Escape to New York

Vacations for some mean lying on tropical, sandy beaches,  banana boats and Margaritas, zenning out on yoga retreats, or, something about…getting “back to nature.”. We tend to plan the kinds of getaways that make friends think, “You’re going to need a vacation after your vacation!”  And so it was, at the ungodly hour of 4am last Wednesday – Thanksgiving Eve – the alarm clock signaled the start of our latest adventure: four jam-packed days in New York City, the antitheses of (and antidote for) the abstract, liberal outpost we live in. Aside from being on opposite coasts, Santa Cruz and New York represented the polar opposite ends of the political, social, and cultural spectrum.

Contrary to the doom-saying media, getting through both SFO, and the Newark, New Jersey airports were completely smooth and uneventful. No cavity searches, no body scans, either. On our cab ride into the city, our Haitian cabby, who for no other apparent reason other than his name was William, entreated us to an exhaustive discussion of the succession rites of British Royalty. Random. But it’s been almost 8 years since I’ve been to the city, and it’s Stacy’s first time, so the anticipation of the approaching city lights and towering buildings was all we could think about, and poor William’s lecture fell largely on deaf ears.

After arriving and checking into our hotel, the W in Times Square, we set out for our first adventure. Some 35 blocks north on Central Park West, the line-up of giant balloons, stars of tomorrow’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade were being inflated and readied. In years past, I and a handful of local families ventured out on this night to take in the spectacle. But these days, the secret’s out, and it’s become an “event,” complete with crowds, barricades, and being herded along the line of tomorrow’s colorful stars. Still, there’s nothing like it in the world.

NOTE TO SELF – dragging Girlfriend out on a 70-block march the first night we arrive in the city risks a certain, hazardous fallout …hail a cab! Luckily, we ducked into a nearby ready-made Italian joint, where the sights and smells of fresh pizza and calzones and salads made forgetting our sore feet and ravenous appetites a little easier. This was the real deal…

Thursday, we wake to the faint hum of the crowds below, and from 35-floors above, open the window shades and take in the spectacle below, the behemoth tall buildings around us,  and the perfect, grey sky of Thanksgiving morning above. A very healthy, Santa Cruz-style breakfast arrives, and we camp-out in the window-box, piling pillows on the adjacent desk watching the spectacle unfold below, in the exact order that we saw it in last night!

Later, after a fabulous new twist on the traditional Thanksgiving dinner at Blue Fin, the restaurant at the W, we went to see “Strawberry Fields,” a Beatles-revival band at B.B.Kings.

 Oddly, another similar clone band recently mutated – “Rain” – and is playing across town right now. Sadly, two clones don’t even come close to adding up to the real thing, but for a nostalgic, holiday evening’s entertainment, it was just what the doctor ordered.

Friday. Black Friday. Our mission, infiltrate the maddening crowds at Macy’s, then retreat to the more gentile climes of Fifth Avenue.

First, Macy’s – the epicenter of Black Friday madness. We throw ourselves on the throngs of shoppers, not in search of deals, but rather to experience the spectacle of this sea of humanity. Some people pay good money to enter an amusement park and be whisked away on its’ rides. For us, the price of admission to this roller coaster was nothing other than the cost of a new shirt, wallet, and a couple of very smart and cute kid’s outfits.

One very short cab ride away we find ourselves seated on a comfortable couch on the uncrowded, unhurried 2^nd floor of Prada/Fifth^th Avenue, the salesperson bringing us glasses of Pellegrino. The joy I get in seeing my sexy girl trying on these works-of-art, and the smile on her face, eventually gave way to my cue, and upon hearing “I’ll take them!” stepped up to my manly duties.

She walked out with the most beautiful, soft, sexy, grey suede boots I’d ever seen. And after a few more stops on Madison and Park Avenues, we made our way across Central Park, taking in the zoo, the autumn trees, and sharing some amazing, fresh honey-roasted cashews with one of the local denizens.

Friday night, we make our way to the theatrical piece-de-resistance, “The Merchant of Venice,” starring Al Pacino. The Broadhurst Theater, itself a seemingly timeless masterpiece that evoked such a deep reverence for the countless thousands of nights that theater-goers had been entertained inside its walls,  and how countless actors and actresses, just like tonight, had graced its majestic stage.

Pacino was brilliant, as was the entire cast, set amidst a metallic, minimalist stage with multiple configurations that, rather than calling attention to themselves, left the focus on the actors and their message. A sometimes brutal, sometimes beautiful story by Shakespeare was told in a riveting hybrid of original dialogue and modern parlance. We had to be booted out of the theater after the show, for not wanting to leave this magical place and experience.

Afterwards, perhaps the only thing that could follow an act like that was “The View” restaurant and lounge – rotating high atop the 80-storey Marriot hotel in Times Square, offered awe-inspiring 360-degree views of the city, and memorable cocktails as well.

Saturday, after a delicious encore performance by our neighborhood Italian joint, this time for breakfast, we make our way to Chelsea, a midtown, artists-loft/art studio part of town. Back in early summer, we had seen a breathtaking work of art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, and contacted the artist to inquire about the availability of limited-edition prints.

As it happens, we purchased a print in September, and she agreed to see us while in New York, so we could meet her and see her studio and pick it up personally.

SoHyun Bae was simply the most gracious and fascinating hostess, and immediately we were trading stories – on international issues, travel stories, and…raising children! Before long, we found ourselves at an amazing, if quirky, Korean restaurant continuing this warm-hearted feast of new friends.

After parting, we went to Soho and Greenwich Village for more shopping, window- and otherwise. This time it was *I* who was treated to a great find, courtesy of Girlfriend - a great jacket at Armani Exchange!

The feast of friends continued early that evening, at the chic 48 Lounge where we met friends Nancy and Jim for appetizers and drinks. Stacy has known Nancy for 5 years now, and to have all of us in the same room at the same time was such an event! We had a great time talking, laughing, and getting to know them better.

Saturday night, it’s the spectacle of all spectacles – The Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes. It was a long-time dream-come-true for Stacy, who, as an accomplished dancer herself, was thrilled beyond words with the sights, sounds, the precision and the passion of the show that unfolded before our eyes. Most impressive to me was the way that they incorporated a filmed backdrop with the live action on stage. Amazing. After the show, we make our way to an equally impressive spectacle of the culinary kind, Bobby Flay’s “Bar Americain,” described as modeled after an “American Brasserie in Paris.”

A memorable meal, wine, service, and.. . spectacle. A fitting final dinner for our adventures in the city.

Sunday, we’ve invited a long-time friend of mine, Jeanie for breakfast. She lives on the upper west side along Central Park, and is a colorful, multi-talented New Yorker who’s a musician, real estate agent, et al. After a leisurely breakfast at Blue Fin, where I discovered for the first time that well-made eggs benedict are to-die-for, we bid adieu to Jeanie and this city-that-never-sleeps.

 Rolling past rows of Archie Bunker-houses on our cab ride through Queens, we try to imagine what it’s like for people that live in the city, and people who live in these outlying burrows, so foreign to either of our backgrounds. But that’s what makes a trip like this so rewarding – to step outside our world, our comfort zone, and into an adventure.