A Few of My Favorite (NYC) Things

In my continued effort to organize (and categorize) my blog, I stumbled upon this list, still in draft form, that I originally wrote in 2006. I had lived in Chicago for two years by then, but clearly was missing NYC and my 7+ years of living there. The list still holds true today-- and there are countless more things that I could add. But at 60 things, it's probably a good place to start. I think 75% of the things on the list are food-related (restaurants, markets and food). Good to know some things never change.

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1. Astoria
2. Diners
3. Chocolate egg creams
4. Broadway Tavern (neé Station)
5. Lemonia (it's not called this anymore, but it's still some of the best Greek food you'll have outside of Greece... just look for the place on Broadway/30th street in Astoria)
6. Elias' Corner (Greek seafood and ornery waitresses in Astoria... YUMMM)
7. The Yoga Room
8. Buttercup Bake Shop








9. The notions district
10. The fact that I could get anything, anywhere, at anytime
11. MOMA Design Store
12. Central Park
13. NYC-only restaurant chains
14. The fact that you always get napkins with any food item you buy (even if it's just coffee) and that everything always comes in a paper bag (even coffee).
15. Street food vendors & ginormous cinnamon rolls.

16. Papaya King
17. Roasted chesnuts for your pockets in the winter
18. Good Enough to Eat
19. Theater-- all and any





20. The N Train
21. Eisenberg's
22. Subways in general, actually
23. That you always know where you are (except maybe sometimes in the Village)
24. That 20 blocks equals a mile
25. That even streets ran East

26. The Queensboro Bridge
27. 31-62 29th Street
28. My view from Apt. 6f

29. Kate's Paperie
30. Chat-n-Chew
31. Campbell Apartment (the bar/lounge)
32. oh-- and the Campbell's Apartment (1361)
33. Grand Central Station
34. 41st Street (between Madison and Fifth)
35. The New York Public Library
36. Dancing in the rain in Bryant Park
37. Karaoke in Korea-town
38. Brother Jimmy's
39. My little slice of heaven on 23rd street between 6th and 7th
40. That I never once made the street fair on Broadway in Astoria (but the NYPD always knocked on my door to let me know that I should move the car before it was towed)
41. Ciao Bella (both the original and the upgrade in Brooklyn)

42. Basillica










43. Mister Softee
44. Going to three different Tasty Delight's, in a three block radius, to find the right flavor
45. J.G. Melon
46. Eli's




47. Zabar's
48. Arthur Avenue (and Dominic's)
49. That in NYC there are three places-- in Manhattan ALONE-- to take the freakin' GMAT; in Chicago, there's ONE.
50. That in NYC, I'd be able to find the Merrell boots I want in about a hundred places (and in Chicago, no one's ever heard of them...).
51. That some of the best friendships of my life were made there.
52. That said friends made my last days in NYC the best ever-- accomplishing my "wish list" of walking over the Brooklyn Bridge; having drinks on the roof of the MET, and seeing the Public Theater's production of my FAVORITE Shakespeare play, "Much Ado About Nothing," in Central Park (starring fellow VC alum, Lorenzo Pisoni), all in one day.
53. That there are still so many things that I want to do there.
54. Montu and Casey dancing in the street.
55. Montu and Casey in general.
56. The Daves and their Times Square haven.
57. My soul sister, Jes.
58. The sanity to my insanity, Mary C.
59. The Conran Shop.
60. Christmas in NYC.