[Previous entry: "Breakfasts"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Live from New York"] 06/09/2004 Spurt: "New York!!!!!!" Less than a week to go until my New York trip! I can’t believe I’ve never been before. I consider myself well travelled, and yet I’ve never been to London’s sister-town. Bizarre. My travelling companion has apparently been overdosing on Sex and the City in preparation – I reckon he’s just saying it for effect, rather than actually endless re-watching the same old episodes! Although with him, you never do know ;-) A New Yorker friend of mine said I shouldn’t expect as much glamour and fun in NY as I see in Sex In the City – but he’s a chilled guy, so perhaps it’s just not his lifestyle; after all, my life in London is pretty much like the TV series, so I don’t see why it would downgrade during my holiday in the big apple, that really wouldn’t make any sense! One thing I have done, in preparation is figure out what cocktails I like. This is a good thing to know in general mind you – something the government should have in its “preparing for emergencies” propaganda leaflet. Far more useful than being told to stock up on tinned food, I’d like to know how I’m supposed to surf the net without electricity. I suppose my mobile and laptop both have batteries, so I’d still get by – but what when the batteries run out? Now that would be a disaster on a par with having to eat tinned food. Last month transformed itself into a good one after all. I went to a swimming club on and had a fantastic swim. I’m used to being one of the fast at the pool at my local Holmes Place, but there I was definitely not in the fastest group of it… I really had to push myself, so if I join the club then it’s almost certainly going to further improve my fitness – which is great. What with all the cycling I’ve been doing I feel the once comical notion of finding a FitP side to myself isn’t sounding so ridiculous (and might already be happening) - and it’s great because I have more energy and I’m sleeping better. Project+ is still going very well, which is pleasing me no end – but it means I’m going out SO much less. It’s amazing how busy you can be when you’ve got three jobs on the go!
I’d better get planning for New York though – I wonder what’s cool to do there? Anyone got any suggestions? Oh god, and what am I going to pack? The dollar’s weak so the shopping should be good – but Americans seem to wear much looser clothes than we do in Europe, I wonder if I’ll be able to find anything I like? Oh, dilemmas dilemmas!
Your spurts: 22 comments
New York cheesecake...yum but don't eat too much!
Spurted by Steve @ 17/09/2004 01:17 AM GMT
You got upset once when you thought I had called you a "food snob"... your tinned food reference above proves it! ;-) Of course, I bet there's a way to perform electrolysis using cans of tinned tomatoes - they're less than 10p at ASDA and I bet they would produce enough low voltage elecricity to run your laptop and mobile for ...oooh... a good 15 minutes per can! (Not enough to read one of my emails mind you). Hope you're enjoying yourself. Hugs...
Spurted by Martin @ 12/09/2004 12:36 PM GMT
Next online - for ideas; http://www.nextmagazine.net/
Spurted by Pete in Oz @ 09/09/2004 02:05 AM GMT
Absolutely vital, get a copy of 'Next' magazine as soon as you can in NYC. Available **** from all gay venues (eg: anywhere in the west village, stonewall pub etc) - then settle down with a Cosmo and decide what you want to see/do. Highly recommended; College Boy Nights (venue changes).
Spurted by Pete in Oz @ 09/09/2004 01:57 AM GMT
Oh, NYC is fantastic. You have to see "Avenue Q" while you're there. Just a fabulous musical. As for bars/clubs, go to XL, SBNY, and G (fashionable and cute guys). If you want to take in a coffee and people watch, go to Big Cup on 8th Avenue in Chelsea (Ricky Martin used to hang out there). All of the shopping can be had on 5th Avenue - start at Bergdorf-Goodman on 59th and work you're way down. If you want some good chicken soup and matzo balls (kneidlach), go to the 2nd Avenue Deli on 2nd Ave and 10th Street. Give me a ring when you get to NYC - I'll see if I can organize a short trip up there. Meyer
Spurted by Meyer @ 07/09/2004 04:59 PM GMT
Have been to New York several times and enjoy it a lot. It is a fun place. We were last there in June (a few days in the middle of a family visit to upstate NY & Toronto). Shopping is fabulous. Eating is fabulous. Drinking is also fabulous. Clubbing - don't know as don't do it (but I guess is pretty damn good too). (Working out what cocktails you like is a good start!) I'd echo the staten island ferry trip - just going there and back is fun. Shopping tips: Take an extra bag/suitcase - seriously! Not sure what you're into but the cheaper prices, together with the still good exchange rate mean that clothes are very cheap (e.g. last pair of Levi 501 cost the equiv of £17 - I think in Macy's on one of their special extra discount days). One group of items that is much cheaper there than here are cosmetics like Clarins for Men etc. If you have the time and want to browse racks of stuff to see if you hunt down a gem, Century 21 (near the WTC site) is good. They must have more stores but I don't know where. If you're loaded then Bergdorf Goodman has a great set of designer rooms in the men's building. For fun, Tiffany's is much more accessible there than here in London - loads of people milling around looking at the jewelery. Though some of the pieces are way over the top for my taste (like I could afford them anyway!) Last shopping comment: There must be some discount designer malls that are easy to get to from the city but I don't know them. We usually go out on Long Island as I have relatives out there. I just remembered - when we were upstate, we went to a great designer discount mall called (just googling, hang on ...) Woodbury Common and there were many coaches from the Port Authority bus terminal in the city there so it would be possible to get there without a car. We ran out of time to go to the Guggenheim but have been to the Met museum which was fantastic esp. the Temple of Dendur. Go to Grand Central station just to look at the booking hall - impressive and shows how crap the stations are in London. Has some very nice looking restaurants around it on the sort of mezzanine level but they looked expensive. I think that theatre is relatively expensive in NY even compared to London so have never been to a Broadway show - there must be lots of cheaper shows off Broadway. Spa session perhaps? Try Nickel. Discount period is weekday afternoons. As you're going to be there for a while, why not go out on the train for a day trip to Long Island or upstate - beautiful. I guess you'll have already done this but I would really recommend getting a up-to-date decent guidebook to the City - Lonely planet or Rough guide are the ones we usually get. Like in London there are loads of **** sheets for more what's on. I think that I've seen Time Out New York for sale in London too. If you're feeling flush - one last think that we did when there only for a long weekend was one of the helicopter trips around Manhattan - we have some fantastic memories and some great photos. Finally have lots of fun, go with the flow and let us know how you get on.
Spurted by Brian @ 07/09/2004 04:08 PM GMT
Best value in New York is the Staten Island Ferry, it's ****, and gives great views of downtown manhattan. Don't get off though, just catch it straight back. We go to NYC every feb to visit friends and do a bit of shopping, take in a show. last time we went out to Coney Island and walkerd on the boardwalk, visited the Aquarium, walked through New Brighton and had lunch in a russian supermarket.
Spurted by Nick @ 07/09/2004 03:23 PM GMT
JUST GO AND HAVE FUN !!!!
Spurted by JAMES BASSLER @ 07/09/2004 04:05 AM GMT
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