New York

Let the East Coast Road Trip Begin!

I try to do too many thing on my vacations!  This trip includes NYC, Philly & DC, 5 Friends, a meet up with Family, FOOD and a wonderful dog Roxi.

To start our adventure we'll begin at the beginning.

We left out of LAX at 3:45 with 1 bag and 1 dog on jetBlue.  jetBlue is great with the Pets!  Your dog or cat must be under 20 lbs with the carrier and able to fit under the seat.  We attempted to get her on the plane without purchasing her a ticket.  At $100/way it adds up fast...and it's not like she nor I are getting anything for it.  We had no issues but I was quite nervous.  Watching Dan carry a moving/vibrating bag on a plane, even if I knew what it was (Roxi), still made me uneasy.  No one questioned anything!  And we were all set to go.  I gave her some doggy drugs to make her more comfortable, which made me less comfortable!  I spend the entire 5 hours looking at her every few minutes to make sure she was ok and still breathing!  
What made the flight slightly enjoyable (when I wasn't panicking I OD'd my dog) was Breaking Bad!  

--Breaking Bad.  I do not like shows that are trendy, critically acclaimed or generally liked by many.  This show is Bad, bad meaning good!  I won't bore you with my thoughts here, I'll save it for another post.  But damn what a show!

We got in at midnight which worked out really well for us, other than the cost of one of our free night stays at our favorite hotel!  We were meeting a friend who drove up from DC there so he was able to pick us up at the airport. Getting from the airport to the City is truly the worst part of flying into New York (JFK).  We typically take the airtrain ($5) to the Jamaica Station and hop on the LIRR (Long Island RailRoad) to Penn Station ($7-12 off-peak & peak). This is usually the cheapest and quickest way in.  Still takes about an hour+ but cost is generally much less, unless you have a large group (at least 5 people), taxi's are way over priced.

We stayed at the Kimpton hotel Ink48 (48th and 11th Ave) and had another

wonderful experience.  Upgrade!  Inner Circle Treats!  Roxi Friendly!
What's great about this hotel is it's beautiful rooms and interesting history. It was formerly a printing house!  They've kept the printing theme going to their restaurant PRINT, and rooftop bar The Press Lounge (amazing rooftop views! day or night you must check it out, even if you aren't staying at Ink48 and grab a cocktail while there!).  We were able to sneak a peak at the view but they were closing up so we couldn't sit or drink.

In the morning we hit the streets early!  New York is known for it's great food and as a formal local I miss it.  We went to the best bagel shop, Absolute Bagels (UWS, take the 1 train to 103 and a few blocks up, 2788 Broadway, between 107th and 108th).  I get the sesame seed bagel toasted with cream cheese, Dan opts for the egg bagel toasted with butter (couldn't be more different!).  And don't just take my word, they have a 4.5 review on yelp! out of 492 reviewers!  Everyone else I know highly recommends the everything bagel (I fear change).

Then we took a leisurely walk down to 82nd and Amsterdam for a snack at the Gin Mill (UWS, take the 1 train to 79th St and Broadway or the B&D to 81st St and CPW, 442 Amsterdam, between 81st and 82nd).  Great drink specials, my personal favorite buffalo chicken strips and seasoned tater tots! We headed back the the hotel to pick up our dog Roxi and check out.  


Hello Brooklyn!  On our way to our next stop we hit up the bestest, cheapest, hottest, Sicilian slice of pizza!  L&B Spumoni Gardens (take the N to 86th St, the D to 25th Ave or the F to Avenue X, 2725 86th St, Brooklyn).  This place is deep in Brooklyn, might take an hour to get there depending on where you are coming from-  I think it's the 2nd to the last stop!  But oh so worth it. Pizza is fresh (because everyone is buying it up!) and cheap.  You have a choice between Round Slice or Square (Sicilian) Slice.  The square is so good, I haven't tried the Round!  It has a thick bread-y crust piled with mozzarella cheese, a layer or sauce, some parm and extra virgin olive oil.  I am sad thinking about how long it will be before I get another slice!  Did I mention cheap? It's $2.50 a slice and $1.50 for a can of soda.  Get 2 to start.


Next Stop...Philly!