Our new addition - Dasha

We are feeling like real New Yorkers now, joining more than a million other dog owners that live in apartments across the city.  Here are some pics of our boy:

When we collected Dasha, we also bought a taxi load of things home with him for house training, the most important one is the wee wee pad, also known as the poo poo pad :)  We have mastered the potty training (most of the time) but our little friend is a barker and needs 120% attention if we are in the house.  We are not getting much else done at the moment.

Now I can't wait for Mum to get here and start training him!  

NY Happenings

Around town the last few months:

Halloween
New Yorkers like to decorate for occasions, and Halloween is no exception with houses, shop windows and even streets being decorated with skeletons, pumpkins, white spider web looking stuff, and other things.    Ash crafted a pumpkin to get in the mood and says it one of the grossest things he's done!  On the actual night of Halloween (It was a Sunday), there was a parade that passed only a block from us, it was just as NY was turning cold and I wasn't keen to go out but Ash went for a walk but couldn't get near the parade for the millions of people that were in the streets.  We watched some of the parade on tv and it was a very random group of people, apparently anyone can get dressed up and take part!  I got the impressions that Michael Jackson's thriller has been a recurring theme since the early 80's!

NY Marathon
Being the pretend runner I am,  of course I was keen to get out and see the marathon. It starts on Staten Island and runs through the 5 boroughs of of New York finishing in Central Park.  It was another cold morning and with one of us sporting a hangover (not me), we got up early, made use of the new quilt (aka neck to knee puffer jacket) I have and caught the subway to Central Park to watch the runners.  We were at the 38k mark and we saw the back of the handicapped racers (missed the Aussie champion Kurt Fearnley), the elite women and then the elite men.  Twice we saw a classic result of a runner's bowel - they are braver than me - with poo running down the legs on the way past!  It was inspiring, the race, not the poo,  and I've entered the lottery for next year's race.

Ice Hockey
We trekked out to Jersey for a game between the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals.  The obligatory National Anthem was sung with a light show like it was a rock concert before the game.  The Devils thrashed the Capitals by 5-0 which I learned is a high score in hockey and we were treated to a high quality game, although there was not enough fisticuffs was Ash's opinion.  I really enjoyed it!

Thanksgiving - Macy's Parade
How many times was I asked if we have thanksgiving in Australia??  Too many to count on one hand... I have one colleague though, who likes to educate me on American history.  Let me share...  What is Thanksgiving?  I thought it was something to do with Pilgrims or Amish giving thanks for something,  well I was close.  Apparently it was the pilgrims, having arrived from Europe, and the Native Indians who taught them how to live off the land, finding the biggest turkey around and sharing a celebratory meal.   I'm also learning the 50 states and their capitals, but I digress...

One of my iconic NY movies is Miracle on 34th St (the old and new version!) and so I wasn't going to miss this parade, even if it started at 9am on my day off and we would be amongst 6 million (not joking) other people lining the route.  By 8am we were lined up on 7th Ave, freezing, anticipating what was to come.  It didn't disappoint.  Imagine giant blow up balloons coming down the street, there was Snoopy, Spiderman, Kermie to name a few. The rotate the traffic lights out of the way. There were a multitude of cheerleaders and marching bands. There were also famous people on floats: Kanye West, Kylie Minogue (!) Gladys Knight and Miss USA...  My goal for next year, find someone who lives with a view of the parade!

And finally, just tonight, walking to the subway from the gym, we came across a movie premiere as the stars were signing autographs on the st, no other than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie!  and just to prove it, Ash had his Blackberry...   She was tiny!  So was he for that matter :)

What happens in Vegas…

This was a weekend in September – but better late than never!   We had a great time, and only spent $100 on gambling…  I had some luck on an ‘Amazing Race’ slot machine which had Phil talk you through the different screens and won $30!  We also enjoyed the Big Wheel, and though I talked up the poker and roulette tables,  I was never keen enough to drop $15 minimum bets!  The wads of cash we saw, oh my goodness, it didn't look like a recession on those casino floors.

There is so much more to Vegas than the gambling as we found out:

The Bellagio fountains, day and night were my favourite:

We stayed at Caesar’s Palace and made the most of the pool:

Around the world on a 1 mile strip, we visited the hotels New York, New York, Paris and the Venetian.    We saw Cirque du Solei “Zumanity” which was more burlesque than circus but a great show.  I visited the 3 month old white tiger cubs at the Sigfried and Roy's zoo at the Mirage.

Ash’s birthday present to me was a glider flight over the desert – that was fun!

And then on our last day we took a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon – what an awesome sight!  We flew over the Hoover Dam and landed in the canyon for lunch.  It was a hot day so we were glad to return to the air-con chopper for the return journey

Goodbye Vegas, slot machines in the airport departure lounge in case you haven’t lost enough money!

