A Thanksgiving List

By Alice K. Jump

Thanksgiving is a moment to pause, breathe, and take inventory of the everyday gifts that surround us. This year, we salute just some of our neighborhood gems who make the RPJ environment and our workday a little easier.

Taza Deli

First of all gratitude goes to Taza Deli and its employees, true pillars of the community. They stayed open through Hurricane Sandy, blizzards and COVID, serving the neighborhood when almost nothing else was open. They fed the workers administering thousands of COVID vaccine inoculations in the nearby Armory, earning a well-deserved award from the U.S. Army.

But beyond any crisis, Taza Deli is a great New York eatery: they know your breakfast order the second you walk in, and they get it right every time.

The Staff of 41 Madison Avenue

A special thank you goes out to the unsung heroes of our daily life: the building staff of 41 Madison Avenue who keep the building running with calm, humor, and humanity. Thank you to all of them (you know who you are) – always ready with a greeting, a helping hand, or simply a moment of kindness in the middle of a busy day.

Whole Foods

New York runs on small pleasures, and this year’s list wouldn’t be complete without the Whole Foods on Madison Avenue with its soup and salad bars, fresh flowers and the coveted 50% off stickers that always feel like a steal.

Madison Square Park

And finally, we are eternally grateful for the sanctuary of Madison Square Park, where commutes and lunch breaks become moments of beauty. We are thankful for the music, the dogs, the art installations, the gatherings, the playground, and the community they all form. The park also reminds us, day after day, that life in New York can still be natural, contemplative, and graceful.

These are just a few of the people, places, and routines that anchor RPJ:  they and many others deserve a moment of appreciation.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.

This article is intended as a general discussion of these issues only and is not to be considered legal advice or relied upon. For more information, please contact RPJ Partner Alice K. Jump who counsels clients on litigation, alternative dispute resolution and business counseling, with particular emphasis on representing clients in the financial services and real estate industries as well as educational and non-profit institutions. Ms. Jump is admitted to practice law in New York and before the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.