Relaxing in New York

August 28, 2018 by Patricia Farmar

Just a short update as I am taking it easy here for a few days, gearing up for an action packed finish to my trip. I have another friend joining me here today and we have lots of fun things planned. So I’m really feeling like a local. Doing laundry, grocery shopping at the busiest Trader Joe’s I’ve ever seen, meeting a friend for lunch, shopping in Soho, and binging on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime.

Met up with my friend Maya for a great lunch. She is my travel inspiration. She and her husband Tucker are spending at least a year and maybe more traveling in Europe. They are working remotely and coming back to the states when they need to, and every where they go I add to my wish list because it all looks so wonderful. Maya was in NY for two weddings so our schedules worked out to allow us to meet up in the Meatpacking area (west side just north of Chelsea) for a fun lunch. She picked the spot and it was great! High Street on Hudson which is very close to the Whitney Museum. We might have also stopped by the Whitney. I’m starting to feel like a stalker there!

Freekah-Kale Salad with a Sunny Side Up Egg. Freekah is a grain. I never heard of it but it was great!

Then a little shopping in Soho. I’m not much of a shopper but I love UNIQLO and there is a huge one in Soho. Boyfriend jeans were on my list and now I have a pair. If you are a shopper than Soho is worth a trip. Bring lots of money.

Let’s talk New York pizza. Thin crust and a million places all claiming to be the best. For dinner I just wanted something quick so I got a slice from Joe’s. I have walked by it 20 times and there is usually a huge line out the door. I looked it up online and the reviews were great. They said the line moves fast and know what you want or people will get mad that you are holding things up. It’s just pizza so not that hard to decide. Slices and whole pizza’s. Stand up inside and eat it or better yet walk across the street to the beautiful little park and enjoy it while listening to a musician playing for free.

The line wasn’t that long and it was the best $3 slice I’ve ever had. Big too!

Joe’s is just a few doors from the awesome gelato place Cheryl and I ate at the other night so I thought I would post a picture. I used self control and didn’t stop for another scoop.

I can’t believe Labor Day weekend is almost here. Where has the summer gone? I’ve had a great one and hope you have to! Thanks for traveling with me. I’m not done yet.......my gap year continues!

Even More New York Fun!

August 27, 2018 by Patricia Farmar

So much to do and so little time! Saturday we were up early again and off for a real New York bagel. My favorite spot is Murray’s Bagels and I figured out it’s only a 10 minute walk away. Did I mention we are doing a lot of walking? At least 8 or 9 miles a day and that’s with taking the subway. Always bring comfortable shoes.

My favorite is the cinnamon raisin with plain cream cheese. Boiled and baked!

There is a special fashion exhibit on display at the Metropolitan Museum called Heavenly Bodies: Fashion And The Catholic Imagination, and it is in two of their locations. The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. I have heard you need to see both so we headed way up north in Manhattan to the Cloisters. Take the A train uptown and be prepared for an amazing experience. The Cloisters are set on a hilltop with a spectacular view of the Hudson River. It is designed in a medieval architecture that feels like a monastery or church. Amazing gardens also. It was primarily funded by John D. Rockefeller and opened in 1938.

The exhibit features the work of fashion designers who for the most part were raised Catholic. While they don’t all profess to be Catholic now, they acknowledge its influence on their imagination. The trip to the Cloisters was worth it just to see the building, let alone the art it holds plus the fashion exhibit. A feast for the eyes.

Dresses were by all top world famous designers.

My favorite dress is top left by Chanel. Would love to wear that dress!

The gardens were beautiful also and reconstructed from the Romanesque and Gothic Cloisters.

The most memorable part of our visit there was meeting Tim Gunn on our way out! Yes! Tim Gunn most famous from Project Runway. He couldn’t have been nicer or more gracious to Cheryl and I when we asked to take a picture with him. He had a friend with him and said he had seen the exhibit but was giving his friend a tour. They were heading down to part two at the other location. Cheryl and I were “working it”!

Next up - the Met on Fifth Ave to see the second part of the fashion exhibit. The subway left us off on the west side of Central Park, so we got to walk across the park to get to the east side where the Met is located on 81st St. Unfortunately I forgot to bring along my portable phone charger 😫 so I needed to conserve my battery in lieu of taking a ton of pictures. It was an amazing day and the park was full of people having fun!

Shakespeare’s Garden and horse drawn carriages through the park!

The Met was packed. Of course it was! Better to go during the week if you can, but we still had a great time and there were tons of amazing dresses in the exhibit. We did not run into Tim Gunn again though! I hope to get back again later this week and will post pics then. When I have my charger with me! Don’t miss the Roof Garden Bar on the 5th floor overlooking the park.

The Met is MUST if you are visiting New York City!

