20 Highlights of my Last Trip to New-York City: Exploring More of the NYC Local Life

The first week of March 2016, I had  a chance to travel to New-York City after I booked an almost-last-minute cheap plane ticket (and got over-excited about it!). I have been to NYC twice before, therefore this time I wanted to explore the city on a more “local” mode, and even though I went again to some of the famous touristic attractions, I focused on discovering the city  through activities that helped me understand better the New-Yorkers’ lifestyle. If you are interested in the main touristic attractions as well or would like a partial itinerary to follow during your next trip to New-York, you can surely read about my First Trip here (main attractions for first-timers) and about my Second Trip there (real itineraries to some more attractions and to some local activities less known by regular tourists).

Exploring More of New-York Local Life

This time I will not write a full itinerary of the 4 days that I’ve spent visiting the city as I had written for my 2 previous trips in New-York (click the links above this picture), it would not be relevant because I walked a lot and explored the different areas almost street by street at times, parallels and perpendiculars alike, Avenues and Streets, following the Grid to go from point A to point B, not necessarily with peculiar things to see in between (just the regular NY life). Here are instead the 20 most memorable highlights of my travel.

  1. A morning walk in Central Park along the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. Honestly, any area in Central Park is worth a stroll, but the Reservoir has something special. I entered the Park on Central Park West at 93rd Street and got out at 81st Street in front of the impressive Museum of Natural History. I was lucky enough that the weather was sunny and that the snow that had fallen the morning before was still fresh in some areas, which made the decor look beautiful. Being on the West Side, I walked past the 2 magnificent towers showed on my featured picture, while I had at the same time an amazing view over the East Side Fifth Avenue skyline across the artificial lake.

    P1130111
    Central Park West, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  2. Explore the Lower East Side, known as the first historical Jewish quarter in New-York City. Back in the 19th Century, this is where the Bagel made-in-America was born, brought from Eastern Europe by a small Jewish community of migrants. Some century-old institutions are still operating today, the 2 most famous ones being Katz’s and Russ & Daughters, both located on East Houston Street. Walking in the Lower East Side was in fact the opportunity to discover more than that, as it is at the junction of the northern part of Chinatown and Little Italy, Nolita, and the southern part of East Village. This is where I went to the Essex Street Market, an indoor farmers market of small size in which I had the feeling that every local or foreign community owned one single booth each, to display and sell its national specialty items; i.e. there were booths selling items from Japan, Mexico, Greece or Jamaica, some of the shops were focused on produces while others sold cooked items to-go. Overall it was quite a nice market, and I even ran across an Italian store selling various kinds of imported olive oil, including one from Nice my hometown in the South of France! What were the odds?!

     

  3. On Broadway at 12th Street, go to the Strand Bookstore in Noho, and on Union Square stop at the Barnes and Nobles Bookstore. I love books, nice paper and decorated stationery items, I always have. In both bookstores, I’ve been happily (and very) surprised to find out that New-Yorkers really are into books (both stores were packed with crowds!) and that shelves also are loaded with quantities of notebooks, sketchbooks, letterhead paper and envelopes, well a whole lot of items that tend to disappear here in France, as people go all-electronics. I think it’s great that Americans still value that much the art of handwriting cards, thank you notes, Holidays wishes, and so on. In the Strand Bookstore, known as the “18-mile of books” store (that is to say how big it is!), I’ve been impressed by the number of books that were displayed in a bit of an old-style bookstore, with no room for nice and fancy decoration (unlike in Barnes and Nobles) but an entire space fully dedicated to books from floor to ceiling!

    P1120806
    The Strand Bookstore – 18 miles of Books – Photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  4. Wander around the quiet and empty Streets of Nolita. This small area in the center of Manhattan is a quiet enclave of narrower streets full of trees, small shops and art galleries, where nobody goes. Well, at least not in the cold winter mornings, from what I’ve seen. This really made me wonder how the owners can run their business when there’s simply no customer around. In Prince St., you can visit the Old St Patrick Cathedral before going out of Nolita, which still remains a nice district to visit, or just go back the uptown direction on Broadway and admire the beautiful architecture of Grace Church.

