New York Diary Part 2: I [heart] NY

Friday greeted us with cold and slightly nasty weather. It was overcast and had just begun to rain. But since there was a lot to do and see, we grabbed a quick breakfast of bagels, cold eggs, and cinnamon rolls and braced ourselves for the day. Here's what we saw:

The site formerly known as Ground Zero: As much as the wounds still sting, "Ground Zero" is moving forward. The large gap in the skyline was full of construction crews, machinery, and cranes diligently moving the future project forward. We saw bits and pieces of it the former site, as well as some vendors selling 9/11 kitsch, but all in all, it didn't have the same impact as it once did, if that's the right word. There was just a more positive energy running through it, rather than a mournful one. Though, the lone surviving stairwell was still present, which was a little surreal. And the old subway stop is a bit of a memorial site, which was pretty neat to see.

Financial District & Wall Street: After a quick stop at Century 21 (which is a must-shop, but have patience), we headed to Wall Street. On our way, we entertained the idea of going to the McDonald's on Broadway down there. There was a rumor that it had a piano player, doorman, and table service, but it looked like a normal McD's to us. So we passed. What they don't mention about Wall Street is that it's kind of hidden. So keep an eye out for it. First on the block is the New York Stock Exchange, which is where my Roth IRA and M's 401K goes to work every day. Since it was mid-day, there wasn't much to see. But there was a lot of police activity EVERYWHERE on Friday. No idea why. Wall Street also had its very own Tiffany & Co. So of course we had to stop by and take a peak at all the pretty gems we can't afford.

Chinatown, Little Italy, Tribeca, and SoHo: We kind of breezed through these parts. Mostly because we were tired and I didn't feel like buying counterfeit jewelry. Though I will say that Chinatown had a shop with pashmina scarves, 3 for $10. It was the best deal I could find considering all of the shops were selling the exact same thing for more. I know they probably aren't the real deal, but who cares? They kept me warm. We got lost looking for the C train station (which we never would have found without asking), so we managed to wander on the border between SoHo and Tribeca. For some reason, I felt like I was walking through downtown Oakland. I'm sure either part of Manhattan is fine, but this area wasn't. Lesson to be learned: know where your subway stop is.

Nap time: Best part of the day ever! Even though our hotel room was crammed and the bed was as hard as a rock, when you are tired, you don't care. ZZZZZzzzzzz...

Sardi's: After our hour long power nap, M and I primped and headed off to dinner. Sardi's is apparently a bit of a Theater District favorite. It's right across the street from Shubert Theater (where Spamalot is) and it's full of characatures of a variety of celebrities. Including Kermit the Frog. Which by the way, THIS was the restaurant Kermit visited in Muppets Take Manhattan. I originally thought that it was Hollywood Brown Derby, but I guess different restaurants have the same "characature" concept for their wall decor. But I digress. We made a reservation, but we probably didn't need one as it was pretty quiet for a Friday night. There are two stories. The bathroom has a tenant to turn the faucets on for you at the sink. You are served your food by a "team" of waiters all dressed the same. And the prix fix menus can easily feed two people split. Was the food good? It wasn't bad. We had salmon for an appetizer, crab cakes for the meal, and a chocolate mint ice cream creation for dessert. The coffee is GREAT! If you order single entrees, it might get expensive. But we sat next to a couple from NOLA who apparently dines at Sardi's every time they visit NYC. They love it. So I'll recommend it.

Spamalot: Really needs a blog post on it's own. So I'll review it tomorrow. I'm exhausted.