Summer NYC trip: PART ONE

Alright... Going to try this again.

August 2nd, 2007: Kate and I left Boston's South Station for a long (or so it seemed to me) bus ride to NYC's 42nd St. Bus Terminal. After arriving at our destination we took our luggage and then boarded the Metro (Subway) to head to 23rd St. in Chelsea. When we exited the station, we walked down 8th Ave. to 20th St. where our hotel "The Chelsea Lodge" was located. The Chelsea lodge was a great Bed & Breakfast style accommodation which was available at a great price, in a great location. The rooms were “economically packaged” and we had to share toilets with other guests, but each room had its own shower and sink. In previous years, The Chelsea Lodge had apparently received awards for the best budget hotel in NYC. The owners definitely seemed to pour their hearts into the business. The check in clerk, who I assume was probably one of the owners, even helped Kate bring her suitcase to the room, refusing a tip when it was offered. The décor of the Lodge was masculine with a bit of a country motif. Duck decoys decorated the lobby with extensive woodwork, dark green wall paper, and yellow-gold wainscoting. An open banister staircase led up to two floors where the lodging was. Hardwood floors flowed through the building and green carpet runners provided an accent and protection in areas of heavy traffic. Each room was individually decorated, much like one may do in their own home. The over all style of The Chelsea Lodge would compliment a L.L. Bean catalogue shoot, despite being in the heart of the United State’s most populous city.

After dropping off our things we headed out to explore the streets of Chelsea. Our meandering brought us to the Chelsea Pier, home to a large sports/entertainment complex. On the water there was a pedestrian path accented by occasional green space. We headed back into the stone and mortar that comprises Chelsea to see the Chelsea Market. The Chelsea market is home to many specialty food shops, boutiques, restaurants, and grocery stores. Displays of food were beautiful, like something out of a foodie’s imagination of what heaven might be like. Anchoring the Market is “The Food Network” headquarters. I had some difficulty pulling Kate away from the lobby window. The bounty of nourishment on display at the Chelsea Market made it very apparent to us that we were in need of a food fix.

On our way out, Kate had her Lonely Planet guide in hand and was reading off our various options. We decided to go with one of the closest establishments which specialized in “American cuisine” which was a described as an affordable diner-meets-bistro establishment. This restaurant was called “Cafeteria”. Upon arriving, I think Kate and I were a little taken a-back because it wasn’t what we anticipated from Lonely Planet’s description. Cafeteria was a trendy restaurant decked out in bright white pleather seats and white walls with mirrors, and a glass and mirrored bar. The techno/house music permeated the air with a loud, but tolerable volume. At times the music was a steady beat droning on, but occasionally it acclimated into an almost laughable bump & grind hard-core electronica cheese fest. On the cover of the menu was a picture of a scantily clad male model in a black and white picture. The staff and clientele was probably at least 1/3 homosexual-male. There was an older tourist couple (probably in their sixties) who honestly stuck out more than we did. Being in the heart of Chelsea, NYC’s rainbow-friendly neighborhood, there was bound to be a heavy prevalence of the homosexual influence. Shrugging off some minor feelings of alienation I sat down and ordered some food. I joked with Kate that I was glad that I wore a Ralph Lauren polo shirt. I started off with a glass of lemonade, which was probably the best lemonade I’ve ever had. It was very tangy, and definitely appeared to be fresh squeezed. Kate ordered a grilled chicken sandwich, with the unusual topping of sliced apples. The sandwich was a thing of beauty when it arrived. The plates of food were meticulously arranged. French fries were stacked vertically in a stainless steel cup with a piece of wax paper. Delicious dill pickles, the type that still seem fresh garnished the sandwiches. I ordered a simple “Classic Burger” which was so large that I could not finish it. It came with massive slices of onion and tomato, and a plentiful bed of lettuce. We were more than glad that we stayed at Cafeteria despite being out classed by the metro-sexual, homosexual, and dressed to kill New Yorkers that frequented this stylized eatery.

Following this we decided to get on the Metro and go to Central Park. We walked around Central park for quite a while. We observed ducks and turtles that were hanging out in the ponds. We watched families with their frolicking children play at a seasonal carnival set up in the Central Park skating rink. We took note of various points of interest within the park. One such attraction proved to be very elusive to us. We spent the better part of our evening searching for a grove of American Elm trees. It supposedly is the largest remaining grove of original (non-genetically engineered) American Elms that survived a disease that wiped many of them out. We walked around in circles, fought off discouragement and exhaustion, and finally reaped the fruit our efforts. The Elms were beautiful, their canopy of high twisting branches cast shade from the remaining summer sun at dusk. We collapsed on a bench in the center of the grove which is simply known as “The Mall”. We watched chatty women, mothers with strollers, teens on roller blades, and the occasionally backpacker still clad in an oxford from the office, flow by. After regaining our breath (well sort of), we headed to see Belvedere Castle, the highest point in Central Park. From this vantage point I took the picture of “The Lake” which was bright green with algae. NYC is conducting an extensive effort to clean up the lake, and much of it is drained and under repair. We then walked through the Brambles, which is supposed to be an ideal location for board watchers. It was fairly thick and rugged, and I found myself inwardly chanting “lions, tigers, and bears” as I maneuvered my way through this section. Eventually we exited Central Park on the west side and walked by Strawberry Fields. I had visited this in the winter when strangely enough there were actually more Lennon fans paying tribute. Some flowers were arranged over the stone mosaic, and I attempted to take a photo. I unfortunately rushed it, and as you can see it is a bit blurry. I was barely conscious at this juncture and we made a joint decision to head back to Chelsea and call it a night. Before retiring to Chelsea Lodge we hit up a local CVS where we bought cookies and sodas to bring back. We delighted in our sugary snacks as we watched Wonder Years reruns before finally turning in.