2nd week Visitors Pt3

Sunday, March 18th... the smoke blew over and I woke up to a full house of guests.  I rolled over and went back to sleep... sweet sweet sleep.  I looked at my watch, 12:30pm.  Increible!  I hadn't slept that long in months, but i guess i needed it.  My first New York brunch awaited me...

Eggs benny for Megs

  Megan, Nick, Courtney, Dave and I decided to try the bustling cafe right next door, Yaffa Cafe.  I can see their patio from my bedroom window and on the weekends their brunchers always make quite the commotion.  It was pretty damn delicious... although we opted out of the traditional Mimosa brunch combo, Megan and Courtney were driving back to DC and I was plenty good with just plain eggs. 

lox and chive omelet for me!

I walked the girls to their car and discovered an amazing little flea market in a corner lot on 11th and ave A.  Score!  I went home to drag Nick back here.  Books, clothes, jewelry, shoes, electronics, belts, pretty much anything.  I bought a necklace.  I haggled down from $10-$7, woot!

flea market discovery

 I decided to take Nick to Union Square and wander a bit before he had to get to the airport.  I hadn't been there during the day yet and I discovered a few things in the light...  including the fact that Nick will pose for my photos, yaay!

Elephante in Union Sq

Elephantes galore.  Then I bid Nick ado and sent him on his way in a cab.  I think he made it to his flight on time... hope so!  I walked back along Broadway and stopped in at a Walgreens to get some supplies...

...roach spray and toilet paper.  I settled in at home, clean furiously and ordered up some local chinese... wonton soup and pork friend rice, they guy was at my place in 2.3 seconds... Great end to an awesome weekend with good friends, old and new!  I love this town.

Thanks for visiting Nickolai!

pretty trees at Union Sq

Tompkins Square Park

wonton soup take-out.

2nd week Visitors Pt2

Jogging along the East River

SATURDAY, MARCH 17th...  So I stayed up later than I had wanted to and now that I'm officially old my body won't let me sleep in when I drink... so that equals a terrible terrible headache.  Megs and Coco are driving in from Long Island and it's St. Pattys Day!  I can't waste the day being hungover, too much I'd miss out on.  So after about an hour or so of tossing and turning in bed, feeling pathetic, I said what the hell, it's a beautiful day, I'll sweat it out!  I got dressed and ventured out onto my first run in NYC.  Dave's brother Dan had told me about how close the East River bike path is from my apt so I ran east.  Passing A, B, C and D, I found the path.   My head was bumping but the fresh air felt great and it was a beautiful sight.  Bridges and buildings and boats, oh my!  I turned on my little Runkeeper app to impress Jay and started running.  It felt great.  I ran from about 8th St to 32th St.... & back...total from my house around 3.5 miles.  I grabbed that sleep deprived hangover by the throat and threw it over the side of the East River.  I'm going to try to do that everytime I'm complaining about not being able to sleep in, at least here in NY.  If I'm going to start training my body to run on less sleep, might as well stop bitching about it.

People exercise in NY too!

Empire State of sweat.

 Time to seize the day!  Nick was barely alive on the couch when I got back.  I showered and Megan and Courtney we're at my door!  Let the festivities begin!!  On my run I noticed the hooligans in green starting to come out of the woodwork.  The four of us watched the end of the Syracuse tourney game at Hop Devils bar, on my block, we won, I downed Nick's coconut water and my brain loosened from the hangover vice completely!  After the game and one crowd let out, we took a couple seats and watched the bar fill up again with green heads.  We started to realize that this may be the one night of the year we actually want to get out of the East Village... it was getting nuts. 

Coco, Megaroo & all-class Nick

Greenery filling up.

 We rested up some at my apartment and Mike Kelly came over from Jersey!  It was a lil reunion!  We started hitting the town, looking for no lines and no crowds in every bar but to no avail.  So we did probably the most opposite thing you can do in NYC on St. Pattys; we went to Sushi!  We found some spot upstairs in Astor Place (NYU area), it was decent, and we loaded up on beer and saki to get our buzz back.  Dan Borrelli, his friend Mike, & Dave joined in the fun.  They convinced us to go to Williamsburg to a rooftop bar called Barry Park.  First time in Brooklyn for me and it didn't disappoint!  I was drinking savignon blanc with the gluttard and the weather was fine on the roof.  Even had a pretty decent view of the city!  I'm not sure what happened exactly, but we all had to go downstairs and it was also another awesome surprise, DANCE PARTY!  This place was like a giant warehouse and the DJ was working it!

