The Big Apple in Chilly March

Here I am, back in town, battling the post travel doldrums (yes, I get them even after being away only a few days.  Anticipation fuels me, and in winter months, that's one of the few things that does.)

I don't know why it took me 7 or 8 trips before I decided I wanted to visit the Brooklyn Museum.  I have always used the same web link as my resource for free museums and been in NYC over many a 'first Saturday of the month' but for some reason the city's second largest art collection just never jumped out at me.  As I mentioned, ever first Saturday of the month, Target sponsors some live musical entertainment, curator talks, free admissions and some other events.  The collections within the museum are varied, they are spread over 5 floors which took me about 2 hours to get through (I would say I was at a medium level of concentration that day...higher the concentration, longer I take).  The collection ranges from Kandinsky to Ancient Egypt to Feminist Art.  The museum itself is steps from the subway (literally) and a beautiful building in itself.

What's a trip to NYC (for me) without trendy Asian eats?  New York is where Toronto looks to for the lastest food trends, so it's always fun to get a jump on the latest and greatest.  My first evening in NYC was a chilly one, line ups for many places were out the door, so I eventually made my way back to my favourite East Village ramen joint... Rai Rai Ken.  They used to be a small counter-seating-only noddle bar, but have since spruced up and now the brighter decor and tables accommodate a greater number (note: there is still little room for your coats, there are no hooks on the wall nor rack at the entrance so be prepared).  They had a seasonal ramen:  Lobster broth ramen with shrimp, scallions, etc. which was very good.  The large "we do not use MSG" label on the menu allowed me to drink all my soup with confidence.

A place that I've been meaning to try for some time now is Buddha Bondai - a Buddhist vegetarian dim sum restaurant on Mott St. in Chinatown.  While on my way to lunch that day, I took the scenic route past Nom Wah Dum Sum Parlor on Doyers St., the oldest Dim Sum restaurant in NYC - circa 1920 (there was a line-up out the door that day for a table, good thing I had other plans).  Doyers St. also has an interesting history, the unique bend in the street made it an ideal place for many of the Tong Gang shootings of the 30's, earning it the name "The Bloody Angle".  Lots of bad ass Asian Gangster shit went down on Doyers.  Awesome.  Back to Buddha Bondai though... for those not familiar with dim sum, you may wonder what's the big deal about the vegetarian version?  Dim Sum is like Chinese tapas, where small dishes of food are ordered to share and make up a meal (typically eaten at brunch/lunch time).  Some examples of dim sum dishes include dumplings, steamed buns, little meat dishes like short ribs, and other pastries.  Most dim sum (and Chinese food really) contains some kind of pork or seafood (or both), so it can be a real challenge to find something to eat if you're vegetarian.  Buddha Bondai has straight up vegetarian dishes - ie. bean curd sheets with veggies wrapped inside, and a most delicious mushroom rice roll, and also dishes with 'meat' names where the meats are then substituted with other ingredients.  Their shiu mai (which is a very popular pork dumpling) actually uses sticky rice in place of the pork!  Very yummy substitute and creative as I was merely expecting flavoured TVP.  I will definitely be back to try more dishes next time.

I also found my way over to Jum Mum on St. Marks (the most bustling street in the East Village with a blend of trendy quick eats and head shops... weird but great combo right?)  Jum Mum is one of the newest contenders in the best Pork Belly Bao competitition of the EV (yep, that's a thing!)  I tried the classic pork belly, the crispy chicken, and sesame tofu.  It was good stuff, and while it's probably the cheapest in the neighborhood, I would have to say it's not as cheap as all the reviews make it out to be... If you're in need of a snack and want to sample a decent bao, definitely go to Jum Mum, but if you're already at Momofuku, you should prob just pay the extra few bucks and have their version (the original in the city) instead.   If you've never heard of nor had steamed bao before and you happen to hail from Toronto, give Banh Mi Boys a try.  They're the best (and only?) we've got around here.

