The amount of activity crammed into each square foot of New York City was mind boggling. We inched through Holland Tunnel traffic into Manhattan, then took the Manhattan Bridge toward Brooklyn. Finally we made it to our destination: Shia and Pat's place in Park Slope! It was nice to be in a familiar area with wonderful friends. After getting Ayla from day care we ordered up some Thai food from Beet restaurant. Yessss! To be back in the world of good food. So delish.
The next day we took a walking tour of Brooklyn, ending in Cobble Hill at the Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 6 playground. First of all, I was completed stunned by the ridiculous number of great food options. If there was just one artisan ice cream shop in any of the towns we had been in for the last many months, I would have been ecstatic. And here there were, on one block in Brooklyn, no less than three ice cream shops boasting house made eclectic flavors. We picked up Vietnamese sandwiches from Hanco's to eat at the park.
Pier 6 playground is split up into different sections: Slide Mountain, Swing Valley, Sandbox Village, and the Water Lab. At Slide Mountain there are at least six slides, one of which was several stories high and required climbing up a rocket ship to get to the top. Swing Valley had a spongy, hilly floor and the swings were set at interesting angles to promote maximum swingage. Sandbox Village had a big wooden train, which is where Lukas spent most of his time. The water play area was closed that day, but we were pretty tuckered out by then anyway. We did see some rather large rats, boldly running about the playground in mid-day. But hey, it's New York, what do you expect?
That evening I had plans with friends in the Lower East side. It was an easy subway ride from Park Slope to Bowery Electric. I felt like a country girl let loose in the city, fancy free without child or car, and the night seemed full of possibility. The plan was to meet at 7:30 when the doors opened for the band, then grab dinner after. I got there first and had downed a beer before anyone else arrived. Of course the band wasn't going to play until nine, something I would have known in my younger years when I used to go out more. At that point it would have been wise to go get dinner. Instead I stayed and caught up with Ben, who happened to be in town on business, and Liz, who lives in New York, as well as Liz's friends, including some of the band members. The band was called Pati X, and they were awesome: strong female singer over a dark pounding beat. I was fully immersed in the music and we stayed for a little while after the show. By the time we left the bar at 11 pm I was four beers down and still without food. Our crew somehow all made it to the same pub where we finally ate and continued to drink. By one in the morning I knew I needed to get home.
Out on the streets you would think it was daytime. There were drunk twenty somethings everywhere, filling the squares and stealing all the cabs. I tried to find the subway for a while, but kept getting lost. Finally I decided to try the cab route. The first several cabs I managed to wave down refused to take me to Brooklyn. By the time the fifth cab pulled up I jumped in, slammed the door, and ordered him to take me to Brooklyn. Then I burst into tears. It had been a long day for a girl that lives in an RV. My synapses were overloaded with stimuli. I was drunk, out of my element, and it was way past my bedtime.
The next morning we had brunch plans in Manhattan with my friend Miriam, her husband Ori, and their four month old daughter, Maya. I was a total mess in the morning. After praying to the porcelain god and taking a shower I felt almost able to navigate the stairs. Somehow we made it to Manhattan and were greeted by a wonderfully expressive smiling Maya. Such a sweet baby. Miriam took us down to City Bakery, a way upscale version of Fresh Choice. I piled my plate high with salad, caramelized french toast, gourmet macaroni and cheese, and a buttery chocolate chip cookie. In the corner there was a kid's play kitchen which kept Lukas busy for a while. Maya is a city baby who loves to be out and about, so she was just fine. When the cookie got Lukas too crazy we took a walk down to the playground at Madison Square Park. There was a lot going on at the Park, new statues being installed, a concert in progress, and a zillion kids enjoying the playground. It was a beautiful park and in other circumstances I could have stayed there all day, but as previously mentioned I was not operating at full capacity. After losing Lukas in the throngs a time or two I decided we should call it quits and move on to the next adventure of the day.
