one perfect day
One day in New York City without kids, stroller, husband, or busy agenda. What to do?
8:30 AM: Enjoy freshly made waffles and breakfast at the home of my good friends and their two sweet boys.
9:30 AM: Catch a ride to the subway station in Brooklyn. See a disoriented man fall onto the subway tracks, and be helped out by several kind New Yorkers, luckily before a train approaches (never in my 10 years in NYC did I ever see someone actually fall!)
Pop out of the subway at Canal and Broadway, start walking North. The weather just happens to be perfect, bright and sunny, but not too hot. I have to remind myself that NYC is only like this about one week out of the year.
10:00 AM: First stop: the MUJI store. I've been a fan of MUJI ever since I spent a semester abroad in London. Purchases: City in a Bag (drawstring bag full of NYC blocks, like little cabs and skyscrapers), colored pencil set, a perfect canvas tote bag, pencil sharpener.
10:45 AM: Walk up to Pearl River, a huge Chinese import store. Purchases: a small coin purse for Bee, a tin rocket for C, some pretty packages of rice candy.
11:15 AM: Continue up Broadway, almost walking right into the actor Aaron Eckhart, who I see near the corner of Spring Street. (Act nonchalant, because that's what New Yorkers do.) Stop in at Dean + Deluca to grab a raisin scone from Sarabeth's, just because I can.
11:30 AM: Walk up Sullivan Street so I can wave at Liesl, who's teaching a class at Purl Patchwork this morning. Peek through the window and see Liesl sitting at the sewing machine, right in the middle of explaining something to a big group of students. Decide against interrupting her.
Cross Houston and head towards the West Village, my favorite neighborhood in the whole city, to meet some of my oldest and dearest friends for brunch.
12:00 PM: Brunch at Tartine. We don't mind waiting for our table since there's lots to talk about and catch up on. Plus it's one of the prettiest blocks around.
1:30 PM: My friend Renee talks me into walking up to the Gagosian Gallery to see the Picasso exhibit, which closes this weekend. We wander up through the Chelsea Market, grabbing an applesauce donut from Amy's Bread (I used to live around the corner from their Hell's Kitchen location). The Picasso exhibit is worth the detour, a huge wonderful collection of paintings and etchings from his later years.
We walk over to the E train and take it north, to the 53rd Street and 5th avenue location so we can walk across the street to the MOMA.
3:00 PM: I haven't been to the MOMA since it's redesign, so I love walking through from floor to floor. Some of the paintings hanging there seem like old friends, and I'm so happy to see them once again. There's an interesting exhibit upstairs called Tangled Alphabets (on display through June 15th) featuring the works of Leon Ferrari and Mira Schendel. I love all the hand drawn type. Purchases: two small windup metal bugs for Bee and C from the museum gift shop.
5:15 PM: Walk down 5th Avenue to visit the Kinokuniya Japanese import store near Bryant Park. Wave to my old office as we walk by the Martha Stewart offices on 43rd Street. Purchases: new Japanese sewing book I haven't seen before, some beautifully packaged pastel crayons.
6:00 PM: Wander through Bryant Park (the most beautiful day!) admire the newly refinished NY Public Library and then hop on the F train to my old neighborhood in Brooklyn, Carroll Gardens. Meet up with my friend Sara who is getting a pedicure before we meet up with friends for dinner. Soon I am getting one too.
7:00 PM: Walk through my old neighborhood to the restaurant Alma, which has the most beautiful view of the city. By the time we sit down to eat (lucky us, we get the table with the best view) the sun is setting over the city, dinner is served, and I'm surrounded by my old friends.
10:00 PM: Drive back to Fort Green where I'm staying that evening by way of First Place, our old steet. Wave at my old apartment, where JR and I dated, were newlyweds, and formed our little family.
12:00 AM: Rest tired (but pretty!) feet. Fall into a sound sleep.
Things I wish I could have fit into my day: a stroll through Central Park, a visit to the paper stores down on 18th Street, some fabric shopping in the garment district, a walk down the Brooklyn promenade, and a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery. But there are only so many hours in a day.
Note: I've put together a little Google Map of my day, with addresses and phone numbers for the stores and restaurants. You can easily swap out the Met for the MOMA, and then get to see some of Central Park as well.
06.2.2009
Reader Comments (40)
Sounds like a wonderful day. Glad you have such a nice time.
This sounds like a lot of stops on my perfect day too!
sounds truly perfect!
we are making a visit next month. somehow i don't think our trip will be a peaceful and perfect as yours. we are taking all three kids after all!
What bliss! It sounds like you had such a lovely time. How I miss MUJI, after 4 years in London it became a real fave!
sounds very perfect indeed. i enjoyed my "perfect day" the saturday before the stationery show, except i was making it up as i went along. you had a plan!
Thanks for the map and addresses. I am visiting NY with my husband and kids in September (I can't wait !!). I have been to NY with my two sisters but I think this trip will be very different. I have been to the MUJI stores in Tokyo - I really wish they would come to Australia - I love MUJI.
yay for you! what a rare joy for a mom!=)
Oh I might have to take you up on this day! I need to visit a friend in NYC and I have NEVER been to the city when it is warm and sunny, or warm OR sunny... just cold and overcast and mostly covered with snow.
Sounds like you had a fantastic day! Thanks you so much for sharing, I am going to share your map with my friend right now!
Goodness, you make me miss living in NY too, sigh.... Sounds like a perfect day of wandering and reconnecting. Where would my stops be for one day?
i love tartine! so fun for dinner too.
That sounds fantastic. There aren't enough days to fit in all the things I'd like to do in NYC, but when we visit in July, there will be more than one visit to Magnolia Bakery! Glad your day there was perfect and thanks for all the good ideas.
Lovely! I would add a trip to chocolate bar and a stop at Books of Wonder (which means another doughnut or hot chocolate), but it sounds like a perfect day from my NYC life. I'm now only an hour away, but need the stroller and a crash pad for the babe's nap.
sigh. that sounds absolutely lovely. especially dinner surrounded by old friends...
i like muji too. and lucky you, sounds like a perfect day!
I clicked on nearly every link you gave and looked at the Google map that you made. Thanks so much. I enjoyed my tour of a portion of the city :) I've only been to NYC for a day and that was about 20 years ago. Sheesh, I think I need to go back!
Thank you for sharing your lovely day (and tour). Bet your feet killed!
Your day sounds awsome! I wish I could go back soon...
Sounds like a lovely day.
sounds divine. i so need to get to new york one day. almost miffed we didn't get there as a kid when we visited the states, but i think i'll appreciate it more as an adult. looks like a busy, but brilliant, trip!
ahem. NOT taking it personally that your perfect day in NYC did not include MOI.
I was at brunch in the West Village for brunch too, and at Chelsea Market an hour or so later, getting a gelato!