NYC: Intercontinental NY Barclay
August 27, 2023
In the still active quest to find a NY hotel to use as home base, we present the (nope) Intercontinental Barclays hotel. This was a quick, trip up for business and pleasure.
The Barclays is old school. Well, old. Definitely old. Try as they might to upgrade to “hip” or “relevant,” there is too much inertia for the sluggish IHG chain to overcome.
Our arrival was very corporate and our room was nice but hamster cage. All vestiges of Kimpton privilege have been assimilated. And there is only so much that you can do to drag a mid-century hotel into the new millennium. Frankly, I don’t even remember what our room number was or even what floor it was on.
The shower was fine.
A comfortable generic bed. Design by somebody’s grandmother.
Oh, here it is, room 939 on the not at all memorable 9th floor. This is a concierge floor which means only you can share an OK breakfast with other people who think that concierge service is good.
But it was NYC! BTW, the Fasano is a great place for a ridiculously expensive business dinner. Great food and a relaxed atmosphere conducive to conversation.
Also, as always the tucked away Oyster bar in Grand Central is a fun place for a snack. We tried out the back room (new to me). The front is more NY, FWIW.
Meanwhile, the bar back at the Barclays has a reputation far beyond its ’70s reality. Great cocktails served by cynical old school NY barkeeps with a hotel lobby feel that can’t be overcome. Skip it.
The great news is that the trip’s most memorable experience was a great one. The MOMA’s Karl Lagerfeld exhibit was not to be missed. See more here.
Before whizzing back across town and under the river to Newark, we had a great lunch at Blue Willow somewhat on a whim. Outstanding.
All in all, three showerheads and a continued search for a NY home for the Barclays Intercontinental. Too much corporate genericism for us.
NY, NY Still the Best City: Bill and Lisa’s Apartment
April 17, 2022
We arrived in NY after a long tarmac delay caused by high winds at Newark. Newark was, because of the stoppage, packed to the gills with people, and the wait times for the (awful) restaurants in Terminal C were over an hour. So we did what any sensible traveller would do and took a seriously skanky NJ cab into town for Tapas at Mompou. The tapas was great, and the vibe was pure NJ.
A quick Uber into the city landed us at our home for a week, Bill and Lisa’s apartment situated on 20th Street between 7th and 8th. You gotta love friends who invite you up when they score a place for a month in the city! Lucky dogs all around.
The city at night is a welcome view. This is the first NPS visit in too many years.
Our first jaunt led us down the High Line to the Whitney.
Checking out the Whitney
See All’s Well at the Whitney Biennial for more.
The Little Island has been added to Manhattan as of late. It’s a quirky little part worth a quick visit. More about our quick visit here.
The Little Island as seen from the Whitney
Spring was everywhere on a blustery gray day.
Wait for it!
The High Line has been completed through Hudson Yards these days. This bridge over 12th (?) avenue yields an interesting and somewhat cinematic view.
Our plan was to check out the Japanese Food Festival situation on closed off 6th avenue, but the hoards of people…and we mean hoards…obviated our plan. So we stopped for ramen and sake in collectible glasses at Oramen Chelsea.
Later we took the subway down for a visit to PDT. On the way we stopped in for a fried ice cream and a cocktail. It’s not clear whether we were lured in to Little Rebel by the fried ice cream or the Bowie mug shot.
CR#2 to start the evening
What is a CR#2? Glad you asked. Click here.
Said fried ice cream
Said Bowie mug shot
Yes, Bowie was arrested in Rochester in 1976.
It rained.
Our intrepid hosts
Next up, a slice at East Village Pizza.
And then some “hot dogs” at Crif.
PDT is still rocking it. We had some special fun with the paper plane.
Naked Paper Plane
Problem corrected by the astute waiter
Finally, a late night visit to the very local Twist was in order. Fernet time!
So that was a day!
Our next adventure started at the MoMA, where in addition to lots of famous art to be shared simultaneously with hundreds of others, lunch was really good.
See more MoMA Where Did All These People Come From?
Some of us had waffles on the street.
