A post-Christmas, pre-New Year’s jaunt to New York

We enjoyed a beautiful but frigid visit to New York City, post-Christmas and pre-New Year’s.

Since most of our family lives in Northern California, we don’t usually travel for the holidays. Just a few miles here and there. So planning for a post-Christmas, pre-New Year’s jaunt to New York, along with the regular holiday hustle, seemed so very strange and stressful.

But, once we got to the city…

We rented a VRBO apartment that blew our minds with its size. For once, the pictures didn’t lie.
Bonus: The bed was actually really comfortable.
Practically palatial and cheaper than a hotel.
Jet lagged people went in seek of “bacon tater tots” which ended up being not the comfort food I expected but haute cuisine at The Eddy. From top left: Bacon tater tots with pea puree (really), beef tendon puffs with salmon roe (a surprisingly good taste explosion), malt vinegar potato skins with salmon rillette.
Inventive menu but not the fare our just-crossed-the-country-on-four-hours-sleep bodies needed. We walked across the street for Indian before passing out at 8 p.m. local time.
Our apartment was just a couple blocks from the famous Katz’s Deli. More on that below.
Bleak gardens in winter.
Wandering around the Lower East Side and Soho.
New York’s finest.
Princess Manor Catering Hall in Brooklyn
The purpose for our New York trip: To celebrate our friends’ 50th anniversary in the same place where they were married! Too cool.
Our friends clean up well.
Congratulations Frank and Angela!
Highlight of the trip: Watching seven couples who had been married for 50+ years on the dance floor.
Me and Mr. T
The party continued down the street at Raize’s in Greenpoint.
Best friends for the last couple decades.
Me and Deb!
Glamorous on their 50th anniversary, don’t you think?
After the party, we had a couple days to sight see and I thanked the stars for “mild” weather. Thirties during the day and no snow! Happily the polar vortex blew in the week AFTER our trip.
My only touristy goal of the trip: To ice skate. Except I forgot to factor in the holiday crowds which meant an hour-long line and packed ice at Bryant Park, Central Park and Rockefeller Center. No thank you!
Nerd-tourists visited the New York Public Library, like you do.
New York Public Library reading room. Such a gorgeous building.
Loved seeing the city dressed up for Christmas.
New York City Library.
California popsicles at the library.
Best souvenir ever- My very own New York Public Library card.
Library love.
St. Pat’s Cathedral which was happily open for visitors. When we walked by the front doors were opening, so we popped in for a few minutes. Spectacular architecture.
Could’ve spent an hour exploring St. Pat’s. What a beautiful space.
Lots of construction at St. Pat’s.
I don’t think I could pull off stained glass at home but it’s tempting.
The skating line at Central Park… Maybe next time. 🙁
A chilly day in Central Park.
Last time we visited Central Park, it was Mother’s Day and the lawn was covered with picnic people and kids playing.
Cheap seats?
If you’re in New York when it’s cold, get the hot nuts! So good.
Some of the hilarious junk for sale near Times Square.
Times Square! That Covergirl stage is where the Rockin’ New Year’s Eve festivities took place a couple days after our visit.
Also, Times Square between Christmas and New Year’s = horrifyingly crowded.
Of course we saw a Broadway show. Kinky Boots for the win!
Obligatory Times Square snap. Covergirl stage behind and left.
In need of a place to warm up, we walked a couple blocks down from Times Square and found Bibble & Sip, a super cute coffee shop with creative pastries.
Bibble & Sip, and a Timsicle.
Walking toward Radio City Musical Hall and Rockefeller Center.
Radio City Music Hall at Christmas. Sigh.
Rockefeller Center.
Rockefeller Center, where the ice skating line was also insane.
The excited faces of people walking AWAY from the Rockefeller Center crowds.
We took the subway a couple times, but found it nearly as cheap to Uber around town.
How many fancy dinners start with scary alley ways?
At least one.
Inside Freeman’s in the Lower East Side. Delicious food but scanty in the vegetable department.
Finally.
Counter service at Katz’s Deli.
Katz’s pastrami on rye. Enough for at least four people.
With homemade pickles!
All the pastrami.
I didn’t realize Katz’s was featured in When Harry Met Sally… I’ll have what she’s having!
Pastrami brunch at Katz’s. Glad we got there early… the place was packed at 11.
Manhattan.
We got to see Billy Porter headline Kinky Boots… incredible show!
Kinky Boots is about a failing shoe company that starts a new niche–making “kinky boots” designed to fit men. But really, it’s the story of understanding, acceptance, friendship and love. I adored every second of the show. I haven’t laughed aloud that much or felt so moved by performances like Billy Porter’s. Go see it!
Excited for Kinky Boots.
Our last night in New York.
Visited Mecca, aka B&H. It’s a city block long and multi-story by the way. Le sigh.
Stopped in at Uncle Jack’s for a snack and to kill time before our dinner at The View, a revolving restaurant 48 stories up. Loved the atmosphere (and food and drinks) at Jack’s, especially the friendly service and old New York flair.
We allllllmost stayed at Uncle Jack’s, but I’m so, so glad we kept our reservation at The View. #1 it was damn cool to see the city from above and the food was good #2. We got to see a couple get engaged from three feet away! And there were three other engagements on our side of the restaurant. Although the waitstaff must see plenty of that sort of thing, it was a really cool experience for us.
Congrats again Brian and Ann!
Of course, all good things come to an end, and that describes perfectly our return trip on Delta. I was just DELIGHTED not to be allowed to bring my carry-on on board, despite having been able to bring it on my outbound flight. ESPECIALLY loved being told it “wouldn’t fit” despite seeing one completely empty bin and several half-empty bins. I understand now why people throw fits at the airport–so frustrating to have ZERO control and deal with people who have no grasp of logic. Will not be flying Delta again unless there’s no other choice. (Southwest, how about some direct flights to NYC already?)
Home. Well almost. Flying over Tahoe is usually the descent pattern for Sacramento, but we were headed to San Francisco. Yes, it occurred to more than one of us in our party to have a medical emergency right about here so as to land in Sacramento. (Kidding, kidding. Mostly.)

xoxo,
shawna

Other travel things:
Malvinis take Manhattan
My favorite tour guide
A few things I learned about Chicago
Evergreen Aviation and the Spruce Goose
Incredible Glacier Bay National Park (plus, whales!) Things I know about B&Bs
Oshkosh b’gosh! part 5
Traversing Traverse City, Michigan
Romantic Mackinac Island
Skagway, the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway, and bears, oh my! A helicopter ride and glacier walking in Juneau
Turning 30 and (not drowning) kayaking in Ketchikan


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