Eclectic Trips

Brunch at Jacques

The name of one of the loveliest neighborhoods in Manhattan, Nolita sounds like a pretty girl’s name, but it simply means “North of Little Italy”. This lovely area has some of the best cafes and boutiques in New York City, all concentrated around a several block radius. You can spend a lazy Saturday afternoon here, walking around the small cobblestone streets, window shopping, and popping into some boutiques. The restaurants and cafes are abundant, and most of them are great. One of my favorites is the classic and always packed Cafe Gitane on Mott and prince. Small, with a few tables outside, Gitane has simple, inexpensive French- Moroccan fare, and I love the small details here- the Gitane chocolate they serve with your cafe au lait is not only a lovely touch, but it is indeed a very tasty piece of chocolate. Order the baked feta appetizer, and the couscous, get a lillet, a kir or a cafe’…and sit around for a bit enjoying the gorgeous foot traffic passing by.

Prince street tiny market

Favorite brunch spot is Jaques French Bistro on Prince. Only $12.95 for a pre fix brunch, which includes a mimosa is a true steal around Nolita. The food is solid, good every time. I usually order the simple choice- eggs benedict with smoked salmon, and it’s lick your plate delicious. And the fries- let’s just say these fries are not for sharing, they are that good.  Cafe Havana is a very popular Nolita establishment, loud, rowdy, always super packed, and always a a wait for the table here. Their cheesy corn is legendary, and if you are in Nolita, I recommend you checking out Habana to find out exactly why. You will always see folk sitting or congregating outside, waiting for tables or eating their cheesy corn, and it’s always a fun scene.

The Market NYC sign

There is some truly great shopping in Nolita is great if you can afford it. Sigerson Morrison on prince has the hippest, and very well made shoes. There is the legendary Calypso on Mott with their beautiful bohemian light as air wares and accessories. And the newly opened Botkier store next to Cafe Gitane is small and cute – a true “boutique” and has very pretty handbags. But for those that can’t quite afford the price tags at these upscale wonders, Nolita, luckily offers some pretty great alternatives.

Laser cut jewelry at Market NYC

The Market NYC is a small indoor market that consists of young, up and coming designers selling their mostly one of a kind pieces. It’s mostly about jewelry, but there is also clothing, leather goods, and all kinds of random things.  In my opinion the jewelry is the main draw here. There are so many beautiful, unique things in all price ranges. Everything from semi precious stones, to knit jewelry, to laser cut pieces, to things made out of vintage findings and old beads. At least half of my jewelry collection is comprised  of Market NYC finds, I love every single piece, and they have lasted me a while. It’s also really nice to buy a piece  directly from the designer and hear the story behind it. “It took me 6 hours to make this necklace” said Olga with pride of the silk and gold necklace that I purchased from her. “If it ever gets tangled up, and you can’t untangle it- come here and I will do it for you”. You don’t get that kind of service in Saks Fifth Avenue:)

Inside The Market NYC

And if The Market NYC is not enough to satisfy your shopping cravings, Prince street between Mott and Mulberry is lined with eclectic stands selling everything from hats, and tees, to children’s clothing, to more jewelry.

Art at Nicholas Roerich museum

It’s not often that I come all the way uptown above 110th street, but when I do I really enjoy every moment. The long commute makes it feel like a day trip, and thus makes the experience even more special.  One of my favorite places in the City is The  Nicholas Roerich Museum . The museum is housed in a historical brownstone, a beautiful old house that reminds me of the phrase ” if walls could talk”. I feel like in this old house they would certainly have stories to share. Nicholas was a Russian born artist, writer and anthropologist who got fascinated with India and Himalayas and dedicated  many of his paintings to the beautiful mountainscapes. I love roaming the museum for a while and then spending some time downstairs looking through the cool postcards and prints of Roerich’s paintings. Picking up a few cards- for friends and for refrigerator art has become a part of my ritual of coming here.

Right outside of the museum is the mysterious Riverside park. I am convinced this park is the quietest place in the city. Riverside park runs along the Hudson River, it’s long and narrow with many alleyways and bike routes. It is built on several different levels, it overlooks the river, opening up  gorgeous views of Manhattan from in between the trees. It’s always a bit dark on the upper levels of the park because of the lush vegetation, and the park is filled with a different air- I always feel like it’s an air of time gone by. They have many different events here- jazz in the park and other fun things taking place in the Summer. A walk along Riverside park, with it’s ever changing views of the city and overgrown ivy running along the brick walls of the gates is always a treat for me- very peaceful and calming.

