Saturday, September 29, 2012

Settling into "home" in New York

"I love grocery shopping when I'm home. That's what makes me feel totally normal. I love both the idea of home as in being with my family and friends, and also the idea of exploration. I think those two are probably my great interests."      Yo-Yo Ma
A shop in the neighborhood..gotta love the UES!

                   I’m happily settling into living in New York for the weekends.  Took a late BoltBus after work on Thursday night, and surprisingly was not alone.  Thank God I can sleep, or at least dose, most of the way.  Since it was a bit slow going and the bus didn’t get into Manhattan til 1:30am, I treated myself to a cab to our apartment.  (Trying to limit myself to cabs and stick to the MTA most of the time, though.)
            Slow to wake up on Friday, read the Boston Globe online with a cup of tea, Kris had an appointment in the Sutton Place neighborhood midday so I met her and we meandered all the way home along 3rd Avenue, poking around in the shops, learning our neighborhood.  And, treating ourselves to a lovely gelato!
Specialty Edibles
From their website
Kristi’s old Roommate was getting married that nght so she went home to get ready and I then headed over to my market, Agata and Valentina.  It was the start of the Jewish Holidays and fascinating to watch all the Ladies checking on their food orders.  There was a special on rotisserie chickens, and the nice young lad was actually cutting them up for people, so I joined the crowd.  What is better than that?  I got some spinach to go with it, cheese to compliment the crackers at home, and happily brought this week’s bounty home feeling like quite a New Yorker.  We both picked at the chicken all weekend, and a very proud Mom moment happened when Kristi told me that during the week she made a stock from the remains, and then a soup.         
New York Public Library - Grand Central Branch
Grand Central Library from Linda Y on Yelp
Kristi went off to the Wedding and I very happily stayed home and started to watch the show Everyone seems to love, Downton Abbey.  Saturday I woke up and went down to the Grand Central Library on 46th Street for a free yoga class at 11:00am!  Kristi had told me of free business classes the Science, Industry, and Business Library offers (that branch, is in Murray Hill on Madison @ 34th Street).  While perusing the New York Public Library website, I noted that there are many classes of all varieties, including these free yoga classes!
exterior
From Lynn N on Yelp
            It was a beautiful day so I decided to meander home, again.  It took me much of the day to make my way up to E79th Street, shopping along the way and picking up odds and ends for home.  I even stopped at the coffee shop in my “old” neighborhood, Orchard House CafĂ© on 1st and 58th.  It was awesome.  Once again, I happily bunkered down for the evening when Kristi left for work.
The Lowline Park Exhibit
            Sunday I headed down to the Lower East Side as I wanted to check out an exhibit of the new Lowline Park.  Much like the Highline is a park on an old elevated railroad line that winds up the West side near the Hudson River, the Lowline would be a subterranean park in an abandoned subway station below Delancey Street.  Cool concept.
A Lady Bather I encountered in Soho!
            I then meandered the streets and headed over to Little Italy for the San Gennaro Festival; and quickly meandered out.  I forgot the reason I don’t go to the North End Festivals in Boston.  They are crazy crowded with lots of food I’m trying to stay away from.  My walking took me into Soho where I decided to head back uptown.
Firenze from Yelp
            Did some writing and decided to treat myself to dinner before heading home on a late bus.  I walked around the neighborhood a bit and decided to try out a little Italian place on 2nd and 82nd, Firenze.  The construction of the 2nd Avenue Train line is under way again (has been off and on for many years) and it is really affecting many of the small businesses.  It was a real “old-fashioned” type of place where I had a delicious meal, and was taken very good care of.

           

             

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