I love NY for the fact that you can arrive at a restaurant at 1am, and have to wait for your table because the place is still pumping with diners. Andrew arrived at our apartment, and the 4 of us (Andrew, Michelle, Dave and I) jumped in a cab down to The Stanton Social. We were at our table at around 1.30am and picked at some shared appetizers and desert dishes. The restaurant was really special – dimly lit and cozy with an adventurous menu.
Afterwards, we wandered over to the Back Room, a speakeasy style bar with no markings on the outside, just some stairs that lead you down through a tunnel then up to another unmarked door where a bouncer waits inside. It was crowded, but the music was fab! We ordered drinks – beers came in brown paper bags, and mixed drinks arrived in tea cups with saucers. Very cute. We stayed for a little bit, but, remembering that it was around 4am, we became tired quickly and ventured home to bed.
Saturday was cold and grey. The sun wasn’t shining and neither was the temperature - about 32F (freezing). We left Andrew and Michelle to their own devices, and Dave and I ‘did Brooklyn.’ Layered up with tights under jeans, hats, ear warmers, scarves and gloves, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, something I’ve wanted to do each time I’ve visited, but never made it. It was great, and surprisingly crowded for a cold Saturday morning.
The view back to Manhattan was stunning. Wandering through Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) was surreal. What a gorgeous area – cobble stoned streets, very cool and artsy, galleries and warehouses galore, but it has a family feel to it, and it was quiet! with only the background noise of cars and trains on the highways and train lines above.
Had brunch at the Dumbo General Store, then walked on to Brooklyn Heights where we found the largest dog park we’ve seen so far. Predictably, we stopped and gushed for probably half an hour, before moving up the hill where we found ourselves gushing over architecture. The houses and views up there are mesmerizing. Again, so quiet and with a family feel to the area, but overlooking the busiest city in the world. Quite paradoxical. I could live there.
Dog Park! Brooklyn Heights
Saturday night we went for dinner at Delicatessen in Soho. Another great find, cool interior and a buzzing crowd. We thought it was time to show Andrew the meatpacking district so spent the rest of the night there – roof of the Gansevoort Hotel, Buddha Bar, Brass Monkey and Tenjune nightclub (where the bouncer picked the 4 of us out from the LONG line to enter. Nice!).
Valentine’s Day! Sunday was a special day, and Andrew and Michelle ventured uptown (Tiffany’s, etc), while Dave and I stayed local. It was a quiet day for all of us, and we met up for dinner at Pastis in the meatpacking area in the evening. Being their last night in NY, we showed Andrew and Michelle through Spice Market and Buddakan, before heading home for some much needed sleep.
Thank God for public holidays! Today is President’s Day and I don’t have to go to the hospital. Dave and I walked through Bryant Park this morning, amongst models, photographers and film crews there for fashion week. I left the house without my map and couldn’t remember how far uptown Bryant Park was, so when two very tall, very thin girls sat next to me on the subway, we thought that following them was a sure bet. Nup! They got off at 28th St, so when we followed and realized that we were way to low, our penalty was walking the remaining 20 or so blocks uptown.
Met up with our visitors for lunch at The Boathouse, and then walked through Central Park to the Upper East Side where we awed at the beautiful buildings. Cab back home and it was time for them to leave for the airport. It was so fun sharing some of our favourite places in a foreign city with friends. We can’t wait to join them in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the end of our trip to share some of their local gems.
