Hello all! I’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to New York City with my husband and thought I’d share my experiences with you…
I’ve been going to NYC at least once a year since I was 12, but every trip is like the first time! As soon as I step into that taxi at LaGuardia Airport, my heart starts skipping. I cannot wait ‘til I see the Manhattan skyline as we ride into the city.
One of my quests on this trip was to find all those “rude New Yorkers.” If you recall, my husband and I went to France last year in pursuit of a rude French person—but never found one! Would New Yorkers exceed our expectations too?
You bet. We were treated like royalty from the time we arrived in Manhattan.
NEW YORK CONFIDENTIAL
Two of New York’s best-kept secrets:
1) If you are a power bargain shopper as I am, make sure you go to Century 21—wow! It’s a huge store, full of great prices, great clothes, and great bargains…you can find designer items at 50% off or more.
2) Most visitors know they can get Broadway show tickets discounted by up to 50% off by visiting the TKTS discount ticket booth at Times Square. But did you know there is another TKTS at South Street Seaport? And unlike the TKTS booth at Times Square, you can buy tickets for the next day. While you’re there, take a stroll through South Street Seaport. You’ll find great stores, restaurants, events, and more.
WHAT ARE NEW YORKERS WEARING?
Most women wore jeans tucked into boots: short boots, knee-high boots, lace-up boots…you name it. Others wore tights with long tops and boots.
For a city that “only wears black” I saw lots and lots of red jackets.
Also, everyone was wearing a scarf, often loosely around their neck and other times just to keep warm. I felt like I was back in Europe!
THE EXCITEMENT OF THE CITY
As I get older, I appreciate the everyday life of New Yorkers more and more. While visiting the MOMA, I found a window overlooking 51st Street and stood there watching New Yorkers go by. New York is a great walking city. Nothing stops New Yorkers; it was raining buckets but they were still out there with their umbrellas. When is the last time you saw an Atlantan not only walk, but walk in the rain?
While my husband was at the Kandinsky Gallery of the Guggenheim, I discovered a small café on the 3rd floor. I ordered a macchiato and stood at the window overlooking Central Park. New Yorkers were jogging, walking, and pushing baby carriages, and I felt like I was in one of the hundreds of movies that have been filmed in NYC. WOW! To live here!
MY TRIP TO SOHO
By the third day, we still had not found a rude New Yorker, so we went to SoHo. That’s the day we found a cab driver who was joking and laughing with us. So much for rude cab drivers…
One of my favorite stores in SoHo is the DKNY store which is where I discovered the Cozy. I bought one in red and have worn it several different ways.
We then discovered an Ugg store. Yes, there’s a whole store and they carry much more than fur-lined boots! My husband bought a great pair of sandals and I found a great hat and a handbag. Did you know you can find sheepskin in most of their women’s sandals for extra comfort? Some have sheepskin on the inside of the heel and thong sandals have sheepskin around the toe area—so comfy!
We also walked in front of an eyeglass store called Ilori. We were looking in the window when a John Legend look-alike motioned us to come in. We had fun trying on all sorts of eyeglasses and finally broke down and bought a pair each. Farah Burns, the stylist who helped us, went out of her way to show us different styles (another “rude person”). After paying for the glasses, she asked us to come to the lower level with her and we found a beautiful lounge, leather sofas, two glasses of champagne, and French chocolates waiting for us. At first, I was a little leery wondering what was going on. Well, it was customer service at its best! No, we did not spend thousands of dollars for this—just got the two pairs of sunglasses! I told Farah I felt like a princess and she told me I was. Frankly, she was the princess. Here’s her photo.
Later, we laughed when we found out that Ilori is owned by Lenscrafters—who knew they had a luxurious side?
So did I find a rude New Yorker? Nope, not one…but I sure had a lot of fun looking for one!