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Living in New York is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because there are wonderful places to spend money. It is a curse because a lot of money usually gets spent.
Atlantic Book Shop. 179 Atlantic Avenue.
This is the best book store in the world. The prices range from about $15 to a buck or two. Some of the books are used, some new. They have everything you could want. I've never left empty handed.
Union Square Barnes and Nobles. 33 East 17th Street.
The best Barnes and Nobles. A million levels, a great movies and music selection, a massive amount of graphic novels and a Starbucks that seats about seven billion people.
Book Court. 163 Court St.
So it is a tad overpriced, but it's an independent new books seller, so I like supporting them. Their children section is AMAZING. And they have a skylight.
Park Slope Community Book Store. 143 7th Ave.
The name doesn't lie. This is a community book store. They have a dog and a cat and everyone knows each other- they even remember me. The selection is great too. Lots of fiction. Reasonable prices.
Books of Wonder. 18 West 18th St.
A book store dedicated to kids books with a cupcake shop adjoined to it? Perfect. They have an amazing selection of books ranging from picture books to teenage fiction. Also the staff there literally knows every book they sell. It's a great place to hang. The cupcakes are good too.
The Corner Bookstore. 1313 Madison Ave.
I have never bought anything here, they are a tad overpriced being the Upper East Side and everything. BUT. It's just such a wonderful place to be in. It's mostly children's books, which I adore.
PS Book Shop. 76 Front Street.
I haven't been here since they opened at the new location, but it was pretty cool before, and I've heard from my sister it's even better now. They have pretty affordable prices and a nice selection. And it's in DUMBO duh, who wouldn't wanna be there??
Columbus Circle Borders. 10 Columbus Circle.
I love Borders Books so much and this is the coolest location. They have an amazing selection of everything. Movies, cds, television boxed sets, fiction, poetry... and they always have these awesome sales. Plus a Dean and Deluca. So go there and buy stuff,
On Tuesday I installed a new bookshelf. Our situation is dire.
Doctor Who Pronouncement: Shipping Amy with Eleven is like... like.. like shipping an eight year old with their grandfather. IT DOES NOT WORK.
Are you hungry in Manhattan? Do you want to be reasonable but you can't stomach fast food? Are you tired of Starbuck's limited selection? Are you dubious of just walking into restaurants? Then you need to try some of Manhattan's popular upper-scale fast food chains.
Dean and Deluca. It's one of the nicer (and therefore more expensive) of the bunch. They have great quiche, scones and baked goods. Their sandwiches are pre-made and run about $9 but they are amazing. There are some vegetarian options. Their tea selection is stellar.
Pret a Manger. They have great sized salads, amazing soup, pre-made sandwiches and yogurt and stuff. Best part? The soup is only $3! They also have sushi and a really nice dessert collection.
Au Bon Pain. Sadly there are only a few in the city but Au Bon Pain is one of my favorite places to eat. They have fresh sandwiches and salads put together on the spot, good coffee selections, soup and crusty bread. But of course what they are famous for it their massive selection of baked goods and pastries!
Cucina and Co. Going to Herald Square? Then go the Cucina and Co. They have amazing hot food for affordable prices, pre-made sandwiches, a salad bar, sushi and dessert.
Europa Cafe. $6.25 for a massive wrap and I'm a happy camper. They have a huge selection of sandwiches and wraps on all sorts of bread. They have pre-made salads and a salad bar, little pizzas and quiches, the whole nine yards. The coffee is good too.
Hale and Hearty. Soups and bakes goods and sandwiches on godlike bread, also salads if you're not so much of a bread person. The soup is really reasonable, the sandwiches are a tad over-priced.
Pax Wholesome Foods. Pizzas and sandwiches and wraps and all that good crapolla. It's great for kids too, they have some more "normal" options. Plus with $6.75 soup-and-half-sandwich deals you really can't go wrong! Also offers all those specialty coffees we love so much.ASDFGHJKL; Another Sufjan album set for October, this is maddnesss! I finally got to listen to Avalanche this summer. And then he goes and releases All Delighted People, almost giving me a heart-attack and now he goes and springs this upon us? Sufjan you are a god, I swear.
I'm an East Side girl and terribly fond of neighborhoods populated by rich, old people. Behold, my favorite Manhattan haunts.
14th Street/Union Square. Featuring Books of Wonder, Pret a Manger, a massive Barnes and Noble, an Anthro, Banana Republic, J Crew and Free People. Also a park, great Halal food, Whole Foods, a big AE, two craft stores and ABC Home and Carpet. It's very relaxing and casual.
