have a bias in that I've known the owner for years and have always loved this place. Don't take my word for it, though -- the reviews, universally positive, often say things like "this is what a jazz club should be:" dark, subterranean, not expensive.
Friday, 11:00 pm: Need a nightcap? Kieran's Irish Pub in the block E complex is a bright spot in an otherwise dull development block. Kieran owns a few pubs around, and he has a knack for taking something that starts as office space in a glass office block and turning into something that looks and feels authentic (or at least very fun). There is often live music.
Saturday, 10:00 am: For the love of god, don't go to Potbelly. If it's nice out and you want to go for a very short walk to get your coffee, walk to a specific downtown Dunn Brothers coffee shop at 201 3rd Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55401. It's a neat, old historic two-story brick building. The coffee is great, the service is good, and they'll be plenty of light breakfast options. If you have a car, head over to the French Meadow Bakery/Cafe on Lyndale Avenue South. Their menu is large, mostly organic, and fantastic. Be patient; it can take some time to order and find a table.
Saturday, 11:00 am: The Mississippi River is one of the stunning natural features of the area. If you can't find anything at or near the river, you're dead inside and need to stop writing travelogues. Nicollet Island, St. Anthony Main, and the Mill Ruins Park are just a few of the things you'll find near downtown. If you're up for a drive, take the south river road south/east bound out of downtown Minneapolis, and follow it down toward Minnehaha Falls, at the confluence of the river and Minnehaha Creek. It's a great place for an informal hike or a bike ride (rentals available). The Sea Salt Eatery is highly ranked and worth checking out.
Saturday, 2:00 pm: The Mall of America is fun to visit if you like to shop or have kids (and patience). If that's not your thing, take the kids to Historic Fort Snelling instead. If the weather's not nice, go see a movie at the fancy Showplace ICON movie theatre in St. Louis Park. Premium VIP seating with cushy leather chairs, gourmet food and a full bar will make it a movie-going experience you'll not soon forget.
Saturday, 6:00 pm: I guess you could go see a baseball game, if that's your thing. Or you could experience the arts up close at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, a wonderful museum of fine art located in South Minneapolis. Admission is free.
Sunday, 9:00 am: Don't eat breakfast at your hotel. Hop in the car and head over to St. Paul's Cathedral Hill area. The Cathedral itself is very pretty, and you can kill time walking around while waiting for W.A. Frost to open at 10:30 am for brunch.
Sunday, 12:00 pm: After a long and leisurely brunch, Mark's suggestions aren't too bad. He recommends visiting the Minnesota History Museum and Science Museum of Minnesota, both located in downtown St. Paul.
Sunday, 5:00 pm: If you've got time for an early dinner before departure, for the love of all that is holy, don't eat sad pizza at some place that has no windows. Go to Pizza Luce, a local chain with multiple locations. Their gourmet pizza is quite possibly the best pizza you may ever have in your entire life. And they have slices ready for easy snacking, if you're on the run.
Time For Something New
Last night, I attended a community meeting regarding whether or not the community supports lifting the packaged liquor store license moratorium in a specific area right around the corner from our home.
It was loud and long. As reported by Benjamin Woodard, over 100 people attended. My wife, our next door neighbor and our upstairs neighbors joined me as well.
The meeting degenerated into a forum questioning the right of the owner of 6800 North Sheridan (represented by MARC Realty) to decline to renew the lease of the liquor store currently in that building, called Isam's. The store's owner Sam Sadaqa really rallied the troops for this one. Nearly every person who stood up to speak expressed their displeasure that the current liquor store is closing.
The problem is, though, is that Isam's is done, regardless. The landlord indicated that lease negotiations fell through and thus, Isam's will be leaving the building irrespective of any other action taken or not taken. Meaning, the choices before the community are basically, do you want a new liquor store or no liquor store. This was lost on the crowd.
A number of people were trying to defend this store as being a useful source of food for the community. Sorry, but I strongly disagree with that. As my wife pointed out, the store has long been dirty and run down inside. It's been that way the entire time we've lived around the corner from it. And regardless of claims to the contrary, Isam's isn't really a place where you would want to buy food. As this Yelp reviewer states, "The "food" bit of Isam's Food & Liquor is non-existent, or should be. You don't want to touch those dusty groceries." The inside of this store hasn't seen a fresh vegetable in years, and I'd be afraid to buy even a frozen pizza here. Bad food options are plentiful nearby. There's a 7-11 across the street, and there's Sonny's just up the street. But there are better choices very nearby as well. The wonderful Morse Fresh Market is only a few blocks away -- I walk up there all the time to pick up vegetables and other staples. (And I'm not some food snob -- ask my wife. Our shopping is primarily split between Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Morse Fresh Market. I don't have a lot of extra grocery dollars to throw around.)
