I know it may seem unlikely, but there are truly things that have made me wonder why we don’t have them at home.
Duane Reede – its like Superdrug, but you can buy beer there!
Air con on the subway – amazing.
Right filter at red lights – actually really clever and helps keep traffic going. But apparently it only exists in a few places.
Target – ah Target, what can I say? I love it. Its wonderful. My life without it would be empty and meaningless. Or at least I’d have less new clothes about which I can say “I got it in New York”.
This is it for now, but I am sure the list will continue at some point.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Sun worship
In addition to drinking on roof tops, I have been making use of our building’s roof terrace to sunbathe.
Its only on the 7th floor, so its quite noisy, and its on the wrong side of the building so the penthouses block the sun for much of the day.
But for a couple of hours you can lie out and catch some sun without being surrounded by nine million other people, which is exactly what I did this weekend.
Its only on the 7th floor, so its quite noisy, and its on the wrong side of the building so the penthouses block the sun for much of the day.
But for a couple of hours you can lie out and catch some sun without being surrounded by nine million other people, which is exactly what I did this weekend.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Rise
One of my favourite things about NYC in the summer is definitely being able to eat and drink outside.
And because of the nature of the city, there are plenty of roof terrace bars.
Last night we went to Rise, on the 14th floor of the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park with sweeping views from the newly installed “art waterfall” in Brooklyn, over Lady Liberty, to Jersey.
We sat up there for two hours watching the sun set, despite gale force winds, because the view was spectacular.
Sadly the prices are also pretty spectacular so I wont actually be able to go there ever again!
And because of the nature of the city, there are plenty of roof terrace bars.
Last night we went to Rise, on the 14th floor of the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park with sweeping views from the newly installed “art waterfall” in Brooklyn, over Lady Liberty, to Jersey.
We sat up there for two hours watching the sun set, despite gale force winds, because the view was spectacular.
Sadly the prices are also pretty spectacular so I wont actually be able to go there ever again!
Monday, July 14, 2008
July 4th
I’d had high hopes for July 4th, but it was about as much of a wash out as bank holidays in England.
There was apparently only the one parade, which is odd because they seem to parade every weekend for other stuff, and it was in Brooklyn so we didn’t go.
And then it rained when the fireworks were on so we didn’t bother going out and just watched them from our window.
They were good, but a bit too red white and blue for me.
On Saturday we headed out to Long Island to keep Vicki company, thinking we could hit the beach, except it poured with rain all day.
At 6 when it stopped we whizzed to the beach for a quick beer and then went back to hers for a BBQ.
It was a nice weekend, but nothing crazy.
I sort of wish I had stuck to my plan of walking around with lots of little Union Jacks, sticking them in the ground and re-claiming the land in the name of her majesty.
There was apparently only the one parade, which is odd because they seem to parade every weekend for other stuff, and it was in Brooklyn so we didn’t go.
And then it rained when the fireworks were on so we didn’t bother going out and just watched them from our window.
They were good, but a bit too red white and blue for me.
On Saturday we headed out to Long Island to keep Vicki company, thinking we could hit the beach, except it poured with rain all day.
At 6 when it stopped we whizzed to the beach for a quick beer and then went back to hers for a BBQ.
It was a nice weekend, but nothing crazy.
I sort of wish I had stuck to my plan of walking around with lots of little Union Jacks, sticking them in the ground and re-claiming the land in the name of her majesty.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Weekend ALONE
Simon had to go home for a week to renew his passport so I was all alone for a whole weekend.
Charlie and Laura were also away, so I stayed at theirs after work on Thursday and went for a swim before supper.
I had planned to spend all of Friday sunbathing but of course it was cloudy so I ended up doing nothing and heading back to the city in the afternoon.
Then I got to skype chat with Simon and Gabs and Megan and my cat who were all in our flat which was really fun, but made me very homesick. Luckily the Girls Next Door were there to cheer me up.
On Saturday I went to a BBQ with an old AYS friend in Brooklyn which was really nice.
She has a little garden and there were fire flies there which I thought was very exotic.
I met some nice people and got drunk and ate far too much.
Finally on Sunday I went to meet my friend Rebecca’s new baby, who is now the littlest person I’ve ever met – she was only 10 days old!!
