can i tell you how luxurious it is to be this spread out? it's noon an no one has touched me today. i haven't had to swerve out of the way of a stranger and no one has rushed me and listen...it's so quiet. yep, that's the sound of home.
i love nyc. but 7 to 8 days is all i have before i start to lose it a little bit. my body is in complete full on revolt because of the food we have over indulged in. we didn't pack on a lot of weight on our vacation which was a huge surprise given the unadulterated all out feast fest we went on. i think it was two days ago though that my feet swelled up like balloons from sodium intake. i've never seen anything like it. i thought about calling the coney island side show freaks to come check it out. now all i want is vegetables.
so now that we've had some time to get home, do laundry, pull ourselves together, i've thought about all the things i liked and didn't like. this list will not include the fabulous arlene defaye. she's just a miracle that happened. this list is more of things that can be replicated. arlene is one of a kind and i hope you have the chance to meet someone like her when you visit nyc. this list also doesn't include the new 9/11 memorial. we didn't go to it. i know it seems almost unamerican, but the people flagging down tourists from 5 blocks away to sell you 9/11 books etc is an atrocity. i saw the gaping hole in 2002. no beautifully designed building or pool of water can replace that.
this list is also in no particular order....
1) Coney Island at the peak of the season at peak hours.
anyone can go in the off season. anyone can go during a week day and get a famous nathan's dog. but you will be missing out. go when it's packed, in the summer, late afternoon and stay into the evening for the fireworks. eat a hotdog at a table with a stranger if you can find a spot. dance salsa on the boardwalk with the live salsa band. people watch from the pier. see the side show freaks. play skee ball. ride the wonder wheel and some of the other rides if you dare. eat ice cream and cotton candy. it's the vegas of beach boardwalks and cannot be replicated anywhere in the world. why not see it at it's best?
don't touch the sand or the water. stay on the boardwalk.
2) The seasonal tasting menu at Gramercy Tavern.
take 2-3 hours to eat like you've never eaten before. don't let the small servings fools you, they keep coming for 5 courses and they are like nothing you have ever seen, smelled or tasted in your life. if you drink, go for the wine pairings too. the combination is beyond words. be prepared to pay a lot but you will NOT be disappointed.
3) Go to church.
on sunday. get up, get a bagel, go to a local church. first of all the construction of these buildings is like nothing we have in nc. when was the last time you worshipped in a space that was ornately designed and had a pew reserved for george washington? in addition this is a great place to meet and celebrate with some of the locals. you might even meet someone as cool as arlene defaye....
4) The Villages
great people watching. great variety of foods. great parks. perfect for dinner and an evening stroll. don't forget to visit the highline - an old railroad that they've turned into an awesome park (thehighline.org). walk past carrie bradshaw's front steps. play chess against a master in washington square park. you'll probably lose but you'll meet someone new and it will be a great game. listen to college students chat about nothing. eat at magnolia bakery - yum. and grab a slice at joe's.
5) Eat REAL Chinese dumplings.
if you want cheap and fast go to Shanghai cafe in chinatown on Mott St. looks like a dump but don't be fooled. $5 for 8 dumplings. 8 real juicy scalding hot dumpling. if you want a dumpling that someone has spent time mastering go to joe's shanghai. there are 3 in the city. it's more expensive but it's also a bigger dumpling. made by hand. right before you order it and at some locations you can watch them make them. be sure to order as soon as you are seated.
6) Go to Broadway and see a play.
i've resisted this for years. first, those plays come here and we can see them cheaper. second, anytime someone randomly bursts into song, well, it annoys me. this trip took both of those notions and tossed them out the window.
yes you will pay more to see a broadway show in nyc. but it's worth every cent because of the fact that the show is in that location for months or more. which means they have special effects that a traveling broadway south show could never reproduce. it's simply magic.
and because it's magic, the random bursting into song is necessary and appropriate.
7) Food.
this is one of the only places in the world where you can get the variety. any time. any where. all day. every day. the pizza is the best in the world. hands down. Patsy's if you want a whole pie, Joe's if you want a slice. Absolute bagel beats H&H bagel. doughnuts - this is tough....the doughnut plant will knock your socks off. but if you are looking for a big yeasty made by hand just a few minutes ago doughnut, you need to go to dough. the meatball shop is necessary. kat'z deli is necessary but share that sandwich with someone for the love of God!
now for the 2 not so great things. yeah only 2 of those....
1) little italy. oh how you break my heart. we did eat the best cannoli in the world there. you should definitely do that. can't remember the name of the place but it says "best cannoli in the world" outside and it's true. but as for the meal we had there at luna cafe, i've had better at vinny's. we should have gone to the chain Eataly.