    P1120792
    Grace Church – Broadway in Noho, NYC – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  5. Go to the Guggenheim Museum. If you like contemporary art, but don’t want to spend too much of your time on it in case you’re, like me, on a tight travel schedule, this small museum is perfect. Exhibits change through the year, the architecture of the building itself is interesting with its continuous spiral linking the ground to the top, and the displayed objects go from silly to hilarious, from unknown to famous, from interesting to “WTF”, and from undefined to very down-to-earth. Tip: the Guggenheim museum goes on a “pay-what-you-wish” basis every Saturday from 5:45 pm to  7:45 pm (last tickets sold at 7:15 pm), so come early or be prepared for a long queue to come in.

    P1130307
    Guggenheim Museum NYC – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  6. Eat some Lobster. New-York City is far from being on lobster shortage at the moment. It’s of great quality overall, however not all restaurants know how to cook it right and therefore you don’t always get what you pay for. I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting twice and spending time with Ziggy, hungry NYC blogger from Eating With Ziggy, who recommended the Lobster Roll and Fries, Connecticut-Style, from Cull & Pistol in the Chelsea Market, where we met for lunch. It’s basically fresh lobster chunks rolled in a buttered thick tender folded toast, and a tiny bit of mayonnaise. It looks amazing and tastes really really really good! It comes with delicious and crispy peppery skinny fries, ketchup and coleslaw on the side. Ziggy had the kindness and courtesy to take me around inside the Chelsea market and to show me the best places for both grocery shopping and great eats (I’ll need to make plans for my next trip!). I also hung around in the Bowery Kitchen Supplies store before leaving the market, there can be found both good deals and great rip-offs too, but it’s nice to rummage around in the store!

    P1120967
    Losbter Roll and Fries at Cull & Pistol in the Chelsea Market, NYC – Photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  7. Try to take pictures in front of the Charging Bull of Wall Street. I say “try” because chances are big that you won’t be able to go through with your plan, except if you show some patience and a good dose of daring attitude. In my case, I just arrived when 2 full buses of Chinese tourists were starting their photo shoot. That reminded me of some good old times travelling in China…! After a good 10 minutes wait and multiple attempts to make my way to the Bull, I ended up speaking Chinese to a lady from the group and asked her to take a picture of me with the bull, made my way through the crowd to it, and got it done! Winner!! Then just a block away, I went to rest in visit the Trinity Church while a choir was rehearsing.

    P1130364
    Wall Street Charging Bull – Photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  8. Go to the Museum at the FIT. This is actually a school, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and it has a museum opened to the public, totally free of charge. Different exhibits follow various themes and show fashion through ages. When I was there, two themes were on: Jean’s and Denim through history, and Fairytale outfits. In all exhibits all year long, some of the world famous designers’s creations are displayed next to new designers’s items, and overall it’s quite nice to see for a short break on a crazy touring day, especially when it’s cold and snowy outside!

    P1120997
    Fairytale Dress – The Museum at the FIT – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  9. Treat yourself with an American breakfast in a typical diner. On a Sunday morning (or any other day you like), there’s nothing more American than going to an old-style diner with leather striped benches, and order warm pancakes with butter, maple or corn syrup and sausages. Plan the details of your day while you wait for that delicious and energy-filling breakfast. As I was residing in the Upper West Side during my stay, I went to the Metro Diner on 101, W. Broadway, and it was great, food and service!

    P1130330
    American Breakfast, warm pancakes, Metro Diner, UWS, NYC – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  10. Go to admire (again and again) the breathtaking architecture of the Flatiron building. I do not seem to get enough of this building and this area of New-York city! Words are useless. just look at my pictures, facing the Iron and seen from below on the east side.
    P1130010
    Flatiron Building, north side – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi

    P1130014
    Flatiron Building, east side, view from below – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  11. Enjoy quality food in Hell’s Kitchen and try some Middle-Eastern Food. New-York city is full of great options when it comes to worldwide foods and quality offerings that are not over-adapted to the American taste, and Middle-Eastern food makes no exception. You could, of course, try the food carts and enjoy very nice street Falafels, Schwarma, Gyros, Lamb over Rice, etc., but you also could sit in a tiny restaurant of Hell’s Kitchen called Gazala’s Place (recommended by Ziggy once more) and enjoy some real quality Hummus, Labneh, Babaganoush and Falafels. Israel on a plate!

     

  12. Go to Times Square. This seems to be inevitable. And I just love it anyway! Times Square is crazy, crowded, colorful, loud, magical, shiny, silly, and just makes everyone feel simply alive and ecstatic! For the first time, there was room on the stairs at the crossroad of Broadway and 7th Avenue and I was able to go on up and enjoy the view. I will never get enough of Times Square, this place is surreal, and if you thoroughly look around, there’s always something going on!

