I couldn’t not blog about New York, so at risk of boring you to death with another travel post, here’s a quick surmise of our three days. I’ve tried to keep the words to the minimum and let the pics do the talking! It really was a trip of two halves, the first day being a total washout weather-wise and the second fairly sunny (although nothing compared to the heatwave you guys were having at home in London; not that I’m bitter or anything). Rain or shine, a reliable high was the food and drink. As a relatively new vegan, I was in heaven! The fact that Pete only ate meat once during the whole trip is testament to the quality of the plant-based New York fare.
Come rain…
- A couple’s run in Central Park which turned into an 8 mile ‘swim’ when I seriously misjudged the park’s circumference… Fittingly the photo below was taken under Driprock Arch and shortly afterwards Pete sensibly abandoned ship. He still ended up picking up a horrendous cold as a result of the whole ordeal!
- A dash to The Butcher’s Daughter in West Village where we sheltered from the rain with honey bee mimosas, tea and a feast of vegan brunch food (including adzuki bean ‘bacon’ and herded tofu cream cheese bagels). We visited the Venice Beach branch in LA earlier this year and I liked this one just as much; cosy and sleek compared with the white-washed beach hut vibes in Venice, but the same lashings of green foliage to keep houseplant fans happy.
- A trip around the Whitney’s impressive five floors of modern art, including the current 1900-1960 retrospective and 2017 Whitney Biennial (and a visit to the gift shop afterwards – the highlight of any gallery/museum/zoo visit since I was 6 years old.)
- A West Village bar crawl (what else to do when it rains?) beginning in The Spotted Pig, stopping off in Bar Sardine and ending in curly fries and Happy Hour cocktails at Art Bar.
… or shine
- A dry wander round Central Park (and a more comfortable run the next morning). We stayed a 15 minute walk from the south side of the park (in Pod 51, less said about that the better) and what the hotel lacked in space to swing a cat/unpack, it almost compensated for in its vicinity to Park Avenue. I loved getting lost in the overgrown paths around the water and spotting turtles on the edge of the lake.
- Lunch at Le Botaniste, a tiny vegan cafe off Park Avenue, selling incredible plant-based salads, bowls and small plates. I had some tiny photogenic vegetable sushi and we shared a chocolate brownie for dessert (one of many on this trip).
- A heavenly afternoon spent wandering Williamsburg, buying a new player for my ring squad at Catbird and eating tumeric ice cream from the Van Leeuwen vegan ice cream van on the corner.
- Rosé on the corner of Bedford Avenue and cocktails on the roof of the Whythe, followed by dinner at Modern Love with lovely friends Steph and Nick. My red pepper cashew mac n cheese was filthy vegan food porn at its very best and Pete finally got to try a dairy-free ice cream sundae!
- Returning to West Village via the High Line (unimpressed – not very high) and forsaking the queue at Jack’s Wife Freda for a delicious brunch at Urban Vegan Kitchen across the road, where we people watched on the window sofa and accosted fashion PRs with cute dogs.
- A stroll through SoHo and Little Italy, deliberately avoiding Reformation having spent all my money on avocado and quinoa. Alcoholic kombucha at The Wren.
- Dinner with old friends at Out East followed by cocktails drunk out of shark faces(?)
I liked NYC a lot. But I didn’t fall in love with it as I have done with Rome, or Lisbon, or Seville. At no point did I feel that magic you get wandering the cobbled streets of the ancient European cities. In fact, aside from the huge amount of vegan food on offer in NYC, I felt like our own London has all the perks of New York with added history and beauty (and less expense). I guess I’ll always prefer crumbling old cathedrals and statues to shiny skyscrapers… plus, London’s galleries are mostly free and we have lots of amazing parks – all with different personalities – rather than one gigantic green space rammed with tourists. Controversial I know, and probably I’d have been more enthusiastic if the weather hadn’t been so dire. I also came to the city off the back of five fairly intense days at a conference in DC so was seeing it through tired eyes. If/when I visit again, I’d definitely get an Airbnb and stay in Williamsburg or Greenwich Village. And I’d check the weather forecast!