 

You may or may not recall, during my last trip to NYC, I visited the Muppet Whatnot Workshop at F.A.O Schwartz... 

I dreamt and drooled over the idea of having my own muppet.  So I saved up, went back, and got one made!!!

Marla the Muppet with Monkey at our hotel room.

I chatted with the muppet maker as he was working on Marla.  He was a 30 year old slightly-disillusioned musician (well disillusioned with the music industry anyway) of Chinese heritage but spoke even less Chinese than me.  Thought it was too weird to try and leave him my card/info, but aside from having my dream job (haha) he also seemed exactly like the sort of friends I should have in New York.  Wonder how he responds to bi-annual stalking? (kidding...kinda...)

Another great trip to NYC...the sights, the shops, and the sheer energy of the place... even the cold couldn't stop me from wandering around outside (though I will admit to wandering into more store than usual)  Oh yeah, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof... a must for Scarlett fans, a discount-only show for the rest of us.  The second act in particular had me in a sleepy stupor.  She's good, and if you're really into (read: forgiving about) Southern dramas, you may have a more positive reaction than me.  I don't regret going, just wish they'd changed the set at least once...  The Harry Potter Exhibition is lots of fun for the family, and even though I was by myself I still enjoyed it lots.  Don't know that I would've wanted to pay much more ($22 plus service charges with the discount) to see a well-placed collection of props, but I'm ok with that price for an hour's worth of entertainment.  Skip the souvenirs though, prices are insane.

Until next time!

Question of the day

If I haven't reiterated lately... I love getting travel-related questions, so if you have any, please ask!

Today I was asked to recommend a good place to shop in New York City.

Wow!  Where to begin right???  The question was posed by a trendy, relatively well-to-do lady in her 40's who just wanted a little direction, not an entire guide book.  Still, I couldn't resist consulting another NYC expert (my best friend Carrie) and her answer was basically the same as mine.  So I replied:

"West Broadway boutiques in SoHo.  More independent boutiques with unique styles, the major chains are nearby on Broadway, and even more mid-to-upscale stores are on the intersecting streets so lots of options within walking distance."

  Where do you like to shop in New York City?...

On the road again...

Ok, not quite on the road again, but on the planning again...

Happy New Year travelers!  I wish you all good health, prosperity, and lots of opportunities to travel in 2013!

My travel year is off to a promising start after finding a $800 deal on Iceland Air for Toronto to Helsinki in May.  I'm very excited to plan another rat race-type trip through Northern Europe this time.  It's not the type of trip that would appeal to everyone, it's hardly relaxing for starters ;) but after taking a leisurely trip to the great cities of Russia last year and looking back on my wacky trip through parts of Italy and Central Europe in 2011, I would have to say that I enjoyed my treks in 2011 much more (even if it did mean stumbling off a train in Salzburg at 4am and showering with no hot water for 2 nights in Prague in October).  It's not the type of trip that's for the faint of heart, nor faint of knee/foot (both of which are slowly degenerating for me) so I gotta do more of this kind of traveling while I still can!

Destinations I've got my eye on are all the capital cities (I don't really know why I favour capital cities, I do understand that they're not always the finest the country has to offer... I mean, I do hail from Canada after all and I do my best to avoid Ottawa), which include: Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga (I guess Latvia isn't Northern Europe but I'm going anyway), Stockholm, Oslo, and Copenhagen.  So if anyone's been and has suggestions, please send them my way.  I'm really not that well-knowledged in any of these countries (though I am expecting lots of Ikea furniture and people singing ABBA and Ace of Base in Sweden ;)), other than the caviar is well-priced and plentiful.