At that point Brian left us to go meet a friend in Brooklyn. We had an invitation to Riki and Gili's baby naming celebration in upper Manhattan, so Lukas and I were doing a bit of subway travel. I should have been able to get on the subway right outside Miriam's door, but instead I got lost for a half hour. Finally I realized the subway entrance was inside Union Square and found my way to the appropriate line.
I have to stop here and give a shout out to all the NYC parents, because it is not easy to get a stroller age child through the subway system. There are so many stairs! Up, down, through a tunnel, switch trains, up, down, through another tunnel, am I still going the right way? Oh this line isn't running because it's a weekend. Now you'll have to take a shuttle bus. For every set of stairs the child comes out of the stroller, stroller goes over the shoulder, parent must carry child and stroller, or make child walk while parent carries stroller and all accompanying bags. This is stuff for parent experts, not Mommy 101.
Anyway, we did eventually make it to the baby naming party and it was worth the journey. Riki and Gili's twins, Mika and Eden, were super adorable in their tight jeans and headbands. Lukas loved the helium balloons and scattered bon bons. Shia, Pat and Ayla arrived after a morning spent at the Bronx Zoo. Liz was there, too, looking much fresher than I after our late evening. The twins were surrounded by loving friends and family, as all babies should be. It was a beautiful ceremony and a lovely party; thanks to Riki for including us!
Anyway, we did eventually make it to the baby naming party and it was worth the journey. Riki and Gili's twins, Mika and Eden, were super adorable in their tight jeans and headbands. Lukas loved the helium balloons and scattered bon bons. Shia, Pat and Ayla arrived after a morning spent at the Bronx Zoo. Liz was there, too, looking much fresher than I after our late evening. The twins were surrounded by loving friends and family, as all babies should be. It was a beautiful ceremony and a lovely party; thanks to Riki for including us!
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| Liz holding Eden (or is it Mika?) |
Shia's mom, Marilyn, was in town for the evening. It was adorable to watch three generations of women together. Marilyn offered to babysit a sleeping Lukas so we could go out to dinner, but I was too exhausted to move.
We decided to take it easy for the next few days. I way overdid it our first two days in town. So on Sunday we hung out in the apartment and went to the playground a couple blocks away. Lazy Sunday, just what the doctor ordered.
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| Chillin' on the stoop |
The rest of the week Brian and I alternated child care while enjoying time with friends or taking advantage of shopping in the city. We both got hair cuts and updated our wardrobes. Each of us had a full solo day, something we rarely if ever get on the road. Shia and Pat watched Lukas one night while we went out to a fancy dinner at Al Di La with our friend Peter, a foodie and native New Yorker. Every day we ate something ridiculously yummy, be it a bagel with lox from La Bagel Delight, or a slice of pizza from Albanese, or the best cupcakes I've ever tasted, found at Butter Lane. New York is oozing with great food.
We did some mild touristing. I took Lukas to the Prospect Park Zoo, a very nice tiny zoo perfect for younger kids. We enjoyed watching the sea lions cavort about their tank before feeding time. Lukas had fun milking a "cow" in the barnyard. In my opinion, the best part of the zoo is the Discovery Trail. On this visit we got there too late to traverse the whole trail, but it's an enjoyable little walk with animals around every bend.
Lukas and I also spent a day exploring the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It's pretty big and only some of it is worthwhile. Lukas really liked the Discovery Garden, where kids can dig in the compost and pump water down series of pipes to a small creek. I found the Rose Garden riveting but thought the Lily Pool Terrace was lacking. We by no means saw the whole garden, but it was getting late and it was time to turn toward home.
By the end of our walk I needed a little pick me up, so I aimed for the Chocolate Room. Along the way we crossed through Grand Army Plaza and got a good look at the Union Defenders. Back on 5th Avenue, a hot liquid dark chocolate drink was just the thing I needed to power me through the rest of the walk. Lukas had a cookie and milk and declared "I'm a happy boy!" while dancing in his seat. It doesn't get better than that.
