IT'S TIME FOR THE ST. PATTY'S DAY PARADE!! I've never been in this city before on St. Patrick's Day - never seen anything like it. The party got started before some of the last night's hangovers ended. By 10am Penn Station was virtually overflowing with party seekers pouring out of the trains that had already primed the pumps...if you know what I mean. It was easy enough to find the parade site. All we had to do was follow the wave. At some point I thing we actually became part of the wave and with little effort ended splashed up on to 48th and 6th. That's where it got crazy.
The goal was to move east on 48th one block to 5th Avenue which seemed easy enough until we got about 20 feet away from our intended parade watching spot. At that point, even if we want to stop we couldn't have. Enthusiastic, shamrock-clad, half-crazed parade watchers intent on getting a front row view pushed their way along and so pushed us along too. I figured we were either gonna die or get a great view of the parade. When the pushing finally slowed sure enough we were alive and 1 row away from the street barriers. Unbelievable...
For about 2 hours we pushed back on the balls of our feet to stay in place and watched NYC cops, firefighters, baton throwers, boy scouts, girl scouts, marching bands and every kind of Irish and Irish want-to-be-today enthusiast march up 5th Avenue past St Patrick's Cathedral. We would have stayed for the whole thing (or probably not - it went on for 5 hours!) but our calves had a weeks worth of working out by that point and the call of cold draft began to waft our way. So as soon as the wall of people behind us gave way for a few seconds we dashed to our next St Patty's stop - The Tempest on 8th Ave. It was a great place to celebrate the great Irish holiday since its a great Irish pub. And since it is a great Irish pub we didn't have suffer through Irish want-to-be stuff like green beer. Ain't noth'n like the real thing. And the owner Joe is the real thing. Armed with an undeniable Irish accent and leprechaun charm, Joe bounced around the bar making sure everyone was having a great time without getting too green around the gills :-)
After that, it's a blur. We hopped around to a few fun spots in Chelsea and the West Village sharing shots, beer, and a lingering kiss of Irish cheer.
Good thing there's plenty of taxis in Manhattan! Thanks D. That was a blast.
A Hell's Kitchen classic on Day 55
FREE MANGO ICE CREAM! I only said it once and my good friend Donovan was out of bed and ready to roll with me to Pinkberry.
I caught it on Twitter. They're testing out a new desert tonight and its FREE. It was raining and a little cold but it was so delicious we walked to a second location and got another one. Mmmm.
Since it seemed to be a great night for free stuff Donovan suggested we check out Rudy's on 9th Ave. It's a dingy little pub in the heart of Hell's Kitchen that was a know hot spot for the Irish American mob in the day and now it's known for $7 pitchers of draft ($5 before 8pm!) and all you can eat free hot dogs (no veggie though - but you can BYOF). I liked the place right away. The worn red leather booths were full of happy, new yorkers and a few tourists enjoying a true Manhattan classic. It's a great place to just hang out and talk which is exactly what we did. No high tech distractions, the TVs were turned off for the night and the air was electric with the great vibes of laughter. And Donovan took full advantage of the free hot dogs - 3 in one sitting. And not a piece of broccoli in sight. Oh my veggie heart!!!
I caught it on Twitter. They're testing out a new desert tonight and its FREE. It was raining and a little cold but it was so delicious we walked to a second location and got another one. Mmmm.
Since it seemed to be a great night for free stuff Donovan suggested we check out Rudy's on 9th Ave. It's a dingy little pub in the heart of Hell's Kitchen that was a know hot spot for the Irish American mob in the day and now it's known for $7 pitchers of draft ($5 before 8pm!) and all you can eat free hot dogs (no veggie though - but you can BYOF). I liked the place right away. The worn red leather booths were full of happy, new yorkers and a few tourists enjoying a true Manhattan classic. It's a great place to just hang out and talk which is exactly what we did. No high tech distractions, the TVs were turned off for the night and the air was electric with the great vibes of laughter. And Donovan took full advantage of the free hot dogs - 3 in one sitting. And not a piece of broccoli in sight. Oh my veggie heart!!!
