The subway stinks.
Walking around Times Square at any hour (seriously-pick any time to test this and it will be true) is like wading through a sea of humanity and you better watch where you’re going unless you want collisions and serious shin bruises.
A glass of beer at a decent bar is not less than $6.
There are way too many ordinary (and yet extraordinary) gastronomical temptations (read: bagels, cupcakes, india-style chaat, cheesecakes) to resist and at super-easy access than you can possibly handle.
Hotels rooms are tiny, expensive and often hard to find.
And yet, and yet-I continue to be crazily in love with New York City. Recently completed my third trip (in less than 2 years!)to this terribly addictive city and nope-none of those trips were for work.
Yes-I am a fool to take a red-eye across the country every year just for two days (sometimes less, sometimes more) of breathing NYC air.
Yes- I plan my itinerary meticulously each time so I discover something new (and there’s always something new) to love and make the most of my limited hours there.
Yes-I suffer from separation-blues later, especially when the view outside my window is of the dreary Seattle rain even when it’s summer most everywhere.
I even missed my connecting flight to DC from JFK (we were spending a couple days in DC first this time round before paying our yearly tribute to NYC) but felt blissfully happy just waiting around at JFK-just because it had that New York stamp all over it-chaotic, messy, bustling with life and rigor that simply cannot fail to get me energized.
We were there in NYC from 7 in the evening on a Sunday through 6 in the evening the next day. Just shy of a whole day-which is barely enough for me. And here are my highlights from this brief yet wonderful trip that will keep me going until next time:
• No New York trip is complete without sampling a bit of New York-style Pizza, is it?! The last time it had been Lombardi’s in Little Italy-the oldest pizzeria of the US. This time-we went to Totonnos in the Lower East Side and I can safely say that I am now in a position to select a favorite between the two arch rivals that claim to be the best pizza there is to be had in NYC! But I aint telling that just yet Did I mention that our waitress kept ignoring me and totally simpering all over my husband-oh well. That did not influence my choice btw!
• A walk through Times Square around midnight is exhausting-so you just need to get some happiness in the form of a refreshing drink at the always-crowded Hard Rock Café.
• Hogging on a delicious Red Velvet cupcake from the Buttercup Bake shop on the Upper West Side and then walking over to the Strawberry Fields section of Central Park for what is a quintessentially New York experience
• Finally visiting the Museum of Natural History and making funny faces at the dinosaur fossils while hubby clicked photos (being a FRIENDS fan, it felt great visiting Ross’ place of employment
• In keeping with the FRIENDS theme-shopping at Bloomingdales for what it’s worth (maybe I just wanted a Little Brown Bag!)
• Shopping at H& M (this was before H&M finally opened in Seattle, with much fanfare and Seattle-ites queuing up at midnight for the grand opening the next morning)
• Lunch at Brick Lane Curry House in the Lower Eastside –in an area that looks like Little India, and probably is.
Yes- I missed catching Rent before its last run in September, and I will regret that. But New York will always find ways to make that up for me, one way or the other. And so the love affair continues…
Friday, October 3, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Van Gogh's Sunflowers and a Soul-Stirring Canal House: Amsterdam
Oh Amsterdam! A city so cosmopolitan-you’ll have no trouble if you don’t speak Dutch. A city so liberated-it’s legalized prostitution and made it a tourist attraction! A city so well connected-you’ll be stepping off trams and buses with ease and not be lost in commute at least! And finally-a city so charming-you’ll watch the cyclists whizz past you along quaint little canals and wonder how easy it all seems.
Even though this was our first trip to the city, we go back a little way with Amsterdam. Let’s just say that we have spent many hours waiting for connections at the expansive Schipol Airport and know it’s every little nook and cranny and duty-free shop! So we felt at home as soon as we landed! Of course the weather helped as well-it was overcast and subsequently rainy in the middle of summer, and what could breathe ‘Seattle’ more than that, huh?
Our itinerary allowed us 2 days in Amsterdam. As a first-time visitor, if you don’t want to venture out to see the countryside with its windmills, the Hague and the miniature city of Madurodom, it might be safe to assume that 2 days will give you a good feel of the city, although be prepared for a jam-packed schedule. Of course out itinerary was slightly flawed (you’ll figure out why in just a bit), but in all-we think we soaked up quite a bit of the city’s offerings and its calming beauty in the time we had.
