We braved the humidity, downpours and dripping air conditioners of New York City for an August long weekend getaway. We usually avoid summers in NYC, but we had the travel bug after our London and Iceland adventures and snagged a good summer rate at the Nolitan Hotel in Nolita near Soho.
We took things easy and spent a couple days mainly along the Upper and Lower East Sides of Manhattan.
One of our first stops after we checked into the hotel was the nearby Elizabeth Street Garden. This small park is an oasis filled with lush plantings and stone sculptures, located on the site of a former public school torn down in the 1970s.
At the time of our visit, the land was slated for redevelopment, and an organized movement was gearing up to save it as a much-needed green space in an otherwise very hectic area.
We attempted to beat the heat nearby with some iced coffee at Gasoline Alley on Lafayette. I knew I was in a good place when I recognized the same La Marzocco espresso machine as the Black Canary uses back home.