This archival post was migrated from an old Facebook album, so please excuse the choppy writing and odd formatting.
The line outside the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. We had several some time to kill before we could pick up our apartment key, so we spent it here.
Normally waiting over an hour for a burger would be ludicrous, but this is a nice park and there was a festival with live music in progress, so it wasn’t too bad. And needless the say the burgers were fantastic in the end. Even better than the first time.
My theory is that the ordeal of flying followed by a long wait enhanced the flavour.
The Shake Shack as seen from our view far, far back in line.
Jones Street looking towards Bleecker. Our apartment was in the building on the left with the rounded awnings. This is where the cover photo for The Freewheeling Bob Dylan was shot in 1963. It remains mostly the same today, leafy trees aside.
8 Jones Street, the main entrance to our apartment we rented on AirBNB.com. Ours was on the ground floor and backed into an alley, so it was surprisingly peaceful for being in a very busy area.
Josie poses in the hallway outside our apartment. It’s a very old building but seemingly well maintained aside from some interesting hallway smells that thankfully did not enter our apartment!
The classy backyard of our apartment. It could have been so much more but was sadly underused as an escape for smokers and a place to store the trash bins. Oh, well.
So long as you looked up, the view from the backyard of our apartment was actually pretty cool.
Bleecker Street and Morton Street, just around the corner from our apartment.
Jones St looking towards W 4th Ave.
A party supply store and Papaya Dog location on Sixth Avenue near W 4th St.
Sixth Avenue near W 4th Street, at dusk on a rainy Monday.
A basketball game in progress on the courts just off Sixth Avenue between W 3rd St and W 4th St.
A basketball game in progress on the courts just off Sixth Avenue between W 3rd St and W 4th St.
Some random buildings near our apartment in the West Village.
The Blue Ribbon Bakery Kitchen, one of our only repeat visits from past trips. I’ve been raving about their fried chicken for 3 years now, and it did not disappoint the second time: still the best I’ve ever had. Weird server, though, I think Sunday is “new waiter training day” or something.
C. O. Bigelow Apothecary on Sixth Avenue near W 9th St. “The Oldest Apothecary in America” says their website.
The crowd inside the Blind Tiger Ale House, a spot just a few feet from our apartment that came highly recommended by our friend Sharmarke. It took us until the third day of our visit to finally squeeze ourselves in. Well worth the effort! Amazing beers and an intriguing menu.
The beer list at the Blind Tiger. All interesting craft ales — the chili stout was amazing, as were both beers from the Elysian brewery we tried. I like how they display the beer type beside each beer (it’s amazing how few bars do that, requiring the bartender to answer the same questions repeatedly.)
The outside of the Blind Tiger pub taken the morning after. It looks more welcoming when it’s, uh, open.
Cafe Henri on Bedford Street, where we escaped the heavy rains on Monday morning for an eggcellent breakfast.
The Freedom Tower / One World Trade Center under construction in the distance. This is seen from several miles away looking south on Sullivan Street in Greenwich Village. The building is already becoming a visual landmark from many parts of Manhattan, just as the old WTC towers were.
Gray’s Papaya! Since our previous favourite location on Eighth Avenue near the New Yorker Hotel closed (right after jinxed it by painting it and declaring it an institution) this location on Sixth Avenue was deemed a suitable replacement.
The Recession Special at Gray’s Papaya. Tasty dogs but not quite as great as I remembered from last time. I think it’s because I got their ketchup and tangy onions this time: I think I prefer them with just the ‘kraut.
Outside Gray’s Papaya on Sixth Avenue.
Roller hockey underway on the courts at Sixth Avenue and Houston. With the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers battling in the third round of the playoffs, there was actually quite a bit of hockey talk in the NYC news.
The Jekyll and Hyde pub on Sixth Avenue. The awning reads: “Restaurant and Social Club for Explorers and Mad Scientists.” Being neither, we didn’t enter.
A random cool building with a water tower near Christopher St / Sheridan Square.
