New York City

New York city and I have a relationship. The first time we met was on a blind date ten years ago. I’d heard a lot about it. I’d even seen pictures. It sounded nice, sexy even, but you never know if the chemistry will be there until you’re actually face-to-face. Since then, we’ve been on over twenty-five dates. Sometimes we meet just for the day. Sometimes we spend a long, carefree weekend together. Every once in a while, it’s an entire week of bliss. I even dropped by for breakfast one Sunday morning when I was in the area. To the uninitiated observer, what we have may seem casual, but it is most definitely passionate, at least on my part.

Unfortunately, Mr. C does not share my obsession with the City. This is too bad because he happens to be my main travel buddy. It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy it. He does. Some of it, like climbing the giant glacial rocks in Central Park, he adores. He loves the food. He loves Broadway shows. As mentioned in my last post, he’s not so fond of the art museums or of my infatuation with walking all over the city for hours and hours at a time.

When we moved to Upstate New York five years ago I vowed to spend as much time as possible in the City. I must admit, I managed that quite well, thank you very much. So, for our last visit before heading west, I thought long and hard about what we should do. Mr. C voted for some time in Central Park, no surprise there. But, I wanted more. I wanted some old favorites and something we’d never done before. Somehow, we managed to do even more than I’d hoped.

Old Favorite: Ferrara’s in Little Italy – we shared a lovely ham and cheese Panini (Mr. C found another sandwich he likes to eat!) before moving on to our main course, salted caramel gelato and a traditional cannoli!

Yum. And, although I’ve only been a coffee drinker for a few months now, I tried my first shot of espresso. It did its job admirably and powered me through the rest of the afternoon.

Something New: The Tenement Museum – Long on my list of must-do’s, our tour was entertaining and interesting, especially knowing that some of our ancestors started their American experience in NYC and probably lived in similar circumstances because, let me assure you, we do not come from money. As an added bonus, Mr. C was able to take a 30 minute nap in air conditioned comfort while I watched the introduction video. More than once. Seriously folks, he fell asleep in a theater full of people. This is not normal behavior for him. At least not since he was about two. I submit this as evidence of how exhausting the past month has been.

Something New: Katz’s Deli – Another first for us happened to be the setting of the famous scene from When Harry Met Sally. In the past, every time I walked by, the line was always huge, but this time we got lucky and hit it at the perfect time of day. One half of a roast beef sandwich and a bowl of chicken noodle was more than enough for the two of us. FYI, they mail order salamis. Just saying, if you really want to ship one to someone, this is the place to call.

Old Favorite: Food Court at the Plaza Hotel – This is a good place to get a snack or a cold drink on a hot day. And, this time, we needed a little gift to bring back as a thank you for four nights of free lodging. Plus, they have nice public bathrooms. Big bonus when in NYC.

Old Favorite, Saved the Best for Last: Central Park – Wish-fulfillment for Mr. C. At the very end of the day we walked just inside the southern perimeter so that he could climb the rocks and I could take a bunch of photos of him summiting each one. We sat on top one of the biggest and enjoyed the late afternoon sun shining down on us before we headed back to our return bus. It was a good day, even if it was bittersweet.

Until we meet again, New York… Next time, I promise I’m yours for the night.