On top of the world in New York, New York

I didn't think I'd be back in NYC so soon, but thanks to a two day brainstorm for work with the lovely folks from Taylor PR, I've gotten to squeeze a little more juice from the Big Apple. Just between 6 and 1 last night, I saw the view from the top of the Empire State Building (we even went above the public viewing deck to the tippy-tip-top) and hang out with the beautiful people on the rooftop deck of the Gansevoort, where there was a party going on in honor of author and Congressional candidate Kevin Powell. You might remember him from the original Real World back in 1992.

But the real highlight of last night was dinner. We showed up what appeared to be a basic, if bustling corner taqueria, but we were ushered down a secret stairway and through the kitchen to an underground restaurant and bar where we had a fabulous dinner of tacquitoes, tostadas, corn on the cob, chorizo empanadas and ceviche.

Incidentally, I am not that enamored of the Gansevoort. For all its sleek European chic and beautiful, Parliament-smoking European clientele, the keycards don't always work and the soft-boiled eggs on my room service tray are unambiguously hard boiled.

New York: I kind of miss my Grape-Nuts

Josh and I love to eat and NYC is home to much of the best food in the country, so the last few days have been organized around restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and ice cream parlors. Everything has been delicious, but I'm not exactly enjoying the balanced diet I've grown accustomed to and my body is starting to beg for a bowl of Grape-Nuts with berries and a nice glass of OJ.

Instead of lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grain cereal, I'm eating lots of sushi, pizza and pastries. Yesterday we spent the day with old friends from college and their better halves, including the entire original line-up of Josh's band Dingle (eventually renamed Aden). We breakfasted at Le Pain Quotidien before heading to Brooklyn, where we visited the New York Transit Museum, which is underground in a now-closed subway station. The museum was followed by Vietnamese sandwiches, local, organic, cruelty-free but definitely not fat-free ice cream and stops at friends' apartments. We concluded the evening with very good sushi, including a "Brooklyn roll."

Today's entertainment consisted of a shopping spree for me at the Japanese retailer Uniqlo (kind of a cross between Old Navy and H&M, but with more of an emphasis on basics and high technology) and a visit to the Jewish Museum. We got our food fixes at Lombardi's pizza, one of the last of the coal-fired pizzerias, Two Little Red Hens bakery (cupcakes) and Matsugen, where we enjoyed a fabulous 6 course prix fixe Japanese dinner for $35 each.



We head home to Chicago tomorrow afternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing my girls (and rescuing my in-laws from 5 days on non-stop babysitting).

New York: Standing Room Only

We're 2 days and 1 night into our 5 day, 4 night trip to New York City without the kids, who are at home in Chicago with my in-laws, who flew in to babysit them.


We left the Upper East Side this morning at 9:30am and I'm just now sitting down, on a chair, for the first time at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Josh and I stood on the train to the Lower East Side and walked to Clinton Street Baking Company, where we'd hoped to indulge in the city's best pancakes. But just 15 minutes after the place opened, waits were being estimated at 45 minutes. So we got coffee and muffins to go and walked around the neighborhood until 11:30 or so. The Orchard Corset Shop, which I'd hope to visit, was closed, but we did poke around in the Economy Candy Shop.

Finally, at 11:45, we took a tour at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, which was really great and an absolute must-see for anyone visiting New York. I think even Z would have appreciated a peek into the lives of people living in New York 100 years ago.

After our tour we stayed on our feet, wandering over to Russ and Daughters, where we got an onion bagel with green onion cream cheese and lox, couple of hamentashen and a Dr. Brown's Black Cherry soda to share on the way uptown. We walked and walked and walked some more, stopping into a few vintage clothing shops and the Virgin Mega Store and getting $4 soft serve at the famous Momofuku Milk Bar. Good, but not $4 a cup good, if you ask me.

Despite my comfortable boots, my feet were aching by 1pm, but I toughed it out. Sort of. Flipping through racks of 1960s cocktail dresses was definitely a better distraction from the pain that hanging out at Virgin, waiting for Josh to pick out just the right $10 DVD.

Tonight is wedding that is the reason, ultimately, that we are here. Tomorrow my goals include eating sitting down and visiting the New York Transit Museum.