Remember that song from X? I always loved that song.
Yesterday was a quintessential NYC day for us. We got on our bikes and rode over to the East River Park. Tons of families were out there grilling and relaxing - just a huge mix of everyday people. There are these tents you can set up - basically a roof on four poles that everyone seemed to have. Seeing all these families and friends together made me wish that I was at a gathering like that myself. I'm sure my mother and her family did the same right along this park years ago.
We proceeded down the pathway that takes you passed the Manhattan Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge and South Street Seaport. At that point, we navigated our bikes into Chinatown for a stop at Dim Sum GoGo. If you come to the City - you must go there. It isn't fancy but it also isn't intimidating (as in you must speak fluent Chinese to enter).
They have a standard menu which we forgo for the one page dumpling menu where you can check off what you might like. Each order of dumplings has about three or four dumplings that are delivered to you in a bamboo steam basket. We usually get two orders each of some kind of shrimp, chicken, veggies and fried pork dumplings. Basically, the waiter comes to our table with two towering columns of bamboo steam baskets....we are not a proud people.
After lunch, we got back on our bikes and rode down to Battery Park where we were joined by the rest of the population of NYC. It was packed - but again, I just loved seeing everyone. I love New York. I love the diversity of class, race and ethnicity. As I get older, my love of this city has become deeper and more personal. On these sorts of days, you feel the love returned.
So it's getting hot and we keep on riding. Ben is being a real sport. We ride along the Hudson River and reach the West Village, where we cross over and ride into the East Village. There we celebrate at Ben and Jerry's over well earned ice cream cones. Later that night, we barbequed hot dogs and watched the Macy's Fireworks on our roof.
Nice Day in the Big Apple.
6 comments:
That sounds like the best day! Seriously! I am almost there myself as I'm contemplating getting my old bike out of storage and I just found a vegetarian dim sum place nearby. It's not NY but it might do.
You're making me crazy homesick and I've never even lived in New York. Just feels like I should live there. Also making me hungry for a visit to the Chinatown here in Chicago. Sounds like you had a wonderful evening. I hear so many horror stories about the old New York disappearing and everything becoming the same, it was great to read this.
Sounds like a wonderful day! I miss NYC!!!!!!
What a beautiful day. Everything is so close to you and to be able to watch the fireworks from your roof!!
S2 and I decided that we didn't want to handle the drive into the city last night to watch the fireworks. Too much traffic - though I regret it now.
In about 8 weeks I will be walking the city..I can't wait!
i went there last week! love that place. i adore chinatown. i treated myself to an exciting culinary adventure and ordered white fungus. one might assume these are mushrooms, but no, its mushy, white "slime" (as my boyfriend called it) and it wasn't half bad. as noted in a book i just finished today, Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China, if we westerners could just get over mouthfeel, we could enjoy and entirely new and wonderful array of foods. this idea is what helped me to enjoy my dinner.
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