    P1130472
    Amazing Times Square New-York City – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  13. Stuff your stomach with supra-delicious Pastrami Bagels that are insanely flavorsome. Although pastrami originated in Eastern Europe, it is now commonly used in Northern America and has almost disappeared from Europe in its original form (pale copies are sold in some supermarket chains, but the quality is far from the original). I went for the non-kosher version, with cream cheese. Pastrami bagel was my first and last meal during my NYC trip. I had the first one at Bagels and Schmear (Park and 28th), pastrami and olive cream cheese on an everything bagel. Heaven on Earth. The last one was at Ess-a-Bagel (3rd Av. and 51st St.), pastrami and veggie cream cheese on a wholewheat bagel. Heaven in Heaven. It was the very first time of my life I ever waited in line outside a store to buy a sandwich (which seems to be very NY-style though), but it was worth every bite! Bagels can be very filling, so I’d suggest a little digestive walk on the beautiful Lexington, Park, and Madison Avenues after lunch!
    P1120714
    Pastrami and Olive Cream Cheese at Bagels and Schmear, NYC 28th St. – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
    P1130434
    Pastrami and Veggie Cream Cheese at Ess-a-Bagel, NYC Midtown East – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi

     

  14. Admire the beauty of New-York Public Library inside and out. It can be accessed on 42nd Street in Bryant Park. Known for the beauty of its painted and sculpted ceilings, otherwise entirely made of natural stones, the NY Public Library is a monument by itself. Students and researchers can access rare books, while the public can admire among other wonders one of the original existing exemplars of the Gutenberg’s Bible, the first book ever printed! I took a great shot of this Bible, but honestly, I chose not to post the picture because I want to leave it as a surprise for you. Go visit! Now you have to!

    P1120861
    New York Public Library – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  15. Explore the Upper West Side by foot. This is one of the most residential areas of New-York city, within which its inhabitants really create a local life, stay in their district and enjoy their time within the area. The UWS is my favorite district in NYC. It is actually a district where it’s nice and enjoyable to just walk the streets and run your errands, first of all because it looks beautiful (the most beautiful brownstones of Manhattan are in the UWS), and second of all because although you can feel the NYC beat but you don’t have to necessarily run at the NYC fast pace. To sum-up my idea, let’s say that you’ve got everything available that New-York has to offer, without the crazy pace of NY life. In my opinion, the best area is located between 86th Street and 72nd Street (downtown direction is the best to walk) on Broadway and part of Amsterdam Avenue too. The same section is not so interesting on the parallels of West End Av. and Columbus Av., but on the other hand Central Park West simply is amazing!

    P1130072
    Brownstones of the Upper West Side, NYC – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  16. Pay a visit to the famous gourmet deli Zabar’s in the Upper West Side on Broadway at 79th Street. Fresh quality products, a stunning section of yummy deli foods, Jewish specialty items and kosher meals for take-out, a massive section of local and international cheeses to choose from, Zabar’s offers no less than that. They even have a sandwich shop next door with all sorts of delicacies to eat. I have tried something new to me, a sweet and savory item that I even had never heard of before, the Blintz: it’s a sort of lightly sweet (but not too sweet) soft crepe filled with a subtle mixture of ricotta cheese, cream cheese, vanilla, lemon, sugar and salt (as main ingredients). Eaten a bit warm, it is absolutely delicious! I MUST find a recipe to try that at home!!
  17. Wander about in the Upper East Side and Midtown East, and check out all the luxury stores and towers on the very chic Fifth Avenue. This is where the big money is. Within a few blocks, you’ll find the Trump Tower (sorry for the pic, with golden reflects everywhere it’s hard to take a clean shot, lol, and this is “very Trump” anyway), Tiffany’s, Bergdorf, The Plaza, etc., and will end up at the Rockefeller Center. The Saint Patrick Cathedral is worth a visit just across the street. A little prayer for forgiveness after you spent all your money on over expensive useless items?!