Green Empire State building!!

Mike Kelly & Megs

 Benny was making everyone work the dancefloor like no joke!  It was a good time had by all.  

A few of us jumped in a cab to meet Marissa Kelly at my apt... She's a chef and just got off work!  It was really awesome to see her, but unfortunately when I got home and sat down, I couldn't get back up again and had to call it an evening.  I gave those crazy kids my keys and went to bed.  I'd say it was a pretty successful St. Pattys day, all in all!

My girlies at Barry Park, Williamsburg, where we danced our butts off!

2nd week Visitors Pt1

Beers and Wine in the Flat Iron w/ Dave & Kyle!

 We'll start this lil blog off with a mid-week meetup of sorts.  I met Ms. Kyle Silveri at a Rye Bar in the Flat Iron/Chelsea district after work.  We had yummy apps, perogies and sampled some fine beer and wine.  Mr. Classy met us and we moseyed over to another bar where I drank my first Brooklyn lager... not too shabs.  We discussed topics of finance and trade.

Asian Tourist pose

  

It's Friday night, March 16th.  I have two girlfriends coming into town for St. Pattys day and staying with me, woohoo Megan and Courtney!  Around 4pm I get a text from Nick Warren-Mordecai saying his friend bailed on him and could he crash in my bathtub.  Oy vey!  I have a huge apartment, so why not?  Full house mcGee.   I had a delicious italian restaurant recommendation from Kyle, her friend and my co-worker for the same place in the EV. Lil' Frankies!  Dan, Dave and I walked down there but it was packed and we were starved.  So we walked up to their brother restaurant, Franks', just a few blocks away.  It was very mild out so we opted to sit outside in hopes of getting served faster.  

Frank's rigatoni on 2nd Ave

We ordered mussels, their house rigatoni with meat sauce and Dave had gnocchi.  All very delicious.  Smaller portions than I would have thought, but no less than I really needed to eat.  Nick met us during dinner, fresh off the airplane from Hotlanta, GA, and ready to dive into some gluten-free behavior!  Dave's brother & Benny found us cruising around the East Village and we literally went to more bars that night that I have been all trip, well, maybe not.  But a lot!  I would take my jacket off and get all settled in one bar and everyone was ready to move onto the next... there are NO SHORTAGE OF WATERING HOLES in the village.  It was a lot of fun. 

Dan, preppy Nick & Dan Schwartzberg

EDITING in NYC

Love me some Game of Thrones 2

I started work today, had my month- metro pass all set to go, subway train route locked down and left at 9:20am to make sure I wasn't late... on my first day!  This little coffee store, The Puerto Rico Coffee Co. is right on my way to the train, score!  It smells delightful in there, with two dozen potato sacks filled with aromatic coffee beans from all over the world.  So balancing the hot coffee cup, my headphones connected to my ipod, my computer backpack & purse, I managed to get my metro card out of my wallet just in time to make the train.  My, my metro card!  (le tigre ref)  ...only to begin sweating like crazy.  It's weirdly hot in NY, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but I hadn't anticipated needing a change of shirt every time I get into my office.  Maybe it would help if I wasn't rushing to work every day of my life, just a thought.  Regardless, I've retired my big coat for now.

My make-shift standing desk

Cool building on W 57th St.

So I work in the old ugly CBS building on 57th St. bwn 10th & 11th ave.  My subway takes me to 57th and 7th ave, and those are long avenues.  Luckily, Dave and Dan showed me the way of the bus!  Often times it runs east/west on big streets.  So low and behold, I caught the M57 bus after just walking half a block west.  I felt pretty darn slick taking two forms of public transpo on my first day of work!!  Eat it LA traffic, ha!  

Columbus Circle

So, work is pretty much the same as in LA, my particular show has a pretty tight schedule and I'm responsible for my own episode, solita.  I do have an amazing producer whom I've worked with in LA long times ago!  I wouldn't be keeping afloat if it wasn't for him.  We get the ways of reality tv post unlike many of these new yorkers.  (cough, cough, refusing to multi-group footage, shoot me now!)  I've made a few friends but alas, the editors and prods are pretty hermit-like when it comes to getting lunch.  I think it's bc NYers walk all the time and lunch is the only time LAers have the opportunity to walk (that is if they're fortunate to work in a cool area)... Oh well, I could use the hunkering-down time to make some sick cutz!  ha!

