Art & Sugar

My last full day in New York City was certainly full of excitement!  The main event on our agenda was to take advantage of the two-for-one Metropolitan Museum of Art/The Cloisters admission and see them both.  We'd intended to see the Met first and then rush up to The Cloisters before they closed, but we accidentally got on an express train that changed our minds for us.

The Cloisters

When we got out of the subway, we walked through the beautiful Fort Tryon Park which boasts incredible views of the river and beautiful and well maintained flower gardens.  It would be a great picnic spot, just saying.  By the time we arrived at the medieval looking building, I was glad for the air conditioning.  We spent a few hours looking over the artwork and admiring the architecture, some of which was actual pieces of old monasteries and the like that had been shipped over from Europe.  I'm so glad to have a boyfriend that likes going to museums and engaging in thoughtful conversations about the work in them.  I was a very happy girl that day.

A chapel in The Cloisters

One of many lovely gardens

We knew we weren't going to have enough time to see all of the Met, so when we got there, we took a moment to grab some lunch (the Met cafeteria puts potato chips on their mac & cheese, just sayin') and pinpoint the galleries we wanted to see the most.  For The Writer, it was the Arms and Armor and I wanted to make sure we got to the Egyptian wing and temple.  We also managed to make it through some of the painting and photography before the guards decided it was time for us to go.  I'd wanted to see the McQueen exhibit, but we'd heard the wait was an hour and a half and we didn't have that much time there.  Unfortunately the exhibit will be closing a mere three days before I return to Manhattan.

Since we'd had a late lunch, we weren't quite hungry for dinner when the museum closed.  We were, we decidedly, quite ready for some ice cream.  On our way to the subway that would take us down to Lula's, I spotted a sign in the window of Purple Elephant Cake Boutique that said they had vegan cupcakes.  While neither of us are anywhere close to being vegan, The Writer's lactose intolerance keeps us on the hunt for dairy-free treats and vegan is always a safe choice.  We stopped in and got a few cupcakes, even though we were on our way to eat ice cream.  He had a vanilla cupcake with chocolate icing and I had a sweet-n-salty vanilla cupcake.  I used to never be a cake person, I preferred fruity treats like pies, but this trip ruined me. I officially like cake.

Not letting the fact that we'd just had super sweet cupcake deter us, we continued downtown to Lula's and enjoyed our vegan ice cream cones.  Dinner, at this point, was out of the question.  We were too full on cupcakes and ice cream.  We did feel quite kiddish, having had every kids' dream dinner, so we decided to go to FAO Schwartz because what kid doesn't want to go to a toy store after a sugar-filled meal?  Unfortunately, it had closed by the time we got there. Bedtime, I guess.  Plan B was to stroll casually through the lobby and shops of The Plaza hotel, just to check it out.  I wouldn't mind staying there sometime, that's for sure.

We walked around the park area for a bit before grabbing some groceries and heading to bed.  It seemed the sugar rush we'd ingested was no match for the mileage we'd covered that day.

*Photos by The Writer. I borrowed his camera for a few shots, but most (not obviously taken with a webcam or otherwise cited) are from his camera, as mine is broken : ( *

Bargains, Bubble Tea, and Boats

Who doesn't like to sleep in on a Monday?  Since The Writer's "weekend" begins on Mondays, that's exactly what we did.  Even though we knew we had a lot to pack into his last two free days of my visit, we still got off to a pretty slow start.

Once we did get moving, we went down to check out Century 21, a store of hugely discounted designer duds.  We'd gotten off the subway right by the World Trade Center site, but like I'd noticed before, there wasn't much to see.  Once we got to Century 21 it was a madhouse.  The deals were certainly good, so I understand the rush.  The Writer found himself a new gray Tommy Hilfiger suit for over half off!  We left the store in search of the tailor shop they'd referred us to (my love has long arms, apparently) and some lunch. What an experience the tailor shop was! The older Italian gentleman running the place shared that he's been working in a tailor shop since he was seven years old.  Now that's a family business!

We got some sandwiche from Pret (baguette!) and started walking towards Battery Park for a picnic.  Along the way, I spotted a bubble tea street vendor.  I hadn't had bubble tea in such a long time. For a while, I was working at a coffee shop that made it and could have it any time I wanted.  Unfortunately, those days were over but I was about to rekindle my love of bubble tea just as I'd reawakened my love of baguette sandwiches.  The Writer was not a fan of my litchi bubble tea.