The Macy’s Spring flower show
I suppose we are obligated to talk about the showers in the apartment since this is NPS. The shower was very nice indeed. Plenty of hot water and lots of shower nozzles, many way high up there in the stratosphere.
Sunday evening we went to see Sleep No More, which was quirky, fun, and well worth doing. NPS missed the provocative parts. Alas. Experiencing theater by being IN the set is a thing.
Then it was Monday. Breakfast at Banter south of Washington Square was great — best in the city. Then it was time to do a little shopping. Did you know that the Varvatos outlet in NY occupies the old CBGB space? Wild.
There was pastry to be had at Patisserie Claude on the way to the special Chelsea apartment.
Romey visits the shrine
An ill fated “cash only” taxi ride deposited us into midtown to buy some boots and be accosted by a crazy lady. Our walk home happened under a taxi blackout zone.
And then it was off to Chama Mama with Chalmers in tow. Turns out that Georgian food is quite delightful.
Wine from Georgia. No not that one. Yeah that one.
The last day in the city was beautiful and sunny. A perfect day to be sedate and walk the High Line again.
The walk was gorgeous.
So was the lounging.
There was patio time in the sun.
Our intended entertainment target of choice (and the planned high point of the NY run) was to see SJP and Matthew Broderick (I mean Farris Bueller) in Plaza Suite. Covid prevented that from happening when both stars were infected. We’re still planning a reprise. In the meantime we went to see The Hangman while it was still in previews. Though the acting was a bit uneven, the play was good with only a few kinks to work out. As always, Broadway staging is the bomb.
Before the show we stopped in for a cocktail and some caviar at Bar Centrale. Old school, sophisticated and a great place to unwind before a show. Or is that wind up? Martinis and negronis pair well with caviar.
The lights on Broadway were doing their thing.
All dressed up in the big city
And thus the first visit to NY in three years ended. A whirlwind and a delight. Hopefully travel has returned for good.
Hotel Bergen Børs (Bergen, Norway)
December 2, 2021
What a difference a pandemic makes. Having been to Bergen many many times (13??), NPS was pretty skeptical about the hotel situation. But lo and behold, while we were trapped in the United States, a new hotel opened up and not only is it a good one, but it also houses the first Michelin star restaurant in Bergen. A great combination!
We stayed in room 440 which was a “loft suite.” I think in the future we would choose another type of suite, but we were in the hotel for just a few days before joining our friends at their house for the weekend.
Hotel Bergen Børs from the street
The hotel is situated in an ideal location in town. Close to the touristy old town, a few hundred steps from the funicular, 8 minutes from the train station, and close to the museums.
Bed in the loft
The electricity situation in 440 is confusing (at best) and difficult to use. Took me 2 days to figure it out. This makes waking up to head down the steep stairs to the bathroom a challenge if you don’t want to awaken your partner.
The very steep stairs
Sitting area
The sitting area is interrupted by beams from the ceiling, which is kinda cool and kinda a pain in the ass. Fortunately, we didn’t really spend all that much time in the hotel.
The bathroom is on the small side, but it has a great shower.
Glass, good pressure, and plenty of hot water. Just what NPS ordered.
All in all, the decor and the flooring is on the cheap side (a real problem in Bergen). Still looking for a hotel with well-appointed design executed without a mind to expense. This is not it. I guess, like the stock exchange, it’s all ups and downs.
Breakfast was superb. We enjoyed chatting with Delia each morning. The breakfast area also serves as the Bare restaurant.
A visit to Bare took some doing as they are typically booked out many months. NPS was able to secure a table with some persuasion. The dinner was world class. Read about the meal here.
Dinner at Bare is well worth the expense
We did Norway in a Nutshell on our first day in town. See the entry here. The weather was perfect and so was the timing. Just wow.
Norway in a nutshell
We also visited Kore. See this entry about that.
Munch of course
It is raining in Bergen. This is not at all surprising in any way. pic.twitter.com/j1Nn4kCSuo
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) November 24, 2021
Make sure to have a coffee and some cake at Det Lille Kaffe Kompaniet. Really great.
