Music Monday - She's Got Something

The most frequent question I've gotten over the last two weeks has been "Are you going to do a 29 Things list?" The short answer is no, but the long answer is that I always have a few to-do lists running in my head anyway and I'd like to reduce the pressure I put on myself with time limits this upcoming year. Alternatively, I will be working on different projects, some for the blog, some for elsewhere in life. I will be rolling out a few new features here over the next few months, and I'd like to start with a common blog feature, "Music Monday," where some weeks I will feature one of my favorite songs about NYC, of which there are many. I actually have an entire playlist on my phone of songs about New York that I listen to sometimes when I'm just walking around aimlessly trying to love on NYC as much as possible.

First week's pick - Greg Holden: She's Got Something, which actually was released in 2009 but I first heard it a few months back when it was featured in a Target commercial that I would always rewind on my DVR and listen to repeatedly before I made the wise decision to splurge for the song on iTunes. Fun fact, Greg Holden also wrote the Phillip Phillips amazing song, Home, which you will remember from the Olympics last year.

"Well it all started all out in a wonderful city we all know...get me back, get me back to New York..."

xo

I Don't Know About You, But I'm Feeling 28

So now that I've been 28 for a entire week, I feel as if I can finally reflect...

28 Things in NYC to do Before I Turn 28

When I created this project, I had no idea if I would actually finish it or if it would end up how my 25/26 lists did, where I did around twenty items but still felt good since I may not have done those otherwise. I loved the idea of keeping this list focused on New York so that I could write about the project here and also fall in love with this city even more.

I didn't know where this year of my life would go. I didn't expect that I would suddenly catch the travel bug and head off to Amsterdam, Belgium, Thailand, Hong Kong, or be planning a trip to Italy. I didn't know where the heck I was going to live or if I was even going to be able to afford my own place. I survived a hurricane, blizzards, breakups, severe hangovers, and a mouse in my apartment. I also held a tiger or two.

There was a lot of planning involved in this project as I knew I had to do certain items with certain people and some things I couldn't do alone. It was also a lot of pressure, mainly from myself (shocker), but also strangely from my subway station every morning, which never let me stop thinking about what I was supposed to be doing.

I did so many incredible things as part of this project which reminded me why I am so excited to live in this city. My final list was spread across all five boroughs, including one I'd never been to before (Staten Izzle) and also included parts of Manhattan where I'd never previously journeyed (Harlem, Broadway north of the 100s, Roosevelt Island).

Each time I went on a journey with friends, they treated me like I was a little kid on my birthday, making sure that I got to see and take photos of everything I needed, cleared my head enough to focus and succeed in my trapeze jumps, and got enough of a taste of my first stuffed artichoke on Arthur Ave. I don't know how I got so lucky.

The VIPs of my 28 Things (in alphabetical order):

• Aubrey, who suggested Strand bookstore, and walked with me down some of Broadway, and joined me for the speedboat ride, the book-signing, the show at Upright Citizens Brigade, the Empire State Building, and mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
• Caitlin, who suggested and came to Smorgasburg, a four-star restaurant, and Arthur Ave with me, and who offered up the idea of walking the entire length of Broadway.
• Kat, who accompanied me to Roosevelt Island, the Empire State Building, the Staten Island Yankee Game, Arthur Ave, and who joined me on her own suggestions of Dylan's Candy Bar and trapeze lessons.
• Kater, who accompanied me to Sleep No More, Raines Law Room, the Empire State Building, and ate with me during my food truck weekend. She also suggested the book-signing and the show at Upright Citizens Brigade.

Other IPs (in order of how long I've known them - just for kicks) for their suggestions and/or for joining me on some of my tasks:

• Mom, Dad, Katie, Mike, Emily, Christie, Janna, Mendy, Allie, Tracy, Tyler, Nicole, Kyle, David, Dan, Brad, CK, Rohan, Carrie, Davesh, Dave, and Jessica. 

There were definitely some missteps in this project. Some items closed for the season before I got a chance to try them, but that just means they are on a separate lower pressure list for this summer. A friend and I neglected to get tickets beforehand for Dialog in the Dark and unfortunately it remains closed to this day due to Hurricane Sandy. I also got trapped alone in a subway car I stayed on hoping to see the secret 6 train stop and thought I was going to have to remain underground and become a mole person, but I made it out alive and well.

Despite the planning, the pressure, and the missteps, I am so glad I took this project on. And of course, beyond this project, I did some really cool things in New York and elsewhere and I have some amazing stories. I will definitely look back on this year as one of my best and I need to thank you all for this. You are all incredibly amazing and I only look forward to the upcoming years in this fantastic city even more.

xo

Shake ya Tailfeather

I've done a few items on my 28 Things list where I didn't think I'd fit in with the crowd, like when I went to a New York Fashion Week Show or ate at Le Bernardin, but I never expected that a birdwatching tour would be where I fit in the least.