Day 53 - What are 2 things that can stop you dead in your tracks in Manhattan?
Well there are waaaaay more than 2 but how about a celebrity trailer surrounded by screaming fans and a whole city block lined with spring time flowers. If you never experienced one or the other before, then you're missing a genuine NYC experience.
I was walking on 32nd street between Madison and 5th when I spotted what looked like a construction trailer. What made this different from the ones I've seen in my home town was the lack of mud spattering, 2 handsome body guards in leather jackets and dark glasses standing guard, and the presence of a jumping, excited, quasi mob surrounding it. Not a hard hat in sight either. The intrigue stopped me dead in my tracks. It didn't take too long even for this tourist-in-transition to realize it was actually a celebrity trailer. "Who's in there", I asked a near breathless teenager. I could have sworn she said Liam Neeson! "Really? Hmm. I'll hang out a while to see him", I thought. Not just because he's handsome - he's one of my favorite actors. So I made myself as small as possible by squeezing up against the wall and waited to see if Liam would really emerge. After a few minutes the door opened, shrieks of "OH MY GOD" and "aaaaaaaaaaaaa" erupted everywhere and then, "Ohhhhhhhh...". It was an assistant coming out to run an errand. More minutes passed and I was wondering how much longer a reasonable person would spend just to get a glimpse of another person when the door swung open again.....more screaming...more shrieking! And this time the star emerged. It was Lieghton Meester...not Liam Neeson. No wonder there were so many teenaged girls waiting around. I wondered how Liam had developed such a young group of followers. Joke's on me LOL. Oh well. It was kind of fun anyway just to see how the presence of one actor can cause so much excitement in the hearts of a NYC fan.
On the way home I turned down 31st street at 6th Ave headed toward 7th. I've walked this way before but never noticed that the entire block is almost exclusively lined with florists and silk flower wholesalers. Today, every florist had shrubs, topiaries and all around gorgeous, fragrant, fresh spring flowers lining the sidewalk in front of their stores. I noticed the aroma before I even saw the displays and literally slowed from women-on-a-mission pace to near crawl in a single step. You see flowers outside of small produce stores and florist shops all around Manhattan everyday but this was different. It was as if the concrete had given way to the earth and an entire garden had miraculously sprung up lining my path most of the way to 7th avenue. Very nice.
I have a feeling I'm going to love spring time in NYC.
I was walking on 32nd street between Madison and 5th when I spotted what looked like a construction trailer. What made this different from the ones I've seen in my home town was the lack of mud spattering, 2 handsome body guards in leather jackets and dark glasses standing guard, and the presence of a jumping, excited, quasi mob surrounding it. Not a hard hat in sight either. The intrigue stopped me dead in my tracks. It didn't take too long even for this tourist-in-transition to realize it was actually a celebrity trailer. "Who's in there", I asked a near breathless teenager. I could have sworn she said Liam Neeson! "Really? Hmm. I'll hang out a while to see him", I thought. Not just because he's handsome - he's one of my favorite actors. So I made myself as small as possible by squeezing up against the wall and waited to see if Liam would really emerge. After a few minutes the door opened, shrieks of "OH MY GOD" and "aaaaaaaaaaaaa" erupted everywhere and then, "Ohhhhhhhh...". It was an assistant coming out to run an errand. More minutes passed and I was wondering how much longer a reasonable person would spend just to get a glimpse of another person when the door swung open again.....more screaming...more shrieking! And this time the star emerged. It was Lieghton Meester...not Liam Neeson. No wonder there were so many teenaged girls waiting around. I wondered how Liam had developed such a young group of followers. Joke's on me LOL. Oh well. It was kind of fun anyway just to see how the presence of one actor can cause so much excitement in the hearts of a NYC fan.