    P1130031
    Inside the Trump Tower – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  18. Do you like cooking? Are you interested in how American (richer) housewives shop and cook? Visit a regular grocery store, then a WholeFoods Market (I went to the one in Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle near Central Park) and a Trader Joe’s (on 21st St. in the Flatiron district). I know, it sounds silly to include that kind of tour while I am on holidays and taking a break from my daily good wife’s routine, but honestly it was really interesting for me! This is so much different from what we have in France!! The way the food is displayed is so clean and lean, the variety of products in the deli sections is amazing, the diversity of ready-to-use sauces made my day, and I loved that some foods are okay to try before you buy (which is something that does not exist in my country except for special events organized in-store). I bought a few things to bring back home for my husband and I to try new things, which was a great idea! Click on the pictures to open a wider view (watch out, your mouth is going to start watering in 3, 2, 1…!)

     

  19. Go to Brooklyn for a weekend lunch. That sounds like a regular nice getaway activity for lots of people living or working in Manhattan all week. Brooklyn Heights Promenade offers great views of South Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge. For a nice lunch, explore the south-west area of Red Hook, a former industrial zone below the Brooklyn piers that used to be operative docks. Now the numerous warehouses have been re-modeled and host new businesses, whereas the seaside zone per sé has been re-designed to host restaurants, most of them serving lobster, seafoods and crab-based items.

    P1130190
    Crab and Cheese Sandwich, Brooklyn Crab, Red Hook, NYC – photo by Sophie Rebibo Halimi
  20. Finally, wander the streets of Brooklyn. Especially the north-west area is very nice and full of houses made of brownstones again. The atmosphere is nothing like Manhattan. This is the most populated borough of New-York City, but surprisingly lots of areas in Brooklyn can offer peace and quiet times while being outside discovering the borough.

 

That was the first time in years that I had gone on a solo trip and had arranged to meet some people along the way. It was really nice and fun, and I got to see (and eat) great things everyday! I can’t wait for the next chance to travel again to anywhere as interesting as NYC in the world!

Finally, you surely noticed I love food, so before you leave this page, I’d be very pleased and honored that you check out the page dedicated to my Cookbook.

Created and Written by Sophie Rebibo-Halimi, © 2016 All Rights Reserved.

All itineraries also are created by Sophie Rebibo-Halimi, © 2016 All Rights Reserved, and may not be used as such by a third party for any commercial purpose without prior written agreement with the Author. 

33 Comments Add yours

  1. Looks like you had an amazing trip! My mouth is literally watering looking at the food pictures right now haha
    I didn’t know FIT had a museum in it, I’ll have to check it out someday
    I’ve never had Blintz’s either, but I’ve heard they are really good, you should definitely try to recreate them at home and post about it
    What was your favorite thing you ate there?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sophie says:

      Oh this is such a harsh question!! I’m so much of a Pastrami Bagel lover that I’m tempted to reply “pastrami bagel”, on the other hand I’m very fond of new discoveries, and the Blintz kicked ass! Special mention to the Lobster roll though, it was very very good, however I would not place it first, but it was worth every bite.
      The FIT museum was nice but I think the interest can go up or down depending on the themes that are on at the time you visit.
      Overall I had an amazing time everywhere in NYC!!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yeah nothing can beat a good NYC bagel!

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Ziggy says:

    What a report! You accomplished more than many tourists ever did. Love the Red Hook mention
    And who is this Ziggy guy. Sounds like a smart and handsome fella!
    Great great post

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sophie says:

      OH so finally read one of my posts, hahaha!! You said Ziggy? Not sure who he is… lol
      If you’re in a reading mood, I invite to read my 2 previous posts about visiting NYC, I should include the links in that very post here, hold on, doing it right now!

      Like

  3. Jenny says:

    Sophie, fantastic trip report. Loved remembering so many of our fave things in NYC.

    So happy we’re returning to NYC in two weeks…yay. It’ll be our sixth trip together; most of them quite recent.

    We’re staying on the UWS which we both love too. Hoping we too will catch up with the gorgeous and handsome Ziggy again. What a guy.

    Glad you loved Gazala’s (tho’ those foods originate in many countries in the Middle East, not just Israel. If you get a chance watch the film “Hummus Wars” to find out where the best hummus is and how Muslims and Jewish people call it their own).

    Did you try the Russ and Daughter’s Cafe in Orchard Street. Sounds like ‘no’, do go next time (there’s also a cafe in the Jewish Museum on the UES too now).

    How did you find the ‘check out’ at the Wholefood Market? Crazy system. I love the store, but that check out is bizzare….give me Zabar’s every time….