So, let's forget about the food. What about the liquor? This Yelp reviewer has it right, they have the world's largest crappy wine selection, and by the way, almost all of the bottles are dusty. Got a friend coming by, and you want to pick up a nice bottle of bourbon? Sorry, they've only got Jim Beam. And what's up with beer prices? This Yelp reviewer echoes what I've heard from a few different prices: Beer prices there are variable and/or higher than average.
I'd already given up on the store, myself. We jump in the car or jump on the bus and go somewhere else when we want to restock, because the quality and selection at Isam's just hasn't ever been that great. (Unless you're looking for half pints, which the store has in abundance.)
So, it's time for something else, and that's why I voiced my support for removing the package store moratorium, allowing the building owners to proceed with leasing part of the space to Pradeep Patel, who says he will be opening a more upscale liquor store, similar to his "Red Violin" liquor store, elsewhere in the neighborhood. That store opened over some vocal community opposition, but has gotten positive reviews. A commenter on that DNAInfo article explained, "I've been to this liquor store and despite the many objections by the local tee-totalers, it's actually a nice shop!" Another agreed. "This is a luxury goods store, not some corner crime magnet." That echoes my experience as well. I've been in to Red Violin on two different occasions and I liked what I saw. (I haven't been there more often as it's not geographically convenient for me.)
Here's to hoping that Mr. Patel gets a chance to apply for a packaged goods license at that location. If not, let the space empty out and give the building owner an opportunity to clean it up and lease it out to someone else. The building owner and management have done great work improving the rest of the commercial spaces (and attracting interesting tenants like SP Kebab and Ciao Bella Cafe). I hope that trend continues.
It was loud and long. As reported by Benjamin Woodard, over 100 people attended. My wife, our next door neighbor and our upstairs neighbors joined me as well.
The meeting degenerated into a forum questioning the right of the owner of 6800 North Sheridan (represented by MARC Realty) to decline to renew the lease of the liquor store currently in that building, called Isam's. The store's owner Sam Sadaqa really rallied the troops for this one. Nearly every person who stood up to speak expressed their displeasure that the current liquor store is closing.
The problem is, though, is that Isam's is done, regardless. The landlord indicated that lease negotiations fell through and thus, Isam's will be leaving the building irrespective of any other action taken or not taken. Meaning, the choices before the community are basically, do you want a new liquor store or no liquor store. This was lost on the crowd.
A number of people were trying to defend this store as being a useful source of food for the community. Sorry, but I strongly disagree with that. As my wife pointed out, the store has long been dirty and run down inside. It's been that way the entire time we've lived around the corner from it. And regardless of claims to the contrary, Isam's isn't really a place where you would want to buy food. As this Yelp reviewer states, "The "food" bit of Isam's Food & Liquor is non-existent, or should be. You don't want to touch those dusty groceries." The inside of this store hasn't seen a fresh vegetable in years, and I'd be afraid to buy even a frozen pizza here. Bad food options are plentiful nearby. There's a 7-11 across the street, and there's Sonny's just up the street. But there are better choices very nearby as well. The wonderful Morse Fresh Market is only a few blocks away -- I walk up there all the time to pick up vegetables and other staples. (And I'm not some food snob -- ask my wife. Our shopping is primarily split between Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Morse Fresh Market. I don't have a lot of extra grocery dollars to throw around.)
So, let's forget about the food. What about the liquor? This Yelp reviewer has it right, they have the world's largest crappy wine selection, and by the way, almost all of the bottles are dusty. Got a friend coming by, and you want to pick up a nice bottle of bourbon? Sorry, they've only got Jim Beam. And what's up with beer prices? This Yelp reviewer echoes what I've heard from a few different prices: Beer prices there are variable and/or higher than average.
I'd already given up on the store, myself. We jump in the car or jump on the bus and go somewhere else when we want to restock, because the quality and selection at Isam's just hasn't ever been that great. (Unless you're looking for half pints, which the store has in abundance.)