There is old, beautiful architecture all around this part of town- walking along the streets you notice incredible unique buildings, many of which have plaques on the entrances informing us that a famous poet, architect or a political leader has once upon a time lived here. I always get lost walking around the streets here, and always find new architectural treasures to behold.

After all the walking and taking in the Arts, I usually pay a visit to Community Food and Juice on Broadway and 110th street. I love the food and atmosphere here. They use seasonal, organic and local ingredients whenever possible. And they cook these ingredients to perfection. Last time i had the wild salmon with sweet and sour vegetable broth, and it was pitch perfect- large portion, the fish was extremely fresh, and the delicate flavor of the broth was the perfect compliment to the crispy skin salmon. Their ‘bowl of beets” is a delicious starter. The service is also impeccable- friendly, knowledgeable, very attentive but not annoying. Love this place!

Inside the museum

Concerts in the Park schedule

Brick wall with overgrown Ivy at River Side Park

A beautiful building on 114th street

So if you have a few hours to spare take the 1 train to ” Cathedral Parkway” stop to experience, and possibly fall in love with a different part of Manhattan

Corner of 6th and Bleecker

The most amazing thing about New York is the ever changing variety of scenery as you walk through the city. Between union square, lower east side, park avenue and upper west side there is such a world of difference it is truly fascinating. From the people populating these neighborhoods, to the types of restaurants and the feel of the streets to subtle differences like how delis in different parts of NY are stacked with different items.

Being very much a downtown girl myself, one of my favorite corners in NY is the corner of 6th Avenue and Bleecker street. One of the reasons I am impartial to this particular corner is Grom. Grom is a gelato shop we discovered in Florence last Summer, and with which I have been mildly obsessed- I woke up every morning in Florence dreaming up the gelato flavors from Grom I will be having that particular day. When they opened an outpost in NY I cried happy tears- their gelato is that good. It is made with organic ingredients grown on their own organic farm, no preservatives, no coloring, no yucky stuff. “Il gelato come una volta”- gelato the way it used to be. All the flavors are really good, but you must try pistachio- I promise you’ve never had anything like it.

There is lovely small park with a big fountain in the middle, conveniently located outside of grom, where you can sit, enjoy your gelato and drink in the sights and sounds of New York city. And if you feel more like a recluse, there is the tiniest park with 2 benches, it is completely shaded with big trees and pretty romantic if a nit dark just to the left of Grom on Downing street. It’s quite lovely if you want to get away from the sounds of the city for a few minutes.

Grom

Across the street from Grom, on 6th avenue is Bar Pitti- a New York institution. Always packed on nice days, always sporting the best looking crowd around, and celebrity sightings here are a plenty. The food is rustic Tuscan, the menu is brought to your table on a blackboard, and read out loud by good looking wait staff with heavy Italian accents. Bar Pitti is one of those places where you end up sitting for hours, ordering more wine, and time kind of dissipates, as the vibe here is lazy and fun.

A lovely park on 6th

in Grom through the window

Bar Pitti

Street Art meets music in New York

An awesome new addition to my favorite corner is an installation right outside of bar Pitti. It’s a bright pink piano that has the words “play me, I am yours” painted on it’s side. Those who know how to play take it for a spin, and those who don’t-like me, take pictures with it:) It’s pretty cool to hear beautiful live piano music in the middle of the street…

Not only is New York highline considered to be one of the top parks in the world, and is completely unique and beautiful, but it also offers very special treats on both ends of it to those who know where to find them.

Highline used to be a train line, but the trains have not run on it since the 80′s. There was some talk of demolishing the highline, and finally the city decided to turn it into an above ground park. I am so glad they did

You can enter the highline from several different points, but I like to start at the beginning, on Ganesvoort street. As you walk on the Highline park and check out the funky plants and the design of the high line itself which is just so clean and fresh and modern you also get to see an entirely  different perspective of Manhattan, the west side, the architecture and the skyline. I just love the plants here. This is from the highline website  ” Many of the plants that you see were selected to evoke the feel of the overgrown tracks. Some plants are the same species as what grew on the tracks previously, while some are related to what grew here or have a similar form and feel, and while they may seem wild or untamed, they are not weeds”. These plants are fascinating, and they have such an urban feel about them- as if they will survive and thrive in the coldest of New York winters… Like that urban image of the tiny plant breaking through the concrete and reaching up towards the sky. People watching on the highline is also lovely.  Here are the hippest of NY hipsters, tourists from all over the world, uptowners, downtowners and everyone in between. And somehow everyone seems unusually relaxed for New York City up here. Maybe it’s the air

Highline plants

If you are preparing  to spend some time on the highline, it’s probably best to grab lunch before you begin your journey.

