Gothamist: Maple Syrup Smell Attacks Again

Courtney

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 22:59:10 -0500

I'd guess industrial chemicals containing a cyclic ketone. A cyclic ketone(there are many)is used to make the synthetic maple flavoring in faux maple syrup.

Julie

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 22:10:25 -0500

I could smell it on Union Square West.

sp

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 12:45:53 -0500

I smelled toffee nut the morning of Dec. 9th!

Homer Fink

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 10:25:28 -0500

It's Bin Laden's pancake machine about to wreak breakfast terror on us all.

Hilary, S'ra, Michael

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 09:47:16 -0500

We smelled it in the Bronx on the 8th and in our apartment right now! We are in Norwood, north Bronx! It definately smells like fake maple syrup. It reminds me of when the a/c broke on my dad's old car, the freon leaked and it smelled similar. But our friend nathan argues that not all freon smells.

kjchope

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 07:51:34 -0500

I walked around Southern Washington Heights (Between 165th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue to 157th Street and Broadway). The smell was all around.

Carl Marks

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 06:02:27 -0500

Definite upstairs neighbor shitstink. 6 am.

C.yo

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 05:34:54 -0500

Very strong at 3:10 afternoon at Brook and 141st ST, (Motthaven the south bronx)

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 01:54:08 -0500

I smelled it very strongly at 12noon in west village st sheridan square then in the subway at 23rd street on the 1 line and later at 2pm on 103rd street and broadway. I called 311 they connected me to 911 and then three firetrucks came whithin minutes and the guys went in and out of the subway station. I think we need to demand that the government gives us an explanation. They lied about the quality of air downtown after 9/11. We have to demand accountability.

claire

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 00:57:21 -0500

i've NEVER smelled it!!! i want to smell the maple syrup! and i was at astor place at 1pm.... (i also can't believe i just read all 43 comments... damn).

Boots

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 23:36:57 -0500

I'm smelling it in Gowanus

edEx

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 22:41:31 -0500

potent: Penn Station Area Times Square Area Hell's Kitchen Area Upper West Side -- I'm sticking with my doormans theory of Chem Weapon testing... to see how far, wide and fast it spreads. MMMM bacon...!

Jessica S

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 20:33:09 -0500

definitely maple syrup smell: 88th and Columbus Ave. at 2:00 PM

c

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 18:04:21 -0500

smelled it on my way to lunch today.. from broadway and 26th to 5th and 28!!! i was excited to finally smell it!! i was like oh it smells like pancakes.. and then OH IT SMELLS LIKE PANCAKES!!!? THOSE PANCAKES!!!

mrf

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 17:26:24 -0500

wind today has been out of the N / NW ... http://www.erh.noaa.gov/data/obhistory/KLGA.html

NJJen

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 17:12:06 -0500

i'm right across the river from Columbia and nothing here (smelled it in October though)

dbdtron

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 17:11:51 -0500

Wondering if there's a spate of maple syrup urine disease going around... hmm..

dbdtron

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 17:11:13 -0500

Wondering if there's a spate of maple syrup urine disease going around... hmm..

timbnyc

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 17:08:49 -0500

So who can diagram wind direction for today?

sgj207

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 17:00:04 -0500

Yep - Madison in the lower 100s too.

NYC123abc

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:41:01 -0500

syrup shortage around the 60's and 1st ave. We got nothing folks!!! =o(

NYC123abc

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:40:26 -0500

syrup shortage around the 60's and 1st ave. We got nothing folks!!! =o(

Jeff

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:34:48 -0500

See this great ad from 1961 for Auntie J: http://www.roadode.com/realram/aunt100.ram

Carl Marks

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:31:02 -0500

There's a strong odor here on the upper west side. But that's only because I can smell the vile shitstink of my upstairs neighbor through the bathroom ventillation duct. I'm headed outside. Aunt Jemima, who's yo daddy?!

John Dixon

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:16:45 -0500

It smelled quite strongly of Syrup this afternoon up here at Park Avenue and 130th Street.

Sandy

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:13:05 -0500

Definitely smelled this in East Harlem (106 & Lex) at a little before 3...but nothing home here in Hoboken (back in October, smelled it strongly here). It creeped me out to smell that again...

anniem

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 15:20:12 -0500

We smell it here at 125th and Broadway. Actually, we're suspicious of a chemical release because many volatile organic compounds have a sweet odor at first that seems chemical after your olfactory glands are full. The real detective work would be to figure out which plant or factory just had an "accidental" release. No pancakes at work here folks, it's all toxic emissions.

pickletyler

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 15:17:53 -0500

Aisle four, Gristedes.

gleek

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 15:13:31 -0500

definitely smelled the maple syrup at 42nd and bway around noon today!

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 15:05:21 -0500

Around 1:30 PM in Madison Square Park, syrup was in the air.

rux

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 15:00:06 -0500

sweet air at the bedford L stop at 9:15am this morning.

fubabee

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:56:59 -0500

and i thought it was chestnuts roasting in an open fire...

Matt

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:52:19 -0500

Strong in Queens! 37th Ave and 11th St. in L.I.C.

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:51:52 -0500

Syrup season is early spring. Definitely smelled it near Astor Place at 1pm. Although not like the pure real maple stuff, more like faux pankcake syrup.

Anon

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:50:25 -0500

Don't you mean Robert "Short" Stack?

ky

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:49:13 -0500

I have found the cause: It is called MSUD http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000373.htm

marx.marvelous

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:47:35 -0500

I caught a whif of it at 31st and 9th Avenue around 1:30

Susie

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:37:43 -0500

VERY strong in Midtown West, 45th btwn 9th & 10th

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:34:55 -0500

Gone from the West Village (Hudson/Bleecker area) now.

b-log

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:33:46 -0500

Nothing in financial district. :(

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:33:00 -0500

Smell is at Madison btw. 55th & 56th...

Chris

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:25:18 -0500

I'm at Columbia and I am certainly smelling between a 4 or a 5 on the MS Index.

mrf

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:22:53 -0500

Just outside and didn't notice anything in the Wall Street area.

beth

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:19:45 -0500

Very strong on 72nd and West End at 2pm.

thankful

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:19:39 -0500

thank you so much gothamist for being on this story -- now let's mobilize and get this thing solved! [l'internationale marching music]

Randolph

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:19:09 -0500

47th between 6th and 7th has a syrup stink

scoboco

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:18:05 -0500

on fifth avenue in the high 20s, low 30s, definitely a hint of maple syrup in the air at around 12:45... not nearly as strong as that night in october (on 103rd and broadway) but the same smell.

Brightliner

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:17:56 -0500

Um, I suspect Robert Stack might be unavailable to investigate this unsolved mystery, considering he died two and a half years ago.

The Fishbowl

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:14:10 -0500

maple syrup aroma is potent around the washington square park area.

Matt Haggerty

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:11:56 -0500

got cut off... 2:15 in Bryant park, we're smelling at least a 2 on the index.

Matt Haggerty

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:09:37 -0500

Maple Syrup Index: 5. Aunt Jemima 4. Vermont Maid 3. Mrs. Butterworth 2. Log Cabin 1. Water & Suger

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:00:57 -0500

Also in the West Village. Pervasive smell along Hudson and 8th Ave near Bleecker.

Justin

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 13:57:32 -0500

yup, on the upper east side too, and quite potent.