Gotham Gal

Skiing

Fred finally got his wish.  All his kids can ski up to his level (and his wife too).  He was always a little unsure about letting the kids move from skis onto boards.  He was concerned that they'd never get to enjoy the trees or the moguls and all the stuff he loves when they are boarders.  I am not a fan of the moguls on a board but always put on a pair of skis for a few days each year to join him.  But, the kids could care less.  Trees, moguls, anything.  They have hit a new high and it is a blast. 

Arts in Downtown Manhattan

Downtown Manhattan from 14th street and below has been completely transformed the past 5 years.  Construction is everywhere from the World Trade Center to the Highline.  Numerous amount of places to live are being built around these areas.  New stores, restaurants, etc. open daily.  Downtown Manhattan is returning to the turn of the 20th Century. 

So, where is the next Lincoln Center going to be built downtown?  Where will there be large theaters to show music, theater, dance etc?  Of course there are many small venues but there are small venues and large venues uptown.  Where will the large venues of downtown New York be built?

Where is the visionary behind the rebuilding of lower Manhattan?  As more and more families remain in NYC, and live downtown, why aren't the arts going to be available to them on a larger scale.  Will it always be necessary to see sports teams play at the Garden?  Will the Garden be the only venue when the Stones come to town?  Will the latest theater group, like a Manhattan Theater Club, not be available in a downtown setting? 

In the urban environment of Manhattan, most people still like to stay in their neighborhoods.  As public funds are being eliminated for the arts, where is our Robert Moses?

Reign Over Me

Yesterday it was snowing, hailing, raining and all and all miserable.  A small amount of snow was layered over ice.  I went up in the chairlift and then turned around and downloaded.  What can I say?  Fair weather skier, absolutely.

We all opted for the day off.  Little R & R and a late afternoon movie.  Down in to town to see Reign Over Me.

I have always been a fan of Adam Sandler.  He is an extremely talented individual who seems to stick to business which I like.  You don't read about him on Page 6 or anywhere for that matter. 

Reign Over Me is the first movie I was willing to see about post 9/11.  Adam Sandler plays a man who lost his entire family that day.  His dental college roommate, played by Don Cheadle bumps into him and strikes up a relationship with him again.   The rekindled relationship seems to help Sandler's character, who is a mess, finally begin to heal after four years of suffering. 

I give Adam Sandler a huge round of applause for pushing the envelope and playing a character that is different from the norm.  He was really good.  The movie is slow at times, funny at others, and sad too.  I sobbed through a good portion of the film.  But at the end of the day, I really liked it.

As more and more people are attempting to do something about 9/11, this particular film showed the human pain and suffering not the political, not too big of a picture but the thing that everyone felt.  Sadness.   

We don't read that much about the families that lost loved ones on that tragic day.  My guess is some have moved on and started on a new path while others are still suffering so much that they just can't move on.  Everybody reacts different to tragedy. 

That is what I liked about this film.  Sandler's character was so heartbroken he just couldn't move on yet his in-laws grieved in a completely different way.

Reign Over Me is about the human spirit more than anything else.  Bring tissues. 

Outside the Echo Chamber

Fred wrote a very funny post about being outside the echo chamber.  When you live in NYC, sometime your reality becomes a bit slanted.  In many ways, we are out of touch with the world outside the island of Manhattan (or the five boroughs). 

That is one of the reasons it is so important to get out of NYC.  Reading Fred's post just made me laugh.  We used to have a saying when I worked in the garment center.  When you lose focus of what America is all about, get on a plane and go to O'Hare. 

O'Hare being one of the largest airports in the country, a true melting pot of the American heartland. 

Skiing in Slush

Spring vacation is usually the last 2 weeks of March.  This year, due to Passover and Easter, vacation was the last week of March and the first week of April. 

When we found this out, we had many conversations about should we attempt to go skiing?  We have gone skiing the third week of March, out west, for about 20 years and have basically had great snow.  We hemmed and hawed and decided to go for it.  Not sure we made the right decision but we are having fun anyhow. 

