What to say of New York? It felt like the city is still clawing its way back. There were pockets of joy and vitality amidst the thinned out crowds, but I couldn't help but feel the shadow of what once was. Of course that sentiment applies to more than just cities - I suppose we could say that for all parts of our lives these days.
We made adjustments. We embraced the humidity and heat, my thighs permanently adhering to the outdoor benches and our napkins transformed into sweat blotters, in order to avoid indoor dining. We prioritized outdoor activities, remembering only faintly the cool relief of air conditioning. We wore our masks like bracelets, forever ready to briefly enter four-wall air-traps. We walked hours under the intense sun, rewarding ourselves with iced treats, or most notably, a long swim in the Atlantic. For better or worse, we lived alfresco.
My first time at Coney Island
Brighton Beach
The waves were so calm at Brighton. Time suspended as we floated and swam in the water, feeling our temperatures drop and our moods soar.
Whole branzino at Tatiana's Russian restaurant right on the boardwalk
A lie, in NYC, although we went to bed at a
reasonable hour every night this trip
- was this COVID or are we old now?
Chef's tapas tasting menu at Boqueria,
reliving our Madrid time together
I adore an omakase, or chef's tasting menu. We have to make so many damn decisions every day. And when I get to a restaurant, I just want the waiter to tell me what all the best things are on the menu and bring me those anyway, so why not just create an easy button tasting menu for that, get people to stay longer, and maybe charge a bit extra for flair? Every restaurant of import needs to implement this. Please?
Speaking of flair, the creativity and design
put into some of these new outdoor dining patios
was a tour de beauté
Wandering lower Manhattan is always fun. Poking into some favorite shops along Elizabeth Street in Noho; vicariously enjoying Ella Mai's "Trip" playing from the boom box cycling by; taking in the architecture, street art, parklets, and pop-ups.
Please zoom in on the gorgeous detail of this building
Murray's bagels on 6th Ave
Enjoying some shade on the Highline...
...and reflecting on past visits to that exact spot (2014)
One day it threatened rain, and I suggested we go the Whitney Museum, since I had never been. The art was a nice side bonus to 1) the views, and 2) the AC.View of the Whitney balconies from our lunch stop at Pastis
The first two nights had been spent in the lower half of New York City, staying at the Walker Hotel; the next few would be at Shawn's apartment in the Bronx, from which we would explore the upper half and beyond.
I was thrilled to find that Summer Stage, the Central Park concert series, was happening, with proof of vaccination required. Marc Rebillet, DJ Premier, and Brady Watt were a ridiculous combination, free styling humorous raps and collaborating with talented audience members. My first concert since the pandemic began, I felt ecstatic to be in communion with nature, music, and humanity concurrently.Trees! Music! People!
Oh, the essentials we've taken for granted.
Back in the Bronx, summer in the city was a completely different vibe. I spoke to Shawn of how I'd always wanted to see the busted fire hydrants, and they were on full display on every other block, towers of water soaking joyful children, gushing rivers for pedestrians to forge. This blatant waste of water was equal parts appalling and enviable by this drought-conscious Californian witness.Feeling bougie with rosé and local ricotta at
Hudson Garden Grill, across from the Conservatory
On the train back, we were not informed that our car could not access the platform at our stop. As the train was already slowing, the ticket inspector compelled us to run across four cars (and through "do not open when train is in motion" doors) to reach the platform. Please note that Shawn had purchased an orchid at the gardens and was running with orchid in-hand. Fortunately they held the train for us and we made it off, sweaty, out of breath, Shawn annoyed and I invigorated. Oh, New York! Only an out-of-towner could find this fun.
Did it feel like the quintessential New York trip? My instinct is to say no, and yet it was peppered with all the things that would make it so - impromptu interactions with strangers, music and laughter overlapping, overflowing, a global culinary tour. That's what's so magical about NYC - you can't help but enjoy yourself, eat well, stumble upon the unexpected: essentially, to feel small and yet indelibly connected.