We moved to Massachusetts about 6 months ago, 11 days before our second daughter was born. It was a hectic time, I'll just say that.
While I love it here, there are certain things that I miss about New York, and because I kind of need to go and use the treadmill while the baby is contemplating taking a nap, this is going to be quick:
1) Central Park. Every season, it's just lovely. Plus, on a summer evening, it's about 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the city.
2) Sigmund Pretzel Shop, in the East Village. Homemade awesome pretzels with cups of dips, such as grainy mustard (tasty) and nutella (even tastier). And Vivi Bubble Tea, in Chinatown.
3) Curry Hill. Technically, it's Murray Hill, on the east side in the high-20s/low-30s, but it's chock full of awesome and inexpensive Indian restaurants. Love Bhatti, especially.
4) Having my dear friends be, at most, a cab or subway ride away. That was really nice. And at least eight really good yarn stores.
5) The Green Kitchen. This 24-hour diner was directly below our apartment. We got to know the waitstaff and delivery guys super well, to the point where the one waitress would see us outside in the morning and would run us out a handful of muffins for our daughter, and one waiter would bring us cups of coffee when we would linger on our stoop. I miss being able to order a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on an English muffin, with a side of super-hot fries, at 2 in the morning, and have it brought to our door in less than 15 minutes.
6) Walking everywhere. Hanging out with friends in the West Village until about 10 pm, then putting the little girl in the stroller and walking all the way home to the Upper East Side, with a stop or two along the way at Starbucks. Or the rice pudding place. Both are quite satisfying.
7) The feeling of all the tension in your body melting away as you cross the George Washington Bridge, heading out of town.
8) Taking tap class again as a 34 year old, and having many other women approximately my age in there, and nobody blinked an eye.
9) Things that are better in New York than anywhere else: Bagels (it's condescending but true -- bagels suck everywhere else in comparison). Pizza. Theater. Shopping. Delivery service for everything. Jobs in the financial services industry.
10) Things that are (surprisingly) cheaper in New York than anywhere else: Cab rides. Manicures and pedicures. Nannies (sometimes). Fake designer handbags. Certain real designer clothes (sample sales). Bodega flowers (a dozen roses of any shade for $9. They die in a day and a half, but you get what you pay for).
http://www.etsy.com/listing/44920676/i-heart-ny-but-hate-the-yankees-8x10
5 comments:
I kind of remember my time in Boston the same way. So many cool things about living in a big city! I would add dry cleaning to the list of things that are surprisingly cheaper. I would actually have them do my laundry and fold it up for me. It would cost about $15 in Boston but about $1,000,000 here.
Your title, as Pronto would say, is good blogging.
Vivi Bubble Tea! And a great title! I miss NY, too!
Um, still never been. And I know it's my own damn fault for not making the effort to come see you while you were there. Yes, I suck. Is it because I'm a bad friend? Because I'm a slug? Because all my vacation time and money go to visiting family and inlaws? Yes, yes, yes.
Actually, the answers are not at all, maybe sometimes, and absolutely. I feel your pain. We never get to do stuff without making it a family affair, or we just eliminate the pretense of trying and go visit.
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