There is no question that New York is amazing. There is truly nothing else like it in the U.S. San Francisco is a tenth as amazing as New York. These are all givens.
But, where’s the adventure of living only in New York? That would be the thesis statement of my change of heart on day 3 of our trip.
New York is lovely (so lovely), but would I trade it for never having driven through the Smokey Mountains, or celebrated the Super Bowl victory in Louisiana during our drive out to California? Or, would I trade it for Sunday ocean side hikes, and going on unbelievable wine tours? Walking the few blocks from my house to President Obama’s inauguration, followed by thawing out and seeing President Bush’s helicopter take off at Tunnicliff’s?
And, the food. This might get controversial, so I’m really happy that Alan Richman just made the same argument in GQ. I’m just going to hide behind him. I accept that New York has more ethnic food options than San Francisco (hello, Little Ecuador?) and the high-end food is probably much better. But, there is something pretty exciting going on in the mid-priced San Francisco culinary scene — affordable restaurants are churning out surprising and innovative dishes. Cucumber soup with chocolate ice cream and gin gelee. Octopus with grilled asparagus and egg custard. Miso porridge with oxtail. Bruschetta with smoked herring, fava bean puree, and tangerine. These are dishes we’ve had at different restaurants, just within a few blocks of our house. It is a weekly culinary adventure going out to eat in San Francisco.
But, returning to our main point. Today we are talking about adventures in New York, and things that were new to me on this trip. I don’t think I have to tell you to go to the Museum of Natural History or Central Park, right? Right. Here are a few spots that may not be on your must-see list, but that I highly recommend.
1. The High Line
When I lived in New York, local planners and citizen groups started talking about converting the rail tracks over the meatpacking district to a public park. It is still unbelievable to me that they actually did it, and that it so pitch perfect. (A laptop meltdown took my photos of the High Line with it. We must forge on, as difficult as it will be…)
If you take Crissy Field in SF and launch it over the warehouses of New York’s west side, you kind of get a sense of what they accomplished. The High Line, before its park conversion, sat idle for over 20 years, and it was overrun with weeds and wildflowers, growing between the rusty rail tracks. It is brilliant that the Friends of the High Line decided to use the “overgrown rail bed” theme for the park. Weaving through the brick buildings of western Manhattan, surrounded by what looks like a beautiful urban wasteland, feels downright magical.
To get there, access stairwells on Gaansevort, 18th, and 20th Streets between 10th and 11th Ave. There is elevator access on 14th and 16th street, between 10th and 11th Ave.
Go. Now.
2. Teddy Roosevelt’s House
Fine, this next choice may be a little bit out there. But, there are many of us who’ve read Mornings on Horseback and want to see Teedie’s exercise porch. First, go read that book. Then, go see Teddy Roosevelt’s childhood home on 20th Street.
The Roosevelts were the “Royal Tanenbaums” of their time. Multi-generations of crazy-rich and eccentric people, all penned up in a mansion in New York City. The four kids were rarely let outside and were home schooled by their aunt. (This was the same time period as Gangs of New York, so you kind of can’t blame the parents for protecting them from late 19th century Manhattan.)
David McCullough’s Mornings on Horseback is an extremely intimate look into the childhood of a future President. Teedie’s wrote in his journal every day, providing McCullough with excellent fodder. It is downright bizarre to read about a 7-yr-old future President complaining that he is fed up with his older sister, Bamie, bossing him around or expressing jealousy over his little brother beating him in a foot race. Ten pages in, you’ve completely forgotten that this kid ends up being President Teddy Roosevelt, and you root for him, hoping that he makes something of himself.
So, once you’re similarly infatuated with the Roosevelts, head to their first home on 20th street. Spoiler: the original building was torn down in 1916, three years before President Roosevelt died. The Women’s Roosevelt Memorial Association rebuilt it as a replica of the President’s home three years after that, and his sisters (Bamie and Conie aka Anna and Corinne) donated the original furniture.
3. Hung Ry
This was a friend’s recommendation, and I guess an indicator that ramen is having a moment in New York.
Before the restaurant opened for lunch, I got myself a coffee and stood outside reading the paper. A woman approached and got in line behind me. The conversation started out innocuous enough (“Have you been here before?” “No, a friend recommended it.” “It’s really good, except I think they have a different chef for lunch.” “Oh.”) She asked me where I was from – Philadelphia. “Oh, but that’s not where you’re from, that’s where you were born. No, no, where is your family from?” Philadelphia. “No, I mean where are you from? See, I look at you and I see a European background…”
My parents are immigrants from Europe, I’ve often been told I have an “ethnic” look, but I’m pretty sure now that she used “European” as code for “Caucasian.” Within minutes, she was yelling at me about how she wishes every single person in the United States from another country would go back “home” – and not just us recent immigrants, but even people whose ancestors have been here for centuries. She’s writing a book all about it. So, yeah, that’s how lunch started out.
Hung Ry itself serves very good ramen. The noodles were perfectly chewy and the broth was flavorful. I don’t eat pork, so I don’t know how their version compares to traditional Japanese pork ramen. (I’ll say that when I did go to a ramen shop in Fukuoka, Japan, the overwhelming smell of pork wafting from my friend’s bowl was nauseating. That was not the case at Hung Ry. Take from that what you’d like.) For everyone out there with a limited dietary palate, this is an awesome place to get non-traditional veggie or fish versions of ramen.
4. East Houston Hotel
We’ve stayed at the East Houston Hotel a couple of times now, and I highly recommend it. It’s not particularly fancy – the rooms are small, my husband could touch three walls by playing snow angel – but it’s inexpensive and pretty. My favorite aspect may be how unobtrusive the hotel staff is. No one’s there to open any doors for you, and the person behind the counter only looks up if you approach. Lovely and intimate.
But, of course, its best feature is its convenience. It is situated between Soho, the Lower East Side, and the East Village/Alphabet City. It’s an easy and enjoyable walk to the West Village and Chinatown. A couple of blocks away you have access to all the subway lines in NY, so you can easily get to Brooklyn or the Upper East/West Side or Central Park.
