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New York, New York Days 7 to 10
Spring in New York
So after resting up in Florida and moving onto New York I turned up still exhausted. Who on earth escapes from a city like London to come to a city like New York to rest? Lucky for me that I have a couple of very good friends in New York and I was looking forward to spending some quality time. I didn’t have an apartment arranged until Day 11 so I stayed with a good friend until then on the Upper West Side.
The Upper West Side is probably my favourite area of New York to be situated in. It’s residential but has a lot going on with cafe’s, supermarkets and of course banks. You can’t not look up and see a bank so no need to worry about that for a second in Manhattan. Banks that have the biggest waste of space known to man. I entered through the door and then turned to left and walked what felt like a mile to some cash machines. There was nothing in that empty space apart from my thoughts. I could have moved into that space and it would have been bigger than an average studio apartment in Manhattan.
Although I was staying in an apartment that had a married couple and two small children it ended up being a pleasant experience. The little girl aged three could rationalize like a thirty-three year old so that proved challenging at six in the morning when the life, universe and everything needed to be discussed. Even trying to convince her when she put the light on that maybe we needed more sleep time I was met with ‘ No it’s daytime and in the day time we get up and are awake.’ By day eleven, the conversation was flowing with
‘Morning’
‘ Morning’
‘Sleep well?’
‘ Yeah.’
‘ It’s awake time? ‘
‘Yeah.’
End of any argument.
The second child who I stayed with is an anomaly to all babies. At five months old I’ve never seen such a happy chilled out little chubster. I was told that if you get the timing of the milk wrong by the minute you will certainly hear about it but honestly I was present in the room whilst the baba was changed and bathed over half hour and I didn’t even realize that had happened. His mother’s nightmares are that she forgets him somewhere because he can be so quiet. She is not wrong.
A place to walk
So the first few days I was in family land. Eating home cooked food and chilling out. Watching rubbish TV and going to bed early to rise early. Central Park has become a place to go walking. I didn’t realize that from Broadway you can walk a few blocks one way and come to Riverside and walk by the Hudson and go the other way and you are in Central Park within ten minutes. And Central Park is huge. A sudden haven in the concrete jungle. I already have a favourite place to walk around which is the Jackie O Reservoir.
Day 9 the Sunday I ventured out to a place in the Lower East Side called Fat Buddha. And one thing I love about New York bars is that if you sit up at the bar and you are friendly enough the drinks start coming for free. Yes you heard it free. You don’t know this is happening until the end but when would that ever happen in London? The place where alcohol is measured by a thimble, here they may as well be holding you down and pouring it down your throat and for a borderline British alcoholic and most definitely a lush this was Manna. The next morning of Monday (day 10) waking up at half six to work was most certainly not.
Florida Day 1 to 6
Clearwater, Florida; a home from home that I have grown up in for over twenty five years and am full of memories. Some happy, some sad; mostly of being bored when I was a kid. As time as gone on it has become a place of comfort. An escape from the City and a place to recharge.
It’s a place of solitude. You can get nowhere easily without a car, perhaps a bike if you are lucky. Forget walking to a local shop – are you mad? There is no local shop. There’s a beach with rows of Condos (expensive blocks of flats to us) or houses on the sea. And I was lucky enough to be in a house on a sea to witness the sea safari.
To be in a dwelling on the sea with only a murmur of cars behind you is a grounding experience. I arrived exhausted from the energy of the city and I knew I had minimal time to rest. Is it not ridiculous that life can be so hectic in the city even for someone without children that they feel so ill they have to rest? I’d over eaten and over drunk for months. Well that didn’t stop in Florida but the food was at least healthier and the booze less. I blame all that sea air for having to go to bed before 10pm.
During some time with family that reside there I got to see a strange experience for a person who has no children, which was babies learning to swim. My niece of 18 months was going for swimming lessons and I was impressed by her ability to actually swim albeit a panicked tiny amount but still it was impressive. Unfortunately I was distracted by the other half of the pool containing some pensioners doing a class of swim aerobics. I couldn’t help but notice how full of non movement their class was. If anything they just seemed to be still in a circle and not really treading water at all but then why should I have been surprised? The guy taking the class was bigger than all of them. How could they have a sense of hope looking at him?
