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.
Don’t Take Away My Perfect Shower: The Muse NY
January 25, 2018
Ah, The Muse. Last time we were here it was too short and about as good as they come. This time was very similar.
Night view from The Muse room 1703
We figured out that 1703 is the room number of the room we like (because lucky dogs that we are, we snagged it again). What a shower! Sadly, we were all by ourselves this time. (Thanks Ray Mannon for your magic.)
1703 anteroom
Thanks for the amenity, especially the two LARGE san pellegrinos
After way too much korean food at Gayeon in Fort Lee, NJ, there was no room left for even one wafer thin slice of cheese. The sparkling water was perfect, however.
Gayeon was solid Korean in a suburban mall kind of upscale NJ space. Why is it that all of these restaurants in the ‘burbs feel the same? We had a blast watching the completely wasted couple one table away try to cope with reality.
desk nook 1703
bedroom 1703
looking thru the “takeout window” into the bathroom
SHOWER NIRVANA
NPS loves the shower in 1703. Yes on all fronts. Even has a bench. Sadly, the city of NY decided to turn off the water somewhat arbitrarily in the morning. We got a shower, but always under the threat of ending up all soapy. This is a bummer, and we must return.
This quick trip was so fast that there was no time for cocktails outside of the restaurant.
There is very good news about being Global Services on United! First class upgrade on the way out, and a free efficient switch to an earlier flight on the way back. We even managed to get a seat that did not suck. NPS approves of Global Services.
Uber on the other hand needs to get a map of NY and commit it to its computer’s memory.
Five showerheads and a fervent wish that NYC would get their utilities act together. Thanks to The Muse for a quick but nice stay.
Ink 48: Rocking Hell’s Kitchen in NYC
November 1, 2017
There’s nothing like experiencing a new Kimpton property for the first time. In all of our countless trips up to NY, NPS has never visited Ink 48 (though we have heard tell of it). Hell’s Kitchen is pretty far up there, but sometimes business uptown happens!
Our greeting at the front was warm and welcoming even though it was supposed to be scary. We were assigned the fantastic river-view suite 1416 (for which we thank Steph and Barry). What a great room.
Room 1416 on a gorgeous day overlooking the Hudson
The sitting room section.
The bedroom section.
And the all important huge bathroom with a distinct shower cube in the corner. Plenty of room in here, and no sign of plastic.
Glowing shower cube of 1416.
The “hot and cold” amenity was impressive and delicious.
Dinner at Taboon is not to be missed. Outstanding bread, delicious food, a real cocktail program, a nice wine list. Seek it out. We enjoyed ourselves so much before the play that we returned after the crash.
Spirits Bisbas
1.5 oz hendricks gin
1 oz rhubarb puree
1 oz lemon
.5 oz dry vermouth
shake. serve up in a coup. smoked paprika on top
We tried to see a play at Lincoln Center, but it was not to be. About an hour in to “Junk,” technical things went south and never recovered. Frankly, we expect more out of NY Theater.
The “hot” part of the amenity came in handy late night when we got back from our cocktail run at Taboon.
Five showerheads and a warm glow for ink 48 in NY.
The Muse Sets Things Right in NY
May 21, 2017
The Muse was so great compared to the Eventi on this trip, it’s hard to know where to start. You may recall that the Eventi could not help moving our bags uptown, so we ended up doing it ourselves at 9:25pm. Shortly after fetching our bags we arrived at the Muse and were greeted by name by the staff who was waiting for us (and apparently even beginning to wonder what had become of us).
So incredibly personal, friendly, and warm! Special thanks to concierge Daniel Mitchell for putting our champagne on ice as we unpacked for our way too short visit to the Muse.
The room, whose number is lost in the sands of time, was great.
Welcome to the Muse!
Super great bathroom featuring an awesome glass shower with a built in bench.
Drive up service window.
Anyway, the Muse helped us finish our NY run in style. Five showerheads and a glass of bubbly for the Muse!
