A Warm December Day in NYC

December 13
On this spookily warm (mid 60's) December Sunday we spent much of the day enjoying New York's outdoor attractions. We had lunch in Brooklyn - a yummy veggie burger from a take out café. Then we popped into Vineapple for a caffeine fix. A local vibe, large tables, sofas, and youngsters hunched over MacBooks reminded us of Berkeley cafés. The coffee was decent too.

Time to join the throngs on the Brooklyn Bridge. As we strolled toward Manhattan, we were entertained by stunning views the whole time. First, the Lower Manhattan skyline appeared, dominated by the WTC Observatory and Gehry's Residential tower. Midtown's skyscrapers and the Manhattan Bridge then came into full view. Looking south of the Hudson River, to Staten and Ellis Islands, the Statue of Liberty commanded our attention. Fighting through the crowds was a bit challenging, but we enjoyed the walk anyway.

Over on the Manhattan side we took some moments to admire City Hall and the other beautiful buildings before taking the subway to 14th street.
We spent the afternoon on the High Line - as did everyone else in NYC. You guessed it! Another few hours of fighting through crowds for views ... and space to actually move forward!
In the late afternoon, when our legs were beginning to protest, we went down to street level in Chelsea. Daryl asked Siri to take us to the nearest place serving cocktails. We entered a tiny coffee shop, and when we asked about the bar, a doorman pushed the wall, and a door swung open. We found ourselves in a dimly lit, elegant 1920's style speakeasy - the Bathtub Gin. In this perfectly romantic spot a potent herb infused martini begged sampling. The place was empty at this time of day, but we could tell they were setting up for a full house later. An hour later we staggered to Blossom Restaurant, a few blocks up, where we were meeting up with an old pal.


We last saw Jamie about 15 years ago. So, over a tasty vegan meal, we did a whole lot of catching up. Daryl and Jamie, both mathematicians, have shared many memorable experiences together in their younger days, such as road trips to National Parks in the West. So this reunion was a bit like seeing a close family member after a long, long time. What a special evening!