So, it's time for something else, and that's why I voiced my support for removing the package store moratorium, allowing the building owners to proceed with leasing part of the space to Pradeep Patel, who says he will be opening a more upscale liquor store, similar to his "Red Violin" liquor store, elsewhere in the neighborhood. That store opened over some vocal community opposition, but has gotten positive reviews. A commenter on that DNAInfo article explained, "I've been to this liquor store and despite the many objections by the local tee-totalers, it's actually a nice shop!" Another agreed. "This is a luxury goods store, not some corner crime magnet." That echoes my experience as well. I've been in to Red Violin on two different occasions and I liked what I saw. (I haven't been there more often as it's not geographically convenient for me.)
Here's to hoping that Mr. Patel gets a chance to apply for a packaged goods license at that location. If not, let the space empty out and give the building owner an opportunity to clean it up and lease it out to someone else. The building owner and management have done great work improving the rest of the commercial spaces (and attracting interesting tenants like SP Kebab and Ciao Bella Cafe). I hope that trend continues.
Frozen Food from Dollar Tree
Wow, I used to blog a lot more than I do nowadays. I guess Facebook has mostly replaced stuff like personal blogs. Anyway...
My adventures of late have mostly involved trying various things from Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, trying to figure out which things are acceptable to buy from the dollar store, and which ones are not. I'm a huge fan of both Dollar Tree and Family Dollar. Most things are of good quality, but there are always a few things here and there where I end up regretting buying the cheap knock-off dollar store brand. Q-Tips, for example. The cheap ones are pretty awful. Paper towel, kleenex and soap, though -- they're great things to buy at the dollar store. The quality seems very comparable to what you'd buy elsewhere.
And then there's food. Did you know that Dollar Tree has a frozen food section? Like with everything else at Dollar Tree, each frozen item is $1. That includes little pizzas, TV dinners, frozen vegetables, Jamaican patties (which are pretty good), and other random stuff. They've even got frozen salmon filets and tiny little steaks. The salmon appears to be from China -- not doing that -- and the steaks scare me. So while I'm not buying either of those, I did end up buying quite a bit of other stuff, walking out with two bags of frozen foods for under $20.
Yesterday, I tried this Piñata Beef Enchilda TV dinner for lunch, and it was actually quite good. I'll be sure to pick up a couple more of them the next time I stop in the store.
When it comes to blogging about food from Dollar Tree, I'm apparently late to the game. Here's a review of that TV dinner from "The 99 Cent Chef," a blog I'm now going to be following.
There's also a few different websites out there talking about the $1 frozen steaks. Here's one of my favorites. I think I'll be picking up one of those steaks for Murray for his birthday come this July.
My adventures of late have mostly involved trying various things from Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, trying to figure out which things are acceptable to buy from the dollar store, and which ones are not. I'm a huge fan of both Dollar Tree and Family Dollar. Most things are of good quality, but there are always a few things here and there where I end up regretting buying the cheap knock-off dollar store brand. Q-Tips, for example. The cheap ones are pretty awful. Paper towel, kleenex and soap, though -- they're great things to buy at the dollar store. The quality seems very comparable to what you'd buy elsewhere.
And then there's food. Did you know that Dollar Tree has a frozen food section? Like with everything else at Dollar Tree, each frozen item is $1. That includes little pizzas, TV dinners, frozen vegetables, Jamaican patties (which are pretty good), and other random stuff. They've even got frozen salmon filets and tiny little steaks. The salmon appears to be from China -- not doing that -- and the steaks scare me. So while I'm not buying either of those, I did end up buying quite a bit of other stuff, walking out with two bags of frozen foods for under $20.
When it comes to blogging about food from Dollar Tree, I'm apparently late to the game. Here's a review of that TV dinner from "The 99 Cent Chef," a blog I'm now going to be following.
There's also a few different websites out there talking about the $1 frozen steaks. Here's one of my favorites. I think I'll be picking up one of those steaks for Murray for his birthday come this July.
Say Hello to Zsa Zsa
We've had her for a couple of weeks now, and she's slowly settling in. It took her a couple of days to warm up to us, and she's still in the process of warming up to Murray. So far, it looks as though she'll get there just fine.