So basically I survived - well done me.
Charlie and Laura were also away, so I stayed at theirs after work on Thursday and went for a swim before supper.
I had planned to spend all of Friday sunbathing but of course it was cloudy so I ended up doing nothing and heading back to the city in the afternoon.
Then I got to skype chat with Simon and Gabs and Megan and my cat who were all in our flat which was really fun, but made me very homesick. Luckily the Girls Next Door were there to cheer me up.
On Saturday I went to a BBQ with an old AYS friend in Brooklyn which was really nice.
She has a little garden and there were fire flies there which I thought was very exotic.
I met some nice people and got drunk and ate far too much.
Finally on Sunday I went to meet my friend Rebecca’s new baby, who is now the littlest person I’ve ever met – she was only 10 days old!!
So basically I survived - well done me.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
5am
What better way is there to spend one of the sunniest days of the year, than sprawling on your sofa with three other people, competing to see who is the most hungover?
We barely moved all morning, and finally decided to go for brunch at about 1 in a desperate attempt to fix ourselves.
(Ed note: brunch here is brilliant, it lasts all day Sat and Sun so it doesn’t matter how late you sleep, you can still get eggs benedict and French toast. Sensible, no?)
After a quick detour round the best toy shop evah Simon and I went home and crashed out on the sofa, watching Indecent Proposal and Andy and Vicky went home.
Tragically I had to go out again at 6 to meet people at Soho House at 6.30. I was not feeling my best.
But I was too excited not to go, because now as well as Reemah and her sister, another one of my old bosses from the BBC had arrived and we were all going out.
Jane and I were first to arrive and just being in such a swanky place made me feel better. That and the pimms. It is so nice, we were up on the roof, basking in the sunshine, looking down on the city, sitting next to a pool! I so need to get membership there, or at least find more people who can get me in.
After a few cocktails and lots of shrieking we all went to eat at CookShop which I have to say I wasn’t bowled over by last time, but this time it was amazing.
We shared starters and puddings and I swear to god everything was so yummy I could have eaten it all by myself.
And obviously there was wine.
We finished there sometime after 12 and Reemah and I decided to push on through and go back to Soho House where we ended up in the games room because its one of only a few places where you can smoke inside in NYC, not that either of us smoke.
But its clearly going to be where all the cool kids hang out.
We played some table football and met a lot of really nice people, all of whom were Brits!
Except one very funny American girl who was with them all.
When we got kicked out of there at 4am, we popped into the pub next door for another drink before finally heading home at 5. The nice girl and her boyfriend insisted on cabbing me back home which was very sweet, and also made me very homesick because when the taxi driver was being annoying the guy called him a bell end, which took me swiftly back to London town!
But seriously, 5am people!
I saw the sunrise!
We barely moved all morning, and finally decided to go for brunch at about 1 in a desperate attempt to fix ourselves.
(Ed note: brunch here is brilliant, it lasts all day Sat and Sun so it doesn’t matter how late you sleep, you can still get eggs benedict and French toast. Sensible, no?)
After a quick detour round the best toy shop evah Simon and I went home and crashed out on the sofa, watching Indecent Proposal and Andy and Vicky went home.
Tragically I had to go out again at 6 to meet people at Soho House at 6.30. I was not feeling my best.
But I was too excited not to go, because now as well as Reemah and her sister, another one of my old bosses from the BBC had arrived and we were all going out.
Jane and I were first to arrive and just being in such a swanky place made me feel better. That and the pimms. It is so nice, we were up on the roof, basking in the sunshine, looking down on the city, sitting next to a pool! I so need to get membership there, or at least find more people who can get me in.
After a few cocktails and lots of shrieking we all went to eat at CookShop which I have to say I wasn’t bowled over by last time, but this time it was amazing.
We shared starters and puddings and I swear to god everything was so yummy I could have eaten it all by myself.
And obviously there was wine.
We finished there sometime after 12 and Reemah and I decided to push on through and go back to Soho House where we ended up in the games room because its one of only a few places where you can smoke inside in NYC, not that either of us smoke.
But its clearly going to be where all the cool kids hang out.