The conditions are pure slush.  Lots of brown spots.  Icy in the morning, mashed potatoes in the afternoon.  The moguls are cruddy.  Josh and Fred are bagging the slopes today and doing a round of 18 at the local golf course.  That gives you an idea of how warm it is out here.

Regardless, the girls are going to hit the slopes today. 

Winter Park vs. Beaver Creek

Fred and I went out to Winter Park 12 years ago.  Jessica was maybe 4 and Emily was barely 2.  Jessica learned to ski there.  We stayed in a condo that we had found in the back of Ski magazine.  12 years ago, there was literally nothing there.  What we loved about the mountain was Mary Jane.  There are two sides to the area, one being Winter Park, the other Mary Jane.  A fantastic mountain for skiers.  Bumps galore.  We decided to return this year. 

There has been tremendous growth there.  There is now a town, many places to stay and a variety of places to eat.  We got there and everyone had a visceral reaction to the place.  It isn't high end by any stretch of the imagination.  The accommodations weren't so great.  There was no wifi.  We really should have had a car although they told me I wouldn't need one. The restaurant we had dinner at the first night made Emily ill.  The next morning we got out to the mountain and tried to find a decent breakfast place and wasn't exactly impressed.  Things were not looking good.  We hit the slopes. 

Four of the five of us board.  Although I can go either way.  I love to board the big wide open terrain but love the bumps on skis.  I went out on a board the first day.  It was an awful experience.  I got caught up thick spring snow on a mogul run ( the majority of the mountain has bumps ) and took off my board and walked down.  Then we tried another way and the same thing happened.  I lost it.  I literally sat in the middle of the run and bawled.  I haven't done that since college when Fred took me down a small tight shoot as I was just beginning to become a better skier and 3 little kids flew by me and I lost it. 

We went down to the main place on the mountain to eat lunch.  The food was again, awful.  They didn't even have green tea.  This was not going to work out.  Fred asked me the magic question "Do you want to leave"?  I was thrilled, I wanted to leave this afternoon and go somewhere else.  Emily couldn't have been happier.  She thought she was the only one who was miserable. 

We made a few phone calls, went back and packed our bags.  Had a car take us over to Beaver Creek where we have gone for years.  We all woke up this morning happy as a clam.  Although the skiing isn't great because it is so warm and it hasn't snowed in a while, everyone feels at home. 

Perhaps it was the stress of moving last week and I really wanted to be more pampered, perhaps it is just reality.  I did realize something about myself this trip which is I have gotten used to certain ways of how we live our life.  12 years ago, Winter Park was right for us, now it isn't.  Times have changed.  It isn't good or bad it is just reality.  Sometimes, it takes something to happen in order for reality hit you in the face. 

5 Ninth

5 Ninth is certainly one of the restaurant in the Meat Packing area that will last.  Zak Pelaccio, who has a few restaurants including Fatty Crab (a must try) is the guy behind 5 Ninth.  Not only is the food innovative, but surroundings and vibe are really warm and intimate.

He took an old 3 story brownstone, renovated it keeping with the flavor of the old neighborhood and put in a restaurant.  The old wood floors, the large windows makes you feel as if you have entered another world.  I loved it the minute I walked in.  The bar is on the first floor.  Windows were open creating a breeze and you could feel the beginnings of spring.  A huge floral design over the bar and upstairs keeping with the look of the place created just the right atmosphere. 

We started with a few specials.  Deep fried jalapenos stuffed with cheese and prosciutto.  Sounded strange but we went with it.  Wow.  Really interesting and delicious.  The combination of the heat with the cheese worked really well.  We also had a mixed green salad with small slices of ricotta salata, pomegranate seeds, slices of orange with a light vinaigrette.  It was simple and almost cleansing to the palette. 

