New York City

03/25/2013 - United States, New York City

03/25/2013 – UNITED STATES, NEW YORK CITY

New York City

“New York City.  Center of the Universe.” (Rent)

For me, it has always been the center of the universe.  I have always had a love/hate relationship with the city, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I think Sondheim described it best in the song “Another Hundred People” from his musical Company.

“It’s a city of strangers, some come to work, some to play.  A city of strangers, some come to stare, some to stay.”

I will always keep the beautiful fantasy in my head of the fascinating vibe of the city portrayed in A Chorus Line.  I will always keep the fetching glamour of Sex and the City and try to drink in all things Manhattan anytime I can.  But I will always remember the reality of living in the city from 22-25 years old.  The ups and downs of living the “starving artist” lifestyle, and the joys of making some of the best friends and memories I know I will ever have.

It is such a strange feeling to be surrounded by millions of people everyday on the street, but have maybe twenty friends.  I was privileged though to once come to “work and stay”, and now I get to go there to “stare and play”.

This was our second trip to NYC in 3 months. 

We were taking Sami to see New York University. She’s only a sophomore, but it’s never too early to inspire.  (Loved the school, by the way.  It made ME want to go back to school…grad school? Hmmm…)

We traveled up on the Amtrak and stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Towers.

When Laurie at the Towers registration realized we had a 16 year old with us who would be staying in her own room, she kindly upgraded us to a two-bedroom two-bath suite. 

The suite was ornate with bedrooms on each side and a living area in the middle.  Each bedroom had its own ensuite bathroom making it bigger than my former NYC two-bedroom apartment!  The beds were king-sized with extra pillows and top-notch comfort. The living room had a painting of a goddess draped across one wall and a mock fireplace on the other wall. It was over-the-top elegance with all the comfort you could want.

We did the usual tourist sites: Rockefeller Center, Chinatown, 5^th Avenue shopping, and SoHo shopping (the line at H&M was still as long as I remembered it to be).

We saw the Broadway musical Chicago starring Amy Spanger and Christopher Sieber.  I have always been a fan of each of them.  They were amazing, and the rest of the cast was fierce, of course. (It is Broadway!)

When Stephen and I were in New York in December, I had taken him and two of my girlfriends to Nobu on Hudson. Stephen loved it so we decided to take Sami to Nobu 57 on our last night there.  This has long been a favorite of mine.  Chef Nobu Matsuhisa is simply a master at Japanese cuisine.  He partnered with Robert DeNiro and restaurateur Drew Nieporent to open the first Nobu in 1994.  Known for the black cod, high-end sushi, and ultimately modern vibe, you can’t go wrong with any of his restaurants.

Stephen and I realized that in our last two trips to New York, we had not had a slice of pizza. (Weird?!?…I know) 

I did however take him to one of my favorite Mexican joints, Dos Caminos.  They have flights of tequila and guacamole made to order.  With several locations, it is a New York City staple. 

Also, when we traveled there in December, we stayed at the Hotel Gansevoort in the Meatpacking District.  We stayed in a one-bedroom one-and-a-half bath suite with the bedroom and living room separated by a hallway.  The artwork is all uber contemporary, and the aura of the hotel is chic, chic, chic. 

The rooftop bar is known to attract many celebrities so you never know whom you will see on any given day! The Gansevoort is a much more “grown up” hotel.  If you are looking to come to New York to party, this is your place.

Well, so long New York! It’s been fun! I hope it is only another three months until we meet again.  Right now, I’m off to make a Manhattan and reminisce about the good ol’ days. 😉