six month city vets

We have now been living in our New York apartment for four weeks. Last night, we had the opportunity to get out of the city and see friends in Scarsdale. A third couple who we had not met before, also from Northern California, were part of our group. Coincidentally, they are in the middle of a month-long experiment living in NY. They traded their house in Marin County with their son who has a one-bedroom in the Meatpacking District for a month so they could try living in New York City and he could enjoy some warm weather and more living space. On top of having NYC living experiments in common, we also have tons of friends in common from UCLA, living in SF and friends of friends in the Bay Area. Since we now have accumulated six months of experience living in the West Village, Chelsea and now Columbus Circle/Lincoln Center, we bombarded our new friends with sage advice, my NY restaurant spreadsheet (which is continuously updated and will now include many more UWS restaurants) and this blog. Suffice it to say, they are having the same reaction we did our first time living here – incredibly stimulated by having so many things to do, places to go, restaurants to try and people to watch.

It was such perfect timing to meet them because I really have spent the last month noticing that my confidence level in this urban space has risen dramatically. Here are a few examples of when I have patted myself on the back for being brave and confident when slightly out of my comfort zone:

* I steadfastly insisted on getting tickets for five people to a popular Broadway matinee at the TKTS booth the day before the show even when anxiety from others created some momentum to buy tickets ahead. 

* I took two subways and the Metro North to Scarsdale by myself, without sweating through my clothes.

* I walked home alone after a show ended at 10:30 pm to Columbus Circle from 45th and 7th Ave without feeling scared or acting weird.

* Although I love the sing-a-long at the Duplex in the West Village, I am now savvy enough to plan around the Friday night piano player.

* I am stalking the 260 Sample Sales. My friend Susie and I dropped into the Nili Lotan sale last week and learned a few pro tips: the prices go down as the sale approaches the last day, it’s best to know the brand well and have a good feel for what is priced well, and prepare to stand in lines for the really good ones.

* I actually trusted my dog off leash while fetching tennis balls in Central Park.

Besides constantly testing my street savviness, I have already seen five Broadway shows. There are definitely many more shows to see now than there were when we first lived here in fall 2022. So far the shows we have seen, in order of how much we liked them, are: Maybe Happy Ending, John Proctor is a Villain, Hell’s Kitchen, Just in Time and The Outsiders. I am happy to report that I would recommend all of them, especially if you buy the tickets for 40% to 50% off at TKTS or on the TodayTix app. The number one show recommended to us by far is Vanya which is playing for a limited time at the newly remodeled Lucille Lortel theater in the West Village. These tickets are very expensive, hard to get and not available on either discount app. I am also hoping to see Oh, Mary!, All the Beauty in the World, and Buena Vista Social Club. Friends have seen Good Night, and Good Luck, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Glengarry Glen Ross (which somehow does not include the infamous “ABC” scene) and given mixed reviews, for the moment, I’ll be sitting out for these shows despite their high profile actors. 

In addition to Broadway, we attended Nikki Glaser’s performance at the Beacon Theater and she was excellent. I have never heard a woman speak so openly and in such detail to thousands of people about the look and functionality of her vagina. My guess is that most of the men in the room were slightly shocked by the use of the word “discharge” but managed to laugh at appropriate times. 

We also returned to the Comedy Cellar for probably the tenth time in less than three years and enjoyed an outstanding line-up that included Dave Atell. For the second time in our many nights there, we became fodder for the headliner which is something I invite, actively hope for and seek out. My husband is not as eager to be mocked but is learning to accept his fate. Even though I am dying to be part of the show, the few times we have been “chosen” by a comedian to participate in their act, they always pick on my husband. It could be his height or his resemblance to Anderson Cooper or Ryan Reynolds (depending on the lighting) that attracts the commentary. Either way, I am jealous and frustrated that they don’t want to use me to get laughs. Luckily, I did make a new friend at a store called Blue & Cream on Bleeker St who is hysterical and has the ability to pick on me in the nicest way while also able to choose the perfect jeans for every body type. He is a gift and I plan to insert myself into his world.

Outside the entertainment scene, we are enjoying some of the routine we created in fall 2022, including being regulars at Liftonic in the Meatpacking District with Rachel on Fridays, Barry’s (new UWS location), Modo Yoga in the WV (newly renamed Fyra Yoga) and tennis clinics with Pedro at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club (who gave me a huge, welcome back hug when returned after a 18 months away.) While trying to find a local yoga studio that would not require riding home on the subway soaking wet, I stumbled onto yoga in Central Park. Last Sunday, I uncharacteristically had no trouble sticking with a full 75 minutes of yoga in Sheep’s Meadow, practicing and stretching while being energized by the sights of skyscrapers and breathing fresh air. This is definitely a must do for anyone visiting or living in New York as evidenced by the fact that my daughter and her friend, current NYC residents, were willing to join us.