So the mistakes first: we landed early morning around 9. Immigration is a breeze if you have your hotel bookings, visas etc in place and ready to whip out. We took the Hotel Shuttle to get to Amstel right by Rembrandtsplein –which is where our tiny but canal-overlooking and sufficiently comfy hotel was located. Warning is in order here: Amsterdam is pretty darn expensive. So if you’ve paid under $200 a night for your hotel-don’t expect gold trimmings and an in-house spa please Oh and by the way-hotels mostly have a late afternoon check-in. And that’s what we had ignored or not taken too seriously at least. We reached our hotel by about 10:30 am –desperately needing a shower after a long, retarded route to Amsterdam from Seattle (2 stops on the way-phew!) and were told politely but firmly that our room won’t be ready for another 5 hours. BUMMER! This explains why we look rather grubby in our pics from half of Day 1 in Amsterdam. There is only so much a girl can do with face wash, foundation and mascara!
Anyhoo, now that the stage is set and you know the background story let’s get right in to the Itinerary
Hot Tip: Pick up the I Amsterdam Card at the Airport . It’s available for 1,2 or 3 days and gives you free access to most museums, all transport, a free canal ride as well some discounts at restaurants and other attractions. We got the 2 day pass for 43 Euro (Did I say Amsterdam was expensive yet? I did? I’ll say it again!)
Day 1: Drenching and a Culturally Moving Experience
Rijksmuseum, Hard Rock Café by the Canal and Anne Frank’s Museum
We started off with dumping our luggage, washing up real quick and setting off towards Rembrandtsplein to figure out some kind of route to Rijksmuseum-which from our hotel shuttle had seemed really close by. It is. Probably a mile and half to walk. But best not attempted if it’s raining. Or if you’re jet-lagged. Or both. Worse-we had forgotten to pack an umbrella. So picture this: a scraggly couple seeking shelter in a building entryway while the Gods of rain come cascading down on an ethereally beautiful city. Picture also the maps they tout haplessly-as though staring at the maps repeatedly will somehow transport them presently to their destination. Ok jokes apart-it was only the first 30 minutes when we played the 'unhappy tourist' part. Once the rain was done and a bright red Amsterdam-branded umbrella purchased (6 Euros please), we were all set to enjoy our exploration.
The Rijksmuseum has long lines. But your Amsterdam Card gets you free entry. Spend at least an hour and a half (more if you like to take your time) in this marvelous repository of Rembrandt's work and other art. My favorite area here though was the Dollhouse wing-housing two fully-furnished 17th century dollhouses-complete with parlors, linen rooms, nurseries and the like. They were so adorable i wanted to become a midget and live in them!
The museum trip builds up an appetite, and we headed straight up to the Hard Rock Cafe of Amsterdam (have i mentioned yet my strange desire to visit the Hard Rock Cafe of every city i go to-if it has one that is?) It's pretty unremarkable on the inside, but it's set along a canal with lovely windows overlooking the water. Sip a Mojito and stuff yourself with onion rings as little ducks and canal boats sail by. Bliss-it's right here!
Lunch done-we headed back to our hotel, showered, caught a 30 minute nap and were back on the road to catch a tram to Anne Frank’s Museum. Brace yourself for this one-and I am not referencing the steep and narrow staircases you will climb all over this canal-house to get a full-blown tour. I mean the sheer impact of breathing in the same place as that feisty young girl who hid out here with her family before they were discovered and sent off to concentration camps. If you have read her diary before, her experience will suddenly become more real than it was before, and will jump out at you from each little detail you now see before you. If you have not read her diary, you will want to go back and read it. Queues are long here as well. I strongly recommend listening in (and not browsing past) the recorded episodes they have placed all over the canal-house. Also recommended is a coffee and a rusk at the cafeteria at the end of the tour to absorb and take in what you just experienced. It’s pretty darn moving.
There are some nice trattorias on the same street as the Anne Frank Museum. You can choose to explore one of those or go deeper into the Jordaan district and discover something on your own.
We ended day one with a quick dinner on Rembrandtsplein back near the hotel(lots of options to choose from. Look up your I Amsterdam Guide for discount options) and turned in early for the night to be fresh as daisies (hmm..maybe tulips, since we are in Tulip land!) for day 2.
Even though this was our first trip to the city, we go back a little way with Amsterdam. Let’s just say that we have spent many hours waiting for connections at the expansive Schipol Airport and know it’s every little nook and cranny and duty-free shop! So we felt at home as soon as we landed! Of course the weather helped as well-it was overcast and subsequently rainy in the middle of summer, and what could breathe ‘Seattle’ more than that, huh?
