8 - Livin’ La Viva Local!!!!

Well, it’s absolutely true!  Time does indeed fly when you’re having fun!  Our NYC month is over and we’re heading out tomorrow morning to transit the East River and an area called Hell Gate on our way north into Long Island Sound.  We’ll let you know more about that next post but we're really hoping it doesn’t live up to its name!

Anyway, the past 2 weeks flew by.  Gary had to (yes, literally) fly to Kansas to meet a client so MaryAnn decided to fly to Louisville to have her family entertain her while he was gone!  

As soon as we got back, we were invited to our first New York roof top dinner party! The food, view and company were all amazing and we got about 20 recommendations for restaurants and areas to visit (apparently, we’ll have to come back)! 

The next night we found a Shakespeare in the Park production of Romeo and Juliette so we had to go see that.  Very well done and the setting overlooking the Hudson River was gorgeous. 

That afternoon, we'd found a wallet on the street as we were biking to the train.  We left a note on the car near where the wallet lay and found a phone number using the address from the wallet.  It belonged to a young man who was so happy to hear we'd found it.  We arranged to meet when we took the train back that night and when he met us at the train station, he brought a bouquet of flowers.    They were so pretty we just had to take a picture.  What a thoughtful gesture!

Next, our fabulous friends Janice, Rick, Michelle and Larry from Cocoa Beach came up to play with us and we managed to pack in as much fun as is humanly possible.  The weekend started with an offer to stay in the house of Andy, Courtney, Isla and Harper Bissett (Andy is the son of our friends Doug and Sandy) while they were away for a family wedding. 

 

Harper (the adorable black lab) was planning to go to doggie daycare but we convinced his parents to let us watch him.  Can’t get more local than living in totally fabulous huge condo (in a converted 1900 book binding building) in an adorable happening area and having your own dog to walk!  We loved every minute of it!!!

 We rendezvoused with our CB peeps and we were off!  We met up with Michelle’s cousin Nicole and her husband Koran who live in New Jersey and they spent the next several hours acting as our tour guides and showing us where to get 2 for 1 martinis at happy hour (and really great truffle fries to go with it). 

 

 We then took the cable car over to Roosevelt Island.  This little known mode of transport over the East River to the tiny island was really fun and accessible with our Metro Cards (the cards we used for the Subway, etc.).  Totally worth the trip!   

 

After dinner in Koreatown, they took us to a great rooftop bar with amazing views of the city and the Empire State Building!

 The next day after more sightseeing, we took the Staten Island Ferry (they’d never been) and this time we actually went to see the 911 memorial on Staten Island referred to as ‘The Postcards”.  It was very nice to see and touching tribute. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We came back and then headed to Chinatown and Little Italy (yes, we had to eat in both)!  After walking around there, we headed back to our NYC home so that we could host our own rooftop party (it rained so the party was mostly contained to the inside but no less fun).  It was so great to be able to invite people back to “our place”!

Our last day as locals, we took Harper to the dog park (we actually did this at least twice every day because he was adamant that it's what all New Yorkers do) and then off to Lowe’s to get a tool we needed.  Again, just another Sunday morning in NYC!!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We met up with the gang and walked the Chelsea Market and Pier, Greenwich Village and back to Times Square area in our quest for the perfect pizza.  Found a great one in an old converted cathedral.  Great pizza in a great setting,  Lastly, Koran took us to a quaint little bourbon bar so we could get a nightcap before we had to check out (yes, they came home and wanted their house and dog back!!!!) and head back to Staten Island leaving the gang to find a cigar bar and their own way back to their hotel.

 

What an amazing time and we cannot thank Andy and Courtney enough for the house, Janice, Rick, Michelle and Larry for coming up and Nicole and Koran for showing us around everywhere!  We honestly, have the absolute best taste in friends! 

Well….. until next post!