In the scene, Jeff Daniels-playing John O'Neill, the FBI counterterrorism expert who became head of security at the World Trade Center after being pushed out of the agency just weeks before 9/11, reports for duty at the twin towers on the morning of the attacks. Before heading into the south tower, he ambles up to a short line in front of a little metal trailer. "How's it going today, Michael? ... Coffee, light and sweet, and a bear claw." This moment reflects the everyday life in New York and O'Neill's character as both an elite professional and a regular Joe.
What I love about this quick moment is what it telegraphed to any New Yorker watching: Even though O'Neill was a guy who loved fancy shoes and extravagant meals, he was also a literal regular Joe, getting cheap coffee from a vat with the rest of the working folks. And he ordered it "light and sweet." O'Neill was from Atlantic City, but he drank his coffee like a real New Yorker. No "milk and sugar" for him.
When I moved to New York in 1997, a small cup was 50 cents. It has crept up over time; the last coffee I got from a cart was $1.50. Yes, I complained about it to my husband because, well, it used to be cheaper! But it's still a bargain compared to places like the Pret A Manger by th...
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