Casa Oliviera Liquors and Wines on Sixth Avenue. We didn’t go in but the store front is cool.
Josie enjoys pizza at John’s of Bleecker Street, one of the classic New York pizza joints that we agreed ranks only slightly below Lombardi’s (which is a high rank, indeed.)
Pizza makers at work at John’s of Bleecker Street. They were cranking those out: the restaurant has numerous rooms and a perpetual lineup outside.
Photographic proof that I was on this trip after all.
The main entrance to the main New York Public Library building on Fifth Avenue, as seen looking down from the staircase to the second floor.
The view out one of the side entrances to the New York Public Library.
Josie ventures into yet another cavernous room in the New York Public Library. Many of the really cool reading rooms do not allow photos with flash, and this building in general was quite dark, leading to blurry photos.
An elaborate ceiling in the New York Public Library.
A pointlessly enormous chandelier in the New York Public Library. It’s like 10 feet high.
Yes, that’s a McGill University bus heading up Fifth Avenue near the New York Public Library. Also the NYPD had just made some sort of bust. Always something going on in New York.
Some street art near Little Italy. The bear at right seems familiar, I tried to find information online about the artist but only found photos posted by other clueless tourists.
The New York Shaving Company in SoHo. Some kind of crazy hipster barber shop, but you have to admit they did it up right.
The mighty Metropolitan Museum on Fifth Avenue. With stairs like that you know it’s important.
An atrium inside the Metropolitan Museum.
“Young Woman with a Water Pitcher” by Johannes Vermeer, painted in 1662. Looking quite nice at exactly 350 years old. Tiny and priceless.
Josie admires a painting in the Metropolitan Museum and thinks “not bad but I can do better.”
“Office in a Small City” by Edward Hopper, one of my favourite artists. Nice to see his work up close and to see how loose his brush strokes are even though the paintings look so crisp from afar (well, not in this blurry photo.)
Artist stalls on the sidewalk along Fifth Avenue outside the Metropolitan Museum.
Interior of the Grand Central Oyster Bar, located within Grand Central Station. We’d been meaning to come here for years and the atmosphere did not disappoint. It’s 80% “classic” New York vibe mixed with 20% high school cafeteria. With better food.
Josie enjoys the Manhattan Clam Chowder at the Grand Central Oyster Bar. I had the New England Chowder, which is much creamier. Both were decent though not mind-blowing.
We tried a dozen assorted oysters at the Grand Central Oyster Bar. Very good, not as skillfully shucked as they are at Rodney’s in Toronto, though.
Looking east along E 57th St from Fifth Avenue. The low building in the center with the pillars is Grand Central Station. The tower in the background is the Chrysler Building, with the distinctive top hidden in the clouds: but you can see the gargoyles.
Looking up at the Empire State Building with the top obscured in the clouds. Oddly enough in all my visits to New York City I don’t recall ever walking by it, but this time we ended up in the area several times by chance.
Paris Sandwich, a hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese bakery and sandwich place on Mott Street on the border between Little Italy and Chinatown. I assure you that the photo of the elegant woman eating a sandwich from a fine china plate on their website was not taken at the restaurant.
Josie enjoys a sandwich from Paris Sandwich. We shared two sandwiches, a classic bánh mi and a BBQ pork one. Both were stellar, and the baguettes were as good as any I had in France.
Commuters rush to cram on to the the 4 train at 86th and Lexington. We waited for the more peaceful 6 train.
Gabrielle Hamilton’s Prune Restaurant on E 1st Street. We read her fascinating autobiography Blood, Bones and Butter. It’s amazing how such a tiny restaurant has such a big reputation.
First Street Garden, which seems to be a community garden, just a few doors down from Prune restaurant.
Josie enjoys her tea on our last morning, at Sweet Revenge cafe. I had some amazingly delicious waffles here, and Josie had a fantastic savoury oatmeal dish with jalapenos and bacon.
Sweet Revenge cafe from the outside. A very good random find on Carmine Street not far from our apartment. After breakfast here it was back to lock up the apartment and head for the airport!