Good Smell Perplexes New Yorkers

[Brownian Motion]

The New York Times

October 28, 2005

Good Smell Perplexes New Yorkers

By KAREEM FAHIM

An unseen, sweet-smelling cloud drifted through parts of Manhattan last night. Arturo Padilla walked through it and declared that it was awesome.

"It's like maple syrup. With Eggos. Or pancakes," he said. "It's pleasant."

The odor had followed Mr. Padilla and his friend along their walk in Lower Manhattan, from a dormitory on Fulton Street, to Pace University on Spruce Street, and back down again, to where they stood now, near a Dunkin' Donuts. Maybe it was from there, he said. But it wasn't.

Mr. Padilla was not alone. Reports of the syrupy cloud poured in from across Manhattan after 9 p.m. Some feared that it was something sinister.

There were so many calls that the city's Office of Emergency Management coordinated efforts with the Police and Fire Departments, the Coast Guard and the City Department of Environmental Protection to look into it.

By 11 p. m., the search had turned up nothing harmful, according to tests of the air. Reports continued to come in from as far north as 112th Street shortly before midnight. In Lower Manhattan, where the smell had begun to fade, it was back, stronger than before, by 1 a.m.

"We are continuing to sample the air throughout the affected area to make sure there's nothing hazardous," said Jarrod Bernstein, an emergency management spokesman. "What the actual cause of the smell is, we really don't know."

There were conflicting accounts as to its nature. A police officer who had thrown out her French vanilla coffee earlier compared it to that. Two diplomats from the Netherlands disagreed, politely. Rieneke Buisman said it smelled like roasted peanuts. Her friend Joris Geeven said it reminded him of a Dutch cake called peperkoek, though he could not describe that smell.

[maren]

New York smells good! Now THAT'S a story! Stop the presses!

[Brownian Motion]

The New York Times

October 28, 2005

Good Smell Perplexes New Yorkers

By KAREEM FAHIM

There were so many calls that the city's Office of Emergency Management coordinated efforts with the Police and Fire Departments, the Coast Guard and the City Department of Environmental Protection to look into it.

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Love it! A terrorist attack masquerading as a heavenly aroma!

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Errr-ahhh..... the city of New York has ahh.... been officially declared to be ahhh... fragrant.

Vote Quimby.

[catesta]

I thought the sweet smell was me.

[maren]

I thought the sweet smell was me.

←

Or at least all the bakeries preparing for your birthday!!!

[Ron S]

I thought the sweet smell was me.

A recent drawing of Chris:

[catesta]

I thought the sweet smell was me.

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Or at least all the bakeries preparing for your birthday!!!

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Now, that would be sweet.

[couw]

a Dutch cake called peperkoek, though he could not describe that smell.

←

all Dutch kids know the smell from a very early age. Asking to describe it is like asking someone to describe the colour red.

[7/4]

Isn't there a chocolate factory in Brooklyn next to one of downtown bridges? I've certainly smelled that smell walking around town. It was sort of like strolling down the candy isle at the supermarket.

[Christiern]

I hit the streets sniffin' today--all I caught was the usual urine. Guess that cloud passed me by.

[jodigrind]

My pregnant wife woke me up and asked me to make her some waffles with syrup at 2:00 AM on Thursday night. I thought it was a craving, but I suppose she had a reason to feel that way.

[Christiern]

My pregnant wife woke me up and asked me to make her some waffles with syrup at 2:00 AM on Thursday night.  I thought it was a craving, but I suppose she had a reason to feel that way.

←

So that's where it came from...well, that'll teach you to close the windows.

[BruceH]

There's a smell like that at the northern border of Burlingame. Smells like chocolate. But I hear there's some sort of chocolate or candy factory near there.