New York!

“One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years”
--Thomas Wolfe

The above is completely true. After a day in New York, I was trying to figure out how I could move from San Francisco to New York. Just pick up, get a new job, find a great place and just be immersed in the hustle and bustle, art, culture, skyscrapers and the mishmosh of people. New York is a fantastically wonderful place. I don't envision these daydreams coming true anytime soon though because if people think rent is ridiculous here...it's absurd in New York.

I managed to get to my friend's apartment in one piece and we had a low key first day since she had to work. Went to lunch and walked a bit to get there. Despite jaywalking around my city with high frequency, I had to assure myself that I wouldn't get killed by a taxi by walking against the light in New York. Because, you know, rumor is they are notorious. By the end of the trip, I was jaywalking left and right.

The first night, we decided to hit a craft fair at Madison Square Park and in our walking around, I realized that we were close to the Flatiron
and the Empire State Building. Case in point.
So we decided to get the Empire State Building out of the way and off my list. We splurged and went to the 102nd floor. Just an FYI, the 102nd floor is 1. high and 2. a tiny space! With all the exposed beams, you had to watch your feet and your head. It was a nice advantage though and provided some nice photos of New York at night. I'm sure it would have been equally amazing during the daytime.

We went down to the 86th floor to get a different vantage point. We didn't stay long though because it was *freezing* outside. OMG, between the chill and the wind, I was out and back in in a flash.

For dinner, we hit a great restaurant called Red Cat in Chelsea which was fantastic! If you're in NY, I'd highly recommend this place. The food was great and the service was exceptional!

Day two consisted of a leisurely brunch at Recipe in the Upper West Side...poached eggs over a bacon-apple ragout with home potatoes. Good...but I am still kicking myself that I didn't get the poached eggs with duck confit! And seriously...I only eat this rich when I eat out. The rest of the time I survive on salads, soup, toast and yogurt....I swear. After that, we walked through Central Park, which is vast, and came across joggers, bikers, picnickers. It was a beautiful day for all those things. I have a thing for skyscraper skylines so we got a couple of good shots.

I'll let you guys guess which one I am

We made it to the Met which is fricking huge! Lien told me to pick 2 rooms/exhibits out of a ton it seemed like. And wouldn't you know it, the one I *really* wanted to see (Costume Exhibit) was closed!? The heck? We still had fun seeing the Egyptian and Modern art exhibits. We went to the rooftop because they had a bamboo "art" exhibit.
Uh...yea. I thought it was a mess! It looks like a gigantic rat's nest. They had tours where you can walk on the pathways within the bamboo art. I'm glad they were sold out because I don't think I would have been too keen on that. If you look closely, you can see a couple of people in the art.

It was time to relax before dinner. We headed out to John's Pizzeria for dinner to get "authentic NY pizza" which was yummy! I was ready to smack this guy who was in the booth behind me but that's besides the point. People may want to throw NY attitude at me but they don't realize I have my own special blend of city attitude that I can throw around too if I need to. After dinner, we walked around nearby Washington Square Park where they have an Arc de Triumphe just like the one in Paris. (this photo taken a different day during daytime hours)
The next day, we had a light breakfast and checked out Highline Park and Chelsea Market before getting ready to see a Broadway matinee. We went to see Promises, Promises which is pretty much based on the old Jack Lemmon movie, The Apartment. It was wonderful! Sean Hayes, Kristen Chenoweth and Molly Shannon all performed really well! Who knew they could sing?! I would highly recommend it!

And since we were right there on Times Square, we walked around. Times Square is insane! Tons of people...tons of lights. It's sensory overload.

Final day, I decided to do a tv and film tour. It was enjoyable but not excellent. I did have a good time seeing different famous locales but got annoyed with the multiple on/off destinations which didn't really seem to warrant as much attention as they were giving it. By the time the tour was over, I had a blazing headache from lack of caffeine. I was in such a hurry to make the tour that I didn't have time to stop for coffee. Walking 30 blocks sometimes takes longer than you think. I decided to walk down Fifth Avenue to shop but at a certain point, I just couldn't take it anymore. I stopped a security guard and asked for the nearest Starbuck's (doesn't Peet's exist on the East Coast?!) and he pointed to a building across the street.

30 Rockafeller (rink and fountain shown)

So I entered 30 Rock to find liquid caffeine and got all lost. There are shops and restaurants...holy cow! I found Starbucks and rested which eating my mini scone and drinking my coffee. Some tourists came up to me asking for museum recommendations and it made me happy to be mistaken for a local instead of a fellow tourist.

After my caffeine fix, I ventured back out and stumbled upon St. Patrick's Cathedral which is stunning inside and out!
And this crazy wedding dress model. She went out into a lane of traffic and actually had a staring contest with a bus driver! Over here, Muni would have run her over! I guess you have to do what you have to do to get the perfect shot!

And I walked and I walked and I walked, all the way back "home" with only 2 shopping stops. 1. a souvenir shop for a NY tee shirt and 2. to go to M&J Trimming which is the mecca of trim shops that I've ever been to. I came back with a baggie full of wonderful trims to help me with finishing. And then I made it home...exhausted from walking over 70 blocks that day. Had one last meal and it was an early flight the next day.

The kitties that would curl up with me at night

I must get back to New York asap. I didn't get to many of the things on my short list. Four days wasn't nearly enough!

Bye New York...Love you and see you soon!
Until next time...

P.S. Thanks for all your get well wishes! I am feeling better but am sneezy and sniffly still. I think i'm allergic to the lotion from the nail salon though so I'm off to scrub my hands. So sneezy!!

P.P.S. I'll be away from the blog for a week or so due to holiday travels and such. Safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.