There's always much to consider when traveling, and even more so when you're moving around a lot.  The obvious stuff like "how many days should I stay in each city?" to the ridiculous-sounding-until-you've-made-the-wrong-choice... ie. do I bring my smallest 2 wheel wheelie bag or slightly larger (won't fit in cabin) 4 wheel hardcase?  Smaller bag is harder to pack but will save me $$ on checked luggage if I wind up taking a flight on RyanAir or Easy Jet.  Hardcase holds more and 4 wheels are much easier to fly through train stations and other smooth-paved streets but if I have to walk uphill on cobblestone I will be screwed!  I think many of my fellow travelers (and even I) have said before, people "backpack" through Europe for a reason, because so much of it is not luggage friendly.  Sadly my back and knee doesn't let me do that, so I weigh out suitcase options.

First to get acquainted with the cities though.  That's usually the first thing I do.  Gives me a feel for how many days I want to spend in each.  Also once I've seen a few maps, I can determine location of airport/central train station/bus terminal to decide my mode of travel between each.  Cost and timing also play a part, but it gets things rolling.  Travel guides are in my near future, but for some of the stops (ie. Riga) where I only plan to be there for a day or two, I'm going to Tripadvisor for all the basics and as a launchpad for all my online research.  I really do enjoy that site.

With that I'll leave you to your own travel bookings.  Maybe other deals can be had on Iceland Air, for nearby travel Porter's had some good deals for New York City, I'll be dropping in for a few days in March myself.  I got return flights for $200, it was hard to resist.  Plus a reservation at the Seafarer's International House offering lower rates for $140/night for a double private room (as in 2 twin beds, perfect for my needs), I'll let you guys know how the place is.  The location is definitely right though, minutes from Union Square (my home away from home) on the border of Gramercy and the East Village.

Happy trails ;)

Girly Family Fun On A Budget in NYC

This blog is for my friend Chantale, who's taking two teenage girls down to NYC this weekend and asked me if I had any tips.  I hate to admit, the first thing that popped into my mind after hearing "two teenage girls" was... hide your wallet!  I can't exactly speak from experience, having never gone to New York City with a teenage girl, but if it's any consolation I often have similar tastes as teenage girls (just not for Abercrombie clothes and Justin Bieber).

First and foremost, this is a family trip, so while you're trying to save a buck, you still want to make sure you're traveling safe and staying somewhere safe.  Luckily, pretty much all forms of public transportation in New York City are safe and kid friendly.  In addition, you might enjoy a ride in a doubledecker bus for a hop on/hop off tour, which doubles as your mode of transportation when traveling from one tourist site to another.  The New York City Pass is a good value if you're aiming to hit a bunch of tourist destinations, and it's always cheaper for a kids pass, further savings can be had if you buy a New York Pass and Bus Tour together.  Empire State Building, Madame Tussaud's, River Cruise... you will quickly get your money's worth.

Teens are definitely old enough to enjoy a wide variety of shows on (and off) Broadway.  I haven't quite mastered the technique of getting cheap theatre tickets yet, but for starters you could sign up at playbill.com for discount codes to various shows.  There is the booth for same day discount tickets at Times Square, but I find the lines too daunting.  I had some luck during my last trip getting same day tickets right at the box office for a show that was still in previews (Nice Work If You Can Get It), where there were still a number of sections available.  The trick is to buy the cheapest seats, keep an eye out for empty seats in a section further up, and swoop in on them once the lights go down, or during intermission.  I managed to get from the second last row to front mezzanine.

Regardless of who you're traveling with or how old they are, it's always a good idea to check out a park or two.  Central Park is the obvious destination, you can rent bikes, or have a picnic, or both!  It's an economical and fun way to spend the afternoon.  Don't forget the famous F.A.O. Schwarz toy store is just south of the park.  If you want to stay closer to Midtown there's Bryant Park with its beautiful carousel.  The High Line Park has also been recommended to me, a former elevated railway now reclaimed and rebuilt into a public park above the streets of Manhattan’s West Side.

When it comes to food, it's harder to make recommendations as everyone has different tastes.  New York is known for its pizza and street food though, I don't think having a pretzel for lunch one day ever hurt anyone.  And what is one type of food almost everyone can agree on?  Candy!  Ok, it's not cheap, but Dylan's Candy Bar is worth a visit.  From the bulk bins to the nostalgia chocolate bars (plus the occasional free sample!), there will something for everyone regardless of their age.