Koons street art in NY
Radio City
Cum laude![/caption]
NY Eventi: Again the Corporate
May 20, 2017
New York is a fantastic city to visit for any reason or no reason (and this time we had a reason as you will see). The Eventi, because of its location, makes a good base of operations. Thing is, after having been to the Eventi many times, the place still feels corporate and soulless and the property seems to have no recollection or any memory at all of NPS stays. Not sure why.
This time, NPS was doing the complicated free night reward thing. The Kimpton twitter fairies did a formidable job shaking loose a free night at the Eventi and then did what they could to combine the reservations. Which meant we were able to stay in the same room for our two days running. That was good. The no maid service until explicitly requested in the afternoon? Not so good. The Eventi front desk even turned off the keys requiring a trip downstairs. Service much? Nope. Strike one.
We were assigned 2217. This “city view” room is on the south side of the building and has views down 6th Avenue. You can see both the Empire State Building and Freedom tower from the room. The view is very nice.
The Empire State Building in purple for NYU Graduation
We arrived late at night after one of the worst United Express flights ever. It never ceases to amaze NPS just how bad United can be when it is bad. Commute air should not be flying props in 2017. Sorry. Just no reason.
Having an amenity in the room with a personalized note and two tiny bottles of sparkling water was nice. Later on night two we had to order up our own water for $26. Inner circle people don’t like that nonsense. Strike two.
Greetings
Dual view, South and East.
New York is always pretty at night.
2217 is all one bed dominated room
The bathroom is nice but not too fancy as far as the Eventi goes. The room category NPS usually stays in has better showers.
Shower 2217
Up early, we headed to Yankee Stadium for NYU graduation.
Cum laude!
NY was exceptionally hot as was the stadium!
After our sweltering morning in the direct sun, we changed scenery by chartering a 41 foot sailboat and sailing in NY harbor and up the Hudson. Awesome!
No fun was had (at all)
Dinner at Il Buco was fantastic as always.
Day two featured a great brunch at Cafe Orlin.
The plan was to switch hotels after brunch and before the second graduation ceremony. Sadly, the drunk driving incident at Times Square had traffic snarled by the Muse. We hopped the subway uptown.
NPS is very sorry to say that the staff at the Eventi was entirely unhelpful in arranging to get our bags taken to the Muse (during a 7 hour window). We were forced to come back at 9:25pm and pick them up after dinner. Good hotels do better than this. Minus twenty Eventi staff! Strike three. And you’re out at home plate.
We did manage to find one very helpful bellman who stashed our champagne in the employee fridge. Now that was creative and a huge help.
Radio City
So you see, the Eventi has this corporate bureaucratic approach that just grates and causes a constant barrage of swings and misses. The staff seems friendly enough, but impersonal. The lack of a creative, helpful solution to a pretty easy bag moving problem is telling.
The Eventi’s stylish open restaurant and lobby as well as its prime location almost makes up for the IHG (not very Kimpton) feel, but not quite. Three showerheads and a mandatory training program for the Eventi.
NYC and the Eventi
November 13, 2016
It’s New York City, where this building is.
Sadly our view from 1104 looks like this instead of like that.
Eventi 1104
We’re staying for several days here at the Eventi, and we were really hoping for an even better room (height and view-wise). Sadness.
1104 is a nice room category at least. We’re happy about that. It is kind of weird that this hotel seems to have no memory of which rooms it assigns. I know many other kimpton properties that do a better job with that (say, hotel marlowe in boston).
Without further ado, 1104.
Eventi 1104
The fruit amenity was actually almost completely consumed! But still water?? Really? Seems to us here at NPS that the “infrastructure staff” is not quite as stellar as the “front desk/downstairs staff” here at the Eventi.
No cheese for you.
The bathroom is super fantastic with a great shower.
Eventi 1104 shower highly recommended
Two meals at the restaurant/bar downstairs were particularly noteworthy. NPS is not a fan of hotel restaurants (even at Kimpton properties), but an exception can be made for the eventi.
