New York: The Lazarus Effect

The Oculus at the World Trade Center

Fresh off the trip to California I was a bit afraid that I would find New York gloomy and dark by comparison. It was not. It was bright and gleaming and better than ever. In medicine doctors describe a “Lazarus effect” when patients who were near death suddenly spring back to life. That’s New York.

We went to NY just two days after it was declared officially open. We were there primarily to visit Peter and his girlfriend Nila, see their new apartment, and go to a rooftop Glom performance Saturday night. 

Awash in Ethiopian food

We met for dinner Friday night at Awash, an Ethiopian restaurant where we were seated outside with a view of Brooklyn street life. Quite different from Bethesda "street life." We went for ice cream afterwards at Van Leeuwen a competitor of Ample Hills but nowhere near as rich and fun. 

Brooklyn Bridge

Saturday morning we found ourselves spontaneously walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and it was there and then I had my 'Wow' moment. As the usually prolix Fran Leibowitz, in her special Pretend it's a City, said when asked what it was about New York that makes it so special, “It’s New York.” While I didn’t have the “why doesn’t everyone live here” feeling I get in California, I was reminded of why millions of people live here and always will. It’s New York, for God’s sake. 

Pier 26, Hudson River Park

Once over the bridge we just kept walking and walking for miles. Although I had read a listicle of 90 things to do in NY that weekend, I really didn't need to do anything. I only needed to be, and see and stroll around in the glorious recovery. We discovered Hudson River Park, hugging the Hudson for four miles, dotted with birthday parties, runners, bikers, balloons and dogs. And Pier 26 is a nicely developed stretch with chaises longue for sunbathers, yes, there were some bikini clad tanners, bench swings, food and festivities. 

Peter and I, lunch at Cafe Cluny

There was one thing we wanted to do and that was visit the just-opened Little Island. But millions of others had the same idea, and we couldn't get a ticket. From outside it looked very cool, breezy and verdant, and views to die for and has gotten rave architectural reviews. 

The subway is pretty nice now...really

We took the subway a lot. It was clean and fresh and uncrowded and thanks to OMNY a new contactless payment system, you can just tap your phone or credit card to get in. No more ticket machines to fight with. 

 

Glom unplugged at Ample Hills, Gowanus

The Glom concert was on the rooftop of the Ample Hills Shop in Gowanus, part of a summer entertainment series called “The Hills Are Alive.” For  $10 we enjoyed great seats, were served gourmet ice cream, and watched Peter and Sean perform to much audience acclaim. It doesn't get very much better than this. There is some kind of creamy connection going on. Peter and Sean started performing as a Beatles cover band at an ice cream shop in Bethesda. After moving to Brooklyn, Peter got a job at Ample Hills, climbed the cone to management, and since his departure, Glom has been invited to perform there, and Ample bought the rights to use one of their songs in a commercial. 

It's often hard to find close parking

After the show we went for drinks at the nearby Lavender Lake Bar. A magical mix of millennials, artists, musicians, designers, the grad-school bound, and the newly employed. The much maligned millennials are finally regaining status as the new bottom-of-the-heap Gen Z comes along. One of the millennials had recently looked at a Gen Z’s driver’s license and expressed horror that the person had been born in 2000! They then “reminisced” about what year in the 90’s they were born. 

We stayed again at the Nu Hotel. What was new at the Nu? Now there’s an extra charge to get a room with those cool murals that we were accustomed to. Now the bountiful continental breakfast has been reduced to a few cereal boxes and a mini fridge of milks and yogurt. Now you have to request housekeeping, it does not happen automatically. 

Brooklyn Bridge Park

One of the best parts of staying at the Nu is the morning run. Out the door straight down Atlantic to Brooklyn Bridge Park, three miles of sweeping views, sports fields with determined athletes, a perfect running path and piers and the spectacular view of Manhattan. 

New apartment entry hall

Sunday we walked to Prospect Heights to meet Peter and Nila for a delicious brunch at Cheryl’s Global Soul restaurant and then visited their new apartment. It is a huge two-bedroom. Yes, it is in a 100-year old building and is a 4-story walk up. But location, location, a short walk to Prospect Park, location. Did I say it was huge? 

 

Nila and Peter and I, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

A garden grows in Brooklyn

I was heartened to see, within the span of three weeks, that both of my boys are comfortably housed in their very different but lovely nests. We walked through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a beautiful refuge and respite from the 90 degree sunny day. 

 

Full of Jalapenos and headed home

For dinner Fred and Bob suggested that we go to a Chinese restaurant in Sunset Park, which houses the “Chinatown of Brooklyn.” We were all game for seeing a cool new Brooklyn neighborhood. But wait. Why did we then end up eating at Jalapenos? In a bit of a comedy of errors, Fred and Bob had abandoned the Chinese restaurant because the owners couldn’t speak English and it was hard to decipher whether it was open. And we ended up in a Mexican restaurant where nobody spoke English. But the flautas, and chile relleno, and carne asada rocked. So who can complain? It’s all about the company and I hadn’t seen Bob and Fred in more than a year. 

Moynihan Train Hall

We took the Amtrak Acela back (Vamoose up) so that we could see the new Moynihan Train Hall, a glory. No more of that old Penn Station chaos and crowding, ptomaine hotdogs, and dirty Duane Reed. All space and light, devoid of retail blight.