The Writer being silly

After our little picnic, we decided to investigate Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island ferry passes.  I wasn't initially interested in going out to see the landmarks, but it was something The Writer had really been wanting to do, so we went. I'm so glad we did!  We didn't spend too much time on Liberty Island where the Statue of Liberty is located because we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time in the Ellis Island museum.  We got back on the ferry after snapping some photos and walking a bit on the island.

I had to give it a try

I admit I haven't been much of a museum person in the past. Maybe it's because I'm usually being dragged through them by my parents who are either moving too slow or too quickly, but I really enjoy them with The Writer.  He'd been to the Ellis Island museum before so he knew which parts were absolutely necessary to see before the last ferry left.  Seeing the giant rooms where the incoming immigrants waited and hearing their stories was so interesting.  I wish we'd had a little more time to spend out there.

On Liberty Island with the Manhattan skyline in the background

Tired from our busy day, we had some Asian Fusion cuisine at Alpha around the corner from his residences.  I had the best spicy tuna roll that I've ever eaten there.  It was absolutely delicious.  The Writer had the sesame chicken, which I sampled and found was delectable in its own right.  After dinner, we decided to get some cool treats at Rita's.  Their melon/tropical flavors are just what I want when I'm craving something cold and sweet.  I had the honeydew again, but this time mixed it with cantaloupe and passionfruit as well.  Our night ended with a long, lovely stroll down Broadway in the Upper West Side.

Hell on a Sunday

Hell's Kitchen, that is.  I went down last Sunday to check out the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market while The Writer was at work.  That place made me wish I'd left more room in my luggage!  Along with the many booths of vintage clothing, antiques, and unique jewelry finds were several different yummy looking food vendors.  I grabbed a New York slice from a shop on a nearby street then chose some delicious dessert from a Je & Jo ice cream stand.  Their organic ice cream carried quite a price tag at $4 per small cup, but it was so rich and creamy that it was easy to savor every bite of my Fresh Mint with Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookie Dough.

The Clutch & Sunnies

 Refreshed, I spent the next few hours sifting though some strange and wonderful goodies and came away with some great finds.  I found a envelope clutch with a tag that said it came from GAP.  I'm not sure how old it is, but the lady at the booth was only asking $5 for it, so I bit.  My other find was a pair of nearly vintage sunnies.  I've been needing a new brown pair and these were a new shape for me.  They're a little scratched, but I like them so much and was able to talk the seller down a bit from his original asking price, so I took them home.

Me with my new shades

I left Hell's Kitchen for the same reason I had to leave SoHo.  If I didn't, I would have kept buying which would have been very bad.  I'm broke nonetheless, but that's not the point. Ha!

I relaxed at Borders until The Writer was out of work.   We were both pretty wiped out, him from a long work week and me from the sun. Poor me, right? 

We took the subway down to Chelsea for a quick and easy dinner at Blossom du Jour.  I had an organic vegan eggplant parmesan sandwich and he had the Midtown Melt.  Both sandwiches were so good! It was hard to not want to order a second. I think we both ended up eating a significant portion of each other's meals as it was! 

The 411 on the 3-1-1

I am strictly against the idea of checking luggage when flying, at least for myself.  I know I'm a chronic over-packer, so the carry-on only rule helps me narrow down my selection.  It also saves me from having to wait for my luggage to arrive at baggage claim and subsequently having to drag a giant suitcase to my final destination when traveling alone.  There's also almost no risk of the airline loosing your luggage if you don't let them man-handle it.

One of the only problems that comes with flying with carry-on luggage only is the TSA's 3-1-1 rule.  The other problem lies in the shoe department, but this time, the shoes were easier to cram in than that little bag of liquids.  For those who are unfamiliar, the TSA allows each passenger to have one quart sized bag of liquids, each of which must be under 3.4 ounces each.  For women, you quickly realize how many products you use when you are trying to cram them all into a tiny clear bag.

Say Yes to Tomatoes Trouble-free Face Wash, decanted
shampoo/conditioner, Patricia Wexler Acne Spot
Treatment (tucked behind)

So, how do you decide?  If you're staying with a host, think about what's most likely already in their bathroom.  Most people have shampoo and conditioner.  I brought my shampoo because I know The Writer has some, but it's VO5, which irreparably damages my hair.

Think about what you can buy there.  When traveling to some locations, particularly internationally, it may be worth the $50/round trip to check a bag, rather than to find yourself running around a foreign country looking for body lotion.  However, when traveling domestically, chances are, you'll be able to find amenities when you get there and for less than $50.  I left my shower gel, body lotion, and shave cream at home.

