Here are some more pics from my New York days – a range of everyday (or not so everyday) sparks that caught my eye as I wandered around.
New York, New York
Tag: holiday
New York’s finest fro-yo
Really, I just like how people say fro-yo: a much cooler way to say frozen yoghurt, making it sound edgier and not at all like the low-fat alternative to ice cream. There are a few competing fro-yo chains here, but my cousin took me to the newest (and, according to most of the locals, the best) addition to the fro-yo scene here in NYC. It’s called 16 Handles, so can only presume they’re Molly Ringwald fans. Either that, or they are just very literal folk – there did appear to be 16 flavours of fro-yo.
I’ll let the creators explain what it’s all about, this “hands-on revolution”: 16 HANDLES is mixing things up and at the center of our frozen playground is you: an uncontainable, independent champion of your own taste. More of this, less of that—you want frozen yogurt your way and we’re all about it. With 16 rockin’ kosher certified flavors on tap daily, we provide you with a twisted canvas, your own fat-free backdrop of calcium, protein and probiotic goodness. At our mammoth toppings bar, you’ll find a world of possibilities, from wholesome berries to decadent sauces, that you handcraft into something uniquely yours. Welcome to the hands-on revolution.
Basically, you get a cup and fill it with whatever flavours you like by pulling the handles. Then, you can go to the topping bars and add whatever toppings you like – healthy things like fruits and nuts; or badder things like candy corn, peanut butter cups and gummi bears. It’s pretty much what I imagine heaven to be like at dessert time, to be honest (although with ice cream handles, rather than fro-yo).
So, the verdict: the consistency was fantastic and I really like the whole self-service concept and especially the topping bars. But the flavours weren’t strong, with the exception of the apple pie – which is maybe why they offer so many different toppings, so you can add flavour to the otherwise fairly tasteless low-fat fro-yo. Although that probably defeats the purpose, I guess. Anyways, I liked it and would definitely return, although the weather is starting to get chillier now so it feels more like time for ho-cho (that’s my cool new word for hot chocolate) rather than fro-yo.
A sunny day in New York
I have a few things that I do when I come here – traditions, if you will. Here are some of the things. I like to go to Starbucks and get a seasonal flavoured drink (with whipped cream, as I’m on holidays) – yesterday I tried the Peppermint Mocha, it was very tasty. Today I may try the Gingerbread Latte. I like to eat at a diner, because it reminds me of American TV shows from when I was little and I really love the way they come around and re-fill your coffee, just like on Happy Days. I like to walk and walk and walk and put off catching the subway for as long as possible – this way I can (almost) justify the Starbucks and the diner food and the Ben & Jerry’s and the chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels. And stuff like that.
Our favourite diner in NYC is called The Red Flame – it’s around Times Square and it is just what I think a diner should be: reasonably priced, good food, nice staff, pies for dessert and lots of booths. Though on this visit, I am having some troubles with The Red Flame. I had the great idea of buying one of their caps for my brother (who also loves this diner) as a Christmas present. The staff all wear them, so I figured they probably had a stash out the back and they’d sell me one for $20 or something. Alas, they are protecting their hats for their workers – they will not let me buy one. So, it’s become a challenge for my holiday now – I need to get one of those hats. My plan at this stage is to either (1) get a job there, or (2) take one off the head of the waiter who looks like the slowest runner (with the cleanest hair). I will keep you posted.
The city is gearing up for Christmas – even though there’s still Thanksgiving to get through next week. There are crazy sales on everywhere, decorations are going up, the ice rinks are full of skaters and the Christmas markets are opening in the next week or two. It’s unseasonably warm here at the moment (not hot, obviously, but not too cold) and yesterday I saw some people walking around in t-shirts (and trousers). It’s an absolutely perfect time to be wandering around, taking in all the sights and sounds and smells (but trying to avoid the horsey smells around Central Park) of what would have to be my favourite city in the world.
New York State of Mind
I’ve timed this trip really well, weather-wise, as I’ve been fortunate to miss ‘Frankenstorm’ Sandy and her follow-up act, Athena. There was some snow on the ground at JFK airport (courtesy of Athena), but it was neatly piled into frozen hills, rather than all over the runway. There are still people in New York without power (two weeks after the initial hit) and the nightly news shows heartbreaking pictures of a lot of homes and businesses damaged by flooding.
No real sign of it in the part of town that I’m in, though – the only real sign of the storms that I’ve seen so far has been the giant trees in Central Park that were uprooted and have been cut into pieces and cordoned off with police tape. It gives you an idea of how powerful the winds must have been – although, as a couple walked past behind me and looked at one huge upended tree, the lady said in a fairly nasty, disapproving voice, “Well, I can’t believe those roots were holding up that tree – look how shallow the roots are.” So maybe it was the trees’ fault, after all.
The weather has been beautiful – a nice chill in the air in the evenings, but sunny days that are perfect for walking around. Which is good, because I’ve discovered Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels. Here are some pics from my trip so far…
There is no place like home. Except when there is.
So, here’s my last travellin’ post for a little while. A collection of some of the pics from my final days in Ireland – after a fortnight of mostly perfect weather, these last few days have been rainy and pretty chilly, so it’s a good time to head home to the sun. Always tough to leave here, but I have had a fantastic holiday and it has been great to be able to catch up with old friends and check out some of my old haunts. There’s a line in that John O’Donohue poem (‘For the Traveller’, which I posted a few weeks ago) about old friends making it seem like nothing has changed since you were last with them, and that is exactly how it’s been. Whether it’s five years or ten years since I’ve seen some of my Irish mates, they’re the kind of friends who fit like a glove. Some people don’t have any place that feels like home – I know I’m super lucky to have two. Waa waa waa – here are the photos!
everydaysparks 