#28 Take a birdwatching tour in Central Park

My parents really like birds. We'll be driving in the car and they'll stop looking at the road because a hawk is flying overhead. Or we'll be talking on the phone and one of them will mention a bird they saw in the yard and it'll take me a few minutes to get them to steer the conversation back to me. When my mom suggested this item for my list, I decided it would be perfect for the last item on the list, because I wouldn't have thought of it on my own. Plus, who better to recommend my last item than my mother who brought me into this world 28 years ago?

I met up with Birding Bob at 9 am at the Boathouse. I had borrowed binoculars from Carrie so I thought I was prepared, but when I saw everyone else there for the tour, I knew that I was not. I hadn't brought my bucket hat with pins of different birds on it, I forgot to bring my birding journal where I could record which birds I had seen, and I didn't have my camera with the three-foot-long zoom lens. These birders were serious.

Bob was an awesome guide. Our group was big because the weather was gorgeous and it is migration season, but we were still able to see a lot without scaring them away. Most of the birds were pretty tiny, like the downy woodpecker above, so I was glad I had my binoculars. What I really liked about it was that it was basically a treasure hunt. We walked around areas where Bob knew birds hung out and followed all the clues - listened for bird calls, watched where other birders' binoculars were pointed, and looked for movement in the trees. Once in a while, Bob would play a bird call on his phone to attract birds our way. It also seemed like we were members of the paparazzi, but I'm way better at picking out celebs than different birds. I felt really uncool compared to the others. I was only able to identify the cardinals, blue jays, an egret, and this little guy below:

But I was at least told that I saw black-and-white and Northern Parula warblers who were only in town for the week, a Baltimore oriole, goldfinches, towhees, woodpeckers, a Carolina Wren which people could not hold their excitement about, and lots of different kinglets, thrashers, and sparrows. The tour was really fun and something different to do on a weekend morning. It was strange to be actually looking forward to hearing these birds chirping rather than to be annoyed at their chirping outside my window after a rough night out. Being one with nature was perfect for me as I completed my year-long project of my 28 Things to do Before I Turn 28. I don't officially turn 28 until 4:44 pm, so I am WAY ahead of schedule.

xo

Walking Broadway

This past month, I have been constantly reminded that I'm not cut out for being active - I was nervous for a 7K race, my body was in pain for days after trapeze lessons, and, most recently, I sprained my foot somehow while walking the entire length of Broadway.

#27 Walk the entire length of Broadway

Caitlin is responsible for this task being on my list and therefore blamed for my foot injury. But she is also blamed for all the fun I had and good food I ate on my adventure, so I guess it evens out. Broadway is the only avenue that stretches the entire length of Manhattan, from 225th Street to Battery Park City - a good 13.6 miles - a half-marathon, if you will.

I started off last Saturday running in Central Park with Aubrey and Meg. In hindsight, it wasn't smart to do the run and the walk in one day, but you live and learn. Aubrey was kind enough to join me on the first leg of my journey, from 225th to 180th. I was happy to have the company as I knew the walk would take me a while, especially with lots of stops scheduled along the way. 

We took the 1 train to 225th and walked over the Broadway Bridge into Manhattan to begin the trek. The first point of interest was Carrot Top Pastries on 214th, a cute bakery with "the best carrot cake in NYC". We split a slice there for our breakfast. While I'm not normally a huge fan of carrot cake for obvious reasons (vegetables and me are not great friends), it was actually pretty yummy.

The next stop was at 204th - Dyckman Farmhouse, the oldest farmhouse in Manhattan. I have no idea where there are other farmhouses in Manhattan, but this one was adorable. It certainly does not fit in with the rest of the buildings around there, but I wonder how many people who live up there actually have been to check it out. Aubrey and I walked around the outside gardens and into the house, where they have set up the furniture and decor to resemble what it would have looked like in the 1800s.

Soon after, Aubrey and I came across an adorable three-panel mural with neighborhood kids' drawings of NYC.

After Aubrey had to leave a few blocks later, I'll admit that I went through a pretty bleak period. It was still 100 blocks until I would be in familiar territory, my foot was already hurting, and the things on my list to check out were few and far between. I passed the United Palace Church on 175th which used to be a theater and had "Come on in or smile as you pass" written on the marquee. I walked by old men playing board games on the sidewalk, men aggressively cutting up pineapples at fruit stands, a plaque notifying me that I was walking in the footsteps of Washington's army during the Revolutionary War, and a street fair around Columbia University. I finally saw the next point-of-interest on 112th - Tom's Restaurant, aka Monk's Diner from Seinfeld.