Success cake
Since the funicular was closed for renovation, we walked up to the top instead. More about that here. Sadly, No Stress bar is no longer as cool as it once was. But they still serve a mean Negroni.
On the last day in town, we took the new gondola up to the top of the TV mountain. Gorgeous. More about that trip here.
Top @kabaakh pic.twitter.com/kddrzYeu4J
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) November 27, 2021
Just yesterday pic.twitter.com/RsFprrXwzj
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) November 28, 2021
All in all, this visit to Bergen was tops. Thanks to our good friends Gøran and Anne for hosting our last couple of nights.
We travelled 3682.867 miles to avoid US dead turkey day and then our good friends made it happen anyway. LOL.
Maybe Antarctica next year. https://t.co/D8wDF7As79 pic.twitter.com/m29x4SdPmW
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) November 28, 2021
Bergen is wonderful and the Børs hotel (the best yet) earns a high four showerheads.
Then again, maybe it wasn’t bergen?
No longer clear where we are pic.twitter.com/oZHz8NV85o
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) November 28, 2021
Flip the Hytte
November 27, 2021
If you’re lucky, you will be greeted with love at the new hytte, which has become quite luxurious (now including things like hot showers, modern kitchens, floors, and a roof). We spent 4 days and 3 nights in Tyinkrysset cooking, skiing, hiking, drinking, conversing, and reveling in a life well lived.
Brusebu is named after the sound the nearby creek makes.
We stocked up on Negroni fixings and wine in Oslo. Then scooped Romey at the airport. Her entry was smooth (unlike, say, mine).
Brusebu the hytte
Romey on her first skis (starting in Norway is the way to go).
The intrepid host Gøran
NPS tried using randonee skis (usually used to climb up mountains and ski back down). This is a technology to explore further.
Anne the ski instructor and her star pupil
Gourmet cheese sandwiches were available for those on the tour.
The view from lunch
A quick trip to Øvre Årdal tested the snow tires and resulted in no purchases whatsoever.
Yule Nisse salmon
Crooked vimpel pole
Geared up for the walk
The walk behind the cabin.
Gin flower in the juniper
Over the bridge.
Face off one
Face off two
Roof repair
A visit to the Låve Museum (a locally curated collection of stuff from old fashioned Norwegian life). The proprietor is a delight.
Self
Regional costumes
The infamous hat
Also see Art in the Corner for one of these farm implements.
Just like art in the corner
Stories of the war
Bubbles
To the hytte
Sharing pictures of construction (Romey buys a building). The hytte has been basically reconstructed from scratch with a new roof (expanded roof line) and a new floor (including joists and subfloor). Now it is a luxury hytte.
Table scene
Hytte life
The new shower (5 showerheads for this mechanism)
The all important hot water mechanism
What a pleasure. Can’t wait to return.
The Lorien for Battery Recharge Through Cocktails, Art, and Conversation
December 16, 2019
Ah the Lorien, it has been a while! Since NPS last visited, IHG has done all it can to change the Kimpton chain it acquired into something we don’t recognize. The good news is that many excellent people remain, like Steph Vogel who we count as a friend.
We were assigned little nicely renovated rooms without plastic showers. Just right for this one night extravaganza. NPS was in 414.
arty bed
The shower is OK, not plastic, but who picked out that shower head?!
Thanks for the Negroni Steph!
Negroni with Watershed by Catoctin Creek
Chef prepared us dinner (we didn’t order, just reveled in what arrived). Delicious.
Must say that all of the cocktails are too sweet at the Lorien now.
We called in the usual set of favors to get the booth at the Colimbia Room. Perfect evening for talking, drinking and figuring out life.
Columbia Room menu
Breakfast the next morning was the highlight of the visit! Great to see Steph and catch up.
Then it was off to a day of art at the Hirshhorn, the Phillips, and the Renwick…oh yeah and Richard’;s house too! Just look.
Make sure to go back to the Hirshhorn. It is vastly improved
Lunch at Bistrôt du coin. Always French as all getout.
The Phillips is a favorite most anytime
Dinner with Richard was followed by an evening of conversation. Anytime.