We are off on our next adventure this weekend, Washington DC, so I'll try and update the blog soon after.

Bermuda Getaway

It was late August and we hadn't really found a beach up to Australian standards anywhere within a day trip of NYC so we started looking at the Caribbean as it really is only a hop, skip and a jump away from NY.  Even closer, we discovered, is Bermuda, and as a little surprise for my birthday, Ash booked us a weekend away.

I think the photos will tell the story - it is beautiful!



After a quick 2 hour flight we landed at an airport that is situated in a Bay surrounded by crystal blue water. Walking into customs to the sound of Ash's favourite Bon Jovi song and we knew we were going to  have a great time.  The immigration guy actually spent 5 mins explaining where the best beaches on the island were to us and wished us an enjoyable time.  Then our taxi driver also doubled as a tour guide, without prompting, he provided us with a history and commentary of the island as we made our way to the hotel.  Maybe we are getting used to the brash (rude?) way of NYC but this was a friendly place!!

We were staying at the largest hotel on the island - the Southampton Princess - which has its own private beach on the 'pink sand' of the island.  There was a hurricane off the coast (it was hurricane season and I think that's why our hotel was on special) and everyone was keeping a close eye on the weather. The water was very rough with big waves and rip tides on the beaches that were upsetting most tourists.  It wasn't the calm seas of the pictures but the waves weren't enough to stop us enjoying the water, and the weather itself was warm, humid and blue skies.

We ate very well, between room service and the traditional all you can eat Bermudan Sunday brunch, the hotel food was delicious.  We also went to a French restaurant for dinner that was recommended by a work colleague that turned out to be candlelit fine dining.  We sat down and looked at the menu, if we were already there we may as well enjoy it!

On our last morning, we were flying out at 3, we decided to make the most of the beach and were comfortable on our beach chairs by 9.30am, the hurricane had past by and the weather and water were perfect.

We can definitely see ourselves back here.

NY Beaches

Throughout the summer we spent our weekends exploring,  taking recommendations from anyone who would give them, and the internet, to find beaches within a day trip of NY.

Our first visit was to Long Beach, Long Island, NY.  A one hour train journey from Penn Station and 10 min walk later and we were on the boardwalk that is 2 and 1/4 mile long.  It was a busy weekend and there were people everywhere.  It costs $12 to leave the boardwalk and enter the sand and another $15 if you want to hire an umbrella.  This was actually a saving grace for us and we wouldn't have lasted long without one as it was a really hot day!  Total cost for the 2 of us, including train was about $80. The beach was packed,  I think more than a million people is not exaggerating, and we were entertained as they all were fighting with the tumultuous surf on the day that was being affected by hurricanes off the coast.  The waves were crashing on the shore, not unlike Tamarama, and going in the water was not a calming experience.  Another favourite game, for Ash at least, was count the fake boobs!!!

Our second beach experience was to Sandy Hook Beach, in New Jersey, only a 45 min ferry ride from Wall St, Manhattan.  It was a $45 round trip each, we were learning there is no free beaches here in NY :)  It was another warm sunny day and we couldn't wait for a swim but when we both looked at the water we had the same thought - "Do I really want to put my head under that?"  It had a lovely brown tinge and some small things floating that you couldn't quite discern where they came from.   We didn't stay on the sand for long but headed back to explore the area as there was some cool military history there, including a battery for weapons testing in WW1 and the oldest lighthouse in USA dating back to 1764.

For our third beach, we decided to head further afield and chose Fire Island which many people had recommended.  It took nearly 3 hours each way, by subway, train, bus and ferry, but it was worth the trip. (~$30 each).  Fire Island is off Long Island in NY and is a real summer retreat and has a small holiday town vibe.  Most of the island is holiday houses ranging from the old beach shack to the modern day mansion and the mode of transport is by golf cart.  The beach itself is lovely (except for the random very old guy who is hanging out at the open beach shower) and the water was the best we had experienced so far.  This is the beach and lighthouse that is often used in movies - remember Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher at the end of "What happens in Vegas"?  I think there is even a Village People Song - see Wiki.

We had a fun time watching everyone shift back because of the incoming tide and then - oops - I got caught too!  Everything we had was soaked by a huge wave and I was in a slight compromising position, sans bikini top, as I was currently wrapped in my sarong cleaning out the sand from a recent dumping in the waves!

We finished the afternoon with a drink over the harbour before taking our sunset ferry home.

A New York Birthday (and the curse of the free pour)

We lived it up this year!   It was more like a birth-month than a birth-day – I was very spoilt as the parcels from home started arriving a week before the big day.  Thank you to everyone who sent something, it was much appreciated and made me feel very loved.  I now have enough Australian chocolate to last until Christmas, and thank goodness, because I think I’ve mentioned already how limited the local options are!

