bleecker st.

Last night, after work, I was invited to go to the east village for 20 cent wing night at a restaurant and bar called 1849.  Jen, one of my coworkers, and I met up with a few of her friends and ventured to Bleecker St; where Greenwich Village and the East Village meet.  This area is known for landmarks like Washington Square and NYU and the infamous "cage" (the basketball courts where many street ball games take place). 

Fun Fact: Greenwich Village is also where Cafe Wha? is located- where people like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan & Jimi Hendrix started their careers!

1849 was one of those restaurants with it's own flair.  Walking in, the place resembled an Old West saloon, adorned with deer and buffalo heads mounted on the walls and life size statues of cowboys and indians, complete with red velvet couches where you sat to eat; not your typical table and chair dining establishment.  Of course you can't beat 20 cent wings and $3 Brooklyn Lagers- it was a fun way to spend a Wednesday evening!

After dinner, we decided that since it's still close to being 80 degrees in the city everyday, we would have to try Pinkberry.  I had never been and was extremely excited because I've heard nothing but good things about it.  It's a frozen yogurt place where you can add your own toppings from anything like fresh fruit, to chocolate, to coconut to fruity pebbles!

Here's a picture of some of the toppings you can add!

My cup of pinkberry- chocolate frozen yogurt with rasberries & chocolate chips! Yummm

It was a great night- and in one of my favorite parts of the city!  I love this area because of it's great vibe; it's known for its artistic sense, vibrant nightlife and diverse community.  Can't wait to go back and experience more of Bleecker St!

Robyn's Birthday!!!

Last night, I went out to celebrate Robyn's birthday with her in the city!  Of course, you can't have a birthday without a cake, so instead, I improvised and got cupcakes from Crumbs!  They told me the two classics and favorites are the red velvet and the vanilla, so of course, I figured we should sample both!  They were delicious, and the biggest cupcakes I have ever tried!!!

Vanilla on the left and red velvet on the right!  Yum!!

After getting all dressed up and ready to go out, we went to this cocktail bar called the Blue Owl which had these amazing drinks!  We had ones with names like "the Blue Owl," "The Milkman's Daughter," the "Ladies Mile," and the "Ellison."  It was very classy and a lot of fun!

At the blue owl with our drinks!!! Happy Birthday Robyn!!!

To end the night we went to this Italian restaurant called Supper which was located right where the east village meets the lower east side.  While the service wasn't too spectacular, the food was great!! I had priest's stranglers.  After looking it up this morning, this is what I found.  

Strangolapreti STRAHN-goh-lah-PREH-tee Yet another of the dishes made differently in different regions of Italy. In Northern Italy, strangolapreti are a thin, slightly curled short pasta made by hand with water, eggs, and flour; in the South, however, the name applies to gnocchi. In Campania, strangolapreti are made with potatoes, flour, and eggs, and in Basilicata there are two different dishes called strangolapreti: the first is a pasta made of flour and water and shaped like cavatelli, then sauced with a meat ragù; the second is an ear-shaped pasta prepared with flour, eggs, and lemon zest which is deep-fried, then served unadorned with a sweet wine. Literally translated, the word strangolapreti means 'priest stranglers.' It's believed that the dish owes its name to its historically heavy texture (strangolapreti were often made with ground millet bread rather than flour, and were thought to be too tough for the delicate palates of priests, who might choke on it). They are also known as strozzapreti. This is what they look like out of the sauce!! My pasta was served in marinara sauce with pecor ricotta on top so when you mixed it all in it was extra creamy!! Delizioso!! It was a great way to celebrate Robyn's birthday in the city!  Happy Birthday!!!

tornado in brooklyn!!

Who would have thought New York would be this year’s Tornado Alley?  As most of you heard or even saw on television, NYC was hit with a tornado on the 16th of September!  Playing Dorothy in the concrete jungle was the least of my worries; you're only supposed to witness tornadoes in the Midwest or on the Broadway sets uptown where people bring them to life singing and dancing!  But after witnessing the damage done to my neighborhood of Park Slope, it was easy to see I was definitely not in Kansas anymore!