All in all, an incredible visit. Life affirming on all counts.
Four showerheads for the Lorien. This IHG thing. Harumph.
Though NPS has been to Austria on multiple occasions, Graz is a new city for us. Of course, Graz is not really new — it has been here since the Copper Age (5000 BCE). So where do you stay when you go to Graz? Hotel Wiesler fits the bill.
Graz
After a fitful trip across the pond (in United Polaris First no less) and a connection made by less than three minutes, we arrived early at the very small Graz airport. A taxi into town took 30 minutes.
Fortunately, our room was ready to go. Boy did we need a long shower after all of that metal tubing! We were assigned room 418.
Like Graz itself, Hotel Wiesler is in an old facade but is quirky and modern inside. 418 reflects its metropolitan surroundings.
One bit room 418
Movable study nook
Sink in the room (mexican pottery?! OK)
The very nice shower indeed is built right into the room. Excellent design, and no plastic in sight.
NPS approved shower
You can see the old coming through in the design, with rough walls exposed. Graz did the same thing with Kuntshaus Graz, a modern museum seemingly dropped from space right into the middle of town. Sadly, the Kuntshaus was full of nothing as they are between exhibitions at the moment. But the architecture is remarkable and remarkably weird.
kunsthaus graz
View from Kuntshaus
Nothing more need be said
One of the most popular old restaurants in a town that likes to eat is just behind hotel Wiesler. In fact, you can see it out the windows of 418.
Gasthaus zur Alten Press
see
Beware the weiner schnitzel, which comes in very delicious but huge servings.
Dinner on top of the hill at Aiola Upstairs was pretty not bad. Getting up there via stairs is the way to do it!
The dreaded stairs
Hotel Wiesler in view
pagota
top castle and armory from 1500s
Cocktails in Graz is a possibility. See Landhaus Keller.
Hote Wiesler makes the grade. Four showerheads and a big thank you for the very early checkin!
Is Chicago Is not Chicago
January 25, 2016
A man drives a plane
Into the Chrysler building
A man drives a plane
Into the Chrysler building
Saskatoon is in the room
Poulsbo is in the room
Bennetsville is in the room
Palmyra is in the room
Is Chicago
Is not Chicago
Is Chicago
Is not Chicago
A man cuts in half
Just like he snaps a pencil
A man cuts in half
Just like he snaps a pencil
Khartoum is in the room
Phnom Penh is in the room
Pyongyang is in the room
Cairo is in the room
Is Chicago
Is not Chicago
Is Chicago
Is not Chicago
A man drives a plane
Into the Chrysler building
A man drives a plane
Into the Chrysler building
Into the, into the, into the, into the
Mailbox in Virginia
Art at the MCA
Architecture for a game
up
down
Mostly we were here for the astounding Eighth Blackbird. Sometimes when I perform my body has the same emotional response. But never when I watch. This is the future.
This is the future.
Excellent birds.
Oh, and the Palomar moved us down ten floors. Still a sweet suite.
no plastic showers
sit
stay
Also of note, Bottlefork is a great place for brunch and Three Dots and a Dash is a nice place for a banana daiquiri. Yeah, I know.
Zetter Townhouse in Sunny London
May 11, 2015
It’s sunny this Sunday in London. We’re sure that is an anomaly.
Nothing but blue sky
Refreshed from a morning visit to the Zetter, we settled into room 11 at the Zetter Townhouse across the square after a light lunch.
Just like across the street, it is great to be recognized when you walk in!
3rd floor corridor
leads to …
Room 11
Zetter townhouse room 11 (according to Fabian has the best shower)
There is a glass shower.
No plastic in sight
Artsy bathroom quadrangle
Then it was off to the British Museum for a few hours. First time visit even though I have lost count of how many I have been to London. Here are some impressions.
The British Musem
Skull
Ceasar
Skull
Skull
People by the stone
Writing
Timing
So very British
An early and truly fantastic dinner was had at the Chiltern Firehouse. Truly exceptional flavors. Followed by too many Liberals and too much ping pong at the Zetter Townhouse living room. Marco served us well.
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