10 Things To Miss About NYC
The theme of "OH MY I can't believe I am moving out of NYC" continues- this time with 10 things that I am constantly obsessing over about how much I will miss.
1: Flywheel. Obviously. Changed my body, changed my life and is the highlight of my day every single day that I have the pleasure of taking a class. This is a major reason we almost stayed in the city one more year- and I am not kidding. Sure- they are opening in Stamford, and of course I will go there as often as I can, but there is something about the flagship Flatiron studio. I will still come in at least twice a week and build my entire work schedule around the classes I want to take (then carve out pre-meeting time for a blowout at DryBar or something)- but it won't be the same.
2: Vezzo. Every Friday night since we moved into our current apartment in 2006 has been deemed "Friday Night Stay At Home Pizza Night", and it all rides on the delicious super thin crust pizza from Vezzo that we devour. Large with mushrooms on the whole thing, onions on half, and a small pepperoni and jalapeño. Just enough for gorging ourselves at dinner with a little left over for Saturday morning breakfast.
3: Mutually Drunken Dinners. It recently dawned on me that when we live in Westport, if Brian and I go out to dinner together, we both can't get tipsy, because someone has to drive home. I don't think being that couple to get picked up by a taxi from the local hot spot restaurant, passing my parents' friends as we stagger out, is the best way to make a good first impression. Damn.
4: Madison Square Park. When we moved here, it was on the up and up, but not anything like the amazing destination it is now. I walk through it at least 4 times a day- and especially now with a daughter I can appreciate the amazing work that the Madison Square Park Conservancy does. Summer concerts for kids, Big Apple Barbecue Fest, Shake Shack, the playground, the friendly park "rangers" as I call them- everything about it makes our 'hood, which used to be nameless on those color-coded taxi maps, feel like home. If you are moving to NYC, move somewhere between 22nd and 28th, between Park and 7th Avenue. Trust me.
5: Walking Norman. Yeah I know, I will still walk him in Westport. But walking him daily in our neighborhood is always an event. We have made many wacky friends (like the dude who carries a parrot in a cage on his back, and Henry with an endless wardrobe of leather jackets and a super fluffy Pomeranian pup) and built up a little network of local dog owners who we chat with every single day. Norman happens to be an outstanding looking man (and I don't just say that because he is mine, ask anyone!) and the oohs and aaahs he gets as he prances through the park have never gotten old.
6: FreshDirect. I have to walk into a grocery store in 3 weeks? And shop for more than just the next meal? Totally overwhelming. I haven't set foot in a grocery where I didn't check out in the 10 Items Or Less lane since 2008.
7: Our Building Friends. Having a doorman is amazing. Knowing that there is always someone between me and the crazies- heartwarming. But even better than that? We have friends in our building. Friends that we can go visit on a moment's notice, without having to put on shoes or get in a stroller. Alexa's very favorite friend lives a mere 4 floors away- and her mom and I can hang out on the roof, split a bottle of wine and watch the girls play every single night if we feel like it. It is really the most amazing thing, and something I am going to miss deeply. Vertical living has it's pitfalls, yes- but in my opinion, after doing it for 11 years, especially since having a kid- the good stuff far outweighs the sometime cramped quarters.
8: Seamless Web. What you may or may not know about me is this- I don't really like to talk to people. People I feel close to- yes, I will talk until I am blue in the face. But acquaintances or total strangers? Shoot me. The fact that I can order dinner without uttering a single word OR rifling through my wallet for cash? Bliss.
9: The Subway. Granted, I rarely take it. But I do like simply knowing that it is there.
10: Bodegas. Especially the ones with really low standards that let me bring Norman in with me on our nightly walks when the craving hits for Twizzlers or marshmallows or a FrozFruit bar. People say NYC is a hard place to live- but I beg to disagree. Any city that you can walk out your door in pajamas, with a questionably pitiful looking dog, and get Mentos and Fig Newtons at 11pm on a Thursday is, in my book, the easiest place ever.