New Yawk

I moved to New York city when I was 18. A few weeks later, I got a roommate who quickly became a close friend. She moved from France for an internship. Malika and I had so much fun together. Grocery shopping. Cooking (well she did the good cooking, according to her all I cooked was cereal morning and night. =) ) Walking. Clothes shopping. Talking. Eating out. Seeing bands. Laughing. I moved back home and Malika stayed another year before she had to go back to France, but she did fly to NC for my birthday a few months before she moved. That was the last time I saw her. Six years ago. We of course kept in touch by phone on occasion, but mostly email. Well last month she told me she was coming to NYC for two weeks in October. I was beyond thrilled, but wasn't sure if I was going to make it up there. Luckily I did (well we all ended up going) last week. I had the time of my life with her. I just love her and have so much fun with her and it felt like we were roommates again, doing the same things.

This was Arden's first flight and she did pretty good.

That child just does not like to be still for ANY amount of time. We brought Fruit snacks which were new to her for the take off and landing to help with her ears. We flew jet blue which means unlimited snacks (and they have a good variety!) which helped too because that girl can eat.
Upon arriving, we took the new(er) air train to connect to the subway and made our way to Manhattan, where we stayed on the upper west side with Derek's cousin.
Street we stayed on-

View from the terraceA bodega on the street corner. Love all the colors!


Her Apartment is in an absolutely beautiful area at 68th street and Central Park West, just a couple of blocks from Lincoln Square.




After getting in and chatting with Mary Ellen for a little bit, we headed out to get some lunch. After lunch, Derek and I took Arden to the Times Square Toys R Us. Actually I'd like to mention that we walked there =).

been There, Done that.

On the way, Arden fell asleep (she didn't have her regular nap) and I was so excited to get some of the best popcorn from Popcorn, Indiana- A store that opened in Times Square a blocked from where I worked. I used to send the boys I worked with who liked me to get it. Unfortunately it closed and I think it was a restaurant in its location. I was totally bummed. I had all my favorite places I wanted to go, and was totally craving the fresh, amazing Caramel Chocolate Drizzle popcorn, so that was a total disappointment.
I visited the place I worked and it has totally changed and the atmosphere doesn't seem nearly as fun/lively as it used to be.
I worked on music row in Times Square at Sam Ash. I was the best receptionist they ever had. Just sayin.
Anyway, I saw tons of famous musicians and once Stevie Wonder came in, and they locked the door, and he played some songs for us. Amazing.


We made our way a few blocks down to Toy R Us, and lo and behold Arden woke up. She loved looking at all the toys and carrying around as much as she could,

luckily she's usually OK with putting things back. We made our way to the Ferris Wheel (there is a ferris wheel in the 3/4 level store. Arden loved it, like all rides.

Next, we hopped on the subway (which I must say the terminals are NOT stroller friendly. It really is a pain getting around on the subway system with a stroller. Yuck.) to meet Malika downtown for dinner for dinner at one of my favorite spots.





Dojo.

You really can't ask for more. Where else can you eat healthy (Soy Burger Dinner- Soy Burger, brown rice, a salad and the best tahini Dressing- not the kind you may be thinking) for $4.95? Best soy burger you will ever eat. All their food is good and cheap, but that is my meal. I got it every time. $4.95. in NYC, and it's HEALTHY!!!!! Oh how I miss that place. I love you, Dojo.

Oh yeah, so Malika met us there and that was the first time seeing her in SIX years!!!!! We talked and laughed and watched Arden lick salt off the table.


It was getting late and way past time for Arden to get to bed- though even with a short nap, she held up great. Malika went back to her place and we took the subway back uptown.

We got Arden to bed at 10:30 (!), got ourselves to bed and a couple of hours later, she wakes up crying. I didn't want her to wake Mary Ellen (but with that loud mouth, she probably woke the neighbors too) so I quickly grabbed her and laid her down with us. She went to sleep immediately only to wake up at 5AM! She quietly laid/sat in bed for a while while I went in and out of sleeping and Derek thinks she went back to sleep. At 7:00, she was up for good (She typically sleeps 8:30P-8A).

I finally got up and got moving, and we went walking around the upper west side. I'd also like to mention it was drizzling off and on all day.
Fairway Market is one of the fancier grocery stores and I think the only location is the one on the upper west side. All produce is outside along the sidewalk.

Later, we met Derek's cousin Todd, Mary Ellen and Malika at Bryant Park for lunch.

H&M- one of my favorite stores. There is one in ATL, but it just isn't as good as the ones in NYC.




Todd had to go back to work, and I REALLY wanted to go to my old house to take a picture of it, because when I lived there, I left my camera in NC, and never got it back So I really don't have any pictures from when I lived there. hmph. Derek didn't want to go "alll the way out there" so I suggested he take Arden to the park or back to Mary Ellen's and Malika and I would go alone. Score. (and I'm an very thankful that Derek willingly took Arden for the rest of the day so I could spend it with Malika and boy did we have a blast.


In front of our old house-

We lived in Queens, at Kew Gardens, Briarwood to be exact, which was actually pretty much *dun dun dun* JAMAICA. I could get off at the Kew Gardens or Briarwood stop, but the Kew Gradens stop was a little longer walk, but a beautiful one. I lived in a BEAUTIFUL, safe area, right near a private catholic high school.







The Train ride was only 30 minutes to Midtown/Times Square, so not a bad ride AT ALL. Actually Derek lived MUCH closer to Manhattan in Astoria, which is pretty much right over the water, and that train ride was about 5 minutes longer than mine.

