TRAVELING THE WORLD 365 days/year. You can visit us on Instagram at whereintheworldaremikeandjan. Do not hit “Reply” to message us – Use Contact Tab, above.
We ♥️ New York! Every single day has been fun! Just walking the streets has been great. The busy-ness, the crowds, the museums, the traffic, the restaurants, the stores, the Time Square billboards, the gorgeous architecture of the late 19th century buildings, the rush….have all been simply marvelous. We can’t get enough of it, so much so that, rather than returning to Chicago later this month, we have rerouted so that we get to spend another 2.5 weeks here in late October/early November. It feels like there is still so much to see and do.
One of our favorite days was a stroll through Greenwich Village, which was delightful beyond words. There are shops beautifully decorated with silk flowers, shops with interesting names, shops selling unusual items, enticing restaurants, etc. It was a fascinating, slow, and thoroughly enjoyable day. We ate dinner at Old Tbilisi Garden, a Georgian (as in the country Georgia, formerly part of Russia, i.e., no black-eyed peas and chitlins) restaurant, which was unusual and good, particularly their borscht, which we had been craving.
The rest of the photos capture little pieces of our walks around Times Square, the East Village, Central Park, Midtown, the Lower East Side, and the Garment District (where our hotel is located). The days were beautiful and weather-perfect. In fact, the only rain we encountered after six weeks on the road was a driving day, from Connecticut through New York. The temperatures here have been in the upper 60s/low 70s, so yeah – perfect. We feel pretty Covid-safe here. Every museum, movie theater, subway ride, live theater, restaurant, retail shop – every enclosed, indoor venue – requires proof of vaccination and that masks be worn. Because sidewalks are crowded, most people wear masks outside, as well. It is a great place to visit right now. We can’t wait to return, even though we haven’t left yet!
A typical Greenwich Village street scene.The first of many pretty shops in Greenwich Village.Lingua Franca, Greenwich Village.A closeup of the mannequin with flowers in her hair.White Horse Tavern, Greenwich Village.A store named “Something Navy,” Greenwich Village.We love “Delightfully Disoriented,”Porto Rico Importing Co., looking like little has changed on its facade in over 50 years! Only different faces on the folks on the benches, with some now wearing masks.Also in Greenwich Village, we are SURE that nothing here has changed in a long, long time!…but of course! This area reminded us of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury District, and both were known for their Hippie Culture.Murray’s Cheese shop, Greenwich Village, with some cheeses going for as much as $40 per pound. Goorin Bros., Bold Hatmakers, looks like a shop out of a Dickens story.A coffee shop coming soon…Do Not Feed Alligators.The connection to coffee escapes us, though.We love the name of this store!These types of signs were everywhere.Yep!JFK recounted this after meeting Jackie at a party. Who knew asparagus could be a romantic memory??Metropolitan Fine Arts and Antiques, 6th Avenue. Doesn’t it look like a little jewel box in between those two tall buildings?Marriott Essex House, across from Central Park…gorgeous Art Deco ornamentation!They…just…don’t…do…that…any more.This peek into Central Park is timeless, and everything there looks like this!Quotes about Central Park during the pandemic.In Times Square: We’re just 75 years since the gas chambers. So no, a billboard calling out Jewish hate isn’t an overreaction.Grace Episcopal Church on lower Broadway. We were there for an organ recital.Outside Gothic Renaissanceon 4th Avenue.Broadway! An adorable sign.For the City that Never Sleeps…we were diverted from this area of Times Square as multiple police cars and fire engines blocked off pedestrian and vehicular traffic. We never did find out what the problem was.Mannequins in a shop called Inked NYC on West 22nd Street.Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes!!!!!?????? We have no idea!Sonny Angel. We have no idea!!!Is she not adorable?What’s real? What’s a reflection?She’s…..a skirt!Love this!We didn’t try one, but loved the name. $6/brownie, so slutty but not cheap. Most items were more expensive.The band on stage after curtain call for “Come From Away,” which was outstanding. Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, West 45th Street.Atrium at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.It was small but interesting.Cooper Hewitt MuseumLillie’s, East 17th Street. Gorgeous!…and across the street from Lillie’s, Beads of Paradise, featuring global jewelry. We loved their dazzling window display.…a long explanation for a simple concept…Leopards?? We wanted to bring our aardvark!!!We have always said, Let’s go/see/explore….there will be plenty of time to sleep once we die!…a little more fattening, though…One of our favorite new restaurants, Raclette (meaning scraping). Cheese is scraped over meat and veggies, almost like a fondue. Fabulous!Here is the raclette on our meal!