I was lucky enough to have Chez here from Aus for a visit and it was her birthday only a week earlier so her, Ash and I went out on the town to celebrate – here's the photo evidence of the evening:  

First bar – the Peninsula Hotel, Roof top bar with views over 5^th Ave.  The weather wasn’t promising with some spitting clouds but we persisted and sat outside to enjoy a cocktail and some bar nibbles – 3 drinks plus a tip = $100!

Onto the next one – around the corner to the Plaza Hotel Champagne Bar, 3 drinks and some more bar nibbles (popcorn!) in opulent surroundings, another $100!

Finally, a taxi ride down to the Standard Hotel roof top bar, otherwise known as the Boom Boom Room!  (google this to get the idea…) .  This time the bar is inside with floor to ceiling windows reminding me of the Shangri-La in Sydney, and you feel like you need shoulder pads in this very lavish décor, leather seats and chandeliers that look like the 80’s.  There is even a spa inside the bar! This is a great spot with views of the Hudson and Manhattan skyline – the best view of the Empire State building is from the unisex toilets, when you sit you are facing a floor to ceiling window 1m in front of you.   Another 3 drinks, and you guessed it – about $100!   I think we all agreed these won’t be regular haunts for us here in NY – or we would be broke pretty quickly – but we enjoyed ourselves.

So here is where I should tell you that in NY (I can’t talk for the rest of the States) definitely has no liquor laws about the measurement of alcohol into drinks, ie/ a shot of vodka at home is a shot of vodka.  Here the drinks are, or at least taste like, at least ¾ glass of vodka!  It makes for a very strong drink, sometimes not even pleasant in taste, and well, lets just say you don’t need many to feel very light headed!  So on this night, having only snacked on the hotel provided, and really not very nice nibbles, by now we all had the munchies!

It was about 11pm on a Tuesday night and the evening took a downgrade (at least in average price) as we headed to the Corner Bistro (www.cornerbistrony.com), which happens to be right across the road from where we live and many people say has the best burgers in Manhattan, for a late meal.

The small hangover the next day (after only 3 cocktails!) made for a long day at work, but it was worth it - a night to remember - thanks Chez and Ash :)  I’ve set the standard high to celebrate all my future birthdays!

PS.  My birth-month continued the weekend after my birthday when Ash and I flew to Bermuda for a long weekend – the blog to appear soon.   And my pressie from Ash was a glider flight when we are in Vegas later this month – I’m very excited, there isn’t many adventure activities I haven’t done, but this is one of them - I’ll share the photos and story of that too!

A NY weekend - II

Today was Labor Day and a public holiday in the US.  This is the weekend that signals the end of summer for the locals and we had stunning weather all weekend -  in the mid-20’s - that we were determined to get out and about.  As much as I am looking forward to a white Christmas, I don’t know how I’m going to cope with the winter here and we are making the most of the outdoors while we can.

On Saturday we wandered around the West and East Village stumbling across a street art fair near NYU where we bought one piece to decorate our walls.    On Monday we took the subway to 53rd St and walked 50 blocks north along Madison Ave as we had heard it was a good walk through the Upper East Side.  I hadn’t been this far north outside of Central Park and it was like night and day to the West Village where we live.  It was very high end shopping the whole way.  Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Ralph Lauren – I lost count, and interest to be honest, as we wandered past shop after shop.  It’s a different life up there!

Ash had fun claiming some pieces of wood for one of his art projects at home from a dumpster outside a building site which he then carried through the Upper East Side – I wish now that I took a photo!

Sunday was my favourite day.  We had been planning this for a week or so and I was excited and keen to get out of the house in the morning.  We hired bikes at the shop nearby and rode along the Hudson River Park south to the ferry that took us to Governors’ Island.  In NY Harbor, this Island was once a Naval base and Coast Guard community with many buildings including schools and swimming pools.  These days most buildings have been left to fall apart, including one building the fire dept had done a test through and you can see the fire damage through the broken windows.   The return ferry is free and the Island is now a public park with bike paths all around it.  My idea of a lazy, quiet day relaxing in the park was a naïve one, as we determined as we queued for the ferry with hundreds of other people.  It is NY, a city of 20 million people, and it is free, and it is a beautiful summer weekend – of course it would have been busy!

We circumnavigated the Island and then as we arrived at the ferry dock we managed to cycle straight onto a departing ferry and crossed back into Manhattan.  What we hadn’t planned, but decided we had the time and the energy, we cycled up the East River to Manhattan Bridge, across to Brooklyn, picniced under the bridges at Dumbo and then back across the Brooklyn Bridge.  It was such a great day, the streets of Manhattan weren’t too scary with bike paths most of the way and we wore helmets, even though it is not the law here.   All up we rode for about 5 hours, needless to day I have a sore rear end for a few days  :)