    Thanks again for a lovely read.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sophie says:

      Hi Jenny! Thanks a lot for your comment and questions, I do appreciate when readers take time for a good read of my posts and for a thorough comment too! It’s great that you know Ziggy too, you’re sure to spend a nice time with him, always, right?!
      You’re absolutely right about the multiple origins of the Middle-Eastern food, and I realize I tend to go the easy way by mentioning Israel only; I haven’t traveled yet to other Middle-Eastern countries, but friends of mine who have lived and worked in Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan all told me about the “war” over hummus. I’ve heard about the film “Hummus War” you mentioned, but have not seen it (yet!!).
      I didn’t try the Russ & Daughter’s Café but got in to buy a small bag of their nice Californian Dried Apricots that they are displaying behind their window! I had breakfast not long before I got there and had no room for more food… Next time!!
      At WholeFoods market, I did not make it to the “check-out” cashiers as I did not buy anything, but from afar it looked bizarre indeed. I did buy stuffs from Trader Joe’s though, and found the check-out system a bit different from what we have in France, how we have to stand in line and wait for a lady to direct us to another guy who will put our stuffs in bags and cash in. Everything was a good experience to learn something new, in my opinion, which is for me the whole point of traveling (not only see the monuments and museums).
      Thanks for stopping by!

      Like

  4. absolutely fun – have been to a few of the places you list here, but have made only two trips, each about a week long to NYC. So much to do and see. Thank you for sharing!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sophie says:

      You’re very welcome! NYC always makes us feel like we’ve seen a lot but there’s always more to discover! I hope you’ll get a chance to go back (as I hope the same for myself too! hehe!) Thanks for stopping by and commenting :)

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Anonymous says:

    Great report – we are going to New York in July for my 50th. My 3rd visit. We love walking around most of these areas. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sophie says:

      My pleasure! It was my third visit as well, so I guess we should almost be on the same level of discovery, and I hope my post helps you prepare well for this trip! it’s always great to celebrate a birthday in such a city, last year I was there to celebrate my 35th birthday, you can read about it in the post about my Second Trip to NYC! Besides, I offer a full itinerary for a 3 days visit. Enjoy your time in July, and thanks for stopping by!!

      Like

  6. Jenny says:

    Sophie, I just read your first and second trip reports…..oh wow….we were there at the same time as your second trip…..

    …..we’ll be back in NYC in two weeks and I have started to be ridiculously excited…your 3 NYC blogs contributed to that….thanks muchly….

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sophie says:

      Haha, so we seem to be on the same page as per the frequency of our visits! Nice!! Maybe a next time we’ll meet there, who knows! Where are you based yourself? Is it easy to travel to NYC from where you are?! This time I could only go because of an unexpected discounted flight. How long will you stay this time? I hope my posts will give you hints and nice ideas of things to see or do that you had not planned before you ran across my blog (that would be an honor!). Thanks again for stopping by, and between you and me, who isn’t ridiculously excited to go to NYC, seriously?!

      Like

      1. Jenny says:

        Hi again, lovely chatting online. We’re in Melbourne, Australia. So it’s not easy to get to NYC at all, but it’s worth it. I first went in 1986-87 for a month, then my partner and I went in ’94 for 10 days. The last four trips have been over the Christmas – New Year period and have been somewhere between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 weeks each. We went in 2008-09, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2-14-15. The trip in 2012-13 also included my 50th birthday – wow – what a way to spend a big 0 birthday…..it was a birthmonth!

        We didn’t go this last Christmas New Year. This trip – we’re going for 4 days in NYC (it’s OK – just wait!), then 3 days in Philadelphia and 8 days in DC before returning to NYC for another 8 days (see). Will catch up with Ziggy and lots of other friends from there I’ve made through the TA NYC forum. We’re even having a meet up this time. Another Melbournian, someone I’ve NEVER met here, is going to be in NYC at the same time as me (in that first block) so we’re catching up all the way on the other side of the world.

        So this trip will be different because it’s a different season; we’re going to other places besides NYC and, since our last trip, we’ve become vegetarians…..that’s been fun to explore restaurants again.

        We’ve done a lot of what you wrote about in your third TR, so it was a lovely read in terms of reminiscing. BUT I have written to go to FIT this coming visit. And while I have been to Nolita (go to Rubirosa for pizza next time you’re there, and visit the HousingWorks book store too…gorgeous) I haven’t seen that church, so I will go back to find it.