Anyway, so we got to our house (after a little confusion of which way to walk from the subway) and took silly pictures and headed back to Manhattan and got off at 53rd st.

We checked out the latest and hottest fashions





Visited Dylan's Candy Bar (Owned by Ralph Lauren's Daughter, Dylan) That place just smells amazing.




Then we walked over to Serendipity III. One of my other favorite restaurants.
I frequented this place with many different friends, but never Malika.


I always got the same thing




Can't Say No Sundae.
It is the most amazing peanut butter pie you will ever taste (They call it Humble Pie and sell it by the slice too)
vanilla ice cream
bananas
hot fudge
whipped cream
cherry
(the image above only funny because while we were eating, Malika started looking through the pictures on my camera, and well on a camera, it's darker and smaller. her eyes got huge and she says, "What on earth?! Ewww oh my gosh what is that?" I told her to show me, and she said, No, it will make you sick when you are eating (in her cute accent). I finally talked her into showing it to me, and it seriously looked like a basket of rats curled up together. It took me a minute, but I finally realized it was my dessert, and we laughed and laughed and cried from laughing.)

A couple of years ago, Derek bought me the book, "Sweet Serendipity: Delightful Desserts and Devilish Dish: it has recipes for their most famous dishes, and I have yet to try the 'Humble Pie'. I'd hate to ruin such an amazing thing.

Serendipity is probably most famous for their Frozen Hot Chocolate, which I have only tasted once, and it's fine, but I'm not sure what the fuss is about, because it should be about the Humble Pie!



After stuffing our faces, we had to power walk to the upper west side to meet Derek and his friends for dinner (YEAH RIGHT!) First we made a quick stop at the Diesel store, then went on our way. We started out at 53rd St and Lexington (East side) walked further east to 2nd Ave (Two blocks from the East River) and had to walk to 68th st on the WEST side to meet Derek and Arden, walked back down two blocks to Lincoln Center to meet Derek's friend Ray and his girlfriend for dinner, then walked up to 79th St and Amsterdam (Three blocks from Hudson River) to meet some other friends of Derek's. That would be 26 blocks north, but we went south 2 blocks for dinner and back up those 2 blocks so 30 blocks north/south PLUS 11 blocks back to Mary Ellen's which means Malika and I walked 41 blocks north/south and a long way and through Central Park from east to west. We Laughed, reminisced, took pictures along the way and wondered how on earth were we going to eat a single bite of dinner.

65th St Transverse cut through central park


We (they) ate at a super fancy Mexican restaurant across from Lincoln square. I did not order a meal, only nibbled on the guacamole (made table side)and chips. Malika somehow ate her entire meal. Arden pitched a fit in the super fancy restaurant and threw her food. The two minutes she was calm:

Derek and Ray

Two beautiful ladies at Lincoln square:



We said goodbye to Ray and Kathie and walked up to Blondie's Sports Bar to meet the guys.


Arden's first (and only?!) sports bar experience and she really got into it.
She took the plate of carrots/celery, dipped each stick into the blue cheese licked it off and put the sticks back on the plate.

When people would start cheering and clapping for one of the 20 TV's she would clap too.....and I FINALLY some good Buffalo wings! Boy, have I been craving some good ones. Yum. Arden even got into that action and was eating wings like a pro. It was so cute.

10:00 came and I forced Derek to leave his buds so we could get Arden to bed.

We had our sad goodbyes with Malika at the 72nd sub station and made our way few more blocks south which Arden was out and barely woke as I changed her for bed.

Day 3:
Arden woke up at 6AM, I think (I stayed in bed =) ). After a bit, we walked over to Central Park for a little sight seeing and let Arden play at the playground.

Further into the Park, this man was making bubbles, which Arden was totally amazed.


It was a beautiful morning.


After a couple of hours, we went back to Mary Ellen's and packed up. *Someone* (not me) didn't want to take the subway, so we paid a car service a ridiculous amount of money to drive us to the airport which took longer than the train.


The nice thing about flying with kids? You get to go through the family security checkpoint line which was empty both times.

After security, we grabbed lunch (amazing sandwiches) and Arden played and tried to act cool like she was hanging out alone in the middle of the airport.

We got some Ben and Jerry's and headed to our gate. Arden pooped as we got onto the plane and I made Derek change her because I had just changed her TWICE in the airport. He asked the flight attendant if he could change her really quick and she said yes, but you better hurry (I mean half the people weren't even on the plane yet). I guess that got Derek a little frazzled and he came out all sweaty carrying Arden without any pants on and told me she might have some poop on her leg. I couldn't stop laughing. Then he said the changing table was so small that her legs and bottom were hanging off the table and her head was sideways pushed into the wall. I asked him if the table folded down from the wall, and he said it didn't and that he was trying to go as fast as he could and he didn't pay attention so he's not sure what he actually put her on. Oh my. I haven't seen a changing table on a plane, but it must be longer than Arden's BACK, right? And I would assume, to save space, it would fold down from the wall and not be stationary?

Our plane ended up leaving an hour late (haha) and we got home a half hour later than planned. We got to the car at 7:30PM and Arden was out the rest of the night.

I had so so so much fun with Derek's family, his friends, and especially Malika and I'm so glad we were able to spend a day with just each other. I hope that we don't go 6 more years without seeing each other!

(After Malika moved from NYC back home to France, she moved to Ireland, UK, France again and is now back in Dublin working. (Do I have that order right, Malika?)