I Love New York!

I love New York! I know its cliché but I really do love NY. I still remember my 1st trip there (many moons ago) & I didn’t like it at all. I thought the sidewalks were tooooo crowded, the lines were tooo long, it was impossible to get a taxi, the humidity was horrid and our car was towed. Believe it or not, NYs bureaucratic red tape is even thicker than ours. I also remember driving in NYC for the 1st time and being so uptight about it. My friend Anthony told me “just drive like a New Yorker!”. Suddenly, I was a New Yorker & having the time of my life. Bobbing & weaving, disobeying traffic signals, honking my horn & speeding down the street. I LOVED it – once I let go. Last Thursday, Doreen and I drove to NYC after work to meet up with Steve. We freshened up in our room at the Waldorf (compliments of Steve’s corporate expense account) before heading over to a fabulous wine bar across from Rockefeller Center (Morrell’s Wine Bar – next to Dean & DeLuca). We forwent the difficult decision of choosing from their extensive wine list and opted for a bottle (2 bottles really) of Veuve Cliquot. We had a wonderful cheese plate, charcuterie, and a variety of tartar (steak, salmon and tuna) served with wonderful bread. After, we were about to head over to the Rainbow Room when I noticed there was no line for skating at Rockefeller Center. The weather was mild, we were modestly intoxicated, it was still "early" and there was no one that could talk me out of taking advantage of this opportunity. Doreen and Steve finally obliged as none of us had ever skated at the Center. After a few skates around the rink, we were again headed to the Rainbow Room when we learned they close at midnight (on a Thursday). MIDNIGHT – in Manhattan!! How terribly dissappointing. So, we decided on the Bull & the Bear bar at our hotel which, we later learned, also closes at Midnight - in the “city that never sleeps”. We finally settled into our hotel lobby bar which closes at a respectable 3AM. After a bottle of bubbly, Steve went to bed as he had to be in the office the next morning, and Doreen and I left for the Campbell Apartment (one of the few smoking bars in NYC) located at Grand Central Station. Much to our drunken chagrin, it was also closed for the night. We schlepped back to our hotel bar which appeared to be the only open bar in Midtown and stayed ‘till last call. We headed to the fire stairway to smoke an obligatory cigarette and then retired for the evening. The next morning, we visited a wonderful little market near the hotel. After a breakfast of pastrami sandwich, coffee and diet coke, we walked down 5th Avenue toward Central Park. Along the way, we saw the most gorgeous diamond in the window of Cartier. I seriously can not imagine how large the Hope diamond is because this stone was incredibly huge. It was truly magnificent. It made the 10 carat diamonds in the surrounding windows look like crumbs. I don’t believe that any one person should be the sole proprietor of this diamond (unless, of course, that person is me); I believe it should remain in the window of Cartier for all to see and enjoy. It really is a magnificent, museum-esque diamond. After Doreen pulled me away from Cartier to allow others the opportunity to admire the treasure, we found a new Pucci boutique. The prints are so great. We (I) inquired if there is / would be a pet line. Since I can’t really pull off mod patterns, I thought Princess Simbalina could indulge me. There was a large pillow that would work for her but I really should ensure that I have funds to install the shower and sink in my bathroom before I begin purchasing designer pillows for my Dog. We strolled through Central Park until we reached our final destination: Tavern on the Green. It was our first visit to this well known establishment. The restaurant is over-the-top garish but it somehow works. Our chilled seafood platter for two (lobster tails, shrimp, mussels, crab) was underwhelming with little taste (thank God for the champagne) - and I thought the lobster was water logged; nonetheless, the experience was a great one. After lunch, we headed home giggling about our extravagances. If I had millions of dollars, I think I could live in New York – provided, of course, Pucci does not decide to design a pet line.