2) Greenwood cemetery - specifically the map. this is one of the most amazing cemeteries in the WORLD. ornate stones and catacombs. just unbelievable. 468 acres of dead people. they give you a free map where they highlight some of the famous people. but those famous people have the most ordinary of all the stones. it's better to research some of the other folks with the excellent markers and find those. and go see some of the famous ones listed as well. but get a golf cart or a bike.
i love nyc. but 7 to 8 days is all i have before i start to lose it a little bit. my body is in complete full on revolt because of the food we have over indulged in. we didn't pack on a lot of weight on our vacation which was a huge surprise given the unadulterated all out feast fest we went on. i think it was two days ago though that my feet swelled up like balloons from sodium intake. i've never seen anything like it. i thought about calling the coney island side show freaks to come check it out. now all i want is vegetables.
so now that we've had some time to get home, do laundry, pull ourselves together, i've thought about all the things i liked and didn't like. this list will not include the fabulous arlene defaye. she's just a miracle that happened. this list is more of things that can be replicated. arlene is one of a kind and i hope you have the chance to meet someone like her when you visit nyc. this list also doesn't include the new 9/11 memorial. we didn't go to it. i know it seems almost unamerican, but the people flagging down tourists from 5 blocks away to sell you 9/11 books etc is an atrocity. i saw the gaping hole in 2002. no beautifully designed building or pool of water can replace that.
this list is also in no particular order....
1) Coney Island at the peak of the season at peak hours.
anyone can go in the off season. anyone can go during a week day and get a famous nathan's dog. but you will be missing out. go when it's packed, in the summer, late afternoon and stay into the evening for the fireworks. eat a hotdog at a table with a stranger if you can find a spot. dance salsa on the boardwalk with the live salsa band. people watch from the pier. see the side show freaks. play skee ball. ride the wonder wheel and some of the other rides if you dare. eat ice cream and cotton candy. it's the vegas of beach boardwalks and cannot be replicated anywhere in the world. why not see it at it's best?
don't touch the sand or the water. stay on the boardwalk.
2) The seasonal tasting menu at Gramercy Tavern.
take 2-3 hours to eat like you've never eaten before. don't let the small servings fools you, they keep coming for 5 courses and they are like nothing you have ever seen, smelled or tasted in your life. if you drink, go for the wine pairings too. the combination is beyond words. be prepared to pay a lot but you will NOT be disappointed.
3) Go to church.
on sunday. get up, get a bagel, go to a local church. first of all the construction of these buildings is like nothing we have in nc. when was the last time you worshipped in a space that was ornately designed and had a pew reserved for george washington? in addition this is a great place to meet and celebrate with some of the locals. you might even meet someone as cool as arlene defaye....
4) The Villages
great people watching. great variety of foods. great parks. perfect for dinner and an evening stroll. don't forget to visit the highline - an old railroad that they've turned into an awesome park (thehighline.org). walk past carrie bradshaw's front steps. play chess against a master in washington square park. you'll probably lose but you'll meet someone new and it will be a great game. listen to college students chat about nothing. eat at magnolia bakery - yum. and grab a slice at joe's.
5) Eat REAL Chinese dumplings.
if you want cheap and fast go to Shanghai cafe in chinatown on Mott St. looks like a dump but don't be fooled. $5 for 8 dumplings. 8 real juicy scalding hot dumpling. if you want a dumpling that someone has spent time mastering go to joe's shanghai. there are 3 in the city. it's more expensive but it's also a bigger dumpling. made by hand. right before you order it and at some locations you can watch them make them. be sure to order as soon as you are seated.
6) Go to Broadway and see a play.
i've resisted this for years. first, those plays come here and we can see them cheaper. second, anytime someone randomly bursts into song, well, it annoys me. this trip took both of those notions and tossed them out the window.
yes you will pay more to see a broadway show in nyc. but it's worth every cent because of the fact that the show is in that location for months or more. which means they have special effects that a traveling broadway south show could never reproduce. it's simply magic.
and because it's magic, the random bursting into song is necessary and appropriate.
7) Food.
this is one of the only places in the world where you can get the variety. any time. any where. all day. every day. the pizza is the best in the world. hands down. Patsy's if you want a whole pie, Joe's if you want a slice. Absolute bagel beats H&H bagel. doughnuts - this is tough....the doughnut plant will knock your socks off. but if you are looking for a big yeasty made by hand just a few minutes ago doughnut, you need to go to dough. the meatball shop is necessary. kat'z deli is necessary but share that sandwich with someone for the love of God!
now for the 2 not so great things. yeah only 2 of those....
1) little italy. oh how you break my heart. we did eat the best cannoli in the world there. you should definitely do that. can't remember the name of the place but it says "best cannoli in the world" outside and it's true. but as for the meal we had there at luna cafe, i've had better at vinny's. we should have gone to the chain Eataly.
2) Greenwood cemetery - specifically the map. this is one of the most amazing cemeteries in the WORLD. ornate stones and catacombs. just unbelievable. 468 acres of dead people. they give you a free map where they highlight some of the famous people. but those famous people have the most ordinary of all the stones. it's better to research some of the other folks with the excellent markers and find those. and go see some of the famous ones listed as well. but get a golf cart or a bike.
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