A New York Minute
A quick weekend for a special 21st birthday and a few more reasons to fall in love with the "Big Apple"
I am not a New York expert by any stretch. We lived there for quick year in 2001 and were so poor that I can only tell you about things that were happening for free or how delicious Gray’s Papaya hotdogs are. It’s a good thing that I was in culinary school or we would have starved. I fell in love with the city and its pace. I walked every inch that I possibly could. I have been a west coaster for almost twenty five years now, but I LOVE to go back- especially with our four kids. We spent Annie’s 21st there recently and I fell in love with a few new spots.
There are far too many fun hotels in New York to choose one, but the birthday girl chose The Whitby. We chatted about how we should be cool and stay downtown, but we value running in the park too much so uptown it is. The service is so warm at the Whitby and the rooms so very Kit Kemp charming. They upgraded us to corner rooms which had a little outside terrace for morning coffee above the noisy streets. I scoured the Yolo Journal’s NYC Black Book. You can find it on Substack or her website. Yolo is like the New York Times cooking app for me. You can’t afford NOT to subscribe.
Annie and I were the first to arrive in NYC. We had a drink (French 75) at the bar at the Whitby (good jazz every Friday night) before walking to Casa Cruz. It is very “New York” and feels special. The food was delicious and the multiple dining rooms are small so although it feels quite sophisticated, it is still cozy. I love California casual restaurants usually, but when in NYC, I don’t mind a James Bond vibe.
JEB joined us Saturday. We started the day like all NYC days- juice, coffee, run. JEB isn’t a runner, but it always amazes me that young people can just bang out six miles without breaking a sweat. They better not take those young bodies for granted. Annie had just run her first half so I was the old lady slowing everyone down. If our family is any indication, these are the only running shoes to wear these days be it for aging knees or faster miles. You just have to decide Cloudrunner or Cloudmonster.
We had brunch scheduled at The Odeon, which lots of Yolo contributors swear by, but we cancelled because we had too many places to hit and too little time. Annie suggested This Bowl in NoHo as a quick bite before hitting the shops. It is “stop you in your tracks” good. I can’t explain why or how, but they get it RIGHT. I have wanted one every day since and am trying to convince the Aussie owners to bring one to SF. Post lunch, we were fueled to shop. We stopped in the Sabah shop and the coveted green is back in stock and I’m still not over these baby orange ones. JEB already has them, but was kind enough to let me copy. We hit Le Labo for a birthday scent (Fleur D’Oranger 27). They print your name and the date on the bottle so it is a special gift. Annie is always in the know and wanted to stop at Paloma Wool. The line was long and even longer each time we tried again. It made me think of this hilarious SNL skit - “big dumb line”. After thoroughly exploring Soho, we were on a mission to see the buzzed about Printemps department store. After waiting in quite a long “big dumb line” we entered something between an Alice in Wonderland scene and Bergdorf. The shopping is good; the design is stunning. It is hard to explain, but worth a visit.
A MAJOR pet peeve of mine is when a condescending salesperson asks me to put my coffee down to enter a store. I’m not four years old and I haven’t spilled a beverage in many years. I almost never purchase in those stores (I really want to name one in particular, but look how mature I am- such restraint!). This stunning store was the opposite. It has a giant champagne bar in the center of the store. Everyone was walking around incredible clothes and gowns and shoes with champagne in tow. I didn’t see anyone spill a single drop! It is out of the way unless you happen to be leaving your office on Wall Street, but it is worth a visit and a “big dumb line”. Tip: if you make a restaurant or bar reservation, you can skip the “big dumb line”.
Will arrived just in time to watch the Auburn game with us (War Eagle Anyway- sniff!). JG Melon was too crowded so a friend recommended The Jeffrey and it was a perfect spot to watch and meet some fellow Auburn fans! Dinner plans changed again. We had a fun reservation at The Potluck Club which I am dying to try, but the game ran too long to get back downtown so we ended up at The Lobster Club for sushi. I am sure there is better sushi for a better price, but back to that James Bond vibe AND it is delish.
Sunday was an uptown morning before we all departed. We had to see the Chairish boutique at Bergdorf and it is lovely- another must visit! Of course we stood in the purple box for a pic. I wanted these flats and these boots from Gabriela Hearst and these heels, but it wasn’t my birthday:).
We cancelled yet ANOTHER brunch at the classic Waverly Inn to do more 21st birthday shopping. I won’t disclose her final choice, but it involved a conversation about “how bougie is Gucci?”. I fell in love with this bag in this amazing tangerine color (that I can’t find on their website) and JEB explained that I had been subliminally influenced by Victoria on the White Lotus. But again, not my birthday- sigh!
We left NYC loving it even more. Next visit…
museums and shows! This is far too long so if you are still reading, we are likely besties so I’ll see you soon for a walk or lunch. As a reward for making it to the end, these are my favorite life hacks as of now:
This will whiten your aging teeth without sensitivity or the need to give up coffee. My teeth might disintegrate soon as a result of this, but they are looking white these days. I sprinkle it over this whitening toothpaste before brushing.
Role Model is the artist who needs more space on your playlist. I can’t get enough. Good for runs or a long drive. Thanks for the rec, birthday girl.
Annie takes photos with this camera, and it makes me want to ditch my iPhone photos and go back to the real deal! The reviews are insane.
We hopped on a train to DC where we actually kept a reservation (we pre-paid) at Maydan in DC. (A friend tipped me off on these Shutterfly placemats. They were a hit and quick and easy and fun). It’s Annie’s favorite restaurant for a good reason! We took her smart, funny, adorable friends out. It turns out, the future is BRIGHT.
XO, Jenny
 | A guest post by
|
Thanks for this post! Made me feel like I was there.... and made me a bit teary for the beauty in this phase of life with adult children for you. So much love and happy birthday Annie!