I walk to Columbus Circle on my way home for a change of pace, I have to transfer trains, but I enjoy walking down 1st Ave from 14th street to get home.  Lots of action, lots to see!  The East Village has a pulse like woah.

MY FIRST SUNDAY

1994 Progressive Rock Band of the Year

Dave dragged me to Central Park today, which in hindsight I was very happy for, because it was a freakin beautiful day!  We took a subway uptown...with a bacon, egg and cheese in hand and landed around 80 something street...  We met Dan, Tom and an old friend from the hills (aka college) Ms. Ann Marie Novak....  we aimlessly walked around the park, seeing the sights... loved it!

Turtle pond

Pretty park trees

Ann Marie, Dan and Dave

 I ventured home alone that late afternoon, stopped in the Whole Foods at Union Square and bought my first groceries!  With all the food i've been sampling out, it was nice to stock up and actually make my own dinner... after all, I was starting work the very next morning...

Pan-fried pork, mixed with fresh spinach, kale, tomatoes, quinoa and parsley with an olive oil, fresh lemon and orange juice dressing.

RAIN

NYC me!

Ahh rain and I can see my breath.  It's officially feels like NY now!  I have my fingerless gloves on, headphones in & slid into the Puerto Rico Coffee store for a cup on my way to the subway.  After a week and a half I'm confidently crossing the street as New Yorkers do... cause if you waited for the walk sign on every corner, you'd never get anywhere!  Feels good.

SHOPPIN'

                                     (FRIDAY, MARCH 9th, 2012)

Walked down to Soho, it was Dave's day off... lucky him, I was hunting for shoes!!  We zigged a little bit but I decided to stay on Broadway bc it was shoe central.  After about 17 stores I found these cool-kid gems on sale at Steve Madden (#2) 70% off!!!    I am sooo NY.  :-)

Then we had lunch in China Town!!! LA doesn't have nothin' on this China Town... Almost bought a whole bunch of raw shellfish just because it looked so good along the way... Clams Casino Phil!!  We went to Joe's Shanghai on Pell St... courtesy of Jenn Vecc!  Can we say SOUP DUMPLINGS!  Sorry I didn't take a pic, don't know what I was thinking!
We had all these ambitious plans to try and scalp tickets at Madison Square Garden for the Cuse semi-finals and go to the Natural History Museum, but I'll save it for another day, and another concert.  I went home to take a nap before watching the game at a bar with old college friends... So I got home, wait, let me preface this.  Yesterday I discovered a few small roaches in my living room crawling along a wall and shelf.  I didn't freak.. too much, I killed them and a couple i found were already dead.  I sprayed RAID along the cracks in the moldings and holes in the wood floor... Forgot about it, came home today to take a leisurely nap... started to get into the covers and ROACH!!!!!  On my freakin' bedspread, as I was pulling it up to get in bed!  I flipped out... killed it, which I was very proud of myself for, and I panicked.  Paced back and forth, stripped the bed, scanned every square inch of my apartment and found nothing.  Screw it, I'm getting this place bombed!  I called the super for the building and he wasn't much help... exterminator comes every 3rd Saturday of the Month, but I need someone now!!!!  It was on my bed, I mean, come on!  It dawned on me at that very moment that I dove head first into this New York life, and that meant embracing all the good and the bad that comes with NY.  I'm living on the first floor, there are dead roaches in my hallway, and they've been here long before I ever was.   I eventually calmed down, my hero Dave came over, waking him from his nap, and bought me more roach spray, duct tape, ice, seltzer and twix.   We secured the perimeter and went to that bar to watch that Syracuse game.  I finally slept through the night, 3 nights later...

PRE-JOB!

                          (THURSDAY, March 8th, 2012)

I woke up and got myself a delicious sausage, egg and cheese on a roll from a local bodega on the corner... There are these grocery/deli/sandwich shops on just about every single corner of the East Village, and then maybe every other corner throughout the rest of Manhattan... bodegas... it's crazy!  They are hit or miss, but they all have great New York rolls... just can't get soft bread like that in LA.... not on the daily at least.  Syracuse Big East Tourney game was on at noon so I brought my sammie and coffee back to this sweet pad I call my home and relaxed on the couch... the game wasn't so relaxing as they barely pulled through in the last few minutes! 

