Paying homage to the city I was born in but actually only lived in for three months sounded like an excellent idea when I bought my Bolt Bus ticket, knowing I'd have to fight the crowd just to get a seat on the bus that is packed but not overcrowded. My mom, the NYC guru, who grew up in the Bronx and lived in Queens reminded me several times not to leave Manhattan and make sure I don't venture to the other side of Central Park. These reminders were similar to the, "don't go anywhere 'east' in DC" warnings that my mom always gave me when I told her whenever I ventured into DC. Armed with my iPhone and Google Maps, I was pretty sure I wouldn't end up in an unusual area.
Taking the bus in at night surely beats coming during the day - all the lights and the number of people walking around/bar hopping at midnight. So different from DC! I made mental comparisons throughout the trip. For some reason I thought that it would be way less crowded at midnight, but nope, just as busy. Penn Station was full of people, the Sbarro and the Little Italy Eatery across the street were bustling with customers, and nobody looked phased that it was late at night.
The next morning, ready to explore, we headed to a recommended place for brunch: Elmo's in Chelsea. Delicious! Now, if you've been to Kramerbooks and Afterwords, here's the better version in NYC. Smaller portions (which is definitely okay considering the amount you get at Kramerbooks) and less expensive, the modern decor and the friendly service was a great way to start the NYC gastronomy tour. We tried their bagel and cream cheese as a side just to see what the hubbub was about with NYC bagels. Manhattan bagel and NY-style bagels all over the DC area were cues enough that we had to try them. And were they good. The toastedness on the outside with a light crunch and the soft middle makes me think if I can ever achieve this perfection with my own toaster. We'll see.
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After brunch we did some exploring of the Chelsea area. A dog park here and there, lots of unique shops, and plenty of places to eat and not just the very expensive type. There's something for everyone including those delicious falafel stands. Gotta try one of those while you're there. One of my favorite things to do in every city I visit is check out the local coffee shops. No, that does not mean the local Starbucks. It means a coffee shop, maybe a local chain even, that you can only find in that city. They tend to exhibit the qualities of the town, like the one I went to called Guy & Gallard which has at least six or seven different flavors of coffee on hotplates that you can grab and add whatever milk/soymilk/cream-and-sugar blend you desire. Going with the NY tradition, there are plenty of desserts, including NY cheesecake. How can you resist? We walked to Central Park with our sustenance in hand: coffee and a peanut butter cup/chocolate chip muffin and sat watching people watching us watching the horse-drawn carriages.
A couple hours in Central Park did us good - saw a live performance by the Afrobats comedy/dance team by the big fountain, walked around, took pictures, and met some other tourists. We entered back into the hustle and bustle that is The City and headed toward the Apple store which is quite the landmark in itself. For every one person that leaves the store, there are about five more pushing down the frosted glass staircase to get in and buy another iPod to add to their collection. Lacking oxygen and some personal space we managed to escape the store without having bought a new iPod, iPad, or iBook. As for next time, I might not be as lucky.
We raced back to check into the hotel in the Times Square area to get as much time as possible to find a place for dinner. Scrolling through New York Times The Scoop app, the NY Guide, and OpenTable, we came across Maison, a quaint, small French bistro. Similar to Bistro Francais in Georgetown, it too is open 24/7. Why a nice French restaurant stays open 24 hours a day is beyond me. However, their entrees were French classics: steak frites, moule frites, duck confit, bouillabaisse, escargots, charcuterie, fromage, etc. Julia Child's memoir book prompted me to try the bouillabaisse to see if I can pick out the combination of flavors. It was a winner! Monkfish, mussels, shrimp, potato, saffron, fennel seed, fish stock, and green onions made the dish exquisite and not too heavy. The toasted bread with melted Gruyère cheese was the cherry on top and the four more servings in the massive pot was an encore. Definitely will be going back.
With full stomachs we walked to Times Square. Thank goodness - all that famous American fast food beckoning with neon lights and billboards of tasty food, I'm glad I finished that bouillabaisse first. Btw, Times Square is not a square, it has a radius of about 3 blocks. It's quite massive with a massive Barclay's blue building lit to help you find your way. The M&M signature store is there where you can even monogram your M&M plush backpack. A Dallas BBQ restaurant line stretching for a couple blocks, billboards advertising tv shows, movies, and anything else you can spend your money lining the streets, and crowds of people blinded by the lights grazing around the streets causing traffic jams at all times of night make this scene pretty unforgettable.
The scenes, food, people, pace and landmarks make this city so fun. It's not as expensive as you would think - just don't blindly walk into a restaurant or store without checking the prices. Make sure to have your Google Maps app and you will never have a problem with the subway or numbered streets. Don't dilly dally when people are pacing in front and behind you, and remember that almost every cab is probably full, so be vigilant! Eat all the NY bagels, pizza, and deli sandwiches you can find because I guarantee the ones outside of the city don't compare. Take tons of pictures, even if you are "that silly tourist taking photos of everything" because no one else is going to photo document your trip but you. Last of all, watch out for all the parades!
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