Our itinerary allowed us 2 days in Amsterdam. As a first-time visitor, if you don’t want to venture out to see the countryside with its windmills, the Hague and the miniature city of Madurodom, it might be safe to assume that 2 days will give you a good feel of the city, although be prepared for a jam-packed schedule. Of course out itinerary was slightly flawed (you’ll figure out why in just a bit), but in all-we think we soaked up quite a bit of the city’s offerings and its calming beauty in the time we had.
So the mistakes first: we landed early morning around 9. Immigration is a breeze if you have your hotel bookings, visas etc in place and ready to whip out. We took the Hotel Shuttle to get to Amstel right by Rembrandtsplein –which is where our tiny but canal-overlooking and sufficiently comfy hotel was located. Warning is in order here: Amsterdam is pretty darn expensive. So if you’ve paid under $200 a night for your hotel-don’t expect gold trimmings and an in-house spa please Oh and by the way-hotels mostly have a late afternoon check-in. And that’s what we had ignored or not taken too seriously at least. We reached our hotel by about 10:30 am –desperately needing a shower after a long, retarded route to Amsterdam from Seattle (2 stops on the way-phew!) and were told politely but firmly that our room won’t be ready for another 5 hours. BUMMER! This explains why we look rather grubby in our pics from half of Day 1 in Amsterdam. There is only so much a girl can do with face wash, foundation and mascara!
Anyhoo, now that the stage is set and you know the background story let’s get right in to the Itinerary
Hot Tip: Pick up the I Amsterdam Card at the Airport . It’s available for 1,2 or 3 days and gives you free access to most museums, all transport, a free canal ride as well some discounts at restaurants and other attractions. We got the 2 day pass for 43 Euro (Did I say Amsterdam was expensive yet? I did? I’ll say it again!)
Day 1: Drenching and a Culturally Moving Experience
Rijksmuseum, Hard Rock Café by the Canal and Anne Frank’s Museum
We started off with dumping our luggage, washing up real quick and setting off towards Rembrandtsplein to figure out some kind of route to Rijksmuseum-which from our hotel shuttle had seemed really close by. It is. Probably a mile and half to walk. But best not attempted if it’s raining. Or if you’re jet-lagged. Or both. Worse-we had forgotten to pack an umbrella. So picture this: a scraggly couple seeking shelter in a building entryway while the Gods of rain come cascading down on an ethereally beautiful city. Picture also the maps they tout haplessly-as though staring at the maps repeatedly will somehow transport them presently to their destination. Ok jokes apart-it was only the first 30 minutes when we played the 'unhappy tourist' part. Once the rain was done and a bright red Amsterdam-branded umbrella purchased (6 Euros please), we were all set to enjoy our exploration.
The Rijksmuseum has long lines. But your Amsterdam Card gets you free entry. Spend at least an hour and a half (more if you like to take your time) in this marvelous repository of Rembrandt's work and other art. My favorite area here though was the Dollhouse wing-housing two fully-furnished 17th century dollhouses-complete with parlors, linen rooms, nurseries and the like. They were so adorable i wanted to become a midget and live in them!
The museum trip builds up an appetite, and we headed straight up to the Hard Rock Cafe of Amsterdam (have i mentioned yet my strange desire to visit the Hard Rock Cafe of every city i go to-if it has one that is?) It's pretty unremarkable on the inside, but it's set along a canal with lovely windows overlooking the water. Sip a Mojito and stuff yourself with onion rings as little ducks and canal boats sail by. Bliss-it's right here!
Lunch done-we headed back to our hotel, showered, caught a 30 minute nap and were back on the road to catch a tram to Anne Frank’s Museum. Brace yourself for this one-and I am not referencing the steep and narrow staircases you will climb all over this canal-house to get a full-blown tour. I mean the sheer impact of breathing in the same place as that feisty young girl who hid out here with her family before they were discovered and sent off to concentration camps. If you have read her diary before, her experience will suddenly become more real than it was before, and will jump out at you from each little detail you now see before you. If you have not read her diary, you will want to go back and read it. Queues are long here as well. I strongly recommend listening in (and not browsing past) the recorded episodes they have placed all over the canal-house. Also recommended is a coffee and a rusk at the cafeteria at the end of the tour to absorb and take in what you just experienced. It’s pretty darn moving.
There are some nice trattorias on the same street as the Anne Frank Museum. You can choose to explore one of those or go deeper into the Jordaan district and discover something on your own.
We ended day one with a quick dinner on Rembrandtsplein back near the hotel(lots of options to choose from. Look up your I Amsterdam Guide for discount options) and turned in early for the night to be fresh as daisies (hmm..maybe tulips, since we are in Tulip land!) for day 2.
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