Doot doot dooby doo (aka I love New York)

I went to New York City a few weeks ago for an interview. It was my first time to go to The Big Apple without family or friends or a group like Courtside (aw) and I was allllll by myself (cue Celine Dion song).

Never a certainty when flying standyby, I got on a flight, which was great. Until we landed at La Guardia, where I'm always like OMGOMGOMGWEAREGOINGTOLANDINTHEWATERANDDIEEEEEEANDMYFAVORITESHOESWILLGETWETOHNOESohwaittherestherunwaycool. I hate that airport. 

I cabbed my way to Manhattan and my swanky hotel I got a good deal (for New York) on Priceline for, then explored my postage stamp-sized room in about 6 seconds, and headed out to get FOOD. (For whatever reason, I decided the diet was off when I was in New York. Ps almost a month later and I've gained 5 pounds despite all the city walking and haven't realllllllly restarted the diet yet. Dangit.) 

Anyway, I was too hungry to find food, so I stopped at the first place I found which was a chain Cafe Metro. Lame, I know. If I had walked one block farther I could have had delicious Halal Food from any number of sizzling food carts. 

Cutting my losses, I made my way to Rockefeller: 

Who doesn't love a golden guy in front of a fountain? I know I do. 

Rockefeller is a lot more fun (and crowded) at Christmastime, but it did fully satisfy my need for Art Deco architecture and aesthetic to start the day off right. 

This obsession is not new, but it's definitely enhanced right now. 

I went to the NBC store for the first time. Almost bought the World's Best Boss mug from The Office but decided I had far too many mugs already and far too little cash and suitcase space. Le sigh. 

I wended my way down the street until I hit an outdoor market full of knockoff purses, jewelry, sunglasses, tshirts with dumb sayings on them, halal food stands, and interestingly-dressed people. I bought a purse, yes. I ate a kabob, yes. It was glorious.

Made it through the mob to Times Square, where I stayed for about a second.

Basically just long enough to take the obligatory Times Square picture. 

There were wayyyy too many people. I considered going into the Hershey's store to get some souvenirs or something, but didn't even make it inside before the crowds pushed me out. 

So I walked all the way down to Chelsea and Madison Square Garden, where I had a delicious Thai boba tea and my feet started to hurt. 

Took a subway back to the hotel (1/1 subway score) to chill for a sec and charge my lifeline aka phone. Then I took a train to Roosevelt Island (2/2 subway score). 

Folks, I walked out of the [deepest] subway station [in NYC] into a whole new world. Green grass. Mothers flying kites with children. Dads throwing a football with children. Twentysomethings walking dogs and riding bikes with little bells on them. For a sec I thought I had somehow been imported into the magical world of Enchanted and animals would start flocking to my calls. 

Basically this island has a history of a prison and mental institution but now has several new high rise apartments/condos and is like its own little world. It may not be the most convenient, with one subway and one non-24-Duane Reade, but it sure was cute. 

(I also stopped at a Starbucks there to fuel up myself and my phone. There was a postdoc/resident/somethingintelligentandnerdyinagoodway-looking guy who lives on the island getting coffee there. He sure was cute too. I like this place already.)

Plus it had an awesome view of the skyline. Hashtag winning. 

I returned that evening to get some Magnolia Bakery:

Which was just okay. I've had better. Cute, though.

And see Radio City Music Hall:

Obligatory pic numba two. 

And visit Grand Central Terminal and my favorite building, the Chrysler Building, due to the aforementioned Deco obsession. I also got asked directions like I knew where I was going. Yay. 

The day ended with some "Original Ray's Pizza" (hey, it could've been the real deal) and putting my feet up. For realz. 

I also played a game that day I called Tourist or Not. Problem is, it's hard to tell if you're right, so I changed it to Points for People Carrying Cameras, Wearing Man Capris, or Being Large Groups of Asians or Other Ethnicities Who May Be Likely to Visit New York in Droves. I was doing pretty well in my game, and I racked up a bunch of points in Times Square. But y'all. I was waiting for a train (and someone else asked me directions!) and down the stairs came a group of 15, Asian, (also Deaf and actively signing), male college students. Seven had cameras. Six were wearing man capris. JACKPOT. I just stopped playing after that; it just wasn't fair to everyone else after all those points. 

Sunday started with sleeping in late and being a heathen because I didn't see First Baptist New York anywhere. I went up to where my interview was to find where I needed to go:

Hi, nice to meet you. 

And popped into a 3 story underground Home Depot, zipped through Bloomingdale's, and spent way too much time at H&M. After that frivolity, I decided to go down to Ground Zero, since I'd never been there before (subway score 3/3). One looooong, winding line later, and the bustle of the city was hushed in a somber and peaceful setting. 

Seeing the names of the dead written so large and the juxtaposition of the depth of the lost buildings with the growth of the new was both sad and hopeful. It was a very good visit. 

Then, I was gonna train it up to the West Village for dinner. Unfortunately I couldn't take the train I wanted because my MetroCard was empty and there was no kiosk at that station. So I chose to walk 6 blocks to find another station with a card kiosk and go in the general direction I needed to go (subway score 3/4). In any case, I ended up in cute brownstone tee lined hippie twenty something land. And I liked it!

After waiting for a plug at yet another Starbucks, I walked around taking in the great weather and people watching. I ended up getting pizza finally at Bleecker Street Pizza, where I was gonna get one slice and take the other back with me. Three seconds later, both slices were gone. It was delicious. 

I got some more boba tea, because you can never have too much, and headed back to the hotel box to veg and prepare for my interview. 

The interview went well, and I had two hours to kill before leaving. I took the tram back to Roosevelt Island to 1) ride the tram and see what it's all about and 2) to make sure the island was just as neat as I remembered. It pretty much was.

The view from the tram. This is where those people were in Spider-Man where he holds onto the cable and drops them into a boat. 

And a nice shiny black car took me back to the Worst Airport Ever where I almost didn't make a flight home, and I left, not wanting to leave at all.