Along the High Line and the Streets Below

A little further north on Manhattan Island are two other neighborhoods I enjoy exploring – the Meatpacking District and Chelsea.

First the Meatpacking District...

Since my last visit to New York, there has been a dramatic change to this area – the opening of the much anticipated High Line. Formally an old elevated railway, the High Line is now a beautiful meandering garden that extends south along 10th Avenue from 20th Street to Gansevoort Street. The park is beautiful – lush beds of grasses and wildflowers weaving along with the path above the city streets and between the buildings. It is a wonderful way to walk through the city, a great place to relax elevated above the clamor of streets.

On the days I walked the High Line my husband we stopped by the Chelsea Market Public Art for lunch. We purchased our food from the tbsp rickshaw cart parked at this point along the path and enjoyed our meal at a table nearby. I had a sharp cheddar sandwich – a delicious handheld meal of great cheese on multigrain bread with tomatoes and watercress. Jonathan enjoyed some warm homemade soup. Perfect picnic lunch on a crisp fall day!

After lunch we continued walking south along the High Line – past more flowers and under the impressive Standard Hotel, then descending to street level at the end of the tracks. The Meatpacking District is different than the other neighborhoods of Manhattan with large low wear-houses and broad streets. Walking through the streets we snaked back and forth exploring the neighborhood and shopping.

Eventually we reached 9th Avenue and 15th Street – home to Chelsea Market. This is a food mecca – filled with shops, cafes, bakeries, and tempting smells. A recent addition to the market is Jacques Torres Chocolates. This shop's spicy wicked hot chocolate is often listed as one of the best hot chocolates in New York City (New York Magazine, Food Network). My husband and I each ordered a small wicked hot chocolate and sat down to enjoy it. The hot chocolate is one of the richest concoctions I have ever enjoyed. It is delicious – creamy and chocolaty with a hint of spice. It is also one of the most luxurious hot chocolates I have ever had – thick and rich like molten chocolate.

After our wonderful snack we continued into the Chelsea neighborhood and spent the remainder of the afternoon browsing shops along 9th Avenue.

SoHo and Greenwich Village

During a good portion of our time in New York we crisscrossed the city shopping in several different neighborhoods, visiting different sights, eating some great food, and then often doubling back to return to a place we had already visited. The majority of the time we spent in SoHo, Greenwich Village, the Meatpacking District, and Chelsea.

In this post I want to talk about my adventures in SoHo and Greenwich Village.

These are a uniquely New York neighborhoods – with tree-lined streets and beautiful old buildings. And it's a great part of the city to walk around in – and a great place to shop.

On this trip we went back to some of my favorite shops and found some new ones too! My favorite new shops are Rosebud and Makié in SoHo. The first, Rosebud, sells women's clothing and accessories imported from Israel. This shop has very pretty things at reasonable prices. A few doors down, Makié sell adorable clothing and accessories for children and whimsical accessories and clothing items for women. All items are designed and made at the shop.

Walking along Bleaker Street in Greenwich Village I came to a door that led down into a small shop. On a simple wooden sign had two simple words – Pure Dark. A new chocolate shop! Pure Dark sells simple and delicious handcrafted chocolate slabs and confections. The slabs are delicious!

SoHo and Greenwich village have an eclectic mix of shops, cafes, and people. It is a place that is fun to explore! It remains one of my favorite shopping – and eating – areas of New York City!

A Day in New York City – Shopping at Century 21 and Lunch at Zoë

Century 21 Department Store is a dizzying array of floors filled with fashion and chaos. Shopping here can be curious and exciting, but requires patience. There are racks and racks of clothing jammed tightly together. Shopping here can be tiring!

The second day we were in New York City we headed to Century 21 in the morning. Searching through the racks we found sweaters and jackets and dresses. My husband found dress clothes, hats, and jackets. (One note about shopping at Century 21 – it is important to check clothing items for damage, especially in the women's store.)

After a few hours of shopping we narrowed down our purchases and headed back out onto the street. Taking a cab to SoHo we headed to Zoë for lunch. Described as a contemporary American restaurant, Zoë is a comfy cafe on Prince Street. Much of the food on the menu is cooked in the restaurant's wood-fired grill and oven. I ordered a mushroom pizza. It was excellent – a crispy crust topped with roasted portabello, cremini, and shiitake mushrooms, herbed ricotta, mozzarella, and arugula. My husband and aunt both enjoyed the meat and seafood dishes they ordered. It was the perfect meal after a morning of shopping and walking around Manhattan!

Madison Avenue, lots of Chocolate, and a Red Tomato

I love New York – there is excitement and energy in the sights, the sounds, and the rush of the street. We spent our first afternoon on Madison Avenue, walking from 87^th Street (where the Franklin Hotel is located) south to 60^th Street (the location of our dinner destination). We walked, checked out the shops, looked at the architecture, and felt the energy of being in New York.