 Skies over manhattan (taken from an online source)

Thankfully, I was safe- hiding out in Target after running an errand.  When the skies turned green and then black and the rain was coming down sideways, I figured I should just stay inside!  These pictures were taken when I finally made it home!

start of fall in nyc!

So fall has officially started in New York, which means, cooler weather, fashion week 2010, and random festivals and events throughout the city!  While I didn't get to sit under the infamous white tents, front row and center at Lincoln Center during Fashion Week, I did get to experience a little bit of the life and luxury during Fashion's Night Out on September 10th.  Fashion's Night Out was a night for stores to showcase their new fall lines and provide little goodies and incentives for shoppers young and old.  We were handed free champagne and wine at all the big department stores in addition to candy and cupcakes!  There were live dj's and music on every floor of stores like Sak's, Bloomingdale's and Bergdorf Goodman, a few celebrity sitings, models on every corner and of course, red carpets!  For the kickoff of fashion week, the city was alive with fashion gurus and while I'm not exactly a fashionista, participating in the event made you feel a little bit like a celebrity; I was Carrie from Sex & the City for a night!

Credit goes to Robyn on this photo who got a great shot of Victoria Beckham!  We waited in Bergdorf Goodman for over 45 minutes to see her come out and launch her new line.  I felt a little like the paparazzi trying to get a good picture of her; I really don't know how anyone can do that for a living- it's exhausting!!

Robyn and I also attended the Bryant Park Fall Festival and saw the Met Opera perform in the park for free!  They were incredible and sang highlighted songs from all the operas in the line up for the season!

Bryant Park in the afternoon! So pretty!

Where the opera performed! Bryant Park is located right behind the famous New York Public Library.

Bryant Park hotel with the Empire State Building in the Background

As the weather continues to cool off and the fashion continues to change in the city, I'm looking forward to all this season has to offer!  

looking back on summer...

Summer in NYC is unlike anywhere else in the summer.  While I did miss the beach and the beautiful ocean, I had to make due with the concrete jungle.  While it was 100 degrees and I didn't have the luxury of an air conditioner, I did have the luxury of experiencing NYC in it's liveliest state.  Summer means the city is alive and buzzing with people, tourists, street vendors and random free events!

Coney Island's Roller Coaster: The Cyclone

Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs!!

Brooklyn Brewery!

Field level seats at yankee stadium

views from central park

the mall- in central park!! recognize this from the movies?? :)- big daddy anyone?

bethesda terrace

alice in wonderland- famous statue in central park

imagine obelisk for john lennon in central park!

cupcakes at chelsea market!

highline- chelsea

washington square by nyu

Magnolia's bakery- from sex & the city!

There is just a quick taste of some of the things I have experienced this summer and as you can see, there's so much more to discover!! Really excited to share a few more events that have happened with you, but a brief recap of this summer was necessary first!!  Enjoy!

my first blog!

I finally decided to create a blog after viewing countless numbers of them online and simply wanting to share my experiences with friends and family!  This will give me a place to share my new adventures in New York City and a look inside the life that I consider to be beautiful!  NYC has been incredibly overwhelming these past few months, but after being settled in for one full season of summer and the approach of fall, I'm finally getting out there and exploring!

Tonight I'm actually headed up to Midtown West to experience Thai food with a friend at Pan Real Thai on 49th St.  I'm actually pretty excited since I am a huge fan of Thai, pad thai being one of my favorite dishes.  One of the great things about living in this city is the ability to simply sample every kind of food imaginable!  They have everything from real Chinese to Italian to Polish to even Ukrainian!  Talk about the land of opportunity!  While it does get expensive, sampling something new each week has become something I'm definitely trying to do!

Hopefully you will all enjoy my blog- feel free to leave comments, questions and requests for anything in particular you wish to hear about!! I look forward to entertaining you all with my new stories! :]