Mary Kay Firming Eye Cream, Sephora Waterproof Makeup
Remover, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer, Paul Mitchell
Hot Off the Press heat protectant spray, Say Yes to Tomatoes
Totally Tranquil Facial Lotion

Along the same lines, consider the cost of a product. For me, I knew I could find shower gel, but it would get costly if I picked up a whole can of heat protecting spray or glossing cream when I got there. Luckily, I found a travel size can of Hot of the Press at my salon this past weekend.  Specialty items will most likely need to be brought with you.  What made the cut for me: Paul Mitchell Hot of the Press, Sephora Waterproof Eye Make-up Remover, Mary Kay Eye Cream, Urban Decay Eyelid Primer, Fekkai Glossing Creme, Say Yes to Tomatoes Facial Wash and Lotion.

It definitely took some maneuvering and some trial-and-error before I got it all to fit.  I didn't worry about my mascara or hand sanitizer, since I've never had the TSA stop me for having these items loose in my bag.  I also luck out because I'm a Bare Minerals fan, so no liquid foundation to squeeze into the bag.

Once I arrived, I purchased shower gel and lotion, both at $2.99/piece, shave cream at $1.99, and a travel sized hairspray for $.99 for an overall total of less than $10, which means I saved $30-$40 that I could use for other fun things on my trip!

A Saturday in the City

Last Saturday, whilst still in New York City, was a really significant day for me.  I was able to meet up with my second cousin, J, whom I have not seen in ages.  We hadn't seen each other for the better part of 10 or 15 years and we've both changed so much.  Last time I saw her I was still wearing training bras, if that's any indication of how long it's been.

We met up in the lobby of The Writer's residence/hotel and walked down The Highline to The Village.  I wore my teal maxi dress from SoHo because it was very sunny and I knew we'd be walking a lot and I wanted to avoid weird tan/burn lines.  A strapless dress was my best attempt and an even tinge of red.

J took me to her favorite coffee place, which was at the entrance to a theatre space. We sat and continued on our catching up.  During our day-long conversation, I came to a greater knowledge of the history of that side of my family.  So many things make more sense now than they ever did before, since many of the events that shaped the dynamic of that branch of my family tree happened long before I was born or able to understand them.
I'm fairly sure that this coffee shop made some of the most legitimate espresso drinks I've ever had, and, you know what? I don't even think there was a latte on the menu. Flavored syrups? Nadda.  It was absolutely one of the best cappuccinos I've ever had.

After our caffeine, J took me to her studio space.  She went to school for dance and is still really involved in the creative arts.  Let me tell you, this space was amazing.  Five stories up from the street, the massive windows of the corner room looked directly out onto many of the rooflines of the other buildings.  The architecture was breathtaking!  I told The Writer so many times while I was in NYC that the artistry of the buildings is one of my favorite things about the city.  It's inspiring!

(teany)

We then took a cab (my first NYC cab, I admit) over to The Bowery and got out by The New Museum. Before we went in to view the exhibits, we walked over to Teany for lunch.  My turkey, apple, and brie  baguette sandwich was one of my favorite meals of my trip.  It was served with the perfect side of lightly dressed greens...MMmmmm.  I fell in love with the baguette sandwich while traveling in France and haven't really found anything comparable in America until this past week.  Simple French fare is not anywhere close to being popular in the Midwest.

After a chocolate peanut butter brownie to finish off lunch, we headed back to The New Museum.  Several of their floors were closed for installation, but we did get to enjoy the Sky Room.  Since most of the buildings in Bowery and Greenwich Village are shorter by comparison, we were able to see all the way down to Downtown and the Brooklyn Bridge and all the way up to Midtown and the Chrysler Building and Empire State Building.  We decided the view alone was worth the price of admission.

A little rooftop lawn visible from the Sky Room

Incredible view from the Sky Room

J had to take off after a stroll through the surrounding neighborhoods and shops since she was speaking at and writing for a national conference this week and still had prep work to do.  I explored Union Square before meeting up with The Writer somewhat later for dinner.  We had hearty pasta at Don Giovanni's in Hell's Kitchen.  It was delicious and, I have to say, the salad that came before my stuffed shells was really impressive, not wimpy at all!

He and I decided to be a little touristy and walk through Times Square.  It was so jam packed! We finished up the night by taking a walk up 5th Ave. to Central Park before catching the subway "home".  Needless to say, I slept very soundly that night.