She needs some help socializing, as she can be pretty afraid of new people. It's something we hope to work on in the coming weeks and months.
But for now, so far, so good. She loves to snuggle and her idea of the perfect day is alternating between napping and sitting on our laps.
You could have had a fan, but...
As I was collecting my things and figuring out next steps, I pulled up Hotels.com and found a hotel downtown that I'm familiar with, one I like, and it happened to be the cheapest option downtown this evening. So I call them on the phone, instead of booking via Hotels.com, because my hands are full and I'm walking, trying to get out of the airport. The hotel clerk, after bumbling through the process and putting me on hold multiple times, quotes me a price higher than Hotels.com ($169 versus $149). I ask her if she can match the Hotels.com price, meaning, can they come down by $20? She says nope, sorry, can't do that.
I asked to confirm: So you're telling me, that I have to go book online instead to save that $20, and then your hotel has to pay the booking website 20% of the booking amount? You can't just give me the same rate directly, saving me the time and saving you the booking fee? Nope, can't be done, she says. "Um, that's like, some third party thing, we can't match what they do." (Buh?)
OK, thanks, no point in bothering then. I'll go online.
By now, I'm already kind of miffed that the hotel wouldn't help me out. Last time I was stranded due to a flight cancellation, another hotel downtown had no problem matching that rate. It's a shame that hotel wasn't available this time around. I then decided that I don't really care where I stay for the night, I just want it to be as cheap as possible and somewhere downtown, so I can make my way to the Amtrak station early in the morning.
So while riding back downtown in the back of a taxi, I fire up the laptop, plug in the Sprint modem, and pull up Hotwire.com. Hotwire had a four star hotel in downtown Indy for only $113 tonight.
So I booked it. On the Hotwire website, they don't tell you the name or exact location of the hotel until you make the booking. And when I pushed the "buy it" button I found out that I had ended up with the exact same hotel that I had talked to on the phone. I got it for a full $56 less than what I was quoted on the phone, and they still had to pay the website for the booking. Yet, I was ready and willing to pay them $36 more directly.
I'm left frustrated by all of this. This hotel could have turned me into a fan by doing me a favor on a really stressful travel day. Instead, they turned me away, and then it dawned on me that if they're not going to be loyal to me, maybe I shouldn't bother being loyal to them.
Oh, and I was booked to stay at this hotel for a week next month. Now I'm starting to think I should cancel that and just use Hotwire instead. Treat me like a commodity, and I can do the same to you.
(Oh, and after getting to the hotel and checking in? I wanted to meet a friend for drinks, but I decided not to spend another dime in the hotel that didn't seem to care about me. So, we went down the street a block to the other hotel, the one that treated me better, but didn't have any rooms this time around. It felt good spending my money in their lobby bar, instead of at the first place. I'm a fan.)
Dog Park in Rogers Park
Did you know that Rogers Park has a dog park? The Pottawattomie Park DFA (Dog Friendly Area) can be found at the far northeast corner of Pottawattomie Park near Clark and Rogers in Rogers Park. It's a bit hidden -- but don't be discouraged. If you're parking in the lot for the park, you'll want to come all the way back from the parking lot, to the far north end of the park, where you'll find the dog park area. It's just west of the Metra tracks. It's closer to Birchwood than to Rogers.
If you have a dog and live in Rogers Park, I hope you'll come check out the dog park! It's been open for almost a year now and it's never very busy there.
For more information about the Rogers Park dog park at Pottawattomie Park, check out the PPDFA website.
Please tell your friends! And please link to the dog park website from your website, if you're able. It'll help make it easier for other neighbors to find information about the dog park.
If you have a dog and live in Rogers Park, I hope you'll come check out the dog park! It's been open for almost a year now and it's never very busy there.
For more information about the Rogers Park dog park at Pottawattomie Park, check out the PPDFA website.
Please tell your friends! And please link to the dog park website from your website, if you're able. It'll help make it easier for other neighbors to find information about the dog park.
What's Cheaper at Family Dollar
I'm a big fan of Family Dollar -- I'm not ashamed to admit that I shop there three or four times a month. But, after reading this article, I'm wondering if I need to check out an actual 99 cent store instead, if I want to save the most money possible.
