In New York City you don’t have to be the early bird to get the worm, no really you don’t. Feel free to be lazy when you have the time. The city sleeps in and stays out late, not as late as Rome or Paris but it’s getting there. Here’s a splendid day for the explorer who has a pension for restorative rest and the efficiency to pull it off.
Wake up and grab some coffee and a pastry at your favorite bodega, if you are in SoHo, I recommend Smile To Go. Jump on the subway and head to museum row. As tempting as it is to visit the heavy hitters such as the Met and Guggenheim, take a break from their tired collections and head further up 5th Avenue to The Museum of the City of New York. Yes, the name is not as efficient as you are but this new museum is the perfect size and has a nice mix of revolving exhibits that represent historical and contemporary life in New York. Currently, the museum is featuring two great modern exhibits on graffiti artists, City As Canvas, and a beautifully tragic photo story of Hurricane Sandy, Rising Waters, on the first floor. On the second floor the museum has opened up their newest wing which is hosting Activist New York, exhibiting the story of 14 historic causes taken up by the citizens that like to do anything but keep their opinions to themselves.
After you have toured through your museum of choice, hop across the street and into Central Park. A New York day isn’t really complete without a stroll through this iconic oasis and you can find beauty in the landscape at anytime of the year.
You’ve been traveling and walking for awhile so it’s now time to rest your legs. Take the subway to a lovely afternoon movie, I highly recommend an obscure flick at the lovely Angelica. On this lazy day, we headed to Regal Cinemas at Union Square to catch Wes Anderson’s new film, The Grand Budapest Hotel. Now I don’t tread into the territory of film reviews but The Grand Budapest Hotel is fantastic! I was laughing before the first line of dialogue was uttered and kept highly entertained by the quirky, clever, witty world of Wes Anderson for the duration of the movie.
Back tracking a bit, as odd as the 5:30 movie time is you are certainly going to not last the whole film if you do not properly nourish yourself beforehand. If you are in Union Square grab a bite at The Grey Dog just around the corner on University Place. They serve up delicious foamy cappuccinos, outright slabs of amazing marbled brownies, and on this occasion a robust and extremely flavorful Navy bean and chorizo soup.
After the flick, the day continues on with some late night shopping in SoHo. Boutiques are often open until 9 downtown and the later hours are the quieter, calmer times to visit your favorite stores.
Finally, after the mega successful half day you just accomplished reward yourself with a margarita and tacos at La Esquina. Before your tacos, start with some fresh ceviche and empanadas that are prepared like you have never seen but actually in the most traditional way with corn masa filled with chicken, queso cotija, poblano chile, and mushrooms. Then enjoy the smoky fish taco and spicy pulled pork that both come with great pickled onions and spicy cabbage.
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