A new day in New York
We arrived in New York via Dublin so had precleared immigration, that made life so much simpler when we landed in the US. After dropping our bags, he headed straight out. Priority one was Rockefeller Plaza as the fabulous Christmas tree had just gone up the day before and it didn’t disappoint! As part of my friend’s first-time trip, I took her to see what I consider the highlights: - The Christmas windows on Faith Avenue - The Cipriani bar at Grand Central station - Shopping in Macy’s and Bloomingdales - Lunch at my favourite rooftop bar at The Refinery hotel - A quick trip into Central Park - A moment of peace at the 911 memorial - Happy hour wine in Chelsea Market and a rummage in a sample sale - Checking out Battery Park and hopping on the boat to sail around the Statue of Liberty - A brisk walk along the Highline to Chelsea Village, followed by a craft beer at The Standard Highline - Searched for bargains in Century 21
Then I had to visit some new sights, experience part of New York which I’d not explored before, so we had a day of new adventures! It started at Katz deli in the Lower East side for breakfast. Oh my goodness, the house special corned beef was nothing like the tinned product we have in the UK. It may seem weird, but I had it in an omelette, and I felt like I’d never need to eat again, but fortunately we walked nearly 30000 steps that day, so I’m hoping that we burned some of the calories off! (Not the same way that Meg Ryan worked off her calories!)
Around the corner from Katz’ deli is a fashionable shopping street, and a shop with the latest range of designer John Varvatos. To the unsuspecting eye this shop is men’s fashion retailer, but to the lifelong Blondie fan, this was CBGB, the undisputed birthplace of punk. From 1973 to 2006, this club showcased artists such as The Ramones, Blondie, Patti Smith, Green Day, Talking Heads - the list goes on. You can pop into the shop, and just soak up the amazingly preserved history, the owners are used to fans and tourists, but you can also shop for designer menswear if your pockets are deep enough.
We then hit the subway to DUMBO and walked between the bridges, were hypnotised by the beautiful Jane’s Carousel, then put one foot in front of the other, to weave through the Saturday afternoon crowds on Brooklyn Bridge.
That evening we did an organised cocktail tour around the East Village, which I just fell in love with. The underground history of prohibition, the diverse cocktails, quirky bars and incredible stories which accompanied our drinks make this a great evening. We had dinner, or to be accurate, I had a breakfast at 9pm, but it was the perfect antidote for tired feet and mixed drink!
On the last morning before heading to Macy’s for some last minute Christmas shopping, we had brunch at Serendipity, all you need to know is, ask for a frozen hot chocolate! It really was serendipitous that our cocktail tour of Saturday night had led us to this divine way to spend Sunday morning!