One morning I met Miriam in Manhattan. Leave it to Miriam to, unplanned, provide a unique New York experience for her visitor. We met at a little biscuit joint called Fredi's, named after the owner's dog, Fredi Mercury. We had tasty egg and biscuit sandwiches and discussed the New York coffee scene, or surprising lack there-of. As I was walking her to work, Miriam noticed a little storefront with Italian children's books in the window: an Italian bookstore called S F Vanni. She rang the bell and a man in his seventies came to the door and allowed us to enter. By the time we left twenty minutes later Miriam and this Italian-American gentlemen were fast friends. S F Vanni has been open for seventy years in the same location. The proprietor had big ideas about the world, and after a bit of encouragement from Miriam, was happy to share those thoughts with us. Next we went to Patisserie Claude, a French bakery, where Miriam inquired after the owner, who of course she knew on a first name basis. Finally we wandered through a park where there was a display of used refrigerators that had been turned into art. Every moment is magical with Miriam, who can appreciate the details of city life and enjoys making contact with strangers. Thanks for bringing the city alive for me, Mir!
One day our little family made a trip to Coney Island, but it was a September weekday and the rides were closed. A rare fog enveloped the boardwalk while we played in the sand. Coney Island had an awesome old timey feel that significantly reduced the cheese factor found in most boardwalks. It's pretty great that New Yorkers can take a short subway ride to a beach. I was impressed.
On Thursday we moved camps. Shia had scored us a free sublet in Park Slope for the weekend. Someone on her mother's group list was in need of a dog sitter, so we took over their house in exchange for walking the dog. This place was pimp: 2,000 square feet, roof garden, washer/dryer, half a block from the 5th avenue corridor, and very nicely decorated. Their dog Lincoln was a real sweetie and was happy to have us around. He needed about an hour and a half of walking per day, but we enjoyed being out with him. He is of the Pointer breed, so would hunt pigeons at every opportunity. When in the house, Lukas would keep Lincoln entertained by rolling balls and hiding under blankets. Lincoln kept Lukas entertained by retrieving balls and pulling off blankets. Overall, it was a real win-win situation.
Rain came in on Friday. I didn't think it would be a serious storm and decided to take Lukas on a trip to Chelsea Piers with Shia and Ayla. Chelsea Piers is a huge indoor complex including a gymnasium, bowling alley, ice rink, and golf range. My optimism got the better of me that day and, instead of the light showers I was expecting, it totally poured as we walked the few blocks from the subway to Chelsea Piers. We had one umbrella for both myself and Lukas, and Lukas was holding it over himself in his stroller. By the time we arrived at the gym we were both completely soaked. I literally had to wring out my sweater. The gym was really special, with a fun toddler area and an amazing gym with trampolines and ball pools for kids and adults. Ayla and Lukas had a great time, but I was feeling kind of miserable and not looking forward to the return trip. We took a bus back to the subway which was a good call since it was still raining pretty hard.
After taking a couple hours to warm up and dry out our clothes, we walked over to Shia and Pat's for make your own sushi night with another family. The nearby fish market, Park Slope Seafood, was sparkling and had lovely looking sushi grade fish. I brought salmon and the other family brought tuna, so between us and all the veggies we had quite a sushi feast. The other family has a son Lukas's age and they played really well together. It was a way better option than trying to get the kids out to dinner, and we were able to hang out for a few hours while the kids ran around together.
On Saturday we had plans with a friend of Brian's at Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg. Ruthie is a beer expert and is employed by the Brewery. We showed up and were let through the rope into the VIP room right by the front bar. Then Ruthie proceeded to give us free beer for the rest of the afternoon. Lukas did surprisingly well in the busy bar and even let us hang out for a couple hours.
