NYC - Part 4

Wednesday we had tickets to see the matinee for Phantom of the Opera.  Jerry chose to see this show. I woke up feeling sick and really wished we didn't already have tickets because I wanted to stay in and rest. We got dressed and made our way to Times Square via subway. Of course we had to go by way of the same escalator  where I had encountered the gross man a few nights before. Jerry laughed and asked if I wanted him to walk in front of me and I told him definitely. We decided to eat before the show so we chose to go Guy Fieri's American Kitchen. 

I was in need of something lite and healthy. I felt really yuck.   We shared a large salad.  It was an Asian type salad and it was very good. However, it was $18 for one salad. Food in NYC is already expensive and when you eat in TS the prices get higher. The restaurant was convenient because it was right across from the Majestic Theater where Phantom was playing.

My friend Barbara told me I would hate Phantom of the Opera. I didn't know it was one of those shows where they sing every word. I absolutely hate those. If Jerry had known that he wouldn't have chosen it. I was open minded though because Broadway has never disappointed me. Honestly I think had I not been so sleepy and feeling so bad I would have enjoyed it even better. I didn't hate it.  The music was great, even if it was opera. Thank goodness for those four years Meaghan sang with the Augusta Children's Chorale and we were forced to go to the opera every Christmas. After a few years it started to grow on me. If this had been my first opera experience I would have died of boredom. I've come to appreciate it slightly.   The technical production of the show was also great. I can say it didn't disappoint, but I prefer the modern Broadway shows. We would really love to see Motown, but since its so new we don't expect to be able to get discount tickets.  We will not pay full price since our trip here is so long and we can get discount tickets for many others.   We plan to see one more show while we are here but planned to see one at the beginning of our trip and we will see another at the end.   After the show we went immediately back to our apartment since I was not feeling well. We stayed in for the evening and ate leftovers for dinner. We had leftover Chinese food and pizza so it was a good way to save money. We were both so tired we were in bed by 11:00.

Thursday we decided to go to the lower east side. I had lots of things on my list to see in that area. I've heard so much about it I wanted to go.   We took the bus again and since the lower east side is near Chinatown we were on the same bus as we were the other day when we went to CT. It was during school hours so there were no rowdy children for me to discipline. However, the group on the bus was speaking Chinese so we had no clue. They were funny. Jerry said they always sound mad when they are conversing. 

Once we exited the bus we followed our app directions to the lower east side visitor center for maps. Shortly after we began our walk a Jewish gentleman lured us in a  men's clothing store. He immediately began sizing Jerry and grabbing suit coats for him to try.  

We told him that Jerry was retired and didn't need a suit. He said he didn't mind, he loved talking to people and this was fun to him. He shared that this clothing store had been in his family for 73 years. 

We somehow stumbled to the conversation about our weight loss surgeries. This gentleman was interested and wanted to discuss blood pressure medications and compare what he was taking. I wanted to go, I was more interested in finding the women's shops. We were slack today we took his picture but we forgot to ask his name. I was ready to move on. He was authentically dressed in his yamaka with long strands of hair twisted and tucked  behind his ears. His beard, I assume was long since he had a black bobby pin stuck in his scraggly gray beard. We moved along admiring the lower east side. We had wanted to go to the Tenement Museum, but between the two of us it would have been $40 and neither us are fans enough of museums to spend that much. The lower east side has a personality of its own. It's got that artsy, grungy look mixed with the past Jewish heritage. The lower east side was once a place for immigrants trying to make a living. They worked hard to move out of the area and now their children are moving back because its now trendy among the artsy, tree hugger types. One nice thing we noticed is the prices of food and some clothing stores are cheaper in this area. There are many fabric stores in this area mixed with vintage, furniture, clothing stores and food markets. One market I really wanted to visit was the Essex Market. I read about the place and thought it sounded like an interesting place. In the market was different types of Latino groceries and produce. 

There was also Japanese items, bakery items and even a clothing store and barber shop. Inside the market was a little counter with Brooklyn tacos for sale. We were hungry so we each had a pork cooked in cola taco. It was very good and the tacos were only $4 each. They were very meaty and filling as well as tasty.  Another nice find was a great candy store. Just a couple of days ago we had visited the very hip candy store owned by Ralph Lauren's daughter on the upper East side. This was an economy candy store. It had all the same neat candy for lots cheaper. It was a fun store and we bought some of the same sour candy we purchased at Dylan's for a much better price. I recommend this place if you ever visit NYC. It's called Economy Candy Shop on Rivington St. 