We played some table football and met a lot of really nice people, all of whom were Brits!
Except one very funny American girl who was with them all.
When we got kicked out of there at 4am, we popped into the pub next door for another drink before finally heading home at 5. The nice girl and her boyfriend insisted on cabbing me back home which was very sweet, and also made me very homesick because when the taxi driver was being annoying the guy called him a bell end, which took me swiftly back to London town!
But seriously, 5am people!
I saw the sunrise!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Home sweet home
Ok people, prepare yourselves, cos I’m coming home!
And not just for a measley week.
Oh no.
For three, whole weeks!
Two of them I will be working, but the last one I am still taking as holiday as planned.
So feel free to start fighting amongst yourselves to get to spend time with me between July 20th and August 10th!
And not just for a measley week.
Oh no.
For three, whole weeks!
Two of them I will be working, but the last one I am still taking as holiday as planned.
So feel free to start fighting amongst yourselves to get to spend time with me between July 20th and August 10th!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
4am
The country bumpkins (otherwise known as the Christies) came in from Long Island a couple of Fridays ago for a night on the tiles.
And a jolly good time was had by all.
(By the way, I am doing an excellent job of protecting my Britishness by using words like ‘jolly’ and ‘marvelous’ as much as possible.)
Anyway, we started off with a bit of bubbly at home as they had quite a traumatic journey in, including going the wrong way on the subway!
Then we went to Harry’s for some steak as that was what the lady had requested.
And somehow we were really drunk and annoying almost from the moment we arrived.
I complained because they couldn’t make either of the drinks I wanted, Simon complained because he wanted the other menu (apparently he has eaten here a few too many times), Andy complained about the beer and at the end we all complained that we were too full because the steak was too damn good.
We moved on to our local Irish pub where we somehow became embroiled in a game of trying to hold straws as moustaches and then trying to pass said straws from person to person, using only the upper lip.
Needless to say lots of straws ended up on the floor, and lots of people thought we were insane.
And finally we cabbed over to the East Village (don’t listen to what the papers say about the cost of ‘gas’ over here, its still so much cheaper than at home and cabs are super cheap) and went to DBA.
It’s a strange little dive bar with a space invaders machine that Simon desperately wanted to play on and then proceeded to ignore.
At 3.30 Vicky and I could take no more and headed home, finally going to bed at 4am, my current NYC record.
I felt very proud.
And a jolly good time was had by all.
(By the way, I am doing an excellent job of protecting my Britishness by using words like ‘jolly’ and ‘marvelous’ as much as possible.)
Anyway, we started off with a bit of bubbly at home as they had quite a traumatic journey in, including going the wrong way on the subway!
Then we went to Harry’s for some steak as that was what the lady had requested.
And somehow we were really drunk and annoying almost from the moment we arrived.
I complained because they couldn’t make either of the drinks I wanted, Simon complained because he wanted the other menu (apparently he has eaten here a few too many times), Andy complained about the beer and at the end we all complained that we were too full because the steak was too damn good.
We moved on to our local Irish pub where we somehow became embroiled in a game of trying to hold straws as moustaches and then trying to pass said straws from person to person, using only the upper lip.
Needless to say lots of straws ended up on the floor, and lots of people thought we were insane.
And finally we cabbed over to the East Village (don’t listen to what the papers say about the cost of ‘gas’ over here, its still so much cheaper than at home and cabs are super cheap) and went to DBA.
It’s a strange little dive bar with a space invaders machine that Simon desperately wanted to play on and then proceeded to ignore.
At 3.30 Vicky and I could take no more and headed home, finally going to bed at 4am, my current NYC record.
I felt very proud.
Bobbing along
How did you end your day yesterday?
I went for a lovely swim in the pool, which was like bathwater having had the sun beating down on it all day.
And then one of Laura's friends took us out in her boat on Long Island Sound.
We had some wine, peaked at all the fancy houses on the water and watched the sun set over the water.
How cool is that?
I went for a lovely swim in the pool, which was like bathwater having had the sun beating down on it all day.
And then one of Laura's friends took us out in her boat on Long Island Sound.
We had some wine, peaked at all the fancy houses on the water and watched the sun set over the water.
How cool is that?
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