Post-New York blues

*DISCLAIMER: This was meant to be posted months ago. It was written on January 30 – a few weeks after I had left New York City.*

A moment of sadness hit me as I was walking down the streets of the Upper West Side.

There I was on West 69th and Central Park West when I realised it was my last day in Manhattan for a while.

As I stopped and stood still to take in the sights around me…

I couldn’t help but feel unmistakable joy. I’d just had the most incredible three weeks of my life and I was leaving New York with no regrets. Just regretting I hadn’t spent more time appreciating the city I love so much. There was so much more to see and so much more to do. I was yet to have my ultimate New York moment – one that was fit for the movies.

On my last few days there, I stayed in a West Village apartment, overlooking a church, and immersed myself in living in an apartment that had no elevators (but a billion flights of stairs), central heating I had no control over (but was always so warm to the point of stuffiness sometimes), and a shower that had next to no water pressure (but the apartments in the far distance probably had a good view of me starkers thanks to the lack of blinds on the windows). The place had its charms obviously, but the pros far outweighed the cons. It was located near a pizza place, a bagels bakery, a cupcake bakery, a taqueria, a gelato shop and a bar. And this was all on the same street – I kid you not.

Being a folk of the younger persuasion, I had the bars on Bleecker Street near NYU literally a solid jump from my door step. The idea of getting crunk in a bar with a bunch of nice random people and then walking (read: stumbling) back home in my very sensible heels, but stopping for the traditional drunk food on the way back, appealed to me. Unfortunately, sometimes the cold, cold nights would get to me, and I would opt to curl up at home and watch the Golden Globes. For those out there who are telling me to suck it up, I am currently sitting in 26 degrees Celsius, 83 per cent humidity heat. It’s like being back in that apartment again – uncomfortably stuffy – and it is what I am used to going out in.

But I am here to wrap up my US trip. In the final countdown, we took a day trip to Washington D.C., which was eerily quiet in some places because it was a really rainy day. It was so wet in fact that on the drive back we had difficulty seeing the road markings because it was dark and they are not massive fans of cat’s eyes in those quieter parts of the highway…or lights come to think of it.

We crossed three state lines to arrive at our destination, where we were pleasantly surprised. Much like my capital at home, nobody really expects Washington D.C. to have anything of incredible interest other than those tourism sites, and they’re only of interest to tourists.

Strangely, Washington is a lot like home for me. It’s a mix of old architecture with some new thrown in because the infrastructure was needed. But lining the residential streets of the home of the White House and Capitol Hill are these lovely houses (some of these photos were taken from a moving vehicle)…

But I wasn’t in Washington to see the architecture, I was here to see a former president:

Mr President: The Lincoln Memorial

And hopeful for a glance of another…

The White House…obviously.

Capitol Hill

But unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. So we packed ourselves back into our rental Crown Victoria and returned to the Big Apple.

Over the next few days after this day trip, I did all the things I wanted to do but W didn’t. He had left me for Detroit and I was left to my own devices. This is a sample of what I did…

Tea & Sympathy: There’s this charming little tea room on Greenwich Avenue (between Jane Street and Horatio Street). It serves tea in mismatched teapots and teacups, which is incredibly adorable. And the scones are served up with jam and clotted cream. YUM!

Mexican Radio: We stumbled across this restaurant (Cleveland Street between Kenmare Street & Spring Street), which resides a few doors down from Eileen’s Special Cheesecake (THE BEST CHEESECAKE I HAVE EVER HAD). It had some very delicious food and the decor had a very Mexican-esque feel to it. Tip: salsa and corn chips are a must here!

See, eat, love…

Before I get into my long-awaited visit to New Jersey, which I’m sure you’re all eager to hear about, let me tell you about a little place called Rockefeller Centre (located on 51st Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue). Without any reservations, I can tell you that THE BEST VIEW of New York City, without a doubt, is from the Top of the Rock. It is so much better than the one from the Empire State Building for the following reasons:

a) There are less people;

b) It is better to take photos because there are no grate fencing obstructions; and

c) The Empire State Building is part of the view.

Here are a few sample photos:

And for the Gregory Peck fans out there, I was making my way up to the top and had to pass by a timeline exhibit outlining the history of Rockefeller Centre, and I saw the following:

Personally, I think it was really cool.

The next stop was New Jersey. I can hear many of you asking: “Why New Jersey?” And it’s because of this…

The Hoboken Terminal is located on the Hudson River, opposite Manhattan.

And this…

The view of Manhattan from Jersey City.

And this…

The Empire State Building from Jersey City.

It was also an excellent location to hop on a ferry to Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty is located. The trip to Liberty Island bypasses Ellis Island, which was home to the United States’s immigration processing centre. It is now part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, and a museum dedicated to its immigration history is the main attraction on the island.

The exterior of the ferry terminal in Jersey City.

