Jessica and J came to see me in Midtown, and I suggested that we went for a walk to Hudson Yards and the Vessel. If you’re on Instagram you’ve probably already seen thousands of photos of the Vessel, because since it opened in March last year, everyone with a feed seems to have been there. Everyone except me.
Tina is a member at Life Time, which is a chain of big high-end gyms in the US, and one morning, she dragged me along for some hot yoga. It was the first time that I tried hot yoga, and I can warmly (pun intended) recommend it. Hot yoga is yoga in a hot room, and you are sweating like crazy so remember to bring a big water bottle, so you don’t get dehydrated.
My high school friend Tina has moved to South Orange in New Jersey, so last week I went to visit her in her new hometown. When you’re in Manhatttan, South Orange sounds like a faraway place, but it is only around 30 minutes by train from Penn Station.
Last week I was visiting Tina in New Jersey, and she was craving carrot rye, so she asked me if I could bring her some from the Danish bakery Ole & Steen in New York? Of course I could! So Thursday morning, on my way to Penn station, I stopped by Ole & Steen at Bryant Park.
Last week I went for dinner with my friend Alex at Lamia’s Fish Market in East Village. It is NYC Restaurant Week right now, so you get a 3-course dinner for $42 at the participating restaurants. Some deals are better than others, so you need to check the menu offer carefully before you make a reservation, to make sure there is something that you like.
Friday night we went to The Bar Downstairs at Andaz. Ana and April came straight from work (yes, they work crazy hours in New York City), and I had just arrived after my trip to New Jersey.
Last night, I had dinner at Le Botaniste, which is a 100% plant-based café. It’s self-service, but the café feels a lot more upscale than McDonald’s. It is beautifully decorated, and from the outside, it looks like an upscale restaurant.
I’m back in NYC! As a matter of fact, I have been here for almost two days, but I have stayed under the radar, so I could get through my jet lag before making any plans.
I was invited to the Grand Opening Party at Norikoh in Flatiron District, but I am in Denmark, getting my annual dose of Danish Christmas, so I couldn’t make it. I therefore sent my friend Sue and asked her to share her thoughts about the event. Sue loves good food just as much as I do, and we usually have the same taste in restaurants. Here are her comments:
I was looking for a nice place to stay somewhere equally far from Midtown and Brooklyn, and the Wagner popped up. In the not too distant past, the Wagner used to be The Ritz-Carlton Battery Park, and The Ritz-Carlton is one of my favorite hotel chains, so I did not hesitate to give the Wagner a try. Furthermore, the Wagner is much cheaper than the one remaining Ritz-Carlton in the city, with roomrates starting at around $150-$200 if you book well in advance.
