December 11 Santa Claus is Coming...and He's Ready to Party

NEW YORK CITY

How do I love thee? 

Let me count the ways. 

I love NYC for so many different reasons but the main one is that no matter how many times I visit, this city always amazes me. Chrissy & I started our day by heading to the Farmer's Market at Union Square.

We had to transfer to the 6 train at Bleeker St. which still has the old tile design on the tunnel walls. I couldn't resist taking a few shots while we waited for the train.

One of the great things about New York City is that it doesn't stop for tourists. Sure, tourists are everywhere but New Yorkers do not care. You are just slowing them down while they are living their lives. If you can understand that, I believe it will make your visit more pleasurable. In other words, just act like you belong here and you will be treated kindly. If you stand around gawking, they will knock you down and walk on your back to get where they need to go. Chrissy & I always try to act like locals no matter where we go, but we have perfected it in NYC. 

So while walking through the market, we buy some hot apple cinnamon cider and fresh handmade apple cider donuts...

...and we sit down on a park bench to eat our breakfast. Then Chrissy spots a group of Santa Claus's walking down Broadway and I spot this group of elves in the park.

They told me they were part of SantaCon, a group of people spreading Christmas cheer throughout the city today. I thought this sounded like fun. We head off to Greenwich Village to meet George & Marcy.

We had lunch at a diner in the Village, then did some shopping while enjoying a nice walk through one of the best neighborhoods in the city.

Marcy wanted have some gelato, so we stopped at Grom's for some really good gelato. This is where our typical day in NYC took a turn toward one of those unexpected NYC adventures.

It started with a few small groups of Santas, elves and reindeer. As we walked up Carmine St. to Sixth Ave, the Santas just kept coming...

...by the time we met this group, who encouraged us to buy Santa outfits and join the party, we were surrounded by several hundred Santas...

New Yorkers know how to do Santa with style.

...and they kept pouring out of the West 4th Street subway station. There were Santas of every kind, everywhere. At the top of the subway stairs, Santa's helpers were handing out these Santa Takes The West Village sheets that had local businesses that supported the cause. What cause you might ask? The cause of spreading Christmas cheer. Believe me, this group had been partying all over the city since 9am. They were half in Santa's bag by the time we ran into them about 3pm. 

As the party spread throughout the Village, I lost Chrissy, George & Marcy in the Santa crowd. So I headed across 6th Ave toward Washington Square Park.

The crowd kept growing and got a little unruly, but the police seemed pretty cool with everything going on around them. It really was just a fun party that was happening in the streets. Typical of New Yorkers, those not involved just smiled and went about their business.

A Santa in hot red shorts now that's a Santa I can believe in.

 Here's a Santa I can relate with...having a slice on the run.

 

Some people posed for pictures with the SantaCon people. Even New Yorkers want a picture with the Gumby Santas.

The party began to spread throughout the Village. I had to find Chrissy somewhere in this crowd. I'm sure some Santas were asking her if she was naughty this year.

 I took this shot looking west on Fourth St. across Sixth Avenue.

 It was Santa red all the way to Christopher Street.

 Santas jumping rope on W. 4th St.

A couple of dreidels who told me they were there to represent.

We had to leave this party and head to Brooklyn for dinner. Then back to Manhattan to see a play. We came across yet another Santa as we walked down to the F train platform.

Hey, maybe this was the real Santa or just a Santa that was late for the invasion of the West Village.

 

Hey this is NYC, the fun never ends...after a fine Italian dinner at Luna Rosa in Brooklyn...we are in Times Square and off to see Million Dollar Quartet. It was pretty good. The actor/musicians did a good job with the music. 

 We walked from Times Square to Rockefeller Center and went to the Top Of The Rock. Where we saw a couple get engaged...not this couple, George & Marcy are already married...the bride to be called her mom and said "I think I just got engaged!" Her mom must have asked why do you think that because she yelled "because I have a big fucking ring on my finger!" Yet another reason to love NYC, the people are so damn entertaining.

We left Manhattan well after midnight but first Christy posed here with Andy Warhol. She is such a hipster.

December 10 A Real Egg Cream

We started our day like real New Yorkers. We grabbed a bagel on our way to the subway.

 Georgie having an orgasmic bagel. Damn it, I didn't see that on the menu board, so I just ordered a garlic bagel. After breakfast we stopped at the Chelsea Market, a great place to shop for food or Christmas gifts.

After the Chelsea Market, we headed toward Rockefeller Center. But this being New York City, we got delayed by...

...my desire to take pictures of really old steakhouses and...

