NYC Weekend

A friend and I met in NYC this past weekend to see Sting in The Last Ship at the Metropolitan Opera. It was a sort of spur-of-the-moment decision made after watching him perform in the rain and cold at Wolf Trap a few weeks ago, and then miraculously finding tickets. (The show, by the way, was good. Depressing and slow start, but it ended on a positive note.)

We wanted to stay close enough to Lincoln Center to walk, and so I booked her a room with two beds at Civilian in Hell's Kitchen. It turned out to be a lovely little hotel, with a great view from our "09" room (the rooms ending in "09" are the corner ones with very nice views of the Hudson River).

Over the course of the weekend I had a cannoli from Rosetta Bakery (and later a pistachio croissant and a cappuccino); lunch at Barking Dog outside people watching; dinner with friends at Serafina; brunch at Bocado Cafe; saw the Carol Bove show at the Guggenheim; walked in Central Park; and had a lovely dinner back at the hotel in their steakhouse, Carversteak.

I ended up spending a second, unplanned night due to weather delays and flight cancelations. This is where I have to say that the folks at Civilian stepped up - they were very gracious and took care of me when I needed a place at the last minute that I hadn't planned.

And also where I should mention that after returning home, I put in a claim with Allianz Insurance and it was paid in 24 hours. I bought a year-long travel insurance plan with them, and that has been one of the smarter things I've done as far as travel is concerned! I may not have gotten my leave back, but at least I got reimbursed for the room.

The exciting thing, though, which is almost always true of New York City, was that we were there when Big Things Were Happening! The Knicks won the championships! The World Cup was in town! It was Puerto Rico Day! And probably other things that I wasn't even aware of. Here are some highlights. I apologize for the lousy video quality and for the passerby's cursing, but it was midnight on a Saturday night when I took the Knicks fans ones; and I just didn't shoot from a great spot for the parade.

If you want to visit New York City, let me know! I can help you find your perfect hotel, restaurants, get you tickets for shows or museums, all the things.