SU17 Adventure, Day 2: High Line and Alive After 5

Considering that I got “home” after midnight and couldn’t figure out how to make my futon lie flat, I slept quite well. I walked next door to the 7-Eleven to buy a coffee and something simple for breakfast. Good intentions. As soon as I walked in, some guy approached me, tried to give me $6, and asked if I could buy him some baby formula for his baby who is over at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. He said that it would be about $7, so he needed someone to help him with the rest. That sounded like a decent request and and an approach that I had not encountered before. (One other approach that caught me off guard several years ago was “Don’t think white.” Let me know if I need to explain.) Then, he asked the cashier if they carry baby formula. They didn’t. His story was that the store across the street would have it, but he should have gone to Rite Aid. Instead of bugging someone down there, he decided to get some chicken wings. WHAT??? A baby on formula is going to chow down on some wings? I was too groggy to question it and didn’t really care, so I said that I would buy him some wings–spicy ones for him and mild ones for the baby. Whatever…and it only cost me $3. He kept the $6 and didn’t offer it to me. Shoot, I could have actually made some profit from that!

I took my time with my little breakfast and left the apartment around 10 to walk down 8th Ave to the High Line. I’ve walked the High Line several times, but what makes it fun is that it is constantly changing. It was so lush with greenery, and the weather was just right for a walk. The idea after the High Line was to go to the new Whitney museum in the Meatpacking District. By the time I reached the end of the High Line, it was almost time for the museum to open. I needed something to perk me up, though, so I went to a cafe and was going to get an espresso. I saw that they had a kombuch that I’ve never heard of, so I ordered it. Generally when you order kombucha somewhere, you get a pint. The guy pulled out a bottle, though, and he poured part of the bottle into a tiny class–maybe 1 cup. I was hoping and praying that he would give me the bottle to finish pouring myself after emptying the first pour. Nope. He put the bottle back in the refrigerator and handed me the tiny glass. Well, it was delicious. After a while, he asked how I liked it, and I said that it was great but I wish I had more. He said that this had been a problem before and that it’s an awkward serving size. Apparently, the owner decided that is how much one should get….for $6. I wasn’t angry or demanding more kombucha, but I also wasn’t letting down about how shocking that shot of kombucha was. He gave me a free shot of espresso, and I felt better. 🙂

I went back to the museum and found out that admission was $25. If I had 3 hours, that would still be somewhat expensive, but I would have done it. The employee there told me that I could do it in an hour, but I decided that I would wait until another visit to see the museum. Instead, I went to the Apple Store to buy a headphone adapter, then walked to Chelsea Market, which is always fun and has really improved in the past few years! From there, I moved on to my lunch destination of my beloved Buvette. I visited Buvette for the first time several years ago with Jane, and we met the chef. It is the most beautiful little French restaurant, and the food is always simple and delicious. When I got there at 11:30, they were still serving from their breakfast menu, so I ordered the cafe miel (coffee with honey). It was beautiful and very tasty. I savored it but was about to leave and find lunch somewhere else, when the server brought me the lunch menu. I know I’m weird, but when I saw the smoked trout and lentil salad on the menu, I couldn’t resist. It was wonderful, and I felt good about what I had eaten.

I slowly wandered back to the Airbnb with a few quick stops along the way. At around 2:00, I gathered my things and went to check in at my hotel in Brooklyn, which was the Fairfield Inn & Suites. It was a bit of a journey and not terribly convenient to the subway, but it was a nice hotel and a good deal (after using credit card points). I set the timer on my watch for a 12 minute nap, showered, and got ready to go back out for the “Alive After 5” cruise with Stacey. I had to get back on the subway and go to South Street Seaport. Stacey was already there, and we chilled until 5:00 when it we were allowed to board the yacht. Basically, this was a ship with three levels. The lower level had the food and some tables, the middle level had a bar and some tables, and the upper level was