New York, New York

Last month I took a trip to The City, which I have noted here several times without ever recounting the getaway.

The trip started in the wee hours of the morning over breakfast with N.J.M. before a bus ride into the district. When I arrived in Washington D.C. the ground was saturated with the rain that is still falling--landing me at the Holocaust Museum. The thought to tour a museum solo never occurred to me until I was forced into the situation. In areas of interest, I indulged while cruising through the rest. From there I walked to Union Station as the sky opened--drenching my backpack and me. I engaged in the hussle and bussel of the lunch hour at this particular city center. When late afternoon rolled around, I hopped my second bus--this one bound for New York, New York. I insisted on walking the 4 avenues & 54 blocks to the apartment of my friend, where a home-cooked vegan meal awaited me. And lots and lots and lots of conversation. I was forced to bulldoze a few (too many) tipsy high, high, high heeled fashionistas partaking in Fashion Week on my way.

My pounding headache and I were equipped to seize the city on Friday. The first stop: Ess-A-Bagel. No time to stop and eat, we continued on our walking way towards South Ferry Building to catch the Staten Island Ferry, a recommended tourist attraction. Afterwards I ditched headache, and managed to spend some time walking around Battery Park before moving over to City Hall Park. Then I forged ahead up to Madison Square Park, where I temporarily paused. The next stop: Times Square. Here I listened to the voices of some singers I am told are famous in the Broadway circle. The day might have been coming to a close, but the night was young. My feet still had a few avenues left in them--taking me to the office of R.D.S., where we met and departed for Queens to cross Citi Field off my list. We caught a lot more conversation than baseballs... or ball-game. Let's face it though--the 2011 Mets/Cubs match-up did not have much potential. That is, until the exhilarating comeback walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth. For T.C.M. and my penpal I cheered.

Crippled from the 'map-my-run' estimated previous day 14 mile tour, Saturday we took it easy. More Ess-A-Bagels. A street fair. An NBC Studio Tour. Housewarming party preparations. This entailed grocery shopping in NYC--holy high stress. Then, the obvious, celebrating all the hard-work of moving in New York...

Sunday, we did the (Off) Broadway thing--first trying unluckily for tickets to Book of Mormons and instead settled for front row tickets to Avenue Q, a show R.D.S., queen of (attending) performance(s) had yet to see. Thumbs up to that. Thumbs down to watching the Kansas City Chiefs pitifully kick-off their season to the Buffalo Bills prior to the show. I squeezed in a trip to H&H Bagel somewhere in there. Sunday night, allergy-ridden R.D.S. and I, with roommate, talked the night away.

Monday--out the door with the working girl... and on my walking way to Alphabet City, home to Ninth Street Espresso, absolute best cold-brew coffee on the globe. A calming breeze--coffee in one hand, book in the other, butt on a bench for the morning in Tompkins Square Park. There was even coaxing a random girl into a ping-pong match. I won. Duh. Backtracking to the workplace of R.D.S., I joined her for a lunch neither of us were hungry for. Then I was off to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. This was an unexpected, fun to-do, an experience I would recommend for all. Late that evening friend and I connected back at her apartment; unmotivated and still unsure of our appetites, we wasted away on her couch.

The final day I got my first early start, in order to cross a couple more 'to-dos' off the list. On second thought, Central Park and a book presented themselves as more welcoming. In my final hours, I scurried over to Top of the Rock, where the tourist quickly scared me away. In desperate need of coffee, I discovered Stumptown Coffee Roasters for more (expensive) deliciously cold-brewed coffee. Then I pretty much fell in love with the atmosphere at Ace Hotel, adjoining the coffee shop, and sat comatose there. On my way out-of-town, I stopped by Loving Hut, a international vegan chain, to pick up what would become breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The authentic conversation. The bagels. The coffee. The distance covered. The time spent in the parks. The churches. The show. The escape from the day-to-day. The 10th anniversary of 9/11. The people. My NYC memories.