The inside of the ferry terminal. There are numbered train tracks in the terminal - it obviously used to be a train station.

The Statue of Liberty

We had made a booking to have lunch at Serendipity3 (located on 60th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue) – the restaurant where John Cusack’s character and Kate Beckinsale’s character have their romantic pow-wow at in the film, Serendipity – but we missed the booking. Luckily we were able to reschedule for 5:30pm. And when we tried the food there, we were grateful for the time slot’s availability.

The decor at Serendipity3 is bric-a-brac/antique store meets Grandma’s house. It has this really homey, let’s-curl-up-in-front-of-the-fire kind of vibe going on. It has old light shades hanging over the tables and chairs that have a European cafe style to them. To go with this inviting atmosphere is a delectable menu.

Eating food at Serendipity3 is a religious experience. I ordered the Country Meatloaf on the recommendation of my lovely waiter (we tipped him well). What came out was so much better than I had expected. The meatloaf was tender and cooked just right – not too rare and not too well done – like Goldilock’s third bowl of porridge. It wasn’t even dry. This homecooked meal was accompanied with delightful mashed potato, which was crunchy on the outside, mushrooms and a gorgeous gravy – one that any meat eater could appreciate. I could have drank that gravy straight – that’s how delicious it was.

Mouth orgasm: meatloaf with mashed potatoes, mushrooms and gravy

W ordered the Spiced Chicken Flambe and it equalled the meatloaf in taste.

What was even more impressive than the dinner menu were the desserts. There are no words to describe how decadent they were – it is something that must be experienced.

The sundae special for the day

As are the drinks…

The famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate

Sit there and let your mouth water…until next time!

New York City in pictures: Part Two

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New York City in pictures: Part Three (or the Upper West Side)

*DISCLAIMER: This is Part Three because I’m trying to establish some sort of chronological order. I didn’t write down what I had done after each day, and I’m trying to remember what happened during the week as I go. I was halfway through this post and realised this came later in the week…but happy reading all the same.*

A certain restaurant in the Upper West Side has had many famous diners come through its door, including US president Barack Obama and 2008 Republican presidential hopeful John McCain. But it is most famous for being the exterior of Monk’s Cafe in the NBC series, Seinfeld.

Though Tom’s Restaurant’s (located on Broadway and 112th Street) interior does not resemble in any way the inside of the cafe that put it on the map, it has the atmosphere of being at home. I’m not sure whether it is because of the extremely familiar and friendly wait staff, or if its the little old man sitting behind the cashier counter who reminds you of your grandfather. It might even be the delicious plates of home-cooked food that make it to your table as you catch a whiff of what’s coming out of the kitchen’s doors.

With the walls of Seinfeld memorabilia looking on, I feasted on a Reuben rye sandwich (homemade corned beef, sauerkraut and melted cheese), served up with a bowl of New York clam chowder and a root beer, while W had the pleasure of enjoying a cherry vanilla milkshake and a banana split.

Tom's Restaurant: It is often frequented by students of nearby Columbia University.

The Reuben: The best corned beef I have ever tasted.

Riverside Park: Definitely a park I would gladly take my hypothetical dog for a walk in and/or possibly go for a run in, if I was so inclined. Even in winter when the trees have lost their leaves and the park’s ground is covered with this dry brown foliage that you just have the urge to jump in to hear the crunch under your boots, it’s one of those places you’d find a bench to just sit to hear your own thoughts. It’s a place for reflection.

Tina Fey's character in 30 Rock, Liz Lemon, lives on Riverside Drive, where this park is located.

The Dakota: This is the apartment building the late John Lennon, former Beatle, lived and where he was shot in 1980. It is located on West 72nd Street and Central Park West. Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, still lives there. Across the road in Central Park is the memorial dedicated to Lennon called Strawberry Fields, named after The Beatles song. The memorial was opened on October 9, 1985 by Ono and then New York City mayor Ed Koch. This date would have been Lennon’s 45th birthday.

The next post will be Part Two!

New York City in pictures: Part One

To catch you all up on the days I have missed, the few days before and after the night of Rockwood Music Hall up until now, in these next posts I will be uploading photos – some with an extended caption. There are so many places I have seen over these past days, I will be creating a saga of blog posts.

Chelsea High Line: This originally used to be a freight train passage but when it was threatened to be torn down in 1999, residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond fought for its preservation. When current mayor Michael Bloomberg came into office, he and his council committed to turning the High Line into the park it is today.

From this fascinating location, the view of New York City is one you cannot experience anywhere else. It runs through the city’s industrial areas and has some strangely beautiful sights to behold:

Chelsea Piers: From the High Line, you can see Chelsea Piers where some episodes of the Law & Order franchises were filmed. A street leading into Pier 62 was renamed “Law & Order Way” after the show in 2004. The location is also a sports complex, and was meant to be the final destination of the doomed ship, RMS Titanic.