Our plan next was to head to Rockefeller Center, but we were passing the famous Plaza Hotel right on 59th St at the south end of the park and decided to stop so Cheryl could see the gorgeous interior. She had the brilliant idea of ditching Rockefeller Center and having a drink instead in the Rose Bar at the plaza. I was all in immediately so that’s what we did. Excellent idea Cheryl! Some of the best memories are from the spontaneous decisions. Yes even I can detour from the plan😊

Our delicious wine came with fun snacks too.

We made it back home for a quick change and off to arrive for our dinner reservation on time. Another awesome restaurant in the West Village called Market Table. It is Tom’s favorite new spot and it lived up to our expectations. Great service and amazing food.

Halibut in parchment paper and a delicious chicken over peaches and veggies. Shared sides of zucchini and broccolini with roasted garbanzo beans - all delicious!

Sunday morning we headed early to a recommended spot called Buvette. Want to feel like you are in Paris? Head to Buvette! Tiny tiny place on Grove St in the West Village. So great! They don’t even serve regular coffee. The closest would be the Americano, and great cappacino’s and espresso etc. Everything online says to get there early or be prepared to wait quite awhile - so we followed direction and got right in. But if you had to wait it would be worth it!

They said the location in Paris is identical.

We shared the waffle with creme fraiche and berries and the eggs with prosciutto and fresh Parmesan cheese.

Cheryl had to head home but it was so great to have her here to share all the fun!

A Penny update. She seems to be doing fine. We’re playing lots of fetch and she’s really a sweetheart.

Penny! A fan favorite in the neighborhood.

Still lots more to do, see and eat in New York. Check back soon!

More New York Fun!

August 26, 2018 by Patricia Farmar

Lots to catch up on! My friend Cheryl arrived on Thursday and we had lots of fun things planned. First up, dinner and a Broadway show. The show started at 7 PM so we needed to eat early. Jack’s Wife Freda had been recommended and I had walked by a number of times and thought it looked good. Cheryl was up for it and we had no trouble getting in. The dinner menu wasn’t available yet but there was plenty to choose from on the lunch/happy hour menu. It’s in the West Village and there are so many great little places to try. The service was excellent and everyone was so nice.

Cheryl tried the special watermelon drink and loved it. Top right is Haloumi which is a kind of cheese you can cook and it doesn’t melt. Delicious. And we shared a great chicken sandwich and fries.

Off to the show! We had tickets for Dear Evan Hansen in the Music Box theater. I have been wanting to see it since it came out a few years ago and then even more after it won the Tony for best musical. We both loved it! Everyone in it was incredible and a really unique interesting story. Highly recommend! There are so many great shows to see and if you don’t care what you see you can usually get discounted tickets through either the Hot Tix booth or Broadwaybox.com, but if you have something specific that you want to see I think it’s best just to buy the tickets in advance. It’s still hard to see Dear Evan Hansen so we bought the tickets about a month ago.

No pictures during the show but took that one before the show started. The set was very cool also. Absolutely loved the music.

We were so close to Times Square and Cheryl hadn’t been there in a long time so we walked over. It’s always quite an extravaganza of humanity. I think I can guarantee that it’s 100% tourists. A local would not go unless they worked there, but it’s still something to see.

It was pretty packed so I can’t imagine how it is on  New Year’s Eve! — It was pretty packed so I can’t imagine how it is on New Year’s Eve!

We finished up the night with some amazing gelato from Grom, also in the West Village on Bleecker St. Sorry no pictures. We had Penny with us so I was trying to hang on to her and not let her eat my gelato 😊

Next day we were up and out and on our way to Washington Square Park. It’s a beautiful park right in Greenwich Village and kind of the center of the NYU campus. The arch was built in 1892 and was modeled after the Arc de Triomphe. The fountain was actually built first in 1852 and replaced in 1872. It was named after George Washington.

A beautiful day at Washington Square Park!

We had a lot on our list for the day so we were off to the Freedom Tower and the 911 Memorial area. I have already toured the museum and Cheryl was ok with not going inside so we saw the reflecting pools which is a memorial to each of the victims. Something new that has opened since I was there two years ago is the Oculus. It looks like something from Star Wars and it the entrance to the transportation center and mall under the area. The museum is extremely well done and if you’re interested in reading about my visit there two years ago look in the Archive Tab for October 2016.

Oculus, Freedom Tower and reflecting pool.

We made an unplanned stop next at Trinity Church. It’s just a few blocks from the 911 area and we found out that it is the burial site of Alexander Hamilton. Having just seen the broadway show Hamilton in Chicago I am intrigued by him. His wife Eliza and son Phillip are buried right next to him.

We hopped on the subway and headed up for a lunch stop at Chelsea Market. I was just there Monday with Tom and Tracy but it’s such a great place and I wanted Cheryl to see it. Still no Food Network chef sitings, but since I don’t watch the shows how would I know? So many great places to eat! I couldn’t decide and it was very crowded so went with pizza again - never a bad choice for me.

