Christmas in New York: Christmas Markets on Every Corner
Monica had told me about an outdoor Christmas market in Bryant Park so I thought I'd do more shopping today! I set out from the hotel and walked down to the park and there was a great outdoor setup of mini shops, kind of like First Friday, like a street fair. There was ice skating and popcorn and hot chocolate, it was fun and Christmas-y! There were a ton of places to buy hats, scarves and mittens, but they all looked the same and I didn't want to get something that wasn't more unique. Nothing's unique anymore, but I don't know, I just didn't need to buy winter clothes, I do live in the Southwest although it has snowed twice in El Paso this year... anyway. I got an ornament for myself, it's a New York one and it says "Christmas 2012" on it. I love it. It will be a nice addition to my tree. See previous posts for a description of my tree.
And there was a sort of creepily adorable jewelry booth. I couldn't decide if I liked it. The jewelry was great, really pretty and sparkly, but the girl in charge was wearing some kind of Loli outfit and something about the whole place creeped me out. I don't know how but I ended up looking at probably every piece for an insane amount of time without buying anything.
The skating was lovely. I didn't go because I didn't want to rent skates and I don't actually remember how to ice skate and the one time I wanted to go in my teens my Mom scared the heck out of me and told me I'd fall and crack my head open (Thanks Mom!) and now I'm a little scared to skate without someone to hold me up. Maybe some day. But it was fun to watch people doing it. I met up with a friend of mine at Tempe Town Lake a long time ago and he was skating but it was so disappointing because it was just a column of ice and too many people. This was much the same, a circle with ice, but for some reason it was fabulous. I'm glad they have more than just at Rockefeller center, I didn't actually ever see the skating. I've heard of it, seen it on t.v. but didn't get to experience it this time.
From the Christmas Market I walked to Grand Central Terminal to do more shopping. I found it by accident last time I was here, and didn't get to look around a lot. And I didn't get to this time either. Because as soon as I found it, I got sick. Me and Grand Central are not meant to be apparently. I had to go back to my hotel for a few hours, I couldn't believe it! It always happens to me, never at a time when it's convenient but always in the middle of something really important or relaxing or special. New York, for me, is all of the above and I spent 3 hours of it sick in my hotel room. I had to ask my sister if it was possible to o.d. on pain meds I wanted to be back outside so badly! It is possible by the way. She said the limit per day is 8. I'd taken 5 before noon. But after a few hours of sleeping and a bath I felt fine enough to go back out.
When I was thinking about this trip, I looked through a book that scared me the first time around. I'd kept it just in case. It was seriously dated, it mentions visiting the World Trade Center and Tavern on the Green, but it has good advice on other things like bagels and shopping, things that probably don't change drastically. But they had a restaurant recommendation for this Sushi place in the East Village and there's a gigantic used bookstore in the same area that I wanted to see. I took the train to Union Square where there was another Christmas Market! It was mostly the same, some different things than the last. There was no skating but there was some environmentalist group who accosted me with the pick up line, "You're wearing plaid and plaid means you love mountains, come talk to us!" That sentence makes less sense than the guy at Times Square who told me, "You a mess girl, but you sexy."
I still don't know if that's a compliment or an insult.
The bookstore is called Strand and they say they have 18 miles of used books. I love used books! And that place was insane! It was so packed you could barely move between shelves and people and more people and people. But it smelled great! All used bookstore-ish! And it has floors, it was pretty big! I don't know about 18 miles, but it was impressive! I wish I had more time/there were less people around for me to have a proper walk around. But now I know it's there.
Finding the restaurant was not as easy. I wandered around for a while in the direction I knew it was. I got the address off their website but never found it. Typical. But I love walking around. I would have done more if I had more time. I needed to eat and get back to Broadway because I had a ticket to Chicago! So I went back to the bookstore and ate at the restaurant across the street, Cosi. Deli food, soup, salad, sandwiches, it was nice. The best part was that it was big enough that I could find a place to sit! I love New York, but after living in El Paso for a year and being crammed into every space everywhere with tons of people, I guess what I should have done is gone to a beach or the mountains. Somewhere entirely isolated.
Maybe next year.
But the food was good and I sat and watched people out the window and read a book. It was my own kind of fun.
And then it was back to Broadway for Chicago. I love Chicago. I have the soundtrack, I saw the movie when it opened with friends, and I was really looking forward to seeing it live. And it sucked.
No. It didn't suck. It was just a huge let down. It was the first time I've ever liked a movie musical more than the live stage show. It was kind of like watching a black box performance, the whole cast was on stage at the same time, as was the band. The band leader is a character in this show so it made sense, I think the band may have been my favorite part of the whole show actually. Or the Mary Sunshine twist. That was fun.
The actors were good. They're always good. I didn't care for the girl who played Roxie which sounds ridiculous! I can't act, I never could, I loved being on stage but I was never any good at it and I know this is what she does for a living and for the love of it. She's had the schooling, the training, the experience, and I feel like a dick saying I didn't like it, but it was just ok. I don't know, I just was expecting the show to be different. But I'm glad I went. Broadway shows are amazing, and definitely my favorite part of New York. I get to live vicariously through talented people.