The Financial District. Featuring Trinity Church, Au Bon Pain, many old historical sites, South Street Sea Port in one direction, Battery Park City in the other. The Fireman Museum. It's fun to go here and march around as if you had a purpose... but actually just meander and get lost.
The Upper East Side. Featuring The Met, a beautiful Barnes and Noble, the Lexington Diner, Alice's Teacup, Jamba Juice and of course... CENTRAL PARK! Although I never dare go into the stores it's always fun to look. And wander. And imagine. (Being a rich old lady. Yeahhh...)
Columbus Circle. Featuring Whole Food, Borders Books, Subway, a pretty park thingy, this mini art gallery, Sephora, William-Sonoma, Bouchon Bakery and Dean and Deluca. Also United Colors and Bebe which are fun to look at. This is by far the best place to waste time and money in Manhattan. It's one-stop fun, you never have to leave the building!
5th Avenue from Central Park South to 40th Street. Featuring Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, FAO Schwarz, The Apple Store, the former Disney Store, St. Patrick's, Crabtree and Evelyn, Hale and Hearty, Rockefeller Center, the main branch library, Barnes and Nobles... Etc, etc, etc forever and ever amen. Quintessential NYC if you ask me.Going to Target and Starbucks in an hour... ♥
I love Central Park, and although the ~Wild North End~ remains a mystery to me, I could walk through most of it in my sleep. The reservoir, the boat pond, and the other boat pond. The little lake at the 57th street entrance, the Ladies Pavilion, The Merchant's Gate Plaza Cafe, and the Ancient Playground with it's hippo sprinklers we were never allowed to go in, curses. But the BEST PART of Central Park, if you can narrow its beauty down, is the random, fascinating, enchanting and mysterious statues tossed here and there. Finding a new one is a triumph, rediscovering an old one is just as impressive. Then again, I've always had something for statues.
The panther on the drive.
These are somewhere in the vague area of Strawberry Hill.
My lovely bear, at the entrance to the Central Park Zoo. (Where I met Martin Landau on my tenth birthday.)
The Mother Goose statue that I can never find unless I am not looking for it.
The Alice statue, which I always seem to find, even when I'm trying to get away from it. Also, this is the only statue that is socially acceptable to climb.
The top of the fountain at the end of the Mall, near the row boating lake.
The beautiful falconer, on the east side of the Mall, that you can't get to without going all the way around.
The little girl fountain wayyyy up north, near the exit of the Garden.
My mother's favorite statue... THE POLISH KING.
Ah Romeo and Juliet, near the Delacourt Theater, obviously.
The Goddess of Victory, at the Columbus Circle entrance.
NETFLIX. Where the frell are my disks? Hurry up now I am serious. Today is St Inigo's Day. He was a hermit in Spain, who was kind and nice and made life better for everyone, because he wasn't like a real hermit. He was like a Nice Old Man. Then he died of natural causes.
Nothing like a coffee shop. Nothing like dropping $8.50 on a small cappuccino and a cookie. Nothing like those apathetic coffee shop girls with thick-rimmed glasses, aqua highlights and strategically placed wrist tattoos which are so nicely showcased while serving iced coffee beverages. Nothing like wasting an hour drinking tea, staring at other people who are wasting hours and drinking tea. Oh yes, nothing like a coffee shop.
This is Ozzie's in Park Slope. There are two of them actually, and they have really good stuff. Not that expensive either... considering. And they had a tiny used bookstore in the back.
Connecticut Muffin, also in Park Slope. There are five Connecticut Muffins, three of which I've been to. My favorite is the one on Prospect Park West, right near the Pavilion theater, but I usually end up at the one on 7th. Sure it's called Connecticut "Muffin," but try their ginger cookies.
This is Mr. Bean's, in Honsdale PA. I went there while visiting a friend. It was oddly "hip" considering it was in a small town in the middle of nowhere. And the Americano was really good. They had the nicest outdoor seating too.
Starbucks. Nothing like a commercialized coffee shop. There are like... 5,000,000 of them in NYC. I don't think I have a favorite. Most recently I've discovered the wonders of green tea frapps and grapefruit Izzies.
Bouchon Bakery. It's more of a place to get lunch then really a coffee shop, but I love it too much to leave out... even though I've only been their once. But, um, their coffee? Probably the best I've ever had. Ever.
So, Bagel Boy in Sheapshead Bay isn't exactly a Mecca for Hipsters, but their coffee is good, their bagels are great and it's so happy.
It was going to pour today, so we canceled our plans of going to Long Island. Now it's not raining. Stupid weather man. Fringe tonight.
