And then there is New York...

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…