Stopping by the Standard Hotel at the 14th street side of the highline is the first treat. The hotel is done so well, as are all Andre Balaz‘s establishments, and I love how it fuses with it’s environment and the Highline itself. The Standard Grill is an interesting place, with an outdoor area, a funky bistro, and a very cool, trendy and often loud ambiance.  They serve some great lunch selections, and  fresh locally sourced and organic ingredients are big here.

Another option and an all time New York staple is Pastis, and it’s right around the corner. Probably one of the trendiest daytime spots in downtown Manhattan, it’s always super packed, so prepare for a pretty long wait. But if  you score a table outside on a nice day consider it your lucky day and enjoy every moment. This is the ultimate in New York daytime fare.

La Bergamote is my favorite pastry shop in the world. Pastry shops in Paris don’t compare. And they have some incredible pastry shops in Paris as I am sure you are well aware. It’s so quaint here, with hand painted   very Parisian pastel murals on the walls. The pastries are fresh and flaky and are just a little piece of heaven. I love to think of going to La Bergamote after coming of the high line as a well deserved prize for all the walking. Kinda like I worked off the calories from the pastries in advance. It’s completely self deceptive of course, but I fool myself every time.

Highline perspectives

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Freeman’s

I am a New Yorker, and I take utmost pride in that label. I do live in Miami, but I love my New York City, and I feel completely at home, at ease, and often slightly on edge in inanticipation of new adventures,  as New York unwittingly offers you new adventures more often than not.

New York is the city of opposites and extremes- it’s transient and trendy, and at the same time it has a very steady and unchanging  side.

New York clubs and restaurants are a good example of  this strange tendency- there are dozens or perhaps hundreds of new bars, clubs and restaurants that open up in the city every month. Some will be very popular and trendy for some time, some will be hard to score a reservation in, but most will slowly lose their sparkle, only to be replace by the new hot “it” spot. There are some magical places however that are so quintessentially New York, they will stay en vogue forever, drawing the trendsetting crowd, celebrities, and the NYC Boheme… I’ll tell you about these secret New York establishments, but please don’t tell anyone else- the reservations are getting harder to come by, and wait times are way too long as it is

Brunch at Freeman's

La Esquina takes the whole secret/underground vibe to a new level. It’s a very inconspicuous looking lunch truck on the corner of Lafayette and. Inside the truck there is a doorman, who upon checking your reservation will radio a hostess to come up and get you. You will then be taken through a labyrinth of stairs, through the kitchen and finally arrive at a dark and uber trendy Mexican restaurant with a very lively bar scene and the most delicious and innovative margaritas in the city. The last two times we were here we sat next to A listers of the Hollywood category that would impress many people. I will not name drop however, neither are the celebrity sightings the main draw here…

The food is unbelievably good, the scene is fun, and did I mention the margaritas? You will of course need a reservation, and i do recommend you make it well in advance as the place is not particularly large and gets packed quick. If you cant get a reservation,  you can have lunch here- the Mexican truffle quesadilla is out of this world, and sitting outside in the Taqueria is indeed a lovely experience.

walking to Freemans

Coffe Shopon Union square has always been an interesting phenomenon for me to observe. ( Notice the THE in front of the name- not to be confused with A Coffee shop The food is quite decent, though it’s nothing to write home about. The decor is that of a coffee shop, and the service is …interesting…. By interesting I mean that you will be waited on by extremely trendy, very attractive aspiring actors and models, who will often act like they are doing you a huge favor by bringing your meal. You want sugar with your coffee? Seriously? She will barely contain herself from rolling her eyes at this utterly unreasonable request. Yet if you are in New York, in Union Square and you need to grab a casual bite I recommended this place.  It is so very New York that it is certainly worth a try. I know i keep coming back here year after year and to some extent i enjoy it every time. If you sit outside in the Spring or Summer, this is by far the best people watching spot in all of New York. So there.

Coffee Shop on Union Square

Decibel sake bar on 9th street is another super-secret hideout spot. No sign on the door (of course), and once you go down a flight of stairs to a seemingly random basement and knock on a nondescript door, you wait a few minutes. Do not get discouraged and walk away, as the door will open eventually (all part of the experience) and you will enter an underground Japanese sake bar/pub. The music is loud and people are drunk, it’s fun here. Do not go with a large group, as there are no tables for more than 6 people. The extensive sake list is great, the waiters are very helpful in recommending a good sake, and the yummy Japanese pub food is stellar.