Finally let's get girly, you can't go to New York City in August without a little back to school clothing and accessory shopping, right?  So while you're in the Empire State Building area, on the ground level look for the entrance to Strawberry, which is like a Winners for young ladies (and once in a while you'll find me in there too, usually buying one of pair of every shoe).  Not far away on 34th Street is Forever 21, with a selection that puts its Toronto branches to shame.  Keep walking west on 34th Street and you'll walk right into Macy's, which needs no introduction -- remember to show your passport at the customer service desk for your visitor discount card.  While in Soho, be sure to check out Yellow Rat Bastard for the best t-shirt selection including Paul Frank, Toki-doki, and more.  You won't find anything like em here at home.  If you're near the Flatiron building, head north on Broadway or swing over to Avenue of the Americas or 7th Avenue and you'll see a lot of beauty supply stores, nail polish in every colour of the rainbow and walls of hair and beauty supplies await you in those stores.  It is the city of $10 manicures after all (oh yeah, maybe get one of those too!)

Chantale, I hope you and the girls have a terrific time in the Big Apple.  It's cool to be a little fiesty, New Yorkers like to see that in their women.  Make sure to have a red velvet cupcake and a black & white cookie, and get yourselves to the top of the Rock(efeller) or Empire State Building.  Have fun! xo

NYC April 2012 - Trip Notes

It's been a while on the blog front, but sadly not because I've been on the road all this time.  I did make it down to NYC for what seems like my annual Easter pilgrimage (to appease the shopping gods of course, I can't deal with the crowds to attend the Easter Day Parade)

As I mentioned in previous posts, I decided to try flying via Buffalo this year and even spent half a day in Cheektowaga hunting for bargains at the Walden Galleria mall.

The trip began early Wednesday morning, the Greyhound bus from Toronto to Buffalo Airport was a reasonable $14 each way.  Delays at the border got us there a bit late, but since I wasn't actually flying anywhere until the next day I wasn't too concerned that I had to each lunch an hour later.  First lesson learned was that Buffalo isn't a pedestrian-friendly place. Though Google Maps showed that my hotel was only a 20 min walk away, I had to choose my path wisely to ensure I had a sidewalk to walk on and pedestrian traffic signals only changed when you physically pressed the button to cross.  At first I attributed this to the airport proximity, our own Pearson International is not situated in a neighborhood that favours crosswalks over highways either.  I soon learned that it wasn't a localized issue.  Also Cabs aren't readily available to flag down in the streets at all.  While at the Galleria mall, I asked which way (meaning which exit doors) to the Olive Garden, the guy told me "it's just across the street" followed by "where are you parked?" implying that I should drive from one parking lot to another.  This horrified me on both a physical and environmental level.  How can it not occur to them to walk across a street?  Perhaps if they didn't build roads that people feel like they are risking their lives just to get across safely.  Despite my best efforts, I'm never going back to Buffalo without a car, it is simply too hard to get around.

That is not to say I had a bad time in Buffalo, on the contrary, I really enjoy shopping at the Galleria Mall. Macy's had coloured denim jeggings on sale and I chatted a long while with the guy at Teavana, who not only sold tea but has also lived in Ontario/Quebec and brought up the topic of TIFF and the Lightbox building (if he hadn't just reached legal drinking age I would say I'd found my soulmate).

The hotel we stayed in was the Best Western Inn at Buffalo Airport, it's a very basic 3-star with comfy beds, spacious room, CRT TV, good showerhead and complimentary continental breakfast.  For $80/night I considered it a bargain, next time I come back (with a car!) I'd stay there again.

