ajadedidealist

My favorite NYC memory

For the sentimental among us.

I'll start. My favorite NYC memory is walking with my grandmother through Central Park when I was a little girl and going on the carousel ride, then going for a delicious and enormous dinner at the now-defunct Pasta Lovers, a midtown staple that I thought was absolutely fantastic! Enormous plates of spaghetti a la vongole! Then we'd go back to my grandmother's house, look over the stunning views of the park, and watch My Fair Lady (alas, I always went to bed halfway through, as my bedtime coincided with the aftermath of the ball scene)

More recent memory? Experiencing NYC all over again with my English boyfriend - walking down through Hell's Kitchen and going to the Intrepid Museum, followed by a bus uptown and Viennese coffee at the Hungarian Pastry shop. And of course, a few romantic interludes and other excellent memories in between!

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hhusted Feb 03, 2010

My favorite was riding the Staten Island Ferry for the first time. What an event that was. I'll never forget it.

Uraniumfish Feb 03, 2010

When I was about 20 a guy friend I knew who was into swing dancing spent a good few weeks giving me lessons. He seemed very eager to teach every woman he knew how to swing dance. Anyway, I got pretty good and as a highlight of that summer we went to the top of the World Trade Center. At the time, one of the towers had a restaurant at the top that had swing nights with live bands. It was a very well-dressed crowd and was one of those evenings that seemed perfect in every way. Sigh.

uptowngirl Feb 03, 2010

My current one seems to be the night when I walked into Le Colonial restaurant at 57th Street and 3rd Avenue for dinner and discovered that all my friends had gathered there to surprise me for my 'big' birthday. I had been trying to keep it quiet and all the while this lot had been plotting and planning in connivance with my husband to surprise me. Needless to add it was a wonderful night which featured many bottles of bubbly and a gargantuan chocolate cake.

ajadedidealist Feb 04, 2010

Le Coloniale is FANTASTIC, @uptowngirl - I love this one spicy fish dish they do in a coconut sauce - am I remembering correctly? Happy belated birthday - it sounds like a lovely night. And I agree with Broadwaybk that the Staten Island ferry is a lot more exciting than people give it credit for, especially at sunset.

uptowngirl Feb 04, 2010

Honestly ajadedidealist I didn't even notice the food I think I was so surprised, thrilled and embarrassed (just hate being the center of attention and it seemed all the other diners knew as well) at the same time . Thanks for the wishes ..

hhusted Feb 04, 2010

Happy Belated Birthday, Uptowngirl. Hope you have many more. Hope you had good food and good company.

BroadwayBK Feb 05, 2010

@ajadedideaist Are you confusing me for hhusted? Don't think I've made much mention of the Staten Island ferry, unless it was to advise tourists on how best to check out the Statue of Liberty. I have a lot of great memories of this city; they usually involve a hipster-ish bar (Lit and Orchard Bar, back in the day) and sometimes an LES restaurant (Azul springs to mind, and it actually still exists, so that's a plus), and of course good friends.

ajadedidealist Feb 05, 2010

Whoops, I meant to say @hhusted! Another great memory of the city I have is seeing the amazing Vienna Teng play at the Beer Garden (this weird art nouveau-esque mobile circus tent) at South Street Seaport in Summer 2006 - she was mindblowingly talented, and the venue was great.

hhusted Feb 10, 2010

Hey, ajadedidealist, no problem. I get my comments crossed now and then as well.

ajadedidealist Feb 11, 2010

Another wonderful NYC memory to add to the pile: having a picnic in Sheep Meadow right before seeing Hamlet in 2008 on Shakespeare in the Park's programme. Bread, cheese, some slightly illicit white wine, grapes...all as the sun set over the Hudson river...good times!

Uraniumfish Feb 11, 2010

The free movies at Bryant Park during the summers rank right up there. They always involve going with a pack of friends and staking out a little square of space while you still can, and then defending it fiercely into the coming twilight from the mobs of other people all trying to pack in on any free inches of blankets. Great fun.

uptowngirl Feb 11, 2010

@ajadedidealist a-ha bread, cheese, wine , grapes and the park .. things I simply adore.. btw today the sun in NYC seemed to set a bit later around 5.45 pm maybe just maybe spring is round the corner...

BroadwayBK Feb 11, 2010

@uptowngirl I noticed the days getting a little longer as well....

hhusted Feb 12, 2010

Everyday from now till June 21st, the day will get longer by about 6 mins. If I am not mistaken, I think that is what one scientist said. If I am wrong let me know.

uptowngirl Feb 12, 2010

@BroadwayBk hurrah for that ..its 5.40 pm on Friday evening and its still light outside my window..so hhusted you are right... if it was still winter it would be pitch dark by now.

DBlack Feb 19, 2010

Being a teenager at Union Square on the weekends. Doing dumb teenager things. Showing off. Looking at girls.

BroadwayBK Feb 19, 2010

@DBlack Union Square is probably my favorite summertime spot for people watching, and it is full of girls prancing around in their trendiest outfits - at least during the day.

JenMac Feb 19, 2010

Bryant Park movies! I watched Kramer vs Kramer there last summer. I drank wine and ate cheese and crackers and cried like a baby. Nope, sure didn't care who was staring at my wine blackened, wailing mouth. Definitely one of my favorite New York experiences.

uptowngirl Feb 19, 2010

@everyone your posts are making me long for summer......winter, winter go away ... come again another day.. all of us want to go out and play....

Uraniumfish Feb 19, 2010

My winter-time NYC memories always involve hunkering down with a good book. I've loved the blizzards because I felt I could take the luxury to read mountains of books, whereas in summertime I'm always on the go. Somehow this particular blizzard, however, has just about exhausted my patience.

BroadwayBK Feb 20, 2010

I think I really appreciate the first snowfall in the city - this year I was out with friends and we were like kids playing in the snow and sliding around to different bars. Though later in the game all I ever want to do is curl up with a book - it's getting harder and harder to drag me out for some socializing.

Uraniumfish Feb 20, 2010

@BoradwayBK Funny, during the first snowfall this winter I also had a big, joyous snowball fight with a friend. We got so rowdy that people at the restaurant across the street noticed and were looking at us out the window. I haven't had that much fun in years, or been so childish.