new york v.2, week 2

This visit already feels way too short. In the blink of an eye, we are two weeks into our six week stay and making plans all the way through to our last weekend. Our son is leaving New York this week after riding our coattails for exactly a month. We have had a really easy time being together as a group but one thing is clear: he does not want to be our IT specialist. In addition, I learned that he also does not check his personal email. He said, “If you are emailing me, I don’t know you. My personal email is 99.9% spam.” At first, I was entirely put off by this but then I realized that he does all of his work communication by Slack and personal communication by text. We did essentially the same thing when we got rid of our home phone because the only calls we got were spam – anyone we actually knew called our cell phones. Our parents’ reaction to ending the home phone was the same as my reaction to our son’s disregard for his personal email – it seems a little rude. And in about a year or so, we will probably do the exact same thing.

But I digress…back to the NY experiment, version 2. I want to talk to you this week about fashion. Last fall, it was obvious to me that there were two significant trends: cargo pants and not wearing a bra. This fall, both trends have become pervasive. Cargo pants are literally everywhere and for everyone. Every variation of cargo pants are currently available including athleisure, designer, joggers, wide leg, denim, high waisted and unisex. If I remember correctly, we last saw cargo shorts for men and that era ended by 2010 at the latest. But here we are again. It is up to you whether you will be participating in this trend (some of us for the second time in our lives) but please be aware that I am already rocking one pair of NYC purchased cargo pants and feeling really confident about them. 

I really meant to discuss the “not wearing a bra” trend last fall. I was throwing around the phrase, “the year of the nipple” in my head for months and I guess I never carried it to the blog. But, it needs to be brought to the forefront. Whenever I see someone in a tight top (t-shirt, tube top, crop top or tank top) who is obviously not wearing a bra, I think to myself: (1) if she could see the future, she would be wearing a bra right now (and sunscreen!) (2) she is obviously super comfortable with her boobs (3) she is essentially daring people to look at her nipples and (4) good for her. Don’t worry though, as a “never nude” (as mentioned in previous posts), I will not be experimenting with going braless.

In terms of fashion, I have some tough news for those of us who grew up in the San Fernando Valley in the 1980’s: scrunchies, stirrup pants and acid wash are back. Today, I saw someone wearing acid wash cargo pants and I fully expect to see a banana clip in someone’s hair at any moment. A few other trends that I am seeing everywhere are sweater and suit vests, Mary Jane style shoes (flats and heels), and parachute pants. The trend I will definitely not be indulging in is wearing a bra as a top. Earlier this week, we saw a well dressed woman headed out to a working lunch in pleated suit pants and a matching top. The top was entirely unbuttoned to reveal not a camisole, tank top or any actual shirt – just a really cute, opaque bra. If that is the new business casual, then I think a lot more people might start showing up to the office.

Beyond shopping, I am happy to report that we have seen two Broadway shows and liked both. If you can catch “Gutenberg! The Musical!” while Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells are starring in it, we definitely recommend it. “It’s the story of two best pals named Bud and Doug who put on a show together because they just love each other so damn much. It’s art imitating life imitating art!” We also enjoyed “Here Lies Love,” a musical about the life of Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines. The music was composed by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim. The orchestra section of the theater is standing room only and functions as a disco throughout the play while actors perform from various spots throughout the theater. We have been to the Comedy Cellar in SoHo twice already and when we were there last Friday night, Leslie Jones of SNL dropped in to do a set. She was ridiculously funny and was followed by Dave Attell who also killed. It is likely that the Comedy Cellar is the biggest bang for your money on a night out in New York City.

Thanks to our friend Jen who was visiting for a few days last week, we found another spot to play pickle ball at a recreation center at 96th St in Central Park. The courts are not pristine, the restrooms are out of order but the people are friendly and the pickle ball was great. Unlike when we played at Houston and 6th Avenue, we did not feel like we might get kicked out of the game for poor performance. There are beginner/intermediate courts with a lot of very nice people and then a whole lot of bravado and some shit-talking on the advanced courts. Tentative from being previously dropped in pickle outings, we played three successful games on the “JV” courts and then moved up to the “Varsity” courts. We ended up playing against each other but felt like we were capable enough to hold our own with those players and are planning to go back again. 

Finally, my friend Melissa and I had an exceptional chocolate chip cookie at La Mercerie at The Guild, a beautiful SoHo French restaurant that has been recommended to me by several people and also featured on the last season of “And Just LIke That.” My husband and son had a super fun evening at a whiskey cocktail-making class at The Great Jones Distillery in NoHo. At this point, if you are coming to New York, I can help you put together a pretty outstanding itinerary of restaurants, shows, art, music and sports.