But then it was over. It was freezing on the walk back to the hotel but I wanted ice cream so I got some. I'm edgy like that.
And that was Day 3. Not the day I had planned, but the day I got. And aside from being sick, I loved every minute. Even then there was a Law and Order marathon on. I've never watched Criminal Intent before.
"...in the air there's a feeling of Christmas."
A few pictures from today:
Ice skating in Bryant Park.
Union Square Christmas Market.
And there was a sort of creepily adorable jewelry booth. I couldn't decide if I liked it. The jewelry was great, really pretty and sparkly, but the girl in charge was wearing some kind of Loli outfit and something about the whole place creeped me out. I don't know how but I ended up looking at probably every piece for an insane amount of time without buying anything.
The skating was lovely. I didn't go because I didn't want to rent skates and I don't actually remember how to ice skate and the one time I wanted to go in my teens my Mom scared the heck out of me and told me I'd fall and crack my head open (Thanks Mom!) and now I'm a little scared to skate without someone to hold me up. Maybe some day. But it was fun to watch people doing it. I met up with a friend of mine at Tempe Town Lake a long time ago and he was skating but it was so disappointing because it was just a column of ice and too many people. This was much the same, a circle with ice, but for some reason it was fabulous. I'm glad they have more than just at Rockefeller center, I didn't actually ever see the skating. I've heard of it, seen it on t.v. but didn't get to experience it this time.
From the Christmas Market I walked to Grand Central Terminal to do more shopping. I found it by accident last time I was here, and didn't get to look around a lot. And I didn't get to this time either. Because as soon as I found it, I got sick. Me and Grand Central are not meant to be apparently. I had to go back to my hotel for a few hours, I couldn't believe it! It always happens to me, never at a time when it's convenient but always in the middle of something really important or relaxing or special. New York, for me, is all of the above and I spent 3 hours of it sick in my hotel room. I had to ask my sister if it was possible to o.d. on pain meds I wanted to be back outside so badly! It is possible by the way. She said the limit per day is 8. I'd taken 5 before noon. But after a few hours of sleeping and a bath I felt fine enough to go back out.
When I was thinking about this trip, I looked through a book that scared me the first time around. I'd kept it just in case. It was seriously dated, it mentions visiting the World Trade Center and Tavern on the Green, but it has good advice on other things like bagels and shopping, things that probably don't change drastically. But they had a restaurant recommendation for this Sushi place in the East Village and there's a gigantic used bookstore in the same area that I wanted to see. I took the train to Union Square where there was another Christmas Market! It was mostly the same, some different things than the last. There was no skating but there was some environmentalist group who accosted me with the pick up line, "You're wearing plaid and plaid means you love mountains, come talk to us!" That sentence makes less sense than the guy at Times Square who told me, "You a mess girl, but you sexy."
I still don't know if that's a compliment or an insult.
The bookstore is called Strand and they say they have 18 miles of used books. I love used books! And that place was insane! It was so packed you could barely move between shelves and people and more people and people. But it smelled great! All used bookstore-ish! And it has floors, it was pretty big! I don't know about 18 miles, but it was impressive! I wish I had more time/there were less people around for me to have a proper walk around. But now I know it's there.
Finding the restaurant was not as easy. I wandered around for a while in the direction I knew it was. I got the address off their website but never found it. Typical. But I love walking around. I would have done more if I had more time. I needed to eat and get back to Broadway because I had a ticket to Chicago! So I went back to the bookstore and ate at the restaurant across the street, Cosi. Deli food, soup, salad, sandwiches, it was nice. The best part was that it was big enough that I could find a place to sit! I love New York, but after living in El Paso for a year and being crammed into every space everywhere with tons of people, I guess what I should have done is gone to a beach or the mountains. Somewhere entirely isolated.
Maybe next year.
But the food was good and I sat and watched people out the window and read a book. It was my own kind of fun.
And then it was back to Broadway for Chicago. I love Chicago. I have the soundtrack, I saw the movie when it opened with friends, and I was really looking forward to seeing it live. And it sucked.
No. It didn't suck. It was just a huge let down. It was the first time I've ever liked a movie musical more than the live stage show. It was kind of like watching a black box performance, the whole cast was on stage at the same time, as was the band. The band leader is a character in this show so it made sense, I think the band may have been my favorite part of the whole show actually. Or the Mary Sunshine twist. That was fun.
The actors were good. They're always good. I didn't care for the girl who played Roxie which sounds ridiculous! I can't act, I never could, I loved being on stage but I was never any good at it and I know this is what she does for a living and for the love of it. She's had the schooling, the training, the experience, and I feel like a dick saying I didn't like it, but it was just ok. I don't know, I just was expecting the show to be different. But I'm glad I went. Broadway shows are amazing, and definitely my favorite part of New York. I get to live vicariously through talented people.
But then it was over. It was freezing on the walk back to the hotel but I wanted ice cream so I got some. I'm edgy like that.
And that was Day 3. Not the day I had planned, but the day I got. And aside from being sick, I loved every minute. Even then there was a Law and Order marathon on. I've never watched Criminal Intent before.
"...in the air there's a feeling of Christmas."
A few pictures from today:
Ice skating in Bryant Park.
Union Square Christmas Market.
Comments
Post a Comment