Having lived in Manhattan for five years, my returns to the city are more of a homecoming than a tourist holiday, a time to catch up with friends and revisit favorite old haunts. These always-too-short weekends are filled with conversations that linger over delicious meals and long meandering walks that hardly ever end at the original destination, if there even was one.
This weekend was no different. Saturday morning my friend took us to her new favorite East Village diner, B&H, for some of the best omelets and challah bread in town. From there, we strolled west, down funky St. Marks Place, ending up in Washington Square Park. It was a warm fall day and locals were taking advantage of the sunshine. An enterprising man had set up a hula-hoop station that adults and kids alike were making good use of.
Once we caught a glimpse of Freedom Tower, we set off to pay our respects at the 9/11 Memorial which is nestled in its shadow. There were many distractions along the way, such as a store with gorgeous handmade jewelry and a coffee shop selling chocolate chip sandwich cookies with Nutella filling. Genius!
We dined at Jubilee, a quaint French bistro in mid-town east. I enjoyed a perfect feast of garlicky escargot and fresh baguette, succulent scallops over a bed of creamy orzo pasta and a molten chocolate cake with caramel ice cream. C’est magnifique!
The next morning I met some friends for brunch in my old Upper West Side neighborhood, then strolled throughĀ Central Park, which has always been my favorite spot in the city. A few steps into the leafy green expanse, all sounds from the bustling city fade away and are replaced with bird trills and children’s laughter. The ornately carved bridges evoke the Victorian era during which the park was created and the varied landscapes provide new amusements at every turn.
We tried to get tickets to see a hot new show while we were in town, but it sold out before we got our ducks in a row. Instead, we took in the Museum of Modern Art which was showcasing a special collection of paintings by Rene Magritte. The Belgian surrealist is perhaps most famous for his Son of Man painting which featured prominently in the movie The Thomas Crown Affair (and which was sadly missing from this exhibit).Ā
After admiring this impressive collection, we revisited some of the masterpieces among the MoMa’s permanent holdings. While we took delight in works by Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, and Miro, others proved the maxim that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
With my host conveniently living in mid-town east, passing through Grand Central Station was as inevitable as acquiring a bag of roasted nuts from a street cart. But instead of confining myself to the subway, I spent a few minutes inside the cavernous main hall watching the flow of humanity around me. Ā Time seems at once to speed up and slow down. To borrow a line from Seinfeld, it’s like standing at the nexus of the universe!
The fabulousĀ Grand Central Market abuts one end of the station. Stall after high-end stall is stocked with a dazzling array of treats, from spices and chocolates to fresh fish and cured meats. A home chef’s dream, this is where I would have done my shopping had I actually cooked when I lived in the city.
My farewell dinner was devoured at Ethos Greek restaurant, another gem in mid-town east. We shared a traditional Greek salad along with fried Graviera cheese, eggplant rolls stuffed with feta and a bottle of crisp Santorini white wine. My Chilean sea bass came with a succulent stew of potatoes and onions and a rich tomato sauce accented with more Santorini white. Ā Just when we were about to throw in the culinary towel, our waiter brought us a gratis platter of dessert samplings! If I weren’t afraid of popping the button on my jeans, I might have jumped for joy!
What’s your perfect weekend like?
Tagging along after you!
We have lots of perfect European weekends on the way! š
NYC is one of my all-time favorite cities! I am so excited to be headed there for the holiday cheer. It used to be an annual tradition for my mom and I to go, but we haven’t been back for the holidays in years.
What a fun tradition! My mom came to visit twice a year when I lived there, but usually during the warmer months. She and my dad came for Christmas once and we saw the Radio City Christmas show. It was really good! I’d love to revisit the city at Christmas!
My perfect weekend would look very much like yours – especially with all of the delicious-looking food you had! And that chandelier at Grand Central Market is incredible. I was just commenting elsewhere that I’m LONG overdue for a return trip to NYC. But you’ve motivated me – even if only for a long weekend.
You should go! It’s amazing how much you can squeeze into a long weekend š
Sounds like an awesome weekend! We went to New York for a week a couple of years ago, and I loved it! Your photos really make me want to go back – if only for the food.
New York seriously has the best restaurants of any place in the world!
Awww. I miss New York. It’s been awhile
I hadn’t been in two years and missed it terribly. It’s such an amazing place!
Sounds like a perfect weekend to me too!
I’m hoping to have another just like it very soon š
Nutella chocolate chip cookie? Genius indeed! NYC is one of our fave cities to visit in the winter (it’s so cold, but soo pretty).
I know, I’m really hoping to go back up around Christmastime. I love all the decorations!
Sounds like a great weekend! I’ve been to NYC a couple of times but it was only brief and never alone. Perhaps I should make a trip!
You definitely should! No matter how many times you’ve been, NYC always has exciting new things to offer!
NYC (New York City) is really such great city of USA. I never been in NYC But it’s my wish to be there once in my life. I do see the most amazing pictures of NYC. I love it.
Some people don’t realize that NYC has everything. The best of food, art, culture, and even nature (I LOVE Central Park). Such gorgeous photos and a great write up. Makes me wish I could go with you there. You know all the spots!
Thanks Jeannie, we’ll have to go sometime. It’s my favorite city in the world!
I don’t know how I missed this Blog. The pictures were great.
I always liked visiting you when you lived in New York. We
sure saw a lot of the city. Really enjoyed the Broadway shows.
It seems like you covered a lot of territory.