New York City - Day 2

After a late night, you try to sleep in but the city wakes up early. Four flights up on 7th street and Avenue A, I hear traffic and construction, a motorcycle comes to life and roars away, I fall back into a sleep that is aware that the city is awake. Eventually we do get up and I find that I just got a parking ticket. I am confused so I ask a passerby to explain. Evidently, cars can't be parked on the south side of the street on Tuesday and Friday between 9:00 and 10:30 because they clean the street. Another man loudly tells me to put the ticket back on my car or I will get another one, he states that I bought that parking place. Okay. I better move my car across the street Thursday night.

Eventually we are ready and head off to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa). We stop for lattes and an olive cookie. Yes, a shortbread like cookie with bits of kalamata olives, surprisingly good.

We hop on the subway to take us to the museum. Oh dear.....MoMa is closed on Tuesdays! We regroup and decide to go to the Guggenheim instead. As we're leaving the MoMa someone waves to us in the street with a huge smile, and it took us a second to realize it was a friend of Rainy's and Raven's from Meadows, Sharissa Iqbal. Apparently she was interning at the MoMa working with the elderly and disabled in incorporating arts programs to help them better experience it. For instance they were setting up private tours for the blind where they are able to touch the statues. She offered us free passes into the MoMa, and we were so excited!

With the Guggenheim in our sights, we take the Bus on Madison Avenue Uptown.

Their special exhibit is a contemporary photography and video show titled "Haunted". It is based on the assumption that much contemporary work is haunted by the past, by the history of art, by apparitions that are re-animated in reproductive mediums, live performance, and the virtual world. The show was fascinating and inspirational. I bought the book featuring the exhibition, just let me know if you want to look through it when I get home!

It was past 4:00 when we left the Guggenheim and we were all famished. We took a bus back to the East Village with plans to go to a cafe called The Smile that Raven was familiar with. Our luck was waning, they weren't serving food until 6:00 which was another hour away, but the waitress recommended another restaurant a few streets away, "Bianca". We were the only customers (NYC is a late night city). We just needed a light meal as we had dinner reservations for 8:30 that night. We ordered a bottle of Tokai, a Hungarian wine from Friulano by Stefano Traverso Vineyards, a crisp cold white wine. For food we had mussels, sauteed chicken livers with a balsalmic sauce, a uniquely chopped artichoke salad with lemon and parmesan , and a beautifully plated tuna salad with onion, celery, tomato, and croutons that soaked in the juiced. This ended up being more food than we expected, but it was all very yummy. Because we had some time to spar, and I was lugging around the book "Haunted", we decided to head back to Raven's apartment to relax and freshen up before heading out for the night.

We left around 8:00 pm, walking through the East Village to Bowery Wine Company. There was a jazz band playing which was great, but they were pretty loud so conversation was more difficult than expected. We had a discount of 40% off all wines! We began with a half bottle of a French Sancerre, which was lively and fresh and wonderfully dry. Soon we realized we wanted food with our wine and so with our second half bottle of Red, an Italian Santi varietal, we paired their cheese and meats platter: Brie, cheddar, provolone, prosciutto, salami, and toasted french bread. After we finished, we ordered glasses of wine individually, Julie went with a white santi, crisp and refreshing with a hint of pear notes. Rainy and Raven were were in the mood for a sweet ending and so they ordered a German Reisling which was delicious. Rainy geniusly suggest we end with their Prosciutto Lettuce Wraps. These were spectacular, individually wrapped and drizzled with a divine sesame sauce. Feeling very satisfied, we decided to continue with the Jazz theme and head to a small Jazz club in the West Village.

Smalls Jazz Lounge. We entered through a easily missable entrance down a steep stairway, where we felt s if we'd stepped back in time to the height of the Jazz movement. It felt private, with an audience that was concentrated on appreciating some serious Jazz rather than liquor. Their were small chairs lined up concert style, and the players lived and breathed for their craft. It was the epitome of what you'd imagine a private jazz club to look and feel like small, dark, and full of love and attention to preserving the art of Jazz. Joel Press was on Saxaphone, Joe Hunt on Drums, Pat O' Leary on Bass, Michael Kanan played the Piano as a quartet. The specialness of this concert radiated through us, mesmerized by sound, soaking up this rare and special event. And like all great Jazz lounges the fluffy house tortoise cat lounged fast asleep in the back, undisturbed by constant affection from passerbys and sounds.

And just as we thought the night was over, we realized we were a bit hungry. Fortunately Raven lives right above a famous diner called Odessa. The highlight was the Monte Cristo; a breakfast sandwich that began with challah bread dipped in egg and fried like french toast. It was served open -faced, topped with ham, turkey, and swiss cheese. Drizzle a little syrup and you have the best breakfast ever!

It's 2am as we wearily climb the four floors back up to the apartment.