TRAVELOGUES--The domestic adventures of M. Anne Tran
New York. September 2005
Victor's 25th birthday in the NYC.
- Fine Dining. Although we tried our hand at two of
NYC's well-regarded establishments (Babbo
and Eleven Madison),
I found the food to be too heavy my taste--although I suspect that the
preparations are more appropriate for the cold, East Coast weather.
Babbo made use of ingredients such as wild boar and squid ink in its pastas,
which reminds me of Oliveto back in Berkeley--it was very good on the whole.
Eleven Madison, on the other hand, was overrated.
- Ethnic Dining. If I could do it all over again, I
would have spent more time exploring the various culinary enclaves found
throughout the city. Our two day stint of the city led us to some of its
more well-traversed establishments. Amongst them were: Katz
Delicatessen, Joe's Shanghai, and Lombardi's
in Harlem. I don't think I've had a pastrami sandwich or siu long bao
that could compare with those at Katz and Joe's, respectively.
Lombardi's was quite a walk and although the thin-crust pizza was very good,
it falls behind its more sophisticated California counterparts.
- Accommodations. After searching without luck for a
well-located, within budget bed-and-breakfast, I was able to contact a woman
named Ella Pawlak who lived on St. Marks in Greenwich
village. We stayed in her guest bedroom for $50 a night. She was
gracious and the living space was well-kept. She lives at
116 St. Marks Pl.# 5m, New York, NY 10009
and can be emailed at elzibie@aol.com.
I also have her cell phone number stored away.
- I decided that Victor was too old to be living the hostel
lifestyle, but the next time I go, I will definitely check out the
Carlton Arms.
I believe that where you stay is as much a part of your vacation as what you
do. This hostel echoes my affinity for themed hotels with its five
floors of rooms oozing with murals and artistic interpretation.
- Empire State Building. Pre-purchasing tickets allowed
us to save a lot of time. My strategy of buying tickets for the last
time slot worked out fairly well, since there seemed to be fewer people to
ruin the view. Additionally, since it was particularly windy due to
Hurricane Ivan, we found that we were among the few people willing to brave
the cold. So my tip is to buy tickets early and go before a storm.
- Madison Square Garden. The behind-the-scenes tour
cued us into neat trivia tidbits such as the basketball courts are laid out
over the hockey ice rink. Apparently, this is common knowledge.
Not worth the money if you're not a basketball fan. However, you can
justify the expense if you mistakenly think that your boyfriend is.
- Rent. I still don't get the hype. The entire play is
performed in song, which is perfectly acceptable if you can manage to follow
the lyrics--a task that was particularly challenging for that rendition of
Rent. I find the plot of the play to be thematically empty--which may or
may not be the intention of the play. I find it to be a cliche attempt
to portray the emptiness of modernism. At any rate, you're much better
off buying the last-minute standby tickets for other Broadway plays such as
The Producers or The Lion King. I hear the process is fairly simple and
that although you may be sitting in the orchestra section, it's a steal
compared to the $250 everyone else is paying.
- Tenement Tours.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! This was my favorite activity while I
was in New York. The buildings have been well-preserved and bring you
back in time to the immigrant experience. It is particularly vivid if
you've read or seen the movie "Angela's Ashes."
- Scavenger Hunts.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Watson's Adventures offers a variety
of scavenger hunts that can turn your visits of museums/neighborhoods/etc.
into more interactive experiences. Vic and I breezed through the Natural
History Museum (which had some really cool exhibits) deciphering riddles and
looking for the next clue. It was pretty hard and we didn't get to
explore the museum in depth, but we were running on a tight schedule anyway.
- Other Resources:
New York Magazine
- Next Time: I don't follow NY restaurants all too
much, but I suggest you attempt to make reservations at Thomas Keller's
Per Se, which would
made for a good introduction to French Laundry and a good alternative in case
you never manage to get reservations in Napa. NY also has its share of the
world's top 50 restaurants as designated by UK Restaurant Magazine. A
good guide will be indispensable. People tend to eat later in New York
and reservations will be essential. You can make restaurant reservations
online using OpenTable.
Orlando, Florida. August 2004.