This doesn't mean I'm done with Family Dollar, for sure. In the article, the author highlights the comparison items that turned out to be cheapest there, including Ocean Spray juices, Palmolive Dish Soap, Cascade Dish-washing Powder, Hefty trash bags, and Reynolds Wrap.
At Family Dollar, I personally tend to buy a lot of stuff like bags of little candy bars, toilet paper, facial tissue, and basic foodstuffs like mac and cheese, just about all of these seem to be cheaper than you could get from any other store. Some things, like gourmet mac and cheese and little candy bars, I've observed that Family Dollar charges less than half what a Target or a CVS charges.
This doesn't mean I'm done with Family Dollar, for sure. In the article, the author highlights the comparison items that turned out to be cheapest there, including Ocean Spray juices, Palmolive Dish Soap, Cascade Dish-washing Powder, Hefty trash bags, and Reynolds Wrap.
At Family Dollar, I personally tend to buy a lot of stuff like bags of little candy bars, toilet paper, facial tissue, and basic foodstuffs like mac and cheese, just about all of these seem to be cheaper than you could get from any other store. Some things, like gourmet mac and cheese and little candy bars, I've observed that Family Dollar charges less than half what a Target or a CVS charges.
New Verizon Option: Pay More, For Less
Verizon Wireless just announced "Share Everything" data plans, going live on June 28th. Engadget has the details here or click on through directly to Verizon's website here.
The pricing is confusing, and really doesn't seem like any sort of a discount. I can't imagine anybody going for this. These plans are definitely not any sort of discount, from what I can see.
Let's do the math: I just paid $171 to Verizon for this month's access for two iPhones, with unlimited data, and 700 shared minutes. That includes about $10 for text messages (we found it cheaper to not have a text messaging plan and just pay when it happens) and $20/mo for tethering on one phone. It also includes a 10% discount that Verizon provides to employees of the company I work for, and about $20 of the bill is taxes and administrative fees. (Also, there's a "Nationwide - Line Access" fee of $9.99/month being charged for each phone that I don't quite understand. I need to call about that.)
So if I wanted one of these new shared plans, with a reasonable amount of data, here's what I'd be looking at: $40 per phone, so $80 per month, for unlimited voice minutes and text messages. (Great, it's unlimited, but who cares. We're not maxing out our voice minutes currently.) Then on top of that, I'd be paying, say, $70/mo for 4 gigabytes of data each month.
Four gigabytes is not a ton of data -- I am told that most people use between one and two gigabytes of data each month. Probably more if you're traveling a lot, and I do travel some. And iPhones have a lot of software and application updates, and unless you're careful only to run those only on wifi, they count against your usage. So basically, we have what amounts to a modest-to-average amount of data available for each phone, and we'd have to worry about overages.
So for not-really-a-win as far as data access goes, we'd pay $150/mo. And that is before tethering ($20/mo) and taxes (approx. $20/mo), so that brings us up to...$190/month.
It's like, for the privilege of paying extra, suddenly I get to worry about data overages.
Who would go for this kind of plan?
The pricing is confusing, and really doesn't seem like any sort of a discount. I can't imagine anybody going for this. These plans are definitely not any sort of discount, from what I can see.
Let's do the math: I just paid $171 to Verizon for this month's access for two iPhones, with unlimited data, and 700 shared minutes. That includes about $10 for text messages (we found it cheaper to not have a text messaging plan and just pay when it happens) and $20/mo for tethering on one phone. It also includes a 10% discount that Verizon provides to employees of the company I work for, and about $20 of the bill is taxes and administrative fees. (Also, there's a "Nationwide - Line Access" fee of $9.99/month being charged for each phone that I don't quite understand. I need to call about that.)
So if I wanted one of these new shared plans, with a reasonable amount of data, here's what I'd be looking at: $40 per phone, so $80 per month, for unlimited voice minutes and text messages. (Great, it's unlimited, but who cares. We're not maxing out our voice minutes currently.) Then on top of that, I'd be paying, say, $70/mo for 4 gigabytes of data each month.
Four gigabytes is not a ton of data -- I am told that most people use between one and two gigabytes of data each month. Probably more if you're traveling a lot, and I do travel some. And iPhones have a lot of software and application updates, and unless you're careful only to run those only on wifi, they count against your usage. So basically, we have what amounts to a modest-to-average amount of data available for each phone, and we'd have to worry about overages.
