NYC Weekends

An email from my mom in my box "When are you going to write a blog about NYC? I want to show your grandma pictures!" made me realize I was slacking on my blog posts. Apologies to faithful readers...You see, going to NYC in May is like going to  a party knowing it will be a great time but also knowing that you might get beat up or soaked. Each time I go to The City of Cities I walk at least 10 miles, loose 2 pounds and can't move normally the following days but loved every single second of being in The City and would do it all again: The stinky subway, eating NY Cheesecake, hanging out with friends, dashing across the street and barely miss getting hit by a crazed Taxi driver, and yes, even get soaked to the bone so bad that it make me sick and cry. NYC is facinating beyond belief. It is every man and every woman's city. It doesn't matter where you come from and if you never fit in before in your life. In NYC, you fit in, it is your home, it is for you (and your cat too). On a side note, did you know that cats save many of NYC's buisnesses? Yep. Cats are pretty awesome creatures. NY weather on the other hand? Terrible, just horrid. One day it is 90 degrees then the temperature drops to 45 with gusts of wind, snow (last week) and torrential rain. At home our conversation is more detailed than the weather channel when discussing the hormonal bi-polar week ahead of us. Here are some of my favorite pictures from our weekend two weeks ago in the city, then the pictures of this Memorial Day weekend.

Columbia University had an outdoor graduation in the rain. People didn't like it!

Cold and wind cold and wind. UG!

Grouchy weather but happy graduates!

Clark's Barber Shop in Harlem: Nothing Fancy, Just a Good Haircut.

Harlem Rain Rose

We swam in the rain to Columbus Circle. This used to be a street, it is now known as the Columbus River. 

We darted into the mall on Columbus Circle to stay dry from the monsoon and ran into this huge guy. Everyone wanted to touch his weiner for some gross reason.?!

Book in Williams Sonoma....If I had a cow and a grill tasty things would have happened. I was so wet, so cold and so headachey that I would have cold-heartedly strangled the cow and roasted it, turned its skin into a coat then come to my senses... 

The City from Columbus Circle

Rome Umbrella, Meet NYC Acid Rain

Remember how awesome my Puma shoes did in Roman rain? In NYC acidic polluted rain they lasted 2 seconds. The rest of the time my feet were drenched and soggy. Note: from October -June expect HORRIBLE weather in the NYC area and wear waterproof shoes. 

I can totally see Batman flying through the fog here bringing me my rainboots.

Riding home on the NJ Transit Train. 

Behold: sponge shoes!

 A few days ago when we went I was better prepared. I knew it would rain, I knew it would POUR, so here in the end of May I found myself pulling out my wool coat, and Hunter Rainshoes. It was time to pull out the bad boys on NYC weather!

All the old metro stops have this gorgeous tilework.

West Village 

Cafe Wah. Founded by a Goo, King of the Moose, Dera and  Mirror. 

Blue Note Club

 We had a date night at the Blue Note Club to hear the Duke Ellington Band. I thought it would be great, but it was blow-your-socks-off good. From note 1 to the last note we were grooving along to all the tunes. My ears were ringing from the trumpets and saxophones but I was in heaven. Duke Ellington was one of the founders of Jazz in the 1920's in NYC. His work is fantastic and heart moving. My favorite piece was Take the A Train.

 We were tickled coming out of the Blue Note so felt up to walking all 30 miles down Broadway towards the Financial District.

The Freedom Tower

 The next day we met up with some old friends to go tourist around.

I hope their ice-cream is as gay as their sign! 

 We headed over to Rocco's Italian Pastry shop for breakfast. They make everything there, nothing is frozen and everything tastes like a little piece of heaven. If you are in NYC you must eat some authentic cheesecake. It is almost an obligatory NYC experience. But be sure you don't have a fake slice on Times Square. It is like buying a fake Prada purse. You can taste and smell that it is fake. The real cheesecake can be found in pastry shops off the beaten path in SoHo, Brooklyn and almost any cozy looking neighborhood. If the neighborhood looks touristic and sells postcards, don't buy the cheesecake.

NYC breakfast of champions: black coffee and NYC plain cheesecake

Best cheesecake in the world

I love the metro art

 We wandered around the city in the rain then found ourselves stumbling happily into FAO Schwarz, only the best toys store in the world!

Giant Gummybear, be my friend....

so cute!

The giant piano as seen in the movie BIG

She is like a stalker!

My husband said that in med school they would play this at meetings. Funny and sick in an incurable way.

Lego of Liberty

Yes

We spent hours, yes hours, playing with the wind up dolls. At first I was slightly ashamed playing by myself then all 5 friends came and before you knew it dozens of people joined us to wind up these toys and watch them jiggle. 

Thank you FAO 

Rockfeller Center

Where NOT to get cheesecake but to get my favorite souvenir: snow globes. I never get tired of them, that and cheesecake and Nora Ephron movies. NYC's best stuff I tell you!

Snow

More snow

Twins

I love souvenir shops for making everything they sell look so chummy. Millions of Lady Liberties and Times Squares all sitting next to each other in matching outfits like girl scouts. 

Doggy Gym for the rich and famous pooches

Relaxing after yoga

Where to go next...Brooklyn!

End of the day> the view from Brooklyn.

Like I said, going to NYC is like going to a really good party and knowing you will be beat afterwards but still go. I am tired and in pain from the miles of walking but so glad we went, heard jazz like I have never heard before in my life, at cheesecake like never before and spent time in some of the most amazing streets of the world with some great people. I will take a beating of good any day.