Weird and Wonderful Wanderings in the City That Never Sleeps
There was a time when I could have sworn that I would never in my life live in New York City. I just couldn't jive with the attitude I found there. It was highly ego centric, it moved too fast, it was unforgiving. That judgment was too fast. I've come to know the place more and understand that it can be simultaneously humanity at its best and worst. It's cities in general and NYC certainly isn't ideal, but it's a move in the right direction. I can safely say that I still am not too fond of Midtown. I love Greenwich Village, Soho, places just north of Downtown. I could wander Central Park all day. I have yet to go to Coney Island or Staten Island, or the Bronx.
This week is Spring Break at Michigan and while many of my Architecture contemporaries are on assignment in various cities around the country, I'm chillaxin' in the Garden State and have gone into the city for the past two days.
Day 1. I don't know how, but somehow I scored tickets to the hot show of 2007 - Spring Awakening. My mom told me outright that it wasn't a show she wanted to see sitting next to me so I went into the city by myself. I caught an easy (though expensive) dinner at a wine bar on 9th Ave, then moseyed on over to the theater on 49th where I picked up the tickets ordered online. I couldn't believe how awesome my seats were. I know it's because I was sitting by myself - a hole-plugger if you will - 5 row center! The show was fantastic - though I admit, I'm glad my mom wasn't sitting next to me. I do recommend listening to the soundtrack first, which I did not do. Then I waited outside the stage door (something I could since my parents weren't there) and got my Playbill signed by the entire cast, except Wendla(Lea Michele) who apparently has had problems with a stalker!?! Yeah, it was a pretty good day.
Day 2. Today the whole fam decided to go into the city because my mom got tickets for the matinee of Hairspray! We got the on train went into the city and wandered for a bit before catching a quick lunch on 8th streets near the theater. I do enjoy those lazy lunches before a show when you go 2hours in advance so you can just sit around and take all the time you want eating. After lunch we went to the show about which my Dad knew nothing. I was apprehensive at first because a huge group of inner city high school kids sat right behind us, mostly macho guys who were convinced that the show was going to be "too gay for them". Needless to say they were cheering just as much as anybody else by the end. The lead was so amazing. There were some other interesting names from outside the MT world in the cast as well:
George Wendt (Edna) from Cheers
Ashley Parker Angel (Link) of boyband fame
Tevin Cambell (Seaweed) R&B artist
Steven Cutts (friend of Seaweed) from Camp
Decided not to wait outside the stage door after this one so we went to Starbucks to warm up then to the Virgin Megastore to pick up a few things. By that time we were ready for dinner and I convinced my parents that Midtown was out, so we headed down to SoHo and after wandering for a little while were enticed into this Japanese fusion bar by who we later found out to be the bartender. It was a fairly new, small and recently hip place that seemed to be either on the downward slide or on the rebound. The food was a little expensive, but very good. As a result, the somewhat limited wait staff went out of their way to treat us well. The bartender was an extremely interesting chap. He was French and had immense dreadlocks and then proceeded to tell us about his film he had just finished and screened at a Toronto film festival that would be premiering at the IFC in Greenwich Village that he just had to show us a trailer for. I was hesitant at the shameless plug, but he had already yanked out his laptop and set it on our table then pressed play. Apparently he and his wife traveled to Haiti and filmed a documentary just before and during the revolution. Ghosts of the Cite Soleil Our waiter/bartender was Milos Loncarevic and you can search his name on Google Images to get a better look. Now I have to see it, it looks intense! Oh the people you meet in New York.
Going home on Saturday, hopefully with a stop in Wooster!
Yeah I'm a namedropper, so sue me ;-)
This week is Spring Break at Michigan and while many of my Architecture contemporaries are on assignment in various cities around the country, I'm chillaxin' in the Garden State and have gone into the city for the past two days.
Day 1. I don't know how, but somehow I scored tickets to the hot show of 2007 - Spring Awakening. My mom told me outright that it wasn't a show she wanted to see sitting next to me so I went into the city by myself. I caught an easy (though expensive) dinner at a wine bar on 9th Ave, then moseyed on over to the theater on 49th where I picked up the tickets ordered online. I couldn't believe how awesome my seats were. I know it's because I was sitting by myself - a hole-plugger if you will - 5 row center! The show was fantastic - though I admit, I'm glad my mom wasn't sitting next to me. I do recommend listening to the soundtrack first, which I did not do. Then I waited outside the stage door (something I could since my parents weren't there) and got my Playbill signed by the entire cast, except Wendla(Lea Michele) who apparently has had problems with a stalker!?! Yeah, it was a pretty good day.
Day 2. Today the whole fam decided to go into the city because my mom got tickets for the matinee of Hairspray! We got the on train went into the city and wandered for a bit before catching a quick lunch on 8th streets near the theater. I do enjoy those lazy lunches before a show when you go 2hours in advance so you can just sit around and take all the time you want eating. After lunch we went to the show about which my Dad knew nothing. I was apprehensive at first because a huge group of inner city high school kids sat right behind us, mostly macho guys who were convinced that the show was going to be "too gay for them". Needless to say they were cheering just as much as anybody else by the end. The lead was so amazing. There were some other interesting names from outside the MT world in the cast as well:
George Wendt (Edna) from Cheers
Ashley Parker Angel (Link) of boyband fame
Tevin Cambell (Seaweed) R&B artist
Steven Cutts (friend of Seaweed) from Camp
Decided not to wait outside the stage door after this one so we went to Starbucks to warm up then to the Virgin Megastore to pick up a few things. By that time we were ready for dinner and I convinced my parents that Midtown was out, so we headed down to SoHo and after wandering for a little while were enticed into this Japanese fusion bar by who we later found out to be the bartender. It was a fairly new, small and recently hip place that seemed to be either on the downward slide or on the rebound. The food was a little expensive, but very good. As a result, the somewhat limited wait staff went out of their way to treat us well. The bartender was an extremely interesting chap. He was French and had immense dreadlocks and then proceeded to tell us about his film he had just finished and screened at a Toronto film festival that would be premiering at the IFC in Greenwich Village that he just had to show us a trailer for. I was hesitant at the shameless plug, but he had already yanked out his laptop and set it on our table then pressed play. Apparently he and his wife traveled to Haiti and filmed a documentary just before and during the revolution. Ghosts of the Cite Soleil Our waiter/bartender was Milos Loncarevic and you can search his name on Google Images to get a better look. Now I have to see it, it looks intense! Oh the people you meet in New York.
Going home on Saturday, hopefully with a stop in Wooster!
Yeah I'm a namedropper, so sue me ;-)