08 November 2010

MD/NYC/DC: part II

Since I was on a kick of dedicating road trips to delayed celebrations, I decided to do the same here:
GRADUATING FROM BYU = NYC CELEBRATION.
That whole Bachelor's degree is actually a really big deal for me and therfore gets its own post later,
but for now, welcome to our graduation party:

Our first guest is Miss Alice—always on the move. Here she dances during a stop off the New Jersey Turnpike.

After a couple hours, a cool bridge and a Lady-Liberty sighting, we saw the City welcoming us...

Next awesome guests: Tallia and Jon. Even their backs are awesome.
Awesome Jon got us a great Penthouse Suite in Jersey city; just two blocks from a PATH station.
There is nothing like coming up out of the Subway into Times Square. Seriously, can anyone get used to that?

Alice points out that no; no one can get used to that.

Only two more months to 2011!

Spontaneous gems of the rest of that night:

Sandwiches at Num Pang (thanks Becky for the tip!) I got the Roasted Cauliflower...
And Ben got the Five Spiced Pork Belly (he described it as "P712's shortribs, on a bun with amazing sauce")

The atmosphere was almost as fun as the food. Ben complained, "why can't awesome stuff like this be everywhere?" I know Ben, that's why NYC is so amazing...


STRAND bookstore was next. We happened to get there just in time for an author's visit—
Charles Burns explained his journey into a genre that has fascinated me since I discovered it: graphic novels...

Last time I was here I spent a LONG while in the kids books and graphic design books. This time I found myself in a little different section...
(the tiniest room in the dark basement) but I found some treasures... including this.

Walked by this place—each shoe is shrink-wrapped, can you see? It was like a cross between a gallery and a shoe store. Thought of you, Jacob.

Another place we happened upon—Ben just learned about cloisters in his class.
We walked around the bushes and in the gate to look at the landscaping. I was a fan of the full moon.
Saw this on our walk back. I think we still heard honking anyway. Maybe $350 is worth a honk...

Happened upon a huge record collection/shop. You could tell the owner-lady knew her stuff.

 
On the same corner where our PATH station was that would take us back to Jersey City,
we stopped inside a Dean and Deluca-like store. Can't remember the name... but look at those CHEESES!

All those beverages! (Hello, Fentiman's.)

All those breads!

 We had toffee/chocolate-covered hazelnuts, dried kiwi (from The Nut Box) and chocolate ice cream for dessert; together with full-on planning session for a non-spontaneous Day 2:

SSB for breakfast; (and we bought enough for a drive-home snack with Dean & Deluca goat cheese and baba ghanoush)

My Freshman Career Test said I should be a window display designer. My dad said I could be something better.
Really, Papá, is graphic design better than cloud-head mannequins?
Then, a stop for the landscape architect:
The High Line


Except there was a giant cloud over us and it was windy up there too; so we split up for a season.

Ben was cool.

Super fun to see design in this form: those benches were not just bought from a catalog and added; they were an integral part of the landscape.
Divine Design: also fascinating.

Part of the old railroad incorporated...



Rail cars preserved here too...


At intersections, the High Line weaved under buildings. These windows were cooler in person, I think...


At this intersection, The High Line gives you the ultimate street view...

A cool installation/sculpture on the way...

A look through the peep-hole revealed that the abstract shapes came from all the architecture from that POV...
 
Then The High Line dead-ended. They're fixing up the rest...

Another fascinating NYC-ism. Something tells me Ashton would think this is as cool as I do.


Then we met up with our awesome friends again in awesome SOHO:

PEARL RIVER MARKET: Cool things go on forever and ever.

More cool things go on and on in KIOSK; except with much less square-footage.

I loved the set-up as much as the products...

 



Thank goodness I made this journal entry on the wall outside KIOSK when I was here in March '09. (It's still there!)
Otherwise, I'd never have remembered the funny story where classmate Miriam took the soap sample outside and thought it was edible...
(To her credit, they gave out the samples with fancy tweezers as if it were food).