After walking pretty much the entire length of the High Line, we decided to explore its surrounding areas – Chelsea and Greenwich Village.

My new home: These stairs lead to what I assume is another apartment hidden underneath the apartment on top of it. It reminds me of Will’s law firm office in Will & Grace.

Christopher Park: These statues were erected to honour the gay liberation movement, commemorating events which took place at the Stonewall Inn across the road from the park.

Gray’s Papaya: I had my first How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) moment here. The context: Ted and co went here to get a hotdog on New Year’s Eve in season one, episode 11.

And I had my second brush with HIMYM here at a later date:

Red Lobster: This is where Lily and Marshall went when they paused their end of season one fight. Much sadness was had by them here.

Then I saw another one of these on another day:

And on Friday night, I went to the bar that the HIMYM bar, McLaren’s, was modelled on. McGee’s (on 55th Street between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue) was the bar the creators of the show, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, used to frequent.

On an earlier night, we made our way to Peking Duck House on Mott Street in Chinatown and had ourselves some of its namesake. This chef was pro at carving up that sweet, sweet duck. He did it in way less than five minutes (I’m pretty sure).

If this was an audio cassette recording I’d be asking you to flip the cassette over to side B, but because it’s not…please move on to the next part…if I’ve posted it.

An affair to remember

I’m into my fourth day in NYC and I have learnt two things: it’s not as dangerous as you think and most New Yorkers are friendly – despite the stereotypes.

On my third day here, I walked around Soho by myself and went bar-hopping. I met two delightful New Yorkers in the second bar I went to. They made conversation with me and taught me a thing or two about the game they love so much in the US: NFL. I was told l must root for the Giants not the Dallas Cowboys – who were playing off for a spot in the Superbowl. And I certainly did not want to make a faux pas, so there I was in this bar on Bleecker Street – a popular place for NYU students to hang out due to its close proximity to the campus- cheering for the city’s team with some locals. I was content. I felt like New Yorker.

But rewinding back to day one and two. As promised, I will reveal to you what was behind those cupboard doors of this West Village apartment I visited.

My travelling companion’s friend is currently renting out a couple’s apartment while the photographing pair are away. My mate’s friend, S, and her cousin, D, are living in this quaint and ridiculously laid out apartment. Why is it so ridiculous you ask? Well for starters, their shower is in the kitchen. And behind these cupboard doors lies this…

Yes, this was the most awesome apartment ever in a location that has definite character. The West Village, compared to the noisier and more populated Midtown area we are staying in, has got you covered for a satisfying night out.

We dined at a Mexican restaurant, Panchito’s, that served some really strong sangria and delicious food. Our waitress was this charming, petite blonde who seemed to be high. She was very dazed, had trouble forming words to describe what kind of kick their ranchero sauce had and her lipstick was applied outside of her lip line. All this combined made her seem rather frazzled, but like I said: it was part of her charm.

After getting quite a bit tipsy on the sangria we had, we stumbled across a “Wine Spot”/”Tea Spot” (they are a combined “spot” and are actually named that) on the same street as the restaurant, MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village. We all opted for a warm drink over wine as we were experiencing the full hit of the sangria. I shared some delightful chai with soy milk and honey with S, while D and my mate, W, settled for apple cinnamon tea and a hot chocolate respectively.

Put this down to a little too much to drink and a high you could only get in this city, but we then had the sudden urge to go up the Empire State Building. So we hailed a cab and set off. After paying the cab driver a small amount compared to what would have been a small fortune in Brisbane for the same distance, we went in and found out it would be a one-and-a-half-hour wait. But we persisted and eventually we saw Manhattan in all its glory. The view from the 86th floor is breathtaking, 100 per cent worth the wait. It is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of moment when you marvel at this city at such a great height. An incredible way to end the night.

My photo does not do it enough justice

Day two was NYE. A day we set aside to go to the East Side. We were a little underwhelmed by the Lower East Side. There wasn’t much to see or do except for this large electricity plant we were fascinated by due to its sheer size. Perhaps we weren’t walking in the right places and we had already eaten so we weren’t looking for places to dine. But we found more to do in the East Side, well at least I did. The East Side was full of little boutiques offering a unique knick-knacks, clothing and accessories. We even walked past Katz’s Delicatessen, where Meg Ryan had her fake orgasm in When Harry Met Sally. People were lining up out of its door!

And I stumbled upon these little beauties at a boutique called Reformation, just off Houston Street…

There was also another store which had a hat made from a Native American traditional headress, which I really wanted. But the money for it did not justify my use of it. I really wish I had taken a photo of it now.

And now for a collection of photos from the trip so far…

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Check back in the next couple of days for the next installment of my adventures.

*NB: Also I have a proper camera now, so hopefully the photos will be better quality than the one I’ve been taking off my iPhone.*