On the way home I turned down 31st street at 6th Ave headed toward 7th. I've walked this way before but never noticed that the entire block is almost exclusively lined with florists and silk flower wholesalers. Today, every florist had shrubs, topiaries and all around gorgeous, fragrant, fresh spring flowers lining the sidewalk in front of their stores. I noticed the aroma before I even saw the displays and literally slowed from women-on-a-mission pace to near crawl in a single step. You see flowers outside of small produce stores and florist shops all around Manhattan everyday but this was different. It was as if the concrete had given way to the earth and an entire garden had miraculously sprung up lining my path most of the way to 7th avenue. Very nice.
I have a feeling I'm going to love spring time in NYC.
Day 50! There's a number that looms large
Wow! 50 days and counting. Makes me think of another Big 50. Yikes!
It was gorgeous in Manhattan today. I traded in my winter coat for a long cardigan and set out for a few hour to go nowhere in particular. I ended up just trolling around what's become "my neighborhood". Got some groceries, picked up some tofu cheesecake to go and stopped to say hello to some of the now familiar neighborhood characters. As I headed down 7th Ave I ran into Tommy Guiry.
Tommy is best known for his role in Mystic River and he's been in several episodes of Law and Order (which is why his face was so familiar to me when we first met - L&O is one of my favs). I stopped into a local pub a couple of weeks ago to see what they had for entertainment and the bartender Tracy convinced me to stay for a glass of mid-afternoon wine. That's where I met Tommy. You really never know who's going to be sitting next to you at dinner or at the bar around here. He was just coming from an audition then and that's what he had been doing again today. Good luck Tommy!
By now I know that when I get a tofu cheesecake craving I head to the Chelsea Market. On my way west I caught a glimpse of the sun shining on the Hudson River. I haven't been to the river yet since it's been so cold. Today was the perfect day to check it out. I was walking down the north side of the market when I came across a guy sitting on the ledge outside the fish store talking on his cell phone. He actually stopped talking, waved to me (from all of 3 feet away) and said hello. That's just the kind of sun-shiny day it was here today. Everyone was happy. Not only did the stores and restaurants have their doors open wide, everyone on the street was opening up for spring too.
I did a quick walk along the river (still pretty cold in the wind so I made it fast) and then back to the market.
It was so alive today in a very peaceful kind of way. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite hang out spots.
There was a 3 piece jazz band gently wafting out sweet sounds as the crowd casually moved through the building from store to store. Some listened while they enjoyed a laid-back brunch at one of the small, coolish cafe's there. It was a nice change of pace compared to the usual hustle of the busy weekday rush.
NOTE: Don't go to the CM on a sunny Sunday afternoon if you are in a hurry. Come back on Monday so you don't spoil the mood. LOL
It was gorgeous in Manhattan today. I traded in my winter coat for a long cardigan and set out for a few hour to go nowhere in particular. I ended up just trolling around what's become "my neighborhood". Got some groceries, picked up some tofu cheesecake to go and stopped to say hello to some of the now familiar neighborhood characters. As I headed down 7th Ave I ran into Tommy Guiry.
Tommy is best known for his role in Mystic River and he's been in several episodes of Law and Order (which is why his face was so familiar to me when we first met - L&O is one of my favs). I stopped into a local pub a couple of weeks ago to see what they had for entertainment and the bartender Tracy convinced me to stay for a glass of mid-afternoon wine. That's where I met Tommy. You really never know who's going to be sitting next to you at dinner or at the bar around here. He was just coming from an audition then and that's what he had been doing again today. Good luck Tommy!
By now I know that when I get a tofu cheesecake craving I head to the Chelsea Market. On my way west I caught a glimpse of the sun shining on the Hudson River. I haven't been to the river yet since it's been so cold. Today was the perfect day to check it out. I was walking down the north side of the market when I came across a guy sitting on the ledge outside the fish store talking on his cell phone. He actually stopped talking, waved to me (from all of 3 feet away) and said hello. That's just the kind of sun-shiny day it was here today. Everyone was happy. Not only did the stores and restaurants have their doors open wide, everyone on the street was opening up for spring too.