For the main course, three of us chose the same thing.  Josh went with the pasta.  Rigatoni with broccoli rabe, sausages and a light sauce.  I can't remember everything in the pasta but it was quite good.  I didn't expect pasta to be good there.  Fred went with the  striped bass special.  But the best was the Loup de Mer.  All the girls ordered that.  It was delicious.  A whole fish steamed and the fish literally falls off the bone and has so much flavor.  It is steamed in a chili lime paste and served over a Japanese green vegetable which is like Bok Choy called Yu Choy.  It is soft and buttered and served with along side ginger.  The fish was really good. 

I will definitely return probably for lunch first and sitting at the bar might be calling my name.  A worthwhile trip. 

Florent

Anyone who was living in NYC during the mid-80's remembers when Restaurant Florent opened and going there.  The location was truly cutting edge.  A small groovy diner in the middle of the Meat Market area on Gansevoort Street (nobody had ever heard of Gansevoort Street) open 24 hours where nothing else was at night except for hookers and transvestites.  But, it was cool and crowded, not too expensive and the food was good. 

I have eaten at Florent a variety of times over the years but took Emily and Josh there for dinner last week.  It is hasn't changed.  The food is good not great but you basically can't go wrong.  Josh had the macaroni and cheese ( sans garlic ) which was amazing.  Gooey and rich.  Emily went for the grilled chicken salad that had feta, tomatoes, spinach and sliced apples with a light balsamic vinaigrette.  Nice and light.  Simple.  I went for the steak served alongside spinach and green beans.  Not the best steak I have ever had but it was good.  The chicken there is really good but I had chicken the night before.

Now that I am in that neighborhood, I might check it out for breakfast.  Emily said that Florent will be on her radar to go out with her friends.  The meal was good and not expensive.  Cash only.  Drinks aren't cheap.  A vodka cost $9 which sort of made me laugh when I got the bill since entrees only ranged from $9-15. 

It was nice returning.  Lots of memories there, for sure. 

Hotel Gansevoort

In the midst of moving, we opted to stay in a hotel for a few nights.  I really wanted to make the whole move seamless for the kids.  They leave their house, they stay at a hotel and move in to a new home that looks like we lived there for years.  Mission was accomplished although I am physically exhausted and the kids did endure some of my stress.  Alas, nothing is perfect.

We stayed at Hotel Gansevoort since it was in the new hood and easy to get to school too.  It is a hipster hotel.  The noise levels were probably the highest outside around 2am.  There was some major paparazzi happening one night, which Jessica loved..  The pool is quite sweet and quite the scene too.  The kids all took advantage of that by having friends over one afternoon.

The rooms are OK.  They are simple, modern and clean.  The beds are pretty comfortable but the sheets aren't top of the line, nor are the pillows.  The hotel reminded me a bit of the W.  Leans more towards young hipster than high end comfort.  My favorite hotel in NYC is still The Mercer. 

Although if you want to come to NYC and really experience the west village and the Meat Packing area, then this it the hotel for you.  One added bonus, is they have a really nice breakfast of fruit, yogurt, cereals and breads that come with your room.  That was really nice.  All served at Ono, downstairs.

We're Outta Here

In college, I believe, I moved 8 different times.  Out at the end of year into a summer place, then semester-ed abroad, came back, got an apartment, moved again and again and again.  When I graduated from college and got a job at Macy's, I stayed 4 years.  Once I left Macy's, it was easy to move again and again.  For me, change is good.  It represents growth and new. 

For some people, change is scary and intimidating.  Not for me, or for Fred.  We are decision makers.  We love the new.  The new restaurant, the new trends, the new movies, the new plays, the new purchases, the next move, the next vacation.  It keeps us going.  Also, we never look back. 

Our move isn't far but it is the first leg of the journey.  A rental first, then the next place that we are in the processing of developing.  Yes, two moves in probably less than two years.  All exciting. 

Today is almost the last leg of the first step.  I get excited just watching each item leave the house.  Even the kids are excited.  Nobody cared about our last night or saying adieu this morning, it was all about what's going on tonight? 

I am all smiles today after a few weeks of insanity but all well worth it.  I am not sure why but all this change reminds me of a great quote I read in Vanity Fair years ago from Bill Blass.  They asked him "What is your favorite object".  He answered "Why of course, the last thing that I purchased".