So not much to report on the first few days, except relaxation and watching the dolphins swim by morning and eve. A baby turtle even popped by to say hello. A dead seahorse had been discarded on the dock but that wasn’t as much of a shock as the giant dead fish in the pool that some Pelican had had enough of.
It’s hot in Florida the sunshine state; too hot for someone as fair skinned as myself to enjoy but I got out there and soaked up the Vitamin D. I don’t think my body had seen the sunshine due to the UK’s miserable weather from the summer before.
I ate seafood galore (although the lobster was from South Africa which I think might ruin the local seafood idea a tad) and enjoyed the stillness. On my last day at the house, I threw my bread to the fish (always one to give back to nature even if it was garlic bread), and then panicked as a sea of crust lay atop the waves and started to roll towards the neighbours. I thought fish ate bread? I would be forever known as the polluter or poisoner of wildlife. Well I didn’t have to worry because after not so long the birds like a Hitchcock movie came pelting down. Problem solved. If the birds died it would be nowhere near me.
It was farewell to the Sunshine State and onwards to New York City.
The Crown and Goose
This is a great pub in Camden, hidden away from the mayhem. It gets packed and it’s only let down is that sometimes there is not enough staff on. Other than that it’s a great pub with a dark brooding atmosphere. The food here is excellent with offers of lamb kofte burger to a wonderful vege bean stew. I’d recommend booking even on a Monday as you never know when the local crowd is going to take it over. One of my favourites for North London.
Artigiano
Artigiano is a local Italian in Belsize Park. I’ve been here a few times. It looks wonderful. Clean and spaced out tables, inviting. A real neighbourhood gem. HOwever something about it always lets it down. A place that is capable of giving an excellent experience but yet a few times has had something lack when I have visited. The food is excellent but last time I ate there the inside of my ravioli was cold, which for an Italian restaurant is a no no. Another time I was there in a large group and the service was a let down. It’s also somewhere that sits people close together when there is plenty of room to be spaced out and have some privacy.
The food is excellent. The service good but insincere. I would eat here. It’s so much more than a local Italian but doesn’t quite make it to the classic Italian restaurant that it could be. It would only take a bit more of a step up with an attention to detail for this place to realize it’s potential.
A Maze ing
Maze is one of Gordon Ramsey’s restaurants. It’s on Grosvenor Square, near to Oxford Circus. It’s very easy to find and get to.
Although I can fault the snooty woman at the check in who deemed it fine to think I enjoyed standing in front of her for kicks and seemed confused that I might have a reservation, I cannot fault the rest of the service. Our Head Waiter had more than a touch of Tom Cruise about him and gave us service with a crazy eyed smile that said, ‘I only want to serve you, you are the most fun’; he had me at hello. Everyone working in there was friendly and helpful and you could tell got on really well which made the atmosphere really fun and somewhat cheeky.
I can’t fault the food, or the price. Gastro Pubs are charging outrageous prices for main courses these days and this place on average was £12.50 for a plate. The plates are there to share and you can have as many or as little as you want. We had six between two, which was plenty and I can’t fault one of them. If you are a vegetarian who doesn’t eat fish though give it a miss. I am talking, crispy veal sweetbread, scallops, pork belly.
Did I mention the wine list is on an ipad? Ridiculous. It made me love the place as much as the sommelier’s red spectacles which I did love. They made his face and the strangest thing is that he looked a bit like Heston. Perhaps the employees all moonlight as famous doubles? Drinks and wines are not a bargain but they have to make money somehow people. This is not your local dirty boozer.
So if you like food then go. It’s not a snooty place to go and the food is worth every penny. So many people think places in London have to be expensive in town but they are competition for your local try hard pub serving what is a Marks and Sparks meal at triple the price. This is good food.
Good for girly catch-ups, dates, sitting on your own and staring at the staff pretending you have a date. Casual smart and trendy but not up it’s own arse which is down to the people working there. Food cost me about £60 for two people. You can call direct or book last minute on Opentable a live reservation service. For a good night out I’m giving it five stars. Lets start this blog with a bang people.
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