Good Bye NYC

New York City was a dream, as usual. It was a different experience for me this time, because I had two friends with me who had never been there before. They were so appreciative and excited. Believe me, I haven’t gotten complacent about my times there, but it was refreshing to experience the grandeur of the place through their eyes.

We managed to fit a lot into four days. West Village for Magnolia cupcakes (which are ridiculously expensive, by the way) and a stroll by the river, Staten Island ferry for a close-up look at the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero (where the city is still fighting over what to build there), subway rides and crazy cabs, giant cheesecakes at Stage Deli where the waitresses instantly become your meddling yet well-meaning Jewish mothers (so get a sandwich, it’s good!), Rockefeller Plaza, Dean and Deluca, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Chelsea Market, liquid chocolate at the Chocolate Bar (highly recommended), Strawberry Fields, carriage ride around Central Park, and lots and lots of walking.

My favorite time has to be laying on the grass in Central Park and listening to this amazing “street musician”, as he referred to himself. He had an amazing voice and put on a hell of a show. He stood in front of the lake, and the little hill in front of him was full of tired visitors and New Yorkers alike, singing along and yelling out requests. The weather was perfect, and occasionally people would stop by the shore of the lake on row boats to listen. Picture James Taylor singing to you and fifty of your closest friends on a sun-filled day in Central Park. It was heaven. Go to his web site and give it a listen, you'll be planning your next NYC visit in no time.

Star sightings: Out of all the famous people roaming the streets of New York, we run into Chris Carter (former Vikings player, for those of you who care about football as much- or as little- as I do). My friends are HUGE fans, we have all had season tickets together in past years and they were insane about meeting him. We also saw Kiefer Sutherland crossing the street in the West Village, but he was on his cell phone so we decided not to bother him. On the subway we saw one of the comedians from VH1’s Best Week ever making out with his girlfriend. We also took this as a sign not to attempt conversation.

I think it will be my last trip to NYC for a while, so I am glad I was able to share it with good friends. And now I am happy to be home. Muggy heat and all.