The last on my list is the legendary Indochine on Lafayette. This legendary establishment just celebrated their 25th anniversary, and celebrated with a book  appropriately titled “stories shaken and stirred”  The food is consistently fantastic, the drinks are innovative and the crowd is still very glamorous. The plush banquets and the chic palm frond wall paper give this place a unique look and feel. It has a bit of a nostalgic feel, and if you tune into it, you can feel that the place has seen and heard it all, and that you are in a presence of history of sorts… There is definitely a certain cache in knowing that Indochine the likes of Andy Warhol and Madonna once graced these same banquets you are now occupying…

Indochine

Brighton beach-day trip to little Odessa

At the last stop of B train a different world awaits any New Yorker or a visitor who has a hankering for a bit of the unusual within the reach of the MTA

Brighton beach is a Brooklyn area by the shore, right next to the old Coney Island amusement park, the aquarium, and home to some of the best Russian and Ukrainian food you’ve tasted this side of Eastern europe.

Pick a nice, sunny day, warm enough to walk around for hours, take your camera and take the B train to the last stop- Brighton Beach avenue. Take a stroll down boardwalk to Coney Island, and if you are brave enough and are there during the season, take a ride on the cyclone. Cyclone is officially the scariest roller coaster I have ever been on- and it’s not scary in the usual PG rated Disney kind of way. It’s scary in the way that when you ride it you feel like it is about to fall apart at any second, and you will plummet to your immediate demise. Real scary, and totally worth it.
if the cyclone proposition has piqued your interest, you better hurry, as there is all kinds of controversy about coney island getting demolished, and bought over by Disney, and there are all kinds of coalitions fighting to preserve it as historical site. I hope history wins, and coney island remains for many years to come but as experience shows, good does not always win in real life.

While you are here, grab some cheese fries from Nathan’s and a soft serve ice cream or cotton candy on the boardwalk. My favorite thing to do is to take my unhealthy snack with, as i take a ride on a ferris wheel and take some silly pictures.

Next stop is aquarium. It is really just your run of the mill aquarium, but it fits nicely into the day’s itinerary, and is fun to visit once and view the various marinelife. As you walk back towards Brighton beach on the boardwalk, there is some fun mosaics and street wall art to look at.

Brighton beach itself runs under the train tracks, and if that doesn’t make it loud enough, the hustle and bustle of brighton’s inhabitants- about 90 percent immigrants from the  former USSR certainly will. Produce stores and fancy delicatessen delis line the street, and people look very busy shopping. There are all kinds of delicacies and delicious looking items everywhere. Russian and Ukrainians do love their food. Stop by International deli’s 2 floor food emporium and see for yourself. Buy some Russian sweets for the train ride home.

Gina’s cafe on Brighton 5th street serves some of the best  Russian fare the street has to offer. The decor here is cozy and homey, it’s warm and inviting It is also very inexpensive. I have known the owner, Gina For about 15years, during which time she has not aged a day. I am convinced she has somehow discovered some potent youth serum, and won’t share. But I digress
Vegetarian borscht and mushroom soup are a hit every time. Gina’s Salad -a version of a Caesar salad with smoked salmon and red caviar is yum, and my personal favorite main course is shrimp in white sauce served with buckwheat. I could eat at Gina’s every day.

Zhanna and I at Gina's cafe

Within the same price range is  GLechik, on coney island avenue (not to be confused with coney island park) right of Brighton beach. This place serves pretty authentic Ukrainian dishes, it is meat heavy, i recommend pelmeni- the meat dumplings, and vareniki with potatoes. my favorite desert here is penki- which literally translates as tree stumps, the name remains a mystery to me. But the delicious fluffy pastry with coffee cream and jam is such a treat, I  would eat it even if it was called “the witch’s wart”

Kebeer

Right on the corner of Brighton Beach and Coney Island avenue is a good beer bar- Kebeer, that has I believe about a 100 beers, lots on tap, and the food is pretty good.

Tatyana’s on the boardwalk is a much more upscale and pretty overpriced establishment, as popular with brighton’s day visitors, as it is with locals. It is lovely to sit here on a sunny day and look at the water. I guess think of the overpriced menu as paying the premium for the view I allow myself to come here only once in a while, if I am planning a particularly long lunch with friends, and it is particularly beautiful out. They try to upsell you so hard, it gets to be a bit comical, so that’s a little extra entertainment

All in all, I think Brighton Beach is very much a worthy day trip for a jaded New Yorker- some nostalgic elements, some pretty views, some culturally diverse food- all make for a nice day.