Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Winter in Manhattan Odyssey Weekend Eight: Friday

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru

                  Another tough couple of weeks, stayed home last weekend, and looking forward to getting back to Manhattan as it seem spring may finally have sprung, so it will be nice to explore in warmer weather.  Got on Megabus late after work on Thursday.  These late night buses are kind of nice as they’re less crowded, and quiet as most people, myself included, tend to crash.  Got “home” and climbed into bed around 2:30 a.m.
                Alarm set for 8:30 as I had to be in Greenwich Village by 11:00 for a Foodie Tour of Brooklyn.  Except for walking across the bridge and having pizza at Grimaldi’s in DUMBO, I had not explored much of Brooklyn and wanted to.  I figured this would be a good taste of Brooklyn, literally and figuratively.  A nice group of people were already on the small bus when I arrived.  Isaac our Guide, and the driver quickly got us underway.  Isaac was a great host and guide having grown up in Brooklyn, he knew a lot of anecdotes and history.  I found this tour on www.Goldstar.com. , actually, so I got it for a great price (about half off!).  It’s given by the Fun Tours Company, and this tour was called “The Best of Brooklyn Multicultural Food Tour.”  www.NewYorkFunTours.com  claims that “a trip to Brooklyn is like a trip around the world”.  And, it set out to show us just what that meant. 
Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery
from Urban K
Our first stop was actually on the LES (Lower East Side) on Houston Street at one of the oldest Jewish knish places in the city, Yonah Schimmel (on E Houston between 2nd Ave and Chrystie St).  Wonderful.  (I felt pretty with it as I had found this place on my own years ago, and had bought knishes for breakfast on Wild Berry Traveling’s first and only private tour of New York City.  (A small company, Wild Berry Travelling!, I founded the year my Daughter, K, graduated from college to try and fulfill my dream of travel.  Alas, I never had the time to really make it work, and then the economy crashed anyway……I am still the go to for many friends and family when they do travel, especially to New York City.) 
Brooklyn Bridge Park from Michelle W
                After having our Jewish delicacies, we headed over the Williamsburgh Bridge into Brooklyn. We travelled along Bedford Avenue, the main thoroughfare in Brooklyn.  We drove through a Hassidic Jewish neighborhood, feeling like a step back in time.  We went into DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges) and meandered into Brooklyn Bridge Park.  And, we ended our Brooklyn journey at Sunset Park.  Tasting delicious foods and learning interesting tipdbits all day.  I never knew how large and varied Brooklyn is.  It was a great tasting tour in every way.
Sunset Park from Yin Y
             As always, I met and enjoyed many of the people on our tour.  In particular was a Lovely Lady ,who in a divorce many years ago ended up with her Children, and an apartment on the Upper East Side.  Upon hearing of my Odyssey, she asked if I would be interested in her apartment.  After renting her Pied a Terre for many years, she took the opportunity to keep it this past year, and “shared” it with two others.  She asked if I’d be interested in being part of that arrangement in the next year.  After much thought, I had to regretfully decline, as this Odyssey was an awesome, but very extravagant gift to myself.  Perhaps in the future…(I did stay in her place this past August for a weekend, though, to see K in a sing-through of a rock opera!)

               


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