It was so alive today in a very peaceful kind of way. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite hang out spots.
There was a 3 piece jazz band gently wafting out sweet sounds as the crowd casually moved through the building from store to store. Some listened while they enjoyed a laid-back brunch at one of the small, coolish cafe's there. It was a nice change of pace compared to the usual hustle of the busy weekday rush.
NOTE: Don't go to the CM on a sunny Sunday afternoon if you are in a hurry. Come back on Monday so you don't spoil the mood. LOL
Day 49 - The Art and Soul of Chelsea
Sometimes the most amazing treasure is buried in your own back yard. Well, not even buried...actually sitting right out there and overlooked because it's just too easy to find. My backyard in Chelsea is literally full of treasure.
I've been hearing about the art galleries in the area since I got here - some only 4 blocks away - but somehow I always seem to head out in the other direction. Today I finally went west. The very first gallery I found was the Walter Randel Gallery on 10th Avenue.
Walter was actually personally in the gallery today and spent some time with me explaining the history of some of the art pieces and bios of their artists. Not only was he very sweet he was extremely knowledgeable. He's been involved in the arts since he was a teenager - began as a sculptor, lived all over the world, gathered art collections from the most remote corners and brought all of his experience and stories right back to Chelsea. I had such a nice time talking to him and learning more about the art on exhibit and the area.
Before I left he gave me a brochure about the Chelsea art scene and discovered there are well over 200 galleries between 10th and 11th avenue from 30th street down to 14th. I spent the next 3 hours just wondering in and out of galleries and discovered some amazing art and artists. And keep in mind, this is available to everyone for FREE. Of course the galleries are there to sell the work of many talented artist to collectors that are looking to buy. But anyone can drop in and enjoy the exhibits.
Before I headed home I got an invite from Timothy at the Axelle Fine Arts gallery for my first exhibit opening. Very cool!
I've been hearing about the art galleries in the area since I got here - some only 4 blocks away - but somehow I always seem to head out in the other direction. Today I finally went west. The very first gallery I found was the Walter Randel Gallery on 10th Avenue.
Walter was actually personally in the gallery today and spent some time with me explaining the history of some of the art pieces and bios of their artists. Not only was he very sweet he was extremely knowledgeable. He's been involved in the arts since he was a teenager - began as a sculptor, lived all over the world, gathered art collections from the most remote corners and brought all of his experience and stories right back to Chelsea. I had such a nice time talking to him and learning more about the art on exhibit and the area.
Before I left he gave me a brochure about the Chelsea art scene and discovered there are well over 200 galleries between 10th and 11th avenue from 30th street down to 14th. I spent the next 3 hours just wondering in and out of galleries and discovered some amazing art and artists. And keep in mind, this is available to everyone for FREE. Of course the galleries are there to sell the work of many talented artist to collectors that are looking to buy. But anyone can drop in and enjoy the exhibits.
Before I headed home I got an invite from Timothy at the Axelle Fine Arts gallery for my first exhibit opening. Very cool!
Friends From France - Day 47
I'm fortunate to be staying at a great place that constantly welcomes new international visitors. New York City attracts people from all over the world. Almost 50 million people last year alone! I think that is one of the many incredible characteristics of the city that I love best.
This is Celine and Kevin from France. Their friend Jerome is behind the camera. They were here for 2 weeks and found fun and adventure every day - and every night!! - even though we had a ton of snow while they were here. Brrrr. They're tougher than I am.New York City has great architecture, entertainment, music, art, fashion and adventure....everything. But by far, the best thing about NYC is the people. The ones that live here AND the ones that come and go. So don't let anyone tell you that it's not a friendly city. For every person that acts New York Nasty, there are 10 that are Big Apple Awesome. Smile...you get what you give.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
