Entertainment at Grand Central

Here's a promo photo for the Nick Cave exhibit at Grand Central this week.

Travis Magee/Creative Time via Bloomberg

Dancers from the Ailey School wear Nick Cave's soundsuits in Grand Central Terminal. 

And here are my photos. A good show!

Paint Your Shoes!

There's a place in Manhattan where you can buy SHOE PAINT! Check out Manhattan Wardrobe Supply where I found everything I needed to take my dark brown sandals (original one on right, left one after I removed the color) to a summery beige (next photo). You'd never find this place just by walking past it--it's on the 8th floor of this non-descript brick building on 29th Street. I only knew about it from their website where they insist: Walk-ins welcome!

Snow Tracks

These footprint paths in the snow--human and animal--made an interesting--if not artistic--scene from my apartment window this morning.

New Yorkers Need Hats

When a friend visited last week, we were surprised by snow. The bracing winter wind found its way to any bare skin left vulnerable through a loose cuff or collar. Fortunately, my Cincinnati friend had packed a hat--one she had never worn even though she'd owned it for some time. In New York, you have to have a hat unless you never plan to get out of your apartment. Getting from here to there--even if it's just one block--without covering your head and ears can make one miserable. See how happy my friend is?

Drug Store Cat

Our local pharmacy has a distinct advantage over any of the drug store chains: a friendly cat named Moby. This guy will sit with you while you wait for your refills. My husband had little interest in giving him the attention he craved, however, I am making him famous by putting him on my blog.

Grand Central's ASK ME Booths

Most people use Grand Central terminal to catch a train or tour one of New York's most awesome structures. I go to Grand Central to buy soup. That's because it's an easy one-stop subway ride away, and I get to taste the soup before I buy it. Today I stumbled upon the exhibit of Grand Central's 100 Birthday in the main concourse.

These ASK ME booths are so engaging! You press one of four buttons associated with a question, and a video of a real person starts talking to you like he's your best friend. When the exhibit isn't being engaged, the "person" is still in motion just kind of looking around waiting to be asked. The fact that this exhibit is so human--facing you, full size, casually posed and in motion--makes you stay there longer than you otherwise would. Surprisingly fun.

New York Dog Walkers

I have posted about dog walkers in New York before, but when you turn a corner and come across this site, you just have to grab your camera. 

You have to know what you're doing when you're handling 17-20 mixed breeds of dogs on a busy sidewalk where people, like me, are wanting to stop and talk baby-talk to each and every one of them. I resisted, because the handlers are very attuned to their pack to keep them calm. Can you imagine if one of them decides to get rowdy?

Getting Around Using HopStop

The best way I've found to map my trips around NYC is by using the free iPhone application called  HopStop. 

You just enter the address of your destination, and it tells you which subway(s) to catch where. It also tells you how long the trip will take, how much it will cost, how many calories you'll burn, and even how many pounds of CO2 you won't be emitting into the atmosphere by not driving!


Here is the trip I used to get to a Target Store in East Harlem yesterday. As you can see it cost me $2.50 and included 11 minutes of walking time with a total trip time of 41 minutes.

If I'd wanted to take a bus, it would also calculate that for me. It would have cost the same, but taken me 6 more minutes to get there. However, I would have walked 2 fewer minutes.

If my feet were hurting that day, I could have taken a taxi and got there in only 25 minutes. (Ahem--that's not calculating the time it would take to flag one down on the street or call a service to pick me up.) And I would be out $20 instead of $2.50. 

A New York Weekend

Friday Night

Meet friends at The GOOD Restaurant in Greenwich Village

(Peanut chicken salad with honey jalapeno dressing).

Saturday

Have an unhurried breakfast at Cafe Henri's in Long Island City.

(Tartine, croissant, jam, small fruit salad, cappuccino)

Head into Manhattan and shop for running gear for hubby.

Walk and walk and walk and walk and walk.

Watch the ice skaters at Bryant Park.

Decide to buy tickets at the Half Price Ticket Booth and go see

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof staring Scarlet Johansson.

http://www.catonahottinroofbroadway.com

Take the Q back to LIC and have a beer and (hot!) chips with avocado dip at Bar 1892. (link to come)

Catch bus back to the apartment. Put feet up, pour a glass of wine and crash on the sofa.

Sunday

Take newspaper to breakfast at Le Tournesol in Long Island City,

(Apple and Brie cheese panini)

Head back into Manhattan to

walk and walk and walk and walk around upper east side.

Split a grass-fed-beef hamburger between us, then decide to order and split a second one

at BRGR on 3rd Ave. between 60th and 61st.

http://www.brgr.com

Get home, take a nap, finish reading the paper.

Get a text inviting us to eat at Skinny's Cantina for dinner with friends.

Walk two blocks to get there and enjoy the rest of the evening!

http://www.skinnyscantina.com

Ice Skating in New York

My husband thought about getting out on the ice rink this weekend, but there was a hockey game going on. This is Bryant Park, the back yard of the New York Public Library. 

Rock of Ages

xhttp://themikestand.wordpress.com

I saw this show with some friends. It was pretty raunchy. I know, I know, it's a farce about the musicians and the promoters and the fans of the times, but the music was bland. I'm not much a fan of 80s rock music anyway, but especially when it's reproduced for a Broadway musical. 

Sidewalk Art

A drippy portrait on the sidewalk in Greenwich.

Belgium Waffles in Cincy

Having spent most of my Cincinnati life in the suburbs, it's a real treat when my friends introduce me to places in Downtown Cincy that could easily fit into the New York scene. We had brunch at Taste of Belgium in Over-the-Rhine--a perfect place to take first-time visitors to Cincinnati especially considering the city's German heritage. It was airy and rustic and decorated with wonderfully colorful local artwork.

Then we walked around the nearby shops. One was a furniture store called Joseph Williams. I loved that the owners used purses to decorate their room layouts. It's a great idea--some handbags are little sculptures. Very smart!

http://josephwilliamshome.blogspot.com

Cincinnati Creatures

Pulling into my driveway in Cincinnati, I saw this little chipmunk sunning itself on the front porch stoop. I often see chipmonks in our yard. I also have seen the neighborhood hawk perch in the maple tree staring at the deck hoping to surprise-attack one of them. One time the hawk and his huge feathery wings crashed into our back bay window trying to secure his dinner. Imagine having to worry about something trying to eat you every time you went outside your home. Imagine having to catch your every meal to survive. Such drama in my back yard!