Of note in NY this trip. Dinner at Il Buco (the old one). Dinner at Ramen-Ya. Lunch at Tac-N-Roll. A cocktail at Pegu. Drinks at Lantern’s Keep with Natasha and Natalie. Heisenberg the play.
HIghline tree
The end of the line
Lantern’s Keep cocktails
On the stage at Heisenberg
And the Whitney was outstanding as always.
A very high four showerheads and an upgraded database to track rooms with for the Eventi.
Planes, Trains and ULTRA-CRAPPY Automobiles
March 11, 2016
Four cities in two days will do that to you.
Upgraded on one hop to Pittsburgh on United!!
Then a tiny ancient United puddle hopper to NYC (Mesa needs more new planes).
New York was gorgeous
Train to Connecticut from Penn Station bright and early
Now leaving NY
Then it was on to the worst Hertz rental car of all time. Dirty, over milage, driven hard, shimmy. Just crap. You can really suck Hertz!
This Hertz car sucks
The Eventi: NYC
February 20, 2015
The corporation has ditched the apartment in NY. Which means we now have to stay at the Eventi or 70Park when we’re in NY. Life is so hard!
It’s cold this week. Less than ten cold.
NPS is situated in 2304 on the top floor with a clear view of the back side of NY. See how cold it is?
Frozen city.
2304 Eventi sitting room
The comfortable bed in 2304 bedroom dominates
Of course, we’re here for the showers. The marble clad Eventi design is great.
Two headed marble shower complete with bench
After our late-ish arrival, a welcome package made its way up. Thanks Christopher. Sparkling water.
Reward for Kimptoning
In other NYC news, we hit Quality Meats for a nice dinner spiced up with way too much Pappy 23. Ouch. Then Roc Restaurant in Tribeca (a family place where they know us now and we speak some Italian). Get the oxtail ravioli. The Brandy Library is a superior place for a relaxing nightcap.
This NY run was fantastic. Five showerheads for the Eventi.
Oh, and we flew Jet Blue up here in our quest to avoid United at all costs. Jet Blue was fine, but JFK is not all that convenient.
Eventi in NY Bails me Out (kinda)
April 11, 2014
It was one of those days. Plenty of time to get to the airport, no real rush. But somehow my belt did not get the memo and I arrived in NY beltless—for a big meeting with lots of senior banking execs flown in from all over the world?! Horrors. (They were all wearing French cuffs and pocket squares.)
Kimpton attempted to bail me out when the massive belt oversight emergency was broadcast to the world over the @noplasticshower twitter feed (follow us here). [BTW, it turns out that @kimpton does a better job realtime monitoring twitter than @kimptoninnyc! Hmm. It also turns out that Kimpton emergency coordination better accomplished by central emergency services (in san fran maybe?) than by Kevin the concierge in NY.]
Thing is, there was no time to lose. So we uber’ed to two hotels and a mall on the way to the financial district. JC Penny belt it is!
About 20 minutes before my meeting downtown, a twitter DM arrived from @kimpton emergency services who, of course, had managed to pick me up a belt! It was waiting in my room when I got back after the meeting, dinner, general carousing, and shutting down a bar. Super amazing great, but just a smidge too tardy. Thanks anyway Eventi staff (and double thanks to @kimpton central emergency services)! You guys are the best.
Not only was there a belt, there was also a nice snack and some sparkling water. The water probably saved us from certain death by dehydration. Thanks Rebecca.
Thank you Kimpton for beltifying the emergency! Super kind.
Another great authentic Italian meal at Roc in Tribeca. It seemed like the after dinner grappa (moscato) was a good idea, but it completely dissolved our resolve to make an early night of it right there on the spot. And then the lemoncello.
So instead of heading in to harbor, we simply walked over to weather up for some delicious beverages and a bourbon lesson.