So for not-really-a-win as far as data access goes, we'd pay $150/mo. And that is before tethering ($20/mo) and taxes (approx. $20/mo), so that brings us up to...$190/month.
It's like, for the privilege of paying extra, suddenly I get to worry about data overages.
Who would go for this kind of plan?
Why are cell phone plans overpriced?
My wife and I love our iPhones. But the costs! Oh, the costs. We're paying Verizon Wireless nearly $200/mo for two phones. I make maybe one phone call a week. And most of the time wifi is available and I could be using Skype instead. I got rid of unlimited text messaging, bringing the cost down by, oh, maybe $20/mo or so, but it's just not enough, and I just can't find a cheaper plan for us on Verizon Wireless. So, I've started to look around. Our contract is not up for a while, but that's not going to stop me from at least looking.
Before we get started, here are three important things to keep in mind when considering these, or any other, cell phone provider and service plan.
Option #1: Voyager Mobile - http://www.voyagermobile.com/
Service plan costs: For an android smartphone, $39/mo unlimited talk, text and internet, including 4G. For a basic flip phone, $19/mo for unlimited talk/text. The details: You need to buy a phone from them, and if you want a fancy one, expect to pay up to $550. Android only, no iPhones. Shipping times are long, it might take 3-5 weeks for your phone to arrive. The 4G service is Clear Wimax, which sucks. (I would not bother buying a 4G device for this service - I think 3G is good enough.) Voyager uses Sprint's network. This is probably the way I'd go if I wanted an Android phone with unlimited service.
Option #2: Ting Mobile - https://ting.com/getting-started/
This is another Sprint reseller, run by internet company Tucows, based in Toronto. Good guys. Pros: They're hacker friendly, so while you do have to buy a phone from them, they don't care if you clone your ESN onto your personal iPhone, so you can use it on their network (if you know how to do that). They're friendly and responsive when it comes to answering questions on their web forums. Cons: The pricing model, while it can be significantly cheaper if you're a light cell phone user, involves doing your own math. They charge a base $6/mo per phone, then you add on various blocks of megabytes, texts and minutes. You could go data only with 1gig/mo for $30/mo. If you pick a large block of minutes (2000), a thousand text messages, and two gigabytes of data, you're up to $88/mo. Might as well stick with the post-paid plans if you're going to be a heavy user. Ting is another land of Android, no iPhone here. I probably wouldn't recommend Ting, unless you are a hacker or have unique pricing needs that might make the math more favorable. (Here find somebody else's thoughts on Ting Mobile.)
Option #3: Cricket Wireless - http://www.mycricket.com/iphone
As of June 2012, Cricket Wireless says the iPhone 4S is coming any day now. They have their own network, but they utilize Sprint for 3G coverage. For $499 you can buy an iPhone 4S outright, then pay $55/mo for unlimited talk, text and data. They have a smaller network footprint, from what I can tell, so unless you live in a big city, this is probably not the plan for you. Perhaps not good for you, but maybe it's good for me. I'm intrigued by this. I want an iPhone, and I want inexpensive service. I'd consider this provider, though I don't know anybody utilizing them currently.
Option #4: Straight Talk - http://www.shopstraighttalk.com
This is TracFone Wireless behind the scenes, selling via Wal-Mart and online. No iPhone here, but a number of Android phones are on offer. You can pick up an LG Optimus Black for $329 and then for $45/mo you get unlimited talk and text, data/web access. I'm not sure who the provider is behind the scenes -- Tracfone is a reseller of service from Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T, so it might depend on which phone you get. This is the way I'd go if I wanted an Android phone and wanted the ability to be able to walk into a Wal-Mart to buy it, instead of having to wait to have it shipped to me.
Option #5: Virgin Mobile - http://www.virginmobileusa.com
In the US, Virgin Mobile is owned by Sprint. So this is Sprint's network, and you're actually buying the phone and any service directly from Sprint. They have a variety of Android devices, and the prices seem reasonable. They have announced that the iPhone 4 and 4S will be available as of June 29, 2012. If their current plan pricing covers the iPhone, you can get unlimited data and texting and 300 minutes for $35/mo or unlimited data, texting and minutes for $55/mo. You can save $5/mo discount by signing up for auto billing, meaning you can have an iPhone live and on the air for $30/month with a nice amount of minutes and unlimited data. This might be the winner for me, personally, since it's Just Plain Sprint behind the scenes, and not some third party reselling me somebody else's services. I think this is the way to go if you want an iPhone. When my Verizon Wireless contract is up, this is the provider I'll be looking the hardest at.
