Unique New York (the tongue-twister says it all)

This is a very peculiar town.

Never in my life have I seen men dress better than women, a glass of wine for $2 on one street and $20 on the next and people dress up as mermaids to frolic in the streets.

Nonetheless, I fell in love. At the boat basin, overlooking the Hudson at sunset, staring across to the Jersey skyline, I fell in love with this atypical city. Then again when gazing up at the Empire State building lit by green lights. And then again standing in the middle of Time Square. I guess you can’t help when it hits you….but I am just crazy in love with this city.

So who better to share my new love with than Rachel – my best friend from home, who came to visit this past weekend.

And so begin The Escapades of Katie and Rachel: The Not-So-Abridged Version – because you know between the two of us there’s gonna be a whole lot of laughing, eating and singing…loudly – especially when the subway pulls into Harold Square (“Send my regard to Broadway…”), which makes Jess laugh every time.


Quick detour.

So it’s official. I am becoming a professional extra. I thought after TRL that my TV days were over, but I was wrong. Saturday morning, before the roosters even rose (or at least at the same time the rats were scuttling in the subway stations), I made my way to 59th Street to be in a short segment about camping on the CBS Early Show. My Us Weekly editor sent me, and I must say, it was a great experience. Plus, I got to add some two minutes to my previous five minutes of fame.

OK, now back to the escapades.

After returning home from the taping to take a quick nap (from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.), Rach, Jess and I met up with the Friedman clan for breakfast. But not just any breakfast. Norma’s breakfast – which specializes in packing at least 10 pounds to your thighs, hips and ass before 11 a.m. Now normally I would complain about these unwanted calories, but Norma’s had a “sweet” way of enticing us. It’s one of those, you know, dessert-for breakfast, you’re-never-gonna-eat-anything-this-good-ever-again kinda places. Yeah. That was this. But this was WAY better. So I splurged on the PB&C Waffle. That’s peanut butter and chocolate in and on a waffle for those of you not in-the-know. And it was sinful. The best sin I have ever tasted. The only thing that I am disappointed about, now that I have come to the realization, is that I will never eat anything as good ever again. What a shame. Not even through a quarter of my life and I have already had my best meal.

From there, we took an hour subway ride to Coney Island. The land where freaks and folks seem to coexist peacefully – to put it gently. Because Saturday was summer solstice (supposedly the longest day of the year, sunlight-wise), the town held its annual Mermaid Parade, where anyone and everyone gets dressed up like underwater creatures and parades through the streets. From looking at one homemade costume to the next, you get the same sensation that you do from walking around Loehmann’s (or Wal-Mart during Christmas time) – there’s just so much to see that you end up nauseous and with a headache. And some people didn’t even wear costumes. No, no. They painted or tattooed their naked bodies and cartwheeled in the streets. Fantasy Fest meet Mermaid Mayhem. In any other city, I would hope (and pray!) that these people were either completely intoxicated or on some intense drugs, but here, I am all for free spirits, so I enjoyed watching the crazies dance to beat of their own drums. (Exhibit A below).

After pushing our way through the crowds of spectators, we rode The Cyclone – the famous wooden rollercoaster that began operating in 1926. And I must say, don’t let its age fool you. After the first plunge of something like 85 feet, you don’t even have time to catch your stomach before plummeting again. The whole ride just keeps dropping and dropping and dropping until you feel like you are going to drop dead. But don't get me wrong, it was great fun!
What was even more fun was the fact that Jess didn’t want to ride. I don’t mean that in a mean way; rather, I should say it was funny. She isn’t a rollercoaster fan so she waited for us on the rollercoaster entrance platform. By the time Rach and I were getting off of our 50-some-odd seconds of plunging, some guy was haggling Jess to ride/flirting with her in some creepy way. I got frustrated and blurted out, “She can’t. She’s pregnant” (because everyone knows you can’t go on a rollercoaster if you are pregnant) and then grabbed Jess and bailed. He was totally caught off guard and we laughed and laughed while exiting the ride.

We wandered along the boardwalk and went to the original Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs. But since we were so full from our breakfast, we didn’t get anything.

Sunday morning I was up at the crack of dawn again. Rach, Jess and I went to participate in a 5-mile marathon around Central Park in an Achilles Track Club community service project hosted by the Central Park Jogger, who was raped in the park years ago. Though we were exhausted from staying out until 3:30 a.m. the night before, it felt great to get some exercise (so long PB&C!) and to walk for a good cause. And did I mention that we got medals. Gold medals. And we wore them proudly for the rest of the day.

We window-shopped in the Upper West Side and made our way to Levain Bakery - isn’t it awful that more often than not the highlight of my day includes fattening food? But this wasn’t your average bakery. This little joint was featured on the Food Network – specifically on “Throwdown with Bobby Flay”. Each cookie was half a pound. And it gave Norma’s a run for its money, which is an awfully difficult task. The three of us shared the signature four cookies – chocolate chip walnut, dark chocolate chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and dark chocolate peanut butter chip. So while the bakers were rolling out the dough, we practically rolled ourselves out the door.

Skip to Tuesday evening…Monday was just details anyway.

Jess and I went to Central Park at dusk to see the New York Philharmonic play for free. We brought towels and laid in the grass, listening to them play Purple Haze and Stars And Stripes Forever. The only thing missing was a picnic basket. But all the people around us had that covered. Jess and I “ooooed” and “ahhhhed” at all the happy couples kissing and cuddling on their blankets in the grass, eating their homemade sandwiches. So we learned that there are some hopeless romantic guys out there. Only problem is they are like 30 or 40 or 50 years old…and already taken.

Which reminds me actually of Matt (sushi bar Matt). When I asked him what one place in the city I shouldn’t miss eating at, he told me about a place in Brooklyn called “Sea.” And that is where Jess and I went Thursday night. Though Brooklyn isn’t our favorite place to be, the restaurant was on a great street and had the most amazing atmosphere – low tables, wooden benches hanging from medal chains attached to the ceiling and Plexiglas bubble chairs also hanging from the ceiling (just like the one I wanted in my bedroom that my mom said “No way” to). The Thai food was cheap and delicious – just the way I like.
And best of all, the people there were just cool. Artsy and cool. So cool, in fact, that you would think they were un-cool, but they were not. They, in their high-waisted pants, vests, scarves, vintage and the like, were ahead of the trend. So ahead that they all looked almost out of place and quirky.

But this is what I decided.... I think it’s the quirkiness of everyone here that gives this city its distinct character. And I’d have it no other way.