...some incredible street performers in the subway, where it is warmer and the acoustics are great unless a train is rumbling through. These musicians played Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and U2's "One" while we were standing there. Both sounded great to me and were sung with the required heartfelt sincerity to pull those songs off. The amount of talented artists in NYC always amazes me.

Rockefeller Center brings a little bit of the real meaning of Christmas to all the shoppers that stop there for a few minutes of quiet reflection.

It's also a great place to get pictures of everyone because they already have that smile on their faces.

A quick stop at St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Ave will put the true Christmas spirit in you, especially if you are lucky enough to see the choir singing Christmas Carols.

Back in the subway and not quite as inspirational as St. Patrick's choir was the Yaz Band, a group of Japanese jazz fans. Chrissy & I had dinner with my friend, Marie, at Frankie's 457. After walking Marie to the subway, we had dessert at the Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain. They sell real egg creams, so in honor of my mother I had one. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. It is milk, sparkling seltzer and chocolate syrup stirred together. We also had a perfect vanilla malt and a hot caramel sundae with broken pretzel rods crumbled over it. Great sweet & salty taste combination. We must of really loved all of it because I didn't stop to take any pictures until we were done.

Another cool aspect of this place was that they sell cool products from similar minded food artisans.

We walked back toward our room at the Inn and met Geo & Marcy for drinks at the Brooklyn Social Club. Back at the Inn, we ate the Magnolia Bakery cupcakes I bought at Grand Central Station earlier in the day.

December 9 Home Sweet Home...Brooklyn

Chrissy & I landed at Laguardia about 10pm and thanks to a very entertaining cab ride we settled into our room at the highly recommended by us Inn on Second by 11pm. My brother Georgie & his wife Marcy took the red eye from California and landed early the next morning.

George in his room

 

Marcy & George on the stoop of the Inn on Second

We headed out for breakfast at a local French café, Provence en Boite.

After breakfast, we went to the city to do some shopping in Soho, Nolita and the East Village.

The still under construction Washington Square Park

Chrissy trying to stay warm

and California girl Marcy wearing a Green Bay Packers hat but definitely not used to 25 degrees and windy which would be considered a summer day in Green Bay

Eventually we had to start shopping, just to warm up. Le Chateau is a smart clothing store, they provide seats for the men while the women shop. I took this self portrait while Chrissy shopped.

Eventually we ended up at the Bleeker Street Bar

After warming up with a few cold ones, it was back to Brooklyn for a slice of pizza, mainly for me and some sleep for Geo & Marcy

This was worth the 800 mile trip to NYC. A slice or two of real New York pizza. The vintage Boylan soda made with cane sugar was very good too.

While Geo & Marcy rested, I walked around the neighborhood and saw this bag lady. She was pretty cute for a homeless person, so I gave her a few dollars since she let me take her picture.

OK, let me explain. I love NYC for a lot of reasons. It is very hard to make a list of my favorite reasons. Let's just say that the incredible food would be very high on that list. So as we set out through the Carroll Gardens neighborhood looking for a good place to eat, we decided to start looking off the beaten path when we found these two items in the front yard of an old building. Of course we went in, walking through the door was like taking a step from modern hipster neighborhood to a small cabin in rural America circa 1860. If there was actually a small cabin in 1860's America with an incredible wine cellar and fantastic cheese menu. 

 After a glass or two of vino and some very good cheeses, we left the Black Mountain Wine House to search for more good food.

We stopped at Smith & Vine for a free wine tasting and the owners sent us to Strong Place for what turned out to be an incredible meal.

We had seafood appetizers of oysters & prawns, then Chrissy & I split a steak with a bleu cheese sauce that was incredible.

How could I not stop at this place? A little nightcap at Bar Great Harry.

Here's Chrissy praying for this day to be over...

...and George & Marcy trying to warm up on the radiator after our walk home.

December 4 It's Finally a Snow Day

Our Great Pyrenees dogs would love it if winter lasted all year long. During the hottest part of summer, it is hard to get them outside. Now, thanks to our first good snow of the season, it is hard to get them to come back inside. Here's the excitement that occurred in my backyard today.

It all starts with Oslo giving Roxie the hairy eyeball from across the yard...then I say "Go get'em Roxie!".

Oslo has the speed advantage...Roxie has the weight advantage...they start by biting each others feet, then they move to biting the ears...

...once Roxie gets the upper hand...Oslo chooses the run away defense...

...then the fat girl chases the Fanook around the yard...

eventually she catches him and the foot & ear attacks begin all over again...

...with the occasional take down happening to one of them...

...then it ends with a time out to remove the snow packed in between the pads on the paws...

...and that is how to have fun on a snow day.