A display at the ABC Expensive store...
CB2 & MUJI were also among the Soho fave's...

One of my favorite Subway-stop-tile-art's...
Up to Union Square; they were having their awesome Farmer's Market.
Ben bought a juice that tasted JUST LIKE raspberries and apples, except somehow in liquid form.
Our only star-sighting turned out to only be exciting for me—Stefan Sagmeister; just a super graphic designer.
Waiting for food at REPUBLIC.

Alice looks both ways.

My bento box lunch special. My mouth waters just thinking of it:
A lime-y soup, spicy peanut sauce for the satay, and a vermicelli salad that reminded me of the bibimbap in Seoul.

THEN FISHS EDDY!! So many dishes in so many ways...






Our final NY delicacy: BIG GAY Ice Cream.

Click & zoom to read the topping options...
The soft-serve itself was amazing, but the orange-blossom-infused balsamic made it double-amazing.
Then we hopped back on PATH and then drove home!

Hooray for graduating from BYU!
Hooray for friends visiting the East!
Hooray for NYC being a drive away!


15 comments:

  1. Hooray indeed! Congrats! And look at the cheese. And those shrink-wrapped shoes. Love all the photos.

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  2. Olivia, Thanks so much or the blogs, I reaaly enjoy them and feel like we are still in touch even tho miles apart. Had lunch with your mom last thrusday, thought of you and missed you being with us. Much love, G-pa.

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  3. Grandpa! Watch your mailbox this week because you and Bamba have been in my thoughts all month as I've been reading the Donna book. I've been overwhelmed with the work and sacrifice that went into the production of it and a real live letter is on the way to you both.

    So glad you we can be in touch. Now it's time for you to give me some blogs about your life, eh?

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  4. So you really were up here and didn't tell me?! Huge trouble - seriously am hurt.

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  5. Ah! There was a LOT that I could comment on. But I choose just this:

    I was reading through the list of ice cream toppings, and when I read Blood Orange Infused Balsamic Vinegar I TOTALLY KNEW that you picked that one.

    :)

    I'm just a cool sister. Thanks again for the pen.

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  6. Fantastic photo tour. I'm jealous, I've never been to NYC!! You look great by the way!

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  7. Oh, Olivia. Let's dump these stars and go to NYC. Couldn't we just live there? Loved, loved, loved every photo and every word.

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  8. Dear Jenna, believe me if another stop would've been possible on this crazy trip; I'd have made it happen. AND believe me again: This is not the last of our road trips up north... (and again, did you not get my email? Maybe I sent it to the wrong address...)

    Jayne: Never? Really? This needs be remedied. I will stay with the kids, and you go meet the awesome city.

    And Becky, like I've said from the day we got back, I AM IN.

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  9. Wowzza!! Girl, you "live" enough for the both of us!!! Good for you guys. I just think i am SOSSSOOOOOO Boring. You wont regret all the fun stuff you do!! You'll just make me think, wistfully...:(

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  10. Love NYC! I went to the High Line park last time too. Recognized it from the pictures. Love it when I can say "I've been there!!!!!!"

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  11. so cute pregnant! I'm glad you guys got to meet up there. what a fabulous trip! did i tell you that we are having a boy too? Friends? I also tried to make an animal quilt, kind of cool, kind of not. Hope you guys are doing well!

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  12. so. So. SO. SO! very jealous. I want to go back this very instant!!

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  13. I want to go to NYC!! Oh, and at least your Freshmen Career Test result was something cooler than mine...it suggested that the best fit for me would be to become a librarian.

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  14. Oh, I can top that Emma: growing up—until about teenage years, I WANTED to become a librarian. I specifically remember my dad was not too encouraging on that one either. ;)

    And yes, you WANT to go to NYC. You can take a pitstop here if you like on your drive up. :)

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  15. Oh and GaeLynn I'm so glad you liked the High Line too. I was always jealous of your travels. :)

    And Ashley, at least you TRIED. I need to get some motivation to TRY something. Are there pictures floating somewhere of this quilt?

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