New York, Alive

Jenn’s first time in New York. Twelve days in the city, with a detour up to Ithaca from the 24th to the 28th before coming back down to NYC.

We arrived the day of the Knicks championship parade — their first NBA title in 53 years. We aren’t ball fans, but it didn’t matter. The whole city was alive, buzzing in a way that swept us right up in it.

We gorged ourselves in Chinatown

A standing list, in no particular order:

• Xi’an Famous Foods — spicy beef muscle biang biang noodles and the spicy-sour pork dumplings, washed down with hibiscus tea.
• Mei Lai Wah — the pineapple pork bun.
• The original Chinatown ice cream shop — rice and mochi ice cream, very necessary on a scorcher of a day.

Then we chilled in Columbus Park until we got kicked out — some guy screamed at everyone that it was closed.

The first night

We finished it off with a hot sausage from the halal cart and watched Mexico play South Korea at the World Cup match in Guadalajara, from the Airbnb on Canal Street — the one we’d walked up to past all the guys frantically scraping up their boosted goods before sunset.

June 19 — Brooklyn

The whole reason we’re in New York: Jack and Allison are getting married in a week. We met them for dinner in Brooklyn and walked through Prospect Park to get there — a duck family on the water, and people out barbecuing everywhere for Juneteenth.

Dinner was at Camilo, an Italian place they love. We shared a pizza, some salad, and a couple of pastas. After Jack and Allison headed off, we waited in line for a solid hour at Irie Jerk for jerk chicken and rice to finish the night, then took it home and ate it, late.

June 20 — Flushing

Took the 7 train to the end of the line — a full hour and a half — out to Flushing, and it was very worth it. Like ending up in another country. Like walking around Beijing, except for the random antojito stall and the blaring bachata drifting in from somewhere. The smells are amazing. Hardly a sign in English, mostly Asian faces — kids, old folks, the whole gamut.

Found the food hall, which has some familiar chains in it — Kura, Xi’an Famous Foods, 85°C. We ate the famous Peking duck at Juqi.

Back from Flushing, footsore from walking all day, we stopped at Gyro King for a mixed gyro and BBQ lamb chops, watched another World Cup match, and collapsed.

June 21 — Brooklyn waterfront

Met Haneen — Jenn’s old coworker who lives in NYC — and her sister at L’Appartement, a bakery and café, for coffee and a pistachio rose croissant. From there, views out over the harbor: Governors Island, the Statue of Liberty. We walked the waterfront up to Dumbo and caught the view of the Manhattan Bridge with the Empire State Building framed underneath it, World Cup viewing parties going, and the Brooklyn Flea market.

Lunch at Time Out Market, where we got a flight of hot dogs at Chaat Dog. Then we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge — incredible views of the skyline the whole way — and took the train to Williamsburg, which still has a ton of hipsters, to check out Twisted Spine, a horror bookstore, and got an iced chai in a skull-shaped cup.

June 22 — The Met

Spent the day at the Met. Kind of disgusted and horrified — but still amazed — by how large the collection is. It rained, which made it the perfect day to be inside a museum.

June 23 — Harlem

Up to Harlem to see the Schomburg Center collection and library, which was honestly far more impactful than the Met — small, focused, the kind of place where you can really feel the weight of that type of collection. A handwritten notebook from Malcolm X, notes from Notes of a Native Son, a picture of Coltrane, Fannie Lou Hamer, the remains of Langston Hughes.

Then we ate at Red Rooster — the best fried chicken, collard greens, garlic mash, cornbread, deviled eggs, and ginger beer I’ve ever had.

Leaving Harlem, we walked down through Central Park and did the Literary Walk, taking in the various statues along the way — Robert Burns and Shakespeare among them.

June 24 — To Ithaca

Caught our bus up to Ithaca — but not before a lox bagel from Russ & Daughters, a fairly authentic-feeling Jewish deli that also had chocolate babka and black-and-white cookies. We got to the rental first: a large house outside Ithaca that was allegedly part of the Underground Railroad. Ellen and Justin arrived shortly after with their girls and we watched some more World Cup matches. Justin gave us a ride into town and we had a Thai dinner with Lee and Casey at Tamarind — fairly mediocre, but good to see them before the wedding festivities really kicked off. We walked around Ithaca looking at some of the old homes, and they drove us back. My parents arrived late and we sat around catching up.

June 25 — Catch-up day

A catch-up day for work, which was very needed. For lunch, tacos with my parents at a Ciudad México taqueria — decent. Then the “rehearsal dinner” at Liquid State: brews and pizza with all of Jack and Allison’s friends and family. Met Allison’s family and Jack’s friends, and his cousin Tyler and his wife.

June 26 — The wedding

A little more work, then the wedding at the Ithaca Farmers Market — beautiful weather out on Cayuga Lake. A perfect ceremony and reception, speeches from the family and Casey laying it all bare. Couldn’t have asked for more.

June 27 — Treman State Park

A picnic reception for the wedding guests, with more speeches. Then Treman State Park, which was tremendous. We saw a big waterfall and swimming hole at the lower falls, then drove up to the upper falls and hiked in a bit further to a magnificent basin — a waterway and mini falls straight out of Indiana Jones, slate sides, past an old grist mill.

June 28 — Back to NYC

Left Ithaca and headed back to the city. Walked around Lower Manhattan, took the Staten Island Ferry, had dim sum at Hi Sunny, then the Strand bookstore, then the Stonewall memorial — very crowded because of the Pride parade. Grabbed Magnolia Bakery banana pudding on Bleecker Street, walked back to the hotel, and got Vito’s slices and ices for dinner.

June 29 — Midtown

Apollo Bagels, the Chrysler Building, the New York Public Library, Grand Central Terminal and its market, and a black-and-white cookie at Zabar’s. Then we walked to Times Square, and on to the Flatiron and Madison Square Park.