Sandy Hit, May have Biased Me

I love New York and will, one day, live there.  Unfortunate for my first visit, one of the biggest hurricanes to hit New York decided to arrive as well.  Jokingly, I wanted a whirlwind adventure and I certainly got one.

I caught up with a college friend, Sveta, and planned to run on Sunday.  She replies we may have to postpone on account of a hurricane.  I say, "preposterous."  Anyway, we changed the plans from jog to drink.  Sveta invited me over on Sunday to "make pizza."  I brought frozen pizzas, not realizing Sveta's a great cook and doesn't eat pork (rough for the boy raised on a Minnesota hog-farm). She prepared the two below that look creative and delicious.  I made the one straight out of the box.

Return to the hurricane: Sunday night things worsened and escalated to the worst on Monday afternoon, meaning neither Sveta nor I were going anywhere.  Fortunately, there was wine and fresh ingredients.  We baked cookies, watched old movies (Funny Girl, Singing in the Rain, etc.) and realized we could be besties, if only we lived in the same city.

 Note cookies, wine, and orange chicken (Sveta really can cook.)

Then come Wednesday (70 hours after I arrived) we found that the only store open in the area was a coffee shop and a liquor store, which means I had everything I needed to stay happy.

There was homemade hummus as well.

Much like Generation Y'ers, and because Sveta works at a marketing research firm on the tech side, she had fun hoarding the computers.  

In reality, this is what it took for her to connect to the internet.

Who's excited about hummus?!

Me too.

3 days cooped up made laundry necessary.  This was my first ever real laundromat experience.   I'll conclude I prefer my in-building laundry.

Finally, the storm passed and we were able to catch the subway into Manhattan.  After a week stationed in Brooklyn, I started disliking being out East.  However, a day in Manhattan and I hesitated to ever leave.

We met up with yet another college friend, Mary, and tried true chocolate concoctions at Max Brenner in the East Village.

I had a deadline to see the city and the sights that appealed to me, so first on my list was Lincoln Center.  I may or may not have been teary eyed upon first sight.

A Tchaikovsky tribute by the New York City Ballet--a very good reason to return to New York in January.

Along the route was a pass through Times Square (complete with a Chinese news agency advertising.)

I found my way to the free ice skating rink, but due to Sandy's unpleasant weather it was closed.  Boo, says the winter-and-ice-eager Minnesotan.

New York Public Library.  I love libraries as a wholesome institution representing pillars of a great society.  (Plus, they're economical and green choices!)

My favorite souvenir from New York--a public library card.  Look at this amazing space.  To truly take part, I requested and read Capote's "In Cold Blood." What an experience.

 The highline.

In the vein of cost-efficient tourism, the Staten Island Ferry flows right near the  Statue of Liberty--and avoids the lines at the actual statue.

This ferry even offers beers and food--just had to take advantage of it.

 But what makes a city great is always the people. Lawrence, Sveta, and I found fun in Brooklyn amidst the storm.  We found great bars in the East Village and in Brooklyn's Sunset Park.
Here, the three wise men enjoy the three wise men--John, Jack, and James.

Sandy certainly didn't change my opinion of New York. I'll forever love that city, but at this point, I chose a different trail.

Later days,
Rick