It took me quite some time to get through 110th down to the 90s. I had to stop and get an everything bagel toasted with butter at Absolute Bagels at 108th, get a dog-shaped cookie and a chai at Silver Moon Bakery on 105th, and get a slice of Sal & Carmine pizza at 102nd. I was thankful for the food and also sat at each establishment for quite some time as my foot was in a lot of pain at this point.

As I walked further downtown, I started to come across the Broadway that I knew - the stores and restaurants in the 80s and 70s, Lincoln Center on 65th, and Columbus Circle on 59th. I had originally thought if I had to, I could stop at Columbus Circle and finish up the rest of Broadway on Sunday. I hadn't really paid attention to the Columbus statue since seeing him in his living room in the winter, but I sure appreciated seeing him on this day. Being there meant that I had less than 5 miles to go, so I decided to continue on after all.

I struggled through the Broadway of Times Square because at this point it was mid-afternoon on a sunny Saturday and the tourists were out. Worse than the tourists though were all the people dressed up like characters...Elmos, Hello Kittys, superheroes galore. I don't remember this many characters out any other time I've been in the area and I've been there a lot.

After Times Square, the crowds continued through Herald Square but relaxed a little after that. I finally got to the 20s and Madison Square Park in my 'hood. I rested for a while on a rock while staring at one of my favorite buildings, the Flatiron.

A few minutes later, I was in Union Square and also rested there. It was here that I realized I wasn't going to be able to walk normally for a few days and hoped I wasn't going to be on crutches. But it would have been silly to stop so close to the end, right? I trekked on through Soho, past City Hall, and down into the Financial District. I passed St. Paul's church and Trinity Church and peered into their cemetaries for a while, noting the history here, with gravestones from the 1700s of notable New Yorkers at the time. I read through the Canyon of Heroes strips on the sidewalk to mark honorees of ticker-tape parades over the years. I glanced at the Freedom Tower from a different point of view than the one I see every day. I watched people take pictures with the butt of the bull of Wall Street.

I trudged on and on, unfortunately this far downtown thinking more about the pain I was in than anything else. But then suddenly, I saw it. Battery Park City. I was exhausted. It had taken me seven and a half hours, two hours longer than I had estimated, but I had made it. Broadway started in Manhattan with numbers in the 6000s, but I had made it to number ONE.

Immediately after this picture was taken, well, after I was able to get the people who took it to stop trying to convert me to their religion, I limped to a cab and had the driver take me to the pedicure place by my apartment. I deserved it. I did end up having to ice and wrap my foot for a few days but I think I'm all better now. On to the next.

xo

Home of the Good Burger

Mendy and I met up for lunch on Sunday to catch up and also to complete one of the last items on my 28 Things list, one that he suggested, to eat "the best burger in NYC" at Burger Joint in Le Parker Meridian.

#26 Eat at Burger Joint

I'm way into burgers and have my favorites in the city. I'm at Shake Shack every week during the summer, and you'll find me hitting up Bareburger, 5 Napkin Burger, Island Burger, & brgr during the winter months. Until Sunday, I was deprived of what many call "the best burger in NYC." I had heard that Burger Joint was in the running, but I had also heard this label thrown out describing burgers at Shake Shack, Corner Bistro, and at Minetta Tavern (if you want to pay $30/burger).

Burger Joint is a little city secret, inside one of the nicest hotels in town. There is always a long line, but as you know, some things are worth waiting for. Before getting in, I thought it would be kind of stuffy and expensive. I even wondered if they would scowl at me if I took a photo of my perfect burger. I'm glad that Mendy didn't tell me before it was our turn to walk in that it was a total dive. The restaurant was probably a storage closet at one point and they decided to destroy the walls and get a grill and see if they could make any side money. And I'm sure they make a lot of it.

I also had pondered what kind of burgers they would have on the menu. Would Mendy and I get different burgers and split them? How would I decide which burger to get? The things I worry about, huh? Luckily, they make it easy at the joint. I picked a cheeseburger over a hamburger (why would you ever get something without cheese on it?!), cooked medium, with the works. I told Mendy I was not sharing fries with him and he agreed and we got our own. We both made several comments about the brownies sitting next to the counter and at the last minute decided to grab one, too.

Mendy and I were going to wait to eat the brownie for dessert but after five seconds of looking at it, we both dove in. Hey, I hadn't eaten since my Eggo waffles an hour beforehand. I don't know what Mendy's excuse was. But don't worry, a few minutes later when our burgers and fries were ready, we still went to town.

I have to say, Mendy and all those other people might just be right about this being the best burger in the city. It is a burger so good that you'll say "wow, that's a good burger" with the first bite still completely in your mouth. You won't care that it takes you a while to get a napkin to wipe off the juices dripping down your chin. You'll work your hardest to fit that last bite in, even though you know you shouldn't, that you will barely be able to get up from your seat. But that's what a good burger is all about.

xo