Buffalo Airport is a pretty small operation, but still enough traffic on an early Thursday morning that we had to queue up (sorry, we're in US...line up...) to get scanned and x-rayed.  Regretfully the coach stop does not have a shelter or enclosed waiting area, not a problem arriving at the airport but it was pretty brutal waiting in the cold for the bus home at the end of the trip.

The flight was short and blissfully free of children.  Though I originally booked Continental Airline flights, their recent merger with United meant a few changes and in the end it became a UA flight.  Your carry on baggage size allowance is the same as with all other flights, but beware that the overhead compartments will not actually fit a standard carry-on sized wheelie.  They will tag your luggage at the gate and stow your wheelie during the flight, so be ready to pull out the items essential to your flight.  Luckily I've been thru this song and dance before and was ready to pluck my tablet and magazine out at a moment's notice.

I usually take Coach USA from Newark Liberty Airport into Manhattan, but this time I thought I would try taking the train.  On other travel sites & blogs it's described as a train that goes from the airport to Penn Station New York in approximately the same amount of time as the bus (less if the bus gets stuck in traffic), for a few dollars less.  All of which was true, but what they neglected to mention was that it's actually New Jersey Transit - aka a local train.  I was a little surprised to set foot on the train to find a bunch of Mets fans heading into NYC is all.  Going from Penn Station back to the airport was a little more problematic with a broken train that couldn't leave the station.  We had to get up en masse to switch trains, it was a nightmare where I almost left my ticket behind if not for a very respectable young thug (perhaps I'm getting older but it was some pretty cliched hip hop gear he was wearing) who called me "m'am" and handed me the ticket I'd left behind.  It was unfortunate, but it could happen to any train service.  Luckily I'd given myself some extra time so I was not late for my flight.

My accommodations in NYC were booked through AirBnB.com, my second time using the site.  I don't think I could've picked a better location if I tried, I am utterly in love with life in the East Village and my host, Jordan, was on E 12th St. and 3rd Ave.  That's right on the northern edge of the East Village and 3 blocks from Union Square (which I can never stay away from either).  Jordan's pretty nice and responds quickly via text, he met us at the apartment but unfortunately his last guests were late checking out.  So he took our bags and we were *forced* to go to Whole Foods Union Square, Forever 21, Strawberry, Forbidden Planet, Best Buy, and the DVD Funhouse for a couple of hours (oh, the horror! ;)) For the record I only bought 8 movies (6 Blu-ray, 2 DVDs) this year, which is actually one less than last year.  When we finally did get into the apartment, what we got was a decent-sized ground floor studio.  It had all the essentials, nice living/bedroom decor, good mattress, basic kitchen, but older bathroom (I wasn't in love with the tub but I've definitely had to deal with much worse).  It's a little thing, but Jordan had the foresight to plug a powerbar into one of the outlets, which made it much easier to plug in my devices without having to crawl under a table/unplug other things.  More renters/guesthouses around the world should do this.

Next was the quest for theatre tickets.  I had my eye on 2 shows, including Death of a Salesman starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman and directed by Mike Nichols, but there had been no discounts online (prob thanks to the great reviews), plus a $15 online booking fee.  So I decided just to head to midtown and go up to the box offices (I did walk by Times Square to see how long the line for discount tickets were, one glimpse and I said forget it!)  Death of a Salesman was playing at the Ethel Barrymore where they informed me the only available show was the Saturday matinee, with either single seats in the Orchestra or partial views, with prices starting at $140.  I decided that wasn't worth it and moved onto the Imperial for Nice Work If You Can Get It, which was in previews.  They had much better options there so I bought a pair of rear mezzanines, going straight to the box office also meant no additional service fees.  Turned out the show wasn't anywhere near sold out, our entire row shuffled up in the dark/during intermission and I wound up in the front mezzanine with an excellent view.  Matthew Broderick, Kelli O'Hara and Judy Kaye were terrific, plus Estelle Parsons makes an appearance.  The show is fun and the laughs are genuine, even if the story is a little contrived (hey, it's a musical).  I wanted all the chorus girls' dresses (the story takes places in the 20's).