Soon we found a cheap clothing store. They had great prices and cheap clothing. I really could have found some deals here, but go figure they had no fitting room. They said if they didn't fit I had seven days to return them. That was the craziest thing I had ever heard. I bought a $5 pair of leggings for Meaghan and one blouse that I tried on over my clothes. The lady at the register said no fitting room because of people stealing. I'm surprised they sell much without a fitting room.  Jerry also kept texting me wanting me to hurry because he was tired of sitting in McDonalds. The owner of the store said he had to leave his backpack up front to go inside so he opted  to sit next door instead. We continued our walk until we strolled into SoHo. SoHo is trendy in a totally different way than the lower east side. It's also artsy, but has a more expensive, classy feel. In SoHo you find high end boutiques and name brand stores. NoHo is also right in this area as well and it was difficult to tell when we were in one area or another.  SoHo is a great place to walk. It's pretty and hip with lots of Cafes, shopping and tree lined, cobblestone streets. While in SoHo we found a bench for Jerry while I found this shop I was looking for name Uniqlo. This shop also had good prices and cute clothing. I spent about an hour or so in this shop. The air conditioning was broken so trying on clothes while sweating was no longer fun and I left with only a few items and didn't break the bank. We decided to walk to  this restaurant we had went to on our last trip that sells this wonderful grilled corn. While walking there we passed a cafe with open walls and a garden area and we decided to dine there instead. The atmosphere was appealing and there were open tables so we stopped. We were tired from all the walking. We shared fish and chips and it was good enough. 

Since we were in SoHo we checked my list and decided to walk to this rooftop bar I had on my list because it was supposed to have great views of the city. We thought we might get a coke or coffee.  We walked for what seemed like a long way before we finally found the place. Once there we discovered reservations were needed. At that point we didn't really care because we were exhausted. We sat on a bench to get our bearings to figure out our route back to our apt. The corner we were on was quite busy and it appeared the party scene was getting started. While seated, two gentlemen walked up and were discussing one of them leaving to go to Asia. They parted ways and one of them sat on the bench next to us. We struck up a conversation with him. He shared that people who live in NY can't imagine living anywhere else, but they dream of getting out of the city and they do every chance they get. He said he wishes he could have an apt in NY and a house with a garage to the  suburbs so he could garden. 

We made our way to a bus stop and started back to our place. We went a different route seeing the west side on the Hudson River. We passed Battery Park City and Battery Park. It's very nice and we look forward to going there tomorrow.  We got off the bus at the Staton Island Ferry and made our way down through FiDi to our apt. Walking along the water in the evenings here is cold. I've yet to be hot here. It's been very nice during the day. At night we usually turn off the air and open the window while watching TV and I'm usually cold. We have considered walking back to the river since its right here, but it's always windy and cool.

Tomorrow we plan to eat breakfast at a diner. We are tired of continental breakfast with the carb overload. We are both ready for some protein. Apartment living has its positive and negative aspects. Some of the negatives are that we received minimal supplies, like two rolls of toilet paper, one roll of paper towels, no wash cloths, just a few towels, and there are no cooking supplies needed to cook a meal. There are cooking tools, but purchasing all the oils, spices, condiments wouldn't be worth the money.  We've learned to grab some fruit and milk from breakfast along with peanut butter packets and cream cheese. We have a big refrigerator, stove top and a big microwave with a built in convection oven. We've made sandwiches and eaten some of our leftovers but its just as cheap to split a meal. The nicest thing about the apt is the location. The FiDi is quiet at night and that's good for old people. It's close to the water with excellent views and it's easy to get a bus or catch the subway. The breakfast five days weekly is nice and plentiful and saves us money. The lounge area is nice and we enjoy hanging out there in the mornings. 

The rooftop deck is also nice. But unlike the lounge we can't hook to free wifi there. Having a washer and dryer has also been a lifesaver since we packed about a weeks worth of clothing (well maybe more for me). Jerry washes clothes daily which is one of his obsessions but with only a few towels we have to wash frequently. The washer and dryer are small so we can only wash small loads.  The apartment is small and Jerry and I are spending a lot of time with one another. Lets just say by the time we get back and I leave four days later for a week long conference, he will be ready for some alone time. We've done pretty well, but we have gotten on one another's nerves at times. Thanks goodness for social media because it gives us social time with other people. Lol. Until next time, I'm ending my sharing for the evening or I could say morning since its nearly 1:00 a.m.

Cindy Pafford