        I wrote ongoing Trip Reports whilst in NYC for the last three trips. Here are the links if you feel like reading them:

        These are full of food, art, walking, views, food, shops, snow, food, architecture, food, food with views, art, snow, food, …etc etc

        They are LONG…not my fault – people started chatting to me!

        2012- 2013:

        http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k5969342-Progressive_Trip_Report_from_mid_Dec_to_mid_Jan-New_York_City_New_York.html

        2013-14:

        http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k7041695-Another_trip_to_NYC_another_Trip_Report_on_the_go-New_York_City_New_York.html

        2014 – 15:

        http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k7998562-Chapter_Three_They_adored_New_York_City-New_York_City_New_York.html

        Aynat62- another Australian – writes trip reports too….great photos.

        Here’s her December 2013 Report – second visit, ~ 10 days (from memory), with photos – http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k7104785-Trip_Photos_snow_trees_lights_and_food-New_York_City_New_York.html

        and here’s her May 2014 one:

        http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k7536735-Photos_from_my_May_visit-New_York_City_New_York.html

        Ziggy said that was the best foodie TR he’d ever read!

        These are the photos – http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k7536735-Photos_from_my_May_visit-New_York_City_New_York.html

        This is Ktsnowowl’s (Katie)’s report – 10 days in a very cold February 2014 – first trip – it has the photos too:

        http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k7716232-How_New_York_City_stole_our_hearts_Photos_from_our_trip-New_York_City_New_York.html

        Ginny is from Virginia – she stayed there a month in October 2013 and then almost 3 weeks in September 2014…. During her stay she blogged about what they did and saw…it’s mostly photos and little text, which isn’t my cup of tea, but you may like it.
        http://www.virginia2nyc.blogspot.com and http://www.virginia2brooklyn.blogspot.com

        Another thread that I mentioned in one of the Trip Reports is this one about Helene Hanff’s books – http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k6546156-Helene_Hanff_s_Apple_of_my_Eye-New_York_City_New_York.html

        Her books are wonderful. Have you read them?

        Cheerio for now

        J

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Sophie says:

          Wow Jenny, what a response! Thanks for all the details, I’ll make time to read all your trip reports and will make sure to take tips from you too! I think it’s great you guys from the TA forum are meeting up, what a wonderful opportunity to share your common love of NYC and food! I hope you enjoy very much your upcoming trip. I’ve been to DC and loved it, although I haven’t written about it (was not yet blogging at that time). I have not read the book your mentioned but will look into it as well! Have a great week!

          Liked by 2 people

          1. Jenny says:

            Start with Helene Hanff’s Apple of my Eye – a Trip Report of sorts. Gorgeous book.

            Oh good, I think my avatar has changed from the G thing to the cartoon of me…..I was going to ask you how to change it.

            Liked by 1 person

  7. What a sensational holiday Sophie…by the way have your changed your blog page around – it looks lovely – I said the same thing visiting the Guggenheim ;’WTF’ saw some very strange ‘art’. That’s a lovely photo of you with the bull – actually all your photos are fabulous – so clear – I stayed in the Upper West Side – and loved it. Great post Sophie.

    Like

    1. Sophie says:

      Thank you dear! Yes I like to change my blog’s design settings once in a while. It’s interesting you said you stayed in the UWS too and had the same impression of the Guggenheim, I feel like if we had met earlier in our lives we would have loved travelling together and explore the same places while being on the same page (it’s a nice feeling, isn’t it?) !

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I completely agree. And can I tell you if I ever make it back to France I am taking you out to dinner with your lovely husband to enjoy a meal and of course some wine.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Sophie says:

          That would be amazing! We would do likewise if we ever go to Australia (which I hope we do someday!)

          Liked by 1 person

          1. You must…please do.

            Liked by 1 person

  8. It was like being there; Thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sophie says:

      You’re very welcome, that was my intention to take friends along the way!

      Liked by 1 person

        1. Dave T says:

          Very nice report – New York is a favorite city of mine. I see I am not the only one who visits grocery stores when traveling – London, Paris, Amsterdam, I like to see how other people shop and how products are marketed in other cultures. Whole Foods is a great store but very $$$$. Thanks!

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Sophie says:

            You mean $$$$$$$$$, right? I agree, but it looks so beautiful and everything is so perfectly arranged, it felt like the Wonderland of Food! Thanks for stopping by, reading and commenting, and I’m glad to read I’m not the only crazy one going to supermarkets indeed, thumbs up to you!

            Like

Leave a comment