Can't be in NYC without eating some really good food, sometimes this doesn't align with my wallet's plans, but luckily Gordon Ramsey isn't the only person/place to turn to for delicious food in the city.  We celebrated my friend Carrie's birthday with tapas and sangria at Boqueria in Soho, I recommend the Espinacas a la Catalana, Croquetas Cremosas, and the churros with chocolate dipping sauce.

Another afternoon I cut through Little Italy, Chinatown and veered off until I found myself in the Two Bridges neighborhood.  Don't think I'll be photographing that area extensively but I did find a hand-pulled noodle shop just off East Broadway that served a delicious bowl of noodles and steamed dumplings for dirt cheap.

My favourite discovery had to be Jing Fong Restaurant in Chinatown, which is on many food critic/blog lists for best dim sum in NYC.  They serve it up the old-fashioned way with pushcarts and featured desserts and decor that I haven't seen since the 80's in Hong Kong (think red decor and neon lighting). It brought back fond memories of living in Hong Kong in 1986, when my grandparents took my cousin and I to dim sum almost every day.  A large selection of dim sum and delightfully kitschy atmosphere all for a very low price.  I am never going to NYC without stopping at Jing Fong again!

One of my New Years' resolutions for 2012 was to venture into one of the boroughs for a change and I did just that on this trip by subwaying to Queens to visit the Museum of the Moving Image.  On this trip I learned (re-learned perhaps) the hard way that while the MTA has extensive routes, should you miss a stop or go the wrong way even one stop, it can take you a lot of time and effort to turn yourself around.  I hopped on a downtown train by mistake, got off one stop later but it so happened the stop did not have access to the other (uptown) platform unless I went out onto the street and paid my fare again.  So I went one stop further where I was able to get to the uptown platform, however they had switched the tracks for the local/express trains and I didn't notice the service sign right away, therefore let a couple trains go by without realizing there would be no express.  Finally got on a local train...making every stop to Astoria, so you can imagine what that was like.  Luckily MOVI was worth the effort, I spent a few hours geeking out amidst endless rows of antique films cameras and film-making equipment (some of which I was actually taught to use in school - a sure sign that my education is dangerously outdated!)

As usual, I packed as much into every day as I could while in NYC, here is a quick run-down of some of the places I hit, a blend of favourites and new finds:

• Macy's - go to guest services to get your discount card first thing, then be prepared to lose hours of your life
• Desigual - is Desigual.  I prefer the midtown store but I will go into any one that I walk past.
• Uniqlo - my first time at the midtown store, they were featuring a line of Andy Warhol t-shirts and $20 capris that are perfect for the office.
• SuperDry Store - another Japanese innovation, found a great biker jacket on sale but my credit card wouldn't cooperate.
• Canal St. - isn't what it used to be, I've lost the desire to seek out back alley sweatshops and the stores right on Canal have lousy knock-offs.
• Custo - did not have any sales this year and the sales people seemed less friendly, guess they're established and can be snooty too, like they are in Barcelona.
• Yellow Rat Bastard - is still the best place in the world to buy t-shirts.
• Top Shop - you can't always be in London, this is a fine consolation.
• Eataly - is a hard place to find a seat!  For a market eatery it's a little pricey but the quality is good.
• Random Accessories - a tiny little space packed with some pretty awesome knick-knacks.
• DVD Funhouse - has moved across the street from it's former location but still packed with marked down blockbusters and B movies.
• Best Buy Union Square - it's a Best Buy...but with US-priced blu-rays!
• Chelsea Market - remains one of my favourites, The Filling Station is the cheapest place to get truffle salt.

I didn't even get through half the stores I'd marked down to visit in the East Village, but on the flipside stopped in at some independent coffee shops, Chinese fast food joints, and Asian movie/music stores that I'd recommend but failed to record their names.  All I know is that I'll never tire of New York, I'm already trying to figure out when I'll have an opportunity to go back.