I’ve been in NYC for about 10 days now and thought I’d share some of my observations and lessons learned from my first week or so.
1. Black is the only acceptable color.
My first day in town I wanted to get some exercise and go for a walk around Central Park. It was maybe 30 degrees outside if I was lucky. So I put on my trusty red down parka (sooooo warm), yoga pants and my athletic shoes and took off. I seriously think I was the only person in this entire city not wearing a black coat! Can you say tourist? I stuck out like a sore thumb! I thought for sure I would get mugged. With all the walking you have to do around here, why don’t more people wear sneakers and be comfortable?
- Black coat, skinny jeans (or leggings) and flat, tall boots is the only acceptable outfit around here
2. Knit Hat = Bad Hair Day
After my first outing, my ears were freezing. I debated buying some dorky ear muffs from a street vendor but opted for a knit hat instead. After all, I noticed all the girls wearing them here. I quickly learned that once that hat is on my head it’s never coming off in public the rest of the day!
- Is it acceptable to wear a knit hat in a restaurant?
3. A snowstorm in the city doesn’t stop anybody!
We had a little snow storm one Saturday and Mark & I wanted to go out to a pub to watch the Army Navy game. Walking around the city in a snow storm is actually kind of fun. You’d think it would keep people inside but not here. However, it can be a bit dangerous…the snow doesn’t fall soft and gentle around here…it blows sideways and in your face! Which means you have to remember to look up occasionally so you don’t run into someone on the street, oh and wear waterproof mascara!
- Uggs are not acceptable boots to wear in the snow, unless you want to slip and fall and get wet feet!
4. Appetizers are my new best friend
Ok, let me just start this off my saying how freakin’ expensive it is around here to eat. I suppose that would be okay if you’re going out to eat occasionally, but when I have to eat 2-3 meals out, it adds up! All this eating out is going to cause two problems: We’re going to go broke and we’re going to gain weight! So I’ve decided I have to limit myself to the appetizer/salad side of the menu. Smaller portions, cheaper prices!
- Secret to staying slim here, eat less and walk more, imagine that!
5. Trying to get a nice meal on a whim isn’t as easy as one would think.
It was Friday night around 9:00 and we wanted to get some dinner. Okay, there’s a million restaurants around here, lets take a walk and grab a bite. Ha! That’s a joke. After stopping in several restaurants we quickly learned if you want to eat at a real restaurant and not just grab a slice of pizza, you probably need to make some reservations. When they tell you there’s no table available for the entire night but feel free to grab a bite to eat in the bar, forget about it. If you can even squeeze your way through the bar, you’ll quickly find out that’s where all the other idiots are hanging out that don’t have reservations either!
- Reservations = Nice Dinner, No Reservations = No Dinner
6. No more Costco for me
The line at Whole Foods…another reason to order food online and have it delivered!
Bulk grocery shopping here just doesn’t happen. I remember that from living here 27 years ago, except back then I was in my 20’s and didn’t really cook much anyways so it didn’t matter. But I like to cook. Now I just have to figure out how to get the food to the apartment. I made a trip to Whole Foods and was careful to only buy what would fit in two bags to carry home. I discovered Fresh Direct, a grocery delivery that has fairly decent prices, so I think that’s the way to go around here. Stay tuned…one day I might have a new recipe posted on this blog if I ever start cooking again.
- Fresh Direct is my new best friend!
And a couple other random tidbits:
The ticket price at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is $25 according to the sign at the ticket desk. But once I started to pay, they told me its free admission but the suggested ticket price is $25. Since I had already pulled out my 25 bucks, I thought it might be a little tacky to grab…oh say, $5 of it back.
I will never have to buy tupperware again with all the plastic take out containers I’m collecting.
And finally…going from a 3500sqft. house to a 650sq.ft. apartment is quite an adjustment. It’s going to be an interesting couple months that’s for sure!
Judy. doesn’t sound like 27 years ago when we were together there does it? My how things change!!. Have a wonderful holiday season and I love you both. Mary Jane
I know Mary Jane! It sure seemed a lot easier to find an apartment back then too! That was a fun experience, so glad you were there with me!
A *very small part of me wants to move to NYC just for the walking aspect of it all. It seems so cool to walk to the butcher shop and then to the cheese shop and then to the wine shop for dinner. However, the picture of the line at Whole Foods was horrifying.
I think a visit once a decade should suffice.
Hope things smooth out (especially your hair!) soon.
Anita
It is fun, but you have to have the right attitude because it’s just a completely different way of life…especially from California! I think once we’re in our own place and have my own things it will be a bit more comfortable (assuming we stay here). This morning I was making myself some sunny side up eggs for breakfast and then realized this apartment didn’t have a spatula! They quickly became scrambled eggs!
Love this post! You should try Shanghai Cafe for soup dumpling (xiang xiao long bao). Joe’s shanghai in Chinatown supposed to be good too. Don’t expect friendly service. It’s a fast paced Chinese dim sum place but so worth it! 🙂
Thanks for the recommendation! I need all I can get 🙂