Doing the math: Starting from zero, plan out how much you'll pay in phone plans and devices over, say, two years. On Virgin Mobile, you'll pay $649 for an iPhone 4S, plus $30/mo for two years, for a total of $1369 over that period of time. For Verizon Wireless, you can get the same phone (or maybe even with more storage) for $299, but you're going to pay perhaps $90/mo for two years, for a total of $2459.
Before we get started, here are three important things to keep in mind when considering these, or any other, cell phone provider and service plan.
- Avoid WiMAX-based 4G. Sprint's current 4G technology is WiMAX-based (as opposed to LTE-based) andClear is the provider behind the scenes, coverage is poor and the network has seemingly always had issues. We've tried to use Clear WiMAX ourselves both with home service and mobile service. It's just not ready for prime time, and I'm not sure it ever will be. Right now, true LTE 4G is available only on Verizon and AT&T, and the iPhone 4/4S supports neither WiMAX nor LTE as of June, 2012. The take-away here is: Plan your life around 3G service for now.
- Most of these services actually utilize Sprint's voice and data (3G) network -- which has been demonstrated to be slower than Verizon or AT&T's 3G network. That's not going to be a problem for most users -- you're not going to be downloading movies over 3G. For typical usage consisting of light to moderate web browsing, email and social networking, you'll be fine. Turn on wi-fi as needed before downloading anything big and beefy.
- Don't believe the "unlimited data" hype. All of these providers will throttle or cap you at some point. For example, Virgin Mobile says that they will throttle you if you utilize more than 2.5 gigabytes of data in a month. Unless you're streaming Netflix over 3G, you're not likely to be impacted by this. The one thing I'll miss is using Skype over 3G, but that's a small price to pay for...a much smaller price to pay ongoing. Also, most throttle instead of suspend service. Throttling is much friendlier than capping, in that you still have access to the internet, just at a slower speed. Providers who cap you will typically cut you off right there and then when you hit the limit, requiring that you pay an extra fee for additional megabytes.
- Jump on the Google Voice bandwagon! I ported my old cell phone number to Google Voice for a one time fee of $20. Now my legacy phone number rings through to me at whatever phone I specify. I ignored whatever phone number Verizon provided to me, and I won't have to bother with number portability in the near future. If I switch providers, it'll take me about ten seconds to go into Google Voice and modify settings so that calls reach me on the new provider instead of the old provider. This process is transparent to callers -- they have no idea that you've changed anything. Also, Google's handling of voice mail is fantastic -- I highly recommend it. It can SMS you transcripts of messages. It will email you transcripts as well, and it's very easy to play back messages by clicking on the link in email or in the Google Voice app on iOS or Android. Consider this: I've never even bothered to configure my Verizon Wireless voice mailbox.
Option #1: Voyager Mobile - http://www.voyagermobile.com/
Service plan costs: For an android smartphone, $39/mo unlimited talk, text and internet, including 4G. For a basic flip phone, $19/mo for unlimited talk/text. The details: You need to buy a phone from them, and if you want a fancy one, expect to pay up to $550. Android only, no iPhones. Shipping times are long, it might take 3-5 weeks for your phone to arrive. The 4G service is Clear Wimax, which sucks. (I would not bother buying a 4G device for this service - I think 3G is good enough.) Voyager uses Sprint's network. This is probably the way I'd go if I wanted an Android phone with unlimited service.
Option #2: Ting Mobile - https://ting.com/getting-started/
This is another Sprint reseller, run by internet company Tucows, based in Toronto. Good guys. Pros: They're hacker friendly, so while you do have to buy a phone from them, they don't care if you clone your ESN onto your personal iPhone, so you can use it on their network (if you know how to do that). They're friendly and responsive when it comes to answering questions on their web forums. Cons: The pricing model, while it can be significantly cheaper if you're a light cell phone user, involves doing your own math. They charge a base $6/mo per phone, then you add on various blocks of megabytes, texts and minutes. You could go data only with 1gig/mo for $30/mo. If you pick a large block of minutes (2000), a thousand text messages, and two gigabytes of data, you're up to $88/mo. Might as well stick with the post-paid plans if you're going to be a heavy user. Ting is another land of Android, no iPhone here. I probably wouldn't recommend Ting, unless you are a hacker or have unique pricing needs that might make the math more favorable. (Here find somebody else's thoughts on Ting Mobile.)