We left the bar in a very happy go lucky mood and wandered down to Smorgasburg, a Brooklyn Flea Food Market at the East River Waterfront. For months, Shia had been telling me about the amazing fare at this food only outdoor market. We caught the tail end of the market, just in time to see the BBQ booth carving up the head of a pig. I asked whether people actually eat the nose, and the reply was yes, here you go! So I found myself chewing on a pig snout. It was very tender, rather fatty, and had a strong flavor. After I while it grossed me out because it was just so "right off the pig" looking. I carried that thing around for a while, though, before I decided to finally dump it.
To wash down the pig snout, I had some grilled corn on the cob with peach butter that was delicious. At one of the few stands left open it looked like they had kegs of beer. The guy offered me a reduced price peach kombucha so I said sure. Wow that was disgusting. Apparently it's fermented tea, not the fermented barley and hops that I was hoping for. We got a great view of Manhattan across the East River. On the taxi ride home we even spotted the Statue of Liberty silhouetted against the sunset. The taxi dropped us off in Park Slope right in front of a pie shop called Four and Twenty Blackbirds, another place on the "must try" list provided by Shia. They had the best fruit pie combination I could have imagined: rhubarb fig! Topped with fresh whipped cream it was incredible, and provided a perfect ending to our New York stay.
On Sunday we tidied the sublet, took Lincoln on a few long walks, stocked up on coffee beans for the road, and packed our stuff to return to RV life. A huge thank you to our friends Pat and Shia, who gave us their bed and kept us fed and happy for over a week! We will miss Ayla and her parents, and all of our big city friends, quite a bit. While we had a wonderful time in the New York, we were ready to find the peace and quiet of RV life once again.
RV PARK REVIEWS
Uncle Bob's Self Storage, Belleville, NJ: D+
Cheap parking in lot that was was possibly secure in sketchy neighborhood not so close to NY. No damage or break-ins occurred.
After taking a couple hours to warm up and dry out our clothes, we walked over to Shia and Pat's for make your own sushi night with another family. The nearby fish market, Park Slope Seafood, was sparkling and had lovely looking sushi grade fish. I brought salmon and the other family brought tuna, so between us and all the veggies we had quite a sushi feast. The other family has a son Lukas's age and they played really well together. It was a way better option than trying to get the kids out to dinner, and we were able to hang out for a few hours while the kids ran around together.
On Saturday we had plans with a friend of Brian's at Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg. Ruthie is a beer expert and is employed by the Brewery. We showed up and were let through the rope into the VIP room right by the front bar. Then Ruthie proceeded to give us free beer for the rest of the afternoon. Lukas did surprisingly well in the busy bar and even let us hang out for a couple hours.
We left the bar in a very happy go lucky mood and wandered down to Smorgasburg, a Brooklyn Flea Food Market at the East River Waterfront. For months, Shia had been telling me about the amazing fare at this food only outdoor market. We caught the tail end of the market, just in time to see the BBQ booth carving up the head of a pig. I asked whether people actually eat the nose, and the reply was yes, here you go! So I found myself chewing on a pig snout. It was very tender, rather fatty, and had a strong flavor. After I while it grossed me out because it was just so "right off the pig" looking. I carried that thing around for a while, though, before I decided to finally dump it.
To wash down the pig snout, I had some grilled corn on the cob with peach butter that was delicious. At one of the few stands left open it looked like they had kegs of beer. The guy offered me a reduced price peach kombucha so I said sure. Wow that was disgusting. Apparently it's fermented tea, not the fermented barley and hops that I was hoping for. We got a great view of Manhattan across the East River. On the taxi ride home we even spotted the Statue of Liberty silhouetted against the sunset. The taxi dropped us off in Park Slope right in front of a pie shop called Four and Twenty Blackbirds, another place on the "must try" list provided by Shia. They had the best fruit pie combination I could have imagined: rhubarb fig! Topped with fresh whipped cream it was incredible, and provided a perfect ending to our New York stay.
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| Helicopter and Statue of Liberty |
RV PARK REVIEWS
Uncle Bob's Self Storage, Belleville, NJ: D+
Cheap parking in lot that was was possibly secure in sketchy neighborhood not so close to NY. No damage or break-ins occurred.
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