By that time we were on a roll and managed to uber on up Lantern’s Keep where I believe we stayed until they ran out of fernet branca. Oh woe is us. We did determine that barman bob is no longer working at Lantern’s Keep , and I am sure that we met the current barmen, but we pretty much don’t recall.
Thursday morning was blinding and way too early. But rally we did for another busy day at the office.
Bright. Ouch.
BTW, our secret noplasticshowers spy contingency is with us this trip. That may explain why the bathroom is so messy and there is a yoga mat on the floor.
Glass shower in 2104
Two shower heads in the shower. And plenty of water pressure. Ahhh.
Who knew that there were yoga mats?!
We strolled down the high line to NYU from midtown. The high line is beautiful in every season.
Thursday evening was capped with a relaxing visit to the Brandy Library.
Anyway, the eventi is feeling more homey in NY even though there is the apartment, and it is in NY! Must be the Kimpton vibe. Five showerheads and some much needed sleep.
Super Chefs: NYC vs Frederick, MD
September 22, 2013
Last time we did an informal foodie experimental test set, Volt won hands down. This iteration, we find Volt neck and neck with Annisa up to the finish line where the crack staff at Volt pulls of a win by a headlength at the finish line.
Wow. Annisa (in the Village in NYC) is fantastic. Soup dumplings with fois gras? Yep. Delicious duck and stuffed pork. The work of Anita Lo is incredibly great. Love the wine list too with lots of fun stuff from Italy. Also a plus, the atmosphere is warm, welcoming and at the same time very precise. The only thing that needs work at Annisa is the bar program which lags pretty far behind the edge. (I called for a Corpse Reviver #2 and the lemon juice was squeezed sometime way before I had arrived at the restaurant. Might even have been concentrate.)
Volt, Bryan Voltaggio’s phenom restaurant in Frederick, MD is also fantastic food-wise. Of particular note on the tasting menu this outing:
MELON heirloom tomatoes from big white barn, pickled rinds of watermelon, shaved surryano ham from surry county virginia, fennel marinated in fresh whey and dressed with oil of arbequina olives
The melon treatment is particularly incredible. Both cantaloupe and watermelon vacuum sealed and compressed.
CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS preserved ramps from this year’s crop, steel cut oats with kombu and brown butter, sea lettuces dressed with the pickle from the ramps, mushrooms roasted and glazed with an emulsion of beer and fresh yeast
foam! and buttery deliciousness.
PASTA BOLOGNESE calamari and bacon smoked with hickory, stewed with roasted tomatoes and kimchi of daikon radish, ricotta cheese and miso cavatelli with ink from the squid, grated parmigiano reggiano
This was my personal favorite. I am usually not a fan of squid ink, but Voltaggio can pull it off. The bolognese would make any nanna proud.
NUNAVUT CHAR slowly cooked in extra virgin olive oil, green cabbage shaved thin and slightly wilted, rye bread that has been toasted and smoked, mousse made from horseradish, broth from plum juice and dill
So tender.
The food is just amazing. Don’t let the off the beaten path thing fool you. But the service is what made our outing at Volt so great.
Zack started things out properly at the bar with some nicely crafted cocktails including the Cat’s Pajamas:
.25 Countreau
.5 Yellow chartreuse
.5 Brandy
.75 Suze
1 oz Rittenhouse Rye
Stir down. Serve up with a thick orange twist.
TJ the wine guy was so encyclopedic in his knowledge that we all learned something. What a joy to experience (well everything but the Gewürztraminer). The entire staff is not snobby at all, just knowledgeable and fun. Our waiter was also a blast, especially when after hearing about the latest two pigs we’re raising opined that we should call them “Mountain Dew” and “Spider Monkey” or maybe “brioche” and “biscuit.” Awesome. Real people, great food. You MUST go.
The best part of all was that the Volt thing happened spontaneously based on a gig I had in Frederick. Best excuse to blow all the gig money and then some that I have ever had! (Thanks to Michael for squeezing us in at the last minute.)
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