Option #3: Cricket Wireless - http://www.mycricket.com/iphone
As of June 2012, Cricket Wireless says the iPhone 4S is coming any day now. They have their own network, but they utilize Sprint for 3G coverage. For $499 you can buy an iPhone 4S outright, then pay $55/mo for unlimited talk, text and data. They have a smaller network footprint, from what I can tell, so unless you live in a big city, this is probably not the plan for you. Perhaps not good for you, but maybe it's good for me. I'm intrigued by this. I want an iPhone, and I want inexpensive service. I'd consider this provider, though I don't know anybody utilizing them currently.
Option #4: Straight Talk - http://www.shopstraighttalk.com
This is TracFone Wireless behind the scenes, selling via Wal-Mart and online. No iPhone here, but a number of Android phones are on offer. You can pick up an LG Optimus Black for $329 and then for $45/mo you get unlimited talk and text, data/web access. I'm not sure who the provider is behind the scenes -- Tracfone is a reseller of service from Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T, so it might depend on which phone you get. This is the way I'd go if I wanted an Android phone and wanted the ability to be able to walk into a Wal-Mart to buy it, instead of having to wait to have it shipped to me.
Option #5: Virgin Mobile - http://www.virginmobileusa.com
In the US, Virgin Mobile is owned by Sprint. So this is Sprint's network, and you're actually buying the phone and any service directly from Sprint. They have a variety of Android devices, and the prices seem reasonable. They have announced that the iPhone 4 and 4S will be available as of June 29, 2012. If their current plan pricing covers the iPhone, you can get unlimited data and texting and 300 minutes for $35/mo or unlimited data, texting and minutes for $55/mo. You can save $5/mo discount by signing up for auto billing, meaning you can have an iPhone live and on the air for $30/month with a nice amount of minutes and unlimited data. This might be the winner for me, personally, since it's Just Plain Sprint behind the scenes, and not some third party reselling me somebody else's services. I think this is the way to go if you want an iPhone. When my Verizon Wireless contract is up, this is the provider I'll be looking the hardest at.
Doing the math: Starting from zero, plan out how much you'll pay in phone plans and devices over, say, two years. On Virgin Mobile, you'll pay $649 for an iPhone 4S, plus $30/mo for two years, for a total of $1369 over that period of time. For Verizon Wireless, you can get the same phone (or maybe even with more storage) for $299, but you're going to pay perhaps $90/mo for two years, for a total of $2459.
Is this a joke?
Is this a joke, or a fake review? Read it and tell me what you think. This guy took public transit all the way from downtown out to Lincolnwood to go to....Olive Garden.
He left Chicago, to go out to the suburbs, to go eat Italian food, at a chain restaurant.
Chicago, the land of a zillion fantastic Italian restaurants. Ones like Spiaggia, Osteria via Stato, Italian Village, Quartino, Francesca's, Prosecco, Frankie's, Gene and Georgetti and Carmine's -- and that's just of the top of my head, without looking anything up. (And that's just Gold Coast/River North.) There are probably more than a hundred more within walking distance of downtown.
You wanted a chain restaurant without leaving downtown? Try Maggiano's (which is pretty damn good). Or Barnelli's Pasta Bowl. Or Buca.
Instead...you took a bus and a train to go eat at an outbuilding of a mall in the suburbs. Really? REALLY?!
He left Chicago, to go out to the suburbs, to go eat Italian food, at a chain restaurant.
Chicago, the land of a zillion fantastic Italian restaurants. Ones like Spiaggia, Osteria via Stato, Italian Village, Quartino, Francesca's, Prosecco, Frankie's, Gene and Georgetti and Carmine's -- and that's just of the top of my head, without looking anything up. (And that's just Gold Coast/River North.) There are probably more than a hundred more within walking distance of downtown.
You wanted a chain restaurant without leaving downtown? Try Maggiano's (which is pretty damn good). Or Barnelli's Pasta Bowl. Or Buca.
Instead...you took a bus and a train to go eat at an outbuilding of a mall in the suburbs. Really? REALLY?!
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