It was nice to be able to have a restful few days and time to fall back into my routine following eight days of visitors and an entire day in the Upper West Side.
My routine starts with devoting a few hours to my computer for work and personal business. It is followed by lunch (I cook in the apartment) and eating while watching the streaming show de jour. I often walk to a local market or shops to replenish my supplies, but almost every day, I walk around Lower Manhattan. I love walking the streets around the Stock Exchange and up and down Broadway. Getting out for fresh, often cold, fresh air is always nice.
By the end of a full week of returning to my “normal,” I went to Fraunces for lunch after mass on Sunday. I sat in the bar at a table for one and ordered what I had been wanting to order for some time: chicken pot pie. Time after time, I have watched others order it while I order something else. I shared one with Bern and Kathie, but it was not enough. Trust me, there is nothing more delicious than this dish. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
But what made this day even better was the live entertainment, a woman singing 1940s. This made my day! To be in this great restaurant, with my favorite music genre made for a wonderful Sunday afternoon! It was stepping back in time on many levels.
The following day (Monday), I decided I needed to go to Brooklyn to make a reservation at Cecconi’s for my next group of visitors, Cyndi and Pat. My goal is always to get a table next to the windows to enjoy the incredible view of the Manhattan skyline, and I have found that I do not have that option by making a phone call and that going in person with this request is the best option. I have walked the Brooklyn Bridge in the past, and even though it was a beautiful day, I was hell-bent on taking the ferry. The ferry is a short walk away at Pier 11 and only takes 8 minutes to get to DUMBO, where Cecconi’s is located. It is so liberating to take public transportation, and the added bonus is that I love the water. Interestingly, my biggest fear is drowning, yet water is so soothing and consistent. Once I disembarked, it was a nice, ten-minute walk to Cecconi’s, and I discovered a quaint part of the street I had not yet seen. Water Street has several nice-looking shops and restaurants, but getting there from the ferry is equally nice crossing a grassy park area.
On Tuesday, I decided to scout out a shopping area I found with Bern and the Girls on Mulberry Street on the Lower East Side. When I arrived, it was not at all what I remembered; I did not see the boutique shops I was expecting to find. Nevertheless, I walked around and went down Crosby Street, where Judy and Julie had stayed a block east of Broadway. This put me in front of the Balthazar Restaurant, a French restaurant I had wanted to make reservations for Judy, Julie, Bea, and Anita. They were completely booked days in advance. Today, I walked by around 5 p.m. (my usual snack time) and thought, “What better place to enjoy a bite?” I sat outside and ordered a cheese plate and a glass of pinot noir. I LOVED every morsel, every sip, and every minute; just sitting there watching the residents and tourists walk by. This is yet another thing I love about New York City: I wouldn’t even consider doing this at home by myself.
To add more incite as to what I truly enjoy about my stay, sometimes I would venture out to the Starbucks on Broad Street (the same street as the Stock Exchange). I would sit playing Sudoku, enjoying my hot chocolate, and looking at this amazing view. I always feel like I am on a movie set. It is surreal.