RECENTLY IN NEW YORK CITY: LUCKY NUMBER 3

 

 

 

It is said that the number three drives imagination.......

that it's the number of good fortune

(eg, third time's a charm).......

and is considered a spiritual number in many religions.

 

It's associated with sociability, humor and a love of fun.

Yup, yup, and yup. 

 

In the span of three weeks, 

I went to New York City three times,

to three different neighborhoods,

to meet friends I know from three different areas of my life, 

and ate in three very different restaurants

(Before you ask, NYC restaurants require proof of vaccination, 

and it was before omicron was a thing......

so I felt comfortable eating indoors).  

The pictures below were taken with my cell phone.

1. DOWNTOWN: November 14

 

I've known J and B since we were about five or six years old. J flew in from San Francisco, and B drove down from Boston. We met for brunch in the Meatpacking district, at Pastis, a bustling bistro serving traditional French fare. 

 

The three of us haven't been together (other than Zoom) since our high school reunion eight years ago. We had a lot of catching up to do!

 

Before meeting them, I had some time to walk around this very hip neighborhood, which I rarely get a chance to visit.

Gansevoort Street and Ninth Avenue, Meatpacking District

Fall decor outside a downtown eatery.

 

 

One of many NYC restaurants that erected outdoor dining structures in the streets to serve customers during Covid.

 

An inviting  and homey storefront at Feast On Us.

 

 

Little Island, NYC's newest park on the Hudson River.

 

 

2. MIDTOWN: November 17

 

Three days later, I was back in the city for a joint birthday celebration with F.  My birthday is in September, and hers is in October, but our plans got postponed until November.

 

F and I met in our 20's when we were in the same "share" house on Fire Island. Sharing a beach house was the thing to do back then if you were single and living in NYC.  

 

We chose Gabriel Kreuther, which specializes in fine dining from the Alsace region in France.  I felt right at home, as it's next to the old HBO building, where I worked for many years, and across from Bryant Park. I walked around the park before meeting F.

 

The food was wonderful, and even though we knew it would be expensive,  our jaws hit the floor when the bill came. Let's just say that first digit in the total per person started with 3.  It was the second most expensive restaurant I've ever eaten in.  The other, Eleven Madison Park, was an extraordinary dining experience, and worth it, but this was not at that level, IMHO. 

PS - my jaw is still there. I was unable to scrape it off the floor.

Bryant Park skating rink, with the Empire State Building lit up in blue.

 

3. UPTOWN: December 2

 

I started out in the East 80's for a doctor's appointment, and then walked down Third Ave. to meet E and M for sushi at Ajisai on Lexington Ave and 62nd Street.  

 

E and I started working together at HBO in 1981, when I was a manager, and he was my secretary (yes, they called it secretary back then). Three decades later, when I left HBO, E still reported to me....... I was a Senior VP, and he was a VP.  We both came a long way! 

 

E was one of my best friends at work, and his husband, M, became a great pal over the years. As much as I love travel, my experiences don't hold a candle to E & M's, who have traveled most everywhere in the world. We spent a good deal of our lunch  talking about their recent 10-week trip to Europe. Was I green with envy? Let's just say I matched the wasabi on my sushi platter. 

Eli's gourmet market gets my vote for best storefront decor in any season.

Happy dogs!

Window shopping.

Central Presbyterian Church on Park Avenue and 63rd Street.

Looking south down Park Avenue.

 Funny, when I was a kid, 

I always said that three was my lucky number. 

I can't remember why.......

but maybe I was on to something even then. 

 

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