Then i found myself ironically carrying home an awkward 17 lb box of sweaters, jackets and scarfs I sent myself, from the fed-ex half a mile away, in 70 degree weather.  Crazy weather!  Although it did drop to the low 30s that night, so I was grateful afterall...

I continued my leisure afternoon by shopping at boutiques on E. 9th St. (no luck) and getting my nails done (cheaply!) at one of the 5,000 nail places in a 14 x 5 block radius!  Nail places, laundermats, bodegas, ramen noodles restaurants and bars... that's the East Village! 

That evening I met Kyle and Doug at Republic Thai in Union Square... very crowded spot I hadn't walked through yet!  It was deelish and fun to catch up.  Classy Dave didn't have work the next day so we uptowned it to meet Dan at a tiny whiskey bar on 80-something st... We took the express bus uptown!!!  Wild, but I'm so glad we did as I was comfortable taking a cross-town bus to work today on my first day of work!  (to be blogged later...) 

Washington Square Park

1st subway ride -fancy flats made it far!

 We subway-ed it downtown (for my first subway all trip)... stopped in at a bar to pee and it started pouring!!!!  So of course we had to stay for a drink and wait for the rain to let up.   We danced our way home at the end of the night... p.s. Classy Dave (aka, my husband away from husband) amazingly lives around the corner from me in the EV!!!  We are partners in crime... He helped find me a sublet, being my eyes and ears in NY while I was on the computer in LA... Thank you DAVE!!!!

BAGELS AND HIGH LINE

Sesame seed bagel with scallion cream cheese, lox and tomatoes!

(WEDNESDAY, March 7th, 2012)
I have 5 days left before I have to start work officially.... and even though I was ridiculously hungover after my first night as a new yorker, I had to seize the day.  I walked about 12 blocks up to Ess-a-Bagel, on a tip from a Nic (with a 'c')... and yes, it was so absolutely amazing like he said.  From the response I got posting the pic on facebook, i'd say the people have chosen!  Thickest yet not too soft bagel i've ever laid eyes upon!  This lox sammie set me back about $12, but I didn't care, I was in heaven.

Luckily my old friend Dan decided to skip class and show me the town!  (well, 1/64th of it aprox).  We started walking south on 1st Ave...  He showed me the lay of the downtown land.... Houston, the Village, Soho, Nolita, Tribeca from afar, and the west village... Stopped for a drink at this cute lil tavern... Man I totally brought the Cali weather, it was like 60 out!

the High Line!

Then we continued on to this awesome outdoor garden project called the High Line.  It was this old above-ground rail that is no longer running... So it was just sitting there, on the west bank, unused and soaring eyes all over the place.  A few summers back they started this project to make it a urban public park.  Dan says they planted foliage that would have grown there naturally if it hadn't been a rail line.  Now the highrises around it have upped their values like crazy, people go there and watch the sunset over the Hudson to the west.  It was just lovely!

Emo cool

Stink eye!

 We walked like 20 something blocks on the high line till the end on 30th St.... then we zig-zagged back across the city, going through Madison Square Park, Flat Iron District, Gramercy Park (where Dan will someday live like a wealthy man with exclusive keys to the park) and finally back home to the East Village.... you could say that my dogs we're barking!!  Hangover gone, great day!!

FIRST NIGHT

God among Men, Crazy Dave

My first night in town my husband away from husband, as we're calling him, Dave Schwartzberg, met me at my place in the cool East Village and we went 8 doors down to a little belgium beers bar where we met the rest of the Syracuse boyz.... 

Tom, Benny and Borrelli

Blogger extraordinaire

SO HERE GOES...

So here goes... My name is Jamie Conklin and I'm living a parallel life.  I just stepped foot into my new surreal New York City life for 3 whole months.  My everything is home in Los Angeles, Burbank to be exact.  My amazing husband Jay; two beasts of puppies, the loyal Max and Mona; my lovely house and yard; my not so lovely honda civic; my family; and my awesome friends.  But I've left all this behind to work, live and play in the big apple.  Although I've visited numerous times, this time I'll be immersed in the culture like never before.... as a professional with no responsibilities and no car.  God I'm excited for this adventure!  I wanted to share with whomever's bored enough, all that I experience and taste along my jumpin' journey!