One of the stops we made along Madison Avenue was at the Upper East Side's Vosges Boutique. I have always loved the exotic flavors of Vosges chocolates and wanted a hot chocolate. The boutique is great with whimsical white and purple décor. I got a vanilla hot chocolate (La Parisienne Couture Cocoa) and Jonathan got a spicy hot chocolate (Aztec Elixir Couture Cocoa). Both were excellent! The intense bittersweet chocolate flavor was complemented by either Madagascar vanilla (for my cocoa) or chillies and cinnamon (for the spicy cocoa). This is a very cool place to visit for a cup of excellent hot chocolate!

Our next stop was la Maison du Chocolat. This is a great store – selling delicious chocolate confections and pastries. Of course, in addition to chocolate shops we perused clothing and shoe shops, pharmacies, and many other places along the street.

Now on to dinner! We met friends at Rouge Tomate at 5^th Avenue and 60^th Street. This restaurant is an impressive space – large upstairs and downstairs dining rooms, dark wood floors, and clean décor. And the food is equally magnificent. The menu is not very long – but the descriptions of each food item sound fantastic and it's hard to decide what to eat.

After sitting down and ordering we were served some very nice bread and a small taste of a creamy harvest soup – a perfect start to a meal on a chilly fall evening. Next we shared the brussels sprout and pear salad. It was very good – the brussels sprouts had been blanched and chilled and paired perfectly with the pears, nuts, and balsamic vinegar. I chose the winter squash farrotto entree. The flavors of apple, parmesan, and sage blended superbly with the hearty farro. It was outstanding! The wine was great and paired well with the food. Others at my table ordered the duck and said it was also very good. It was an amazing meal! I want to go back and try more of the items on the menu!

Rouge Tomate was recently awarded a Michelin Star – definitely well deserved! Congrats!

Arriving in New York City

About halfway through our northeast travels we arrived in New York City. I have always loved visiting New York. It is a fun and vibrant city with great diversity unmatched in anywhere else. It is also an intense place – hectic and full of life 24 hours a day.

For this trip we picked the Franklin Hotel on the Upper East Side. When we arrived the staff held our bags while we headed out to Madison Avenue for an afternoon of shopping, returning later in the evening to check into our room.

The Franklin Hotel property was perfect for us – it is located in a beautiful old building in a quiet Upper East Side neighborhood. The rooms are charming, the building has a great old elevator, and hotel provides excellent amenities. Throughout our stay we were thrilled with this hotel. Every morning the hotel provides continental breakfast – croissants, brioche, cheese, and prosciutto with espresso, tea, and juice. And in the early evenings the hotel serves wine, cheese, crackers, and nuts – a perfect way for guests to relax at the end of a great day in city. The hotel staff is very friendly and worked hard to assure we had a wonderful stay. Next time I go to New York City I will definitely stay at the Franklin Hotel again!

Exploring Around New England

In addition to exploring history and food in Boston and Cambridge, we visited other areas around New England: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. It has been several years since I was back in the northeast for autumn. It is beautiful – with the leaves ablaze with color before they fall to the ground. This was my husband's first visit to New England and I enjoyed sharing this historic and scenic place with him.

After a week in Boston and the surrounding area we headed to New York City.

Dining at Lala Rokh

When I lived in Boston I always enjoyed having dinner at Lala Rokh, a Persian restaurant in Beacon Hill. I would normally either take my sisters for dinner or just go by myself with a book. It is a good place to go for a special occasion or to relax. The atmosphere is calm and peaceful and the food is excellent. On this trip I took my husband here and realized it is also a perfect place for a romantic date!

Walking into Lala Rokh is relaxing. The restaurant is calm with soft music and warm décor. The hostess lead us to a corner table. A great start to our dinner date – Jonathan's favorite place to sit! We ordered and our waitress brought sesame bread and chickpea spread. A tasty start to the meal. This is a good restaurant for vegetarians. Even though the menu does not list many options, the kitchen is able to prepare several of the dishes without meat upon request.



Now, let's discuss the food. We started with a soup. It was a flavorful broth with vegetables and grains – perfect for a cold evening. Next I ordered the sib prepared vegetarian. It was wonderful – a stew of lentils and apples served with fluffy rice and grilled vegetables (instead of meat). Jonathan enjoyed his duck with pomegranate sauce. For dessert we shared baqlava and mint tea. It was amazing – a wonderful blend of honey, cardamon, and rose water.

I was happy to be able to return to Lala Rokh during our stay in Boston – it is a excellent place to enjoy a relaxing and delicious meal.