NYC, Gimme another day!

Pictures have now been uploaded to Google: http://picasaweb.google.com/patrialanfranchi/NYC4208?authkey=0NGq_GCby9o


New York City is fabulous. There's so much going on, so much to do, so many different people, so easy to get around.

Wednesday was NYC day and it started by taking the 5:19 train into Penn Station. Easy to park, easy to find a seat on the train and that gave me just enough time to plan the day.

An unplanned day in NYC is *worthless* unless your goal is to wander in circles and eat fast-food in the park. There are too many decisions to make and it's one place that has got to be traumatic to go with a group, due to the inability to make good, quick decisions about where to go and what to do. On my itinerary:

• See a show (ended up seeing "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change"--highly recommend, it's so funny...and so true!)
  
• Go to the best vegetarian restaurant of 2007
  
• Find the best chocolate chip cookie in NY
  
• Go to Ouidad to get the ONLY stuff (my opinion) good for curly hair
  
• See Joe (my buddy from Denver who moved there almost a little over a year ago)--great to see you, Joe!!! NY has been good for you.
  
• Go to Central Park
• Go to the Apple store on 5th Ave
• Go to a museum
• Go to J&R Electronics--the biggest/best electronics store there is
• See what's happening at Ground Zero
• Get my money's worth for an all-day metro pass (yeah, they lost money on me yesterday)
  

If the museums opened before 11:30, I would have gotten to the Neue (a recommendation from my neighbor), but with needing to stand in line for 1/2 off day-of shows and then seeing the show 3 1/2 hrs later, there was not time for both. Hopefully I'll get there next week.

Central Park at 6:30 am is an entirely different park. Dogs run free off-leash, bike racers are training in circles on the road. Walker and joggers are everywhere and there is a calm being in this place...an escape from the city that towers above it.

I actually ended up doing everything else on the list and did get to the vegetarian restaurant, but didn't love the prices for what I was in the mood for...but next door was a very typical NY convenience store with a scrumptious salad bar for $5.30/lb. Couldn't go wrong. Hunting down the chocolate chip cookie was entirely worth it, but it involved walking 3-4 miles. Yes, it was a freaking good cookie...and a whole meal in itself.

I have a lot of great NY pics, but am having trouble uploading right now. Will be sure to get them up before the evening is over.

Oh yeah, this blog entry would be incomplete if I didn't mention the bagel I ate first thing yesterday morning. It was MUCH better than CO bagels. Crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle and the flavor was a bit better, too. What's their secret?

I write this, again, from Princeton. This time I'm in the student union at a very nice table with electrical outlet. It's dark with red brick walls and many students. Time to pack it up and stroll along Nassau street. Maybe find a coffee shop and will definitely stop at their local co-op/organic food store on the way for lunch.