Cheryl and I both went with meatball. Great crust!

I almost went with the crepes. The Mediterranean street food looked interesting too.

Who remembers that old metal saltine container? Me!

Next up a stop at the Whitney Museum of American Art. When I was there Monday I knew I would be back. One of their temporary exhibits was very thought provoking so I needed time to reflect and wanted to see it again. It’s called An Incomplete HIstory of Protest and it looks at how artists from the 1940’s to the present have confronted the political and social issues of their day.

Another temporary exhibit that was interesting was by Mary Corse: A Survey in Light. Since the 1960’s Mary Corse has pioneered investigations into light and perception, experimenting with a range of unconventional materials. I really liked it and found it to be both interesting and peaceful.

Way more interesting in person. Each painting looked different depending on where you were viewing it from. Each piece was very large.

Wow we’ve been on the go since early morning - time for a glass of wine on the 8th floor terrace of the Whitney with a beautiful city view. That might be my best tip of the day!

Walking home we happened across the original Magnolia Bakery. Made famous by the show Sex and the City. I haven’t been there in awhile but they do have great bakery items. This location is in the West Village.

We stopped to change our clothes and freshen up, and then headed to Soho for a little browsing and dinner. Soho has a wealth of cool stores. Definitely worth a trip to the area if you are looking for the latest fashions, and also lots of great little restaurants. I had been to a cute place with a friend called Epistrophy and was hoping we would be able to get in. We lucked out and were able to snag two seats at the bar. Now what should we have?

We shared a burrata and beet appetizer, a salad with sugar snap peas, asparagus and pecorino cheese in a lemon vinaigrette and a pasta dish with orecchiette in a light cream sauce - all fantastic.

For dessert - a trip across the street to Rice to Riches, the only rice pudding restaurant I’ve ever heard of and always a stop for me at least one time when I’m in New York. Cheryl’s maiden voyage - she loved it! So many flavors to choose from and they will let you sample them all.

Chocolate chip for me and traditional with cherries for Cheryl.

A fun and action packed day in the books! More fun planned so check back soon! I ❤️New York!

NBC Studio and Bryant Park

August 23, 2018 by Patricia Farmar

An early wake up for Penny and I because I was heading to Rockefeller Center for the Megyn Kelly Show! I had requested a ticket about a month ago, an easy process to do online. I had to be at the studio by 7:30 so Penny was a trouper since I had to walk and feed her early. When I lived in Chicago I had been in the studio audience for Oprah and Phil Donahue (remember him?). But Megyn Kelly is a LIVE show so I was curious as to the differences. It was a really good experience. The staff was very nice and they have the system down. We got there and stood in line to check in. We needed our ticket, ID and had to go through security. They exchanged your ticket for another ticket - some beige and some blue. And then they had certain symbols on the tickets that didn’t make sense until they started calling groups to enter the studio. We also got a wristband. Once we checked in they didn’t allow any photos and in fact said if you didn’t follow the rules you would be removed.

Waiting in line to check in and our wristband.

When we entered the studio they directed us to where they wanted us to sit and I was placed on stage in the first row! That was fun! They instructed us to stay focused on the host and guests and try not to be distracted by the cameras and commotion going on behind the scenes or we would look silly on TV. I went home later and watched the show online and snapped this picture of me right behind Megyn.

It looks fake to me, like I photoshopped myself in - but I really was there!

It was an interesting show. First up Michael Cohen’s lawyer the day after he was convicted of all those charges. Then a group of teens featured in a documentary called Shelter which is about a home called Covenant in New Orleans. They get homeless kids off the street and it was really inspiring. Then last a female lawyer called the Meanest Woman in America that wrote a book to help woman get more respect in work and life. Then each of us received a $100 gift card to Otterbox - nice!

Next I headed to Bryant Park to meet a friend for a literary event she had invited me to attend with her. Bryant Park is a big park directly behind the huge New York Central Library on 42nd St between 5th and 6th Ave. I had been there in the winter when they turn it into a big Christmas market and ice skating rink, and then if you ever watched Project Runway you might remember it is also used for Fashion Week.

Care for some ping pong? Or maybe a bite to eat? All available.

There are events going on in Bryant Park all through the summer and fall - the schedule looked amazing. The one we were there for was called TV Writers Gone Novelists. It was a great lineup of authors and a pretty well known moderator - also an author. The moderator was Jesse Kornbluth. Each of the writers had just published a new book, and they all sounded interesting. Here is the list. Peter Blauner who has written for TV Law and Order and Blue Bloods. His book is Sunrise Highway. Kevin Fox who also wrote for Law and Order. His book is Until The Next Time. And Seth Greenland who wrote for Big Love. His book is The Hazards of Good Fortune. It was interesting to hear them contrast writing for TV versus writing a novel. It was totally free and had a pretty good turnout. One of the many advantages of living in such a big city.

Left to right - Jesse Kornbluth, Peter Blauner, Seth Greenland and Kevin Fox.

My friend Mary Kelly wanted to show me Grand Central Station and treat me to lunch at a famous restaurant located there so it was just a short walk away. Grand Central is where commuter trains from the north like Connecticut and Long Island commence. And also lots of subway lines connect through so it’s a busy place.

What a beautiful concourse! The picture doesn’t do it justice. Just incredible.

Lunch at the famous Oyster Bar. It’s a throw back to another era - in business for over 100 years. I have never seen such an enormous selection of types of oysters. We ate in the saloon which is a little smaller and quieter. There’s also a bar you can sit at and an old fashioned lunch counter.

Scallop and mussel salad for Mary and a lobster and shrimp Caesar salad for me. Delicious!

On our way out through the station we happened across a bride and groom. It seemed pretty normal for a Weds.

Nice to see the Fascinator making a comeback😊

Lastly we headed over to the New York Central Library also called the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. An enormous spectacular building that opened in 1911. There are two big lion mascots that face 5th Ave that are called Leo Astor and Lady Lenox in honor of the founders. There are 4 floors in the building with lots of reference rooms you need special access to enter. Beautiful reading rooms and special exhibits.

Incredible ceilings, windows and art work. It would be worthwhile to take a tour I’m sure.

A super fun day! Thanks for lunch Mary and for being a great tour guide. Thanks for letting me share my day with you!

Brooklyn Bridge, Dumbo and the Statue of Liberty

August 21, 2018 by Patricia Farmar

I’m starting to feel comfortable here - it’s a good feeling! Penny is super friendly so I’ve actually met quite a few people in the neighborhood thanks to her. When we take our walks she walks like she’s on America’s Top Dog Model - she struts like she owns the block! So far everything is going great and she seems happy. Me too!

I had a great day here today, and outside of food it was totally free. On my list was walking across the Brooklyn Bridge so that’s where I headed first. I’m doing a pretty good job of navigating the subway and got there pronto. City Hall is right across from the entrance on the Manhattan side so got to see that too. The Brooklyn Bridge was started in 1869 and completed in 1883. It’s one of the oldest railroad bridges in the United States and connects Manhattan with Brooklyn. It’s a little over a mile across and pedestrian and bike friendly.

The Brooklyn Bridge heading from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

There are fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn.

The cars are underneath the pedestrian walkway thank goodness.

Once you get to the other side you can turn around and walk back, explore Brooklyn a bit or take a ferry back. The neighborhood under the bridge is called Dumbo. I have heard lots of great things about how cool Dumbo is, so spending a few hours there was on my list. I found out Dumbo stands for Down Under The Manhattan Bridge Overpass - I love that! The Manhattan Bridge is on one side of Dumbo and the Brooklyn Bridge on the other. It was a great area. I loved all the cobblestone streets and refurbished warehouses into shops and restaurants.

Stopped at Almondine for a muffin for tomorrow.

There is a beautiful park all along the east river called the Brooklyn Bridge Park. I walked along it and it has great views of Manhattan and great little restaurants and a famous ice cream shop in an old fire station called the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. I have had more ice cream here than usual for me so I passed on it but saw lots of people eating it and it looked great. I did try the famous lobster roll from Luke’s Lobster for lunch and it was good.

I couldn’t resist One Girl Cookies. Treated myself to a lemon bar for dessert. Worth it!

This bus caught my attention - The Mobile Meditation Studio. If you can’t find time for it than it will find you. I love the line - Book your cushion! You saw it here first!

I thought about taking the ferry back to Manhattan but decided instead to walk back over the bridge. When I got back to Manhattan it was just a short walk through the Financial District and Wall St to get to the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry is free and has the best closeup view of the Statue of Liberty. I saw some cool buildings along the way.

This was the coolest building - Fraunces Tavern. I had never heard of it but it’s the oldest building in Manhattan. Built in 1719 and once was the headquarters of George Washington. Now it’s a museum and restaurant.

I found the ferry terminal and just waited a few minutes for it to leave. During the week the schedule is every 30 minutes, less on weekends and holidays, and it’s free! It goes over to Staten Island and the ride over has the best view of the Statue of Liberty.

Spectacular view of lower Manhattan from the ferry.

Lady Liberty! She stands for the values of our country - so beautiful.

When you get over to Staten Island everyone has to get off the ferry. But you can just get off and walk through the terminal and wait in line for the ride back. A really great thing to do if you don’t have the time to actually go to the island the statue sits on, and probably an even better view than being on the actual island. What a great day and it didn’t cost a cent.

The only thing left to do was stop for a glass of wine and a little snack - done!

The best meatball, a zucchini flower and bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes - Yumm 😋