I’ve had a feeling that the best way to tour New York City is by way of a food tour. But timing and weather haven’t allowed us to do it. At least not until a couple weeks back when our friends Jake and Paige came to visit. And oh man, I’m so glad they did. Turns out eating your way through a city is the best way to sight see.
On this particularly day, the sky was clear and the temperatures reached the upper 70s. We were well rested, hydrated, and the camera had batteries. We were prepared.
First stop, Lexington Candy Shop.
1. It doesn’t just smell like pee; it is pee. Watch your step.
2. When shopping for an authentic Rolex in Battery Park, don’t pay more than $20 (see previous post).
3. If you are going to a Yankees game and want to tour the museum, arrive a couple hours early. The lines are long and things close before the start of the game. (Below pic: Husband, Jason and Brother, Mike)
My lovely wife Sara is smart, hard-working, and infinitely patient with me. I am truly blessed to have met her.
My brother-in-law Mike and my wife Sara. Mike just bought a genuine Rolex from some guy in Battery Park!
Unfortunately, a by-product of her good looks is the fact that she can often use them to hide her lack of vocabulary. Over the few years that I’ve known her, dozens of words (some of which are admittedly obscure) have escaped her. One of those words is curb, as in “Curb Your Dog.” read more…
Errrrr…. I mean I love New York in April, not June. How ’bout you?
It’s not because I enjoy days of torrential rains and gusty winds off the East River, it’s because we get to play hooky and have fun in the sunshine.
Nice swing!
Now that it’s nice outside we have lots of time to enjoy the dog parks. Jason even sports his Okoboji t-shirt – a special gift from my parents. He makes them proud, I’m sure.
After six months of winter, it’s nice to see more New Yorkers enjoying nightlife outside rather than inside. People watching is better when its 60 degrees.
Aside from play time and t-shirt wearing, my favorite part about being in New York during April are the flowers.
We’ve been told that anyone can train a dog to sit. Tricks like stay, fetch, shake hands – according to the obedience experts at the nearby ASPCA – are much harder for a dog to master.
My question is, what about teaching a dog to dance?
Moe, our lovable little beagle, is a dance MACHINE. To quote dance flick Saturday Night Fever:
Sara says to Moe: “Nice move. Did you make that up?”
Moe says: “Yeah, well I saw it on TV first, then I made it up.”
Check out the world premiere of “Beagle Dance Party” – best 2 hours of our day.
When we first started taking Moe to the dog park he would hide under the benches. So shy!
But now he’s much more outgoing. In fact, Moe is pretty vocal when he’s happy. In this video you can hear his “play with me” bark. Too bad lil’ Frenchie ain’t havin’ it.
Flickr VideoOnce he’s back from the park and has had a couple long walks, he’ll finally take a nap.
Trips to the dog park are important to Moe. If we don’t make enough time to exercise him, then he’s usually naughty.
But all is forgiven after another long walk.
Cheese!
Jason and I have gotten so busy with work that we we decided to hire some help.
Moe has all the right clerical skills we need, and it turns out he’s a personal trainer too. This means we’ll get more exercise during our lunch hours. Look out New York, we’re about to get skinny.
We found Moby (Moe for short) at the ASPCA in our neighborhood. Most of the dogs there were Pit Bulls aside from a handful of strays and other little dogs that were rescued from puppy mills. Except for Moe and his brother, Max.
About eight months ago, a family adopted Moe and Max from a “breeder” in Missouri. For only $5,000 they had two “purebred Beagle” puppies on their hands. I guess Moe and Max were so noisy that the family was going to get evicted from their home. (Beagles are notoriously loud; they have three types of bark.) Long story short, the family gave up on both Moe and Max and took them to the ASPCA.
We met with Moe knowing all of these things. And while we wanted to get an older, smaller dog for our itty bitty apartment, we realized that healthy, little ol’ dogs are hard to come by here. Plus, Moe is just so darn cute, how could we say no?
They tell us that Moe is a Beagle-Basset Hound mix. And while his breed and his history tell us that he’s going to be a noisy booger, I haven’t heard him bark yet. No, really. A little bit a whining for the first five-minutes in his kennel, but otherwise, he’s super duper quiet. And cute, of course.
There are quite a few things that I see or experience here in New York that I just don’t understand. For example, why does the vacuum repair shop on my block tape autumn leaves (the paper kind) to their windows in February? Why is it that every time I walk fast Jason says it’s because I’m cold?
I’m also confused why I see vendors selling sheets at every street fair. Are people really taking to the streets to buy bedding?
On our way to the subway we walk by the Albanian Consulate. Not really a big deal, but I’m very curious to know why the door is always ajar.
In a previous post I talked about the Dogs of New York. More people have pets in Manhattan than I would’ve guessed. I’m starting to understand why and see that’s it probably not that inconvenient. But, why do people insist on bringing pets into the laundry room?
And how do the professional dog walkers keep all those leashes from getting tangled up?
Speaking of animals, I’m confused by all the women who wear fur coats. Why? Why? I see fur coats and hats everywhere, especially in our neighborhood. I thought “fur was murder?”
If you look close in the pic above you can see Jason in the reflection. He was busy admiring the coats.
Cupcakes are a big deal in New York …
Big in more ways than one. The good news is that calories don’t count on Valentine’s Day.
To top off our heart-day wishes for you, enjoy this latte. A bit of foam espresso art should warm your heart.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
1. Puerto Rican restaurants serve plantains and yummy avocado dishes.
2. Seaside condos are more affordable in Puerto Rico.
3. Old Town San Juan has charming colonial architecture and a HUGE fortress.
4. Puerto Rico is an enchanted island.
5. Puerto Rico has a better ratio of old folks to bikinis.
PS – I’ve never been to Hawaii so everything in this post could be completely inaccurate.
PPS – I only wrote this post because a certain someone(s) insists that Hawaii is better than Central America and the Caribbean EVEN THOUGH there aren’t any monkeys in Hawaii.
PPPS – I’m sure Hawaii is a nice place. I mean no offense to Hawaiians or travelers who like to go there.
PPPPS – If you’d like to share your frequent flyer miles with me, I’d gladly accept and write a more positive review.
