Celebrity Chefs, Restaurant Hype, and Pizza
Given a choice, I prefer small, local restaurants. In general, I am a bit wary of restaurants have too much hype. In today's world of Food Networking cooking shows and star the ultimately hyped restaurant is one with a so-called celebrity chef. So, I had tampered expectations and was slightly suspicious of two of the dining spots on our New York itinerary – Otto Enoteca Pizzeria and Mesa Grill.Our fourth day in New York was a crazy day for me – waking up at 5:00 am, flying to Washington DC for a meeting, and returning to New York City by late afternoon. After a short nap at the hotel I

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...

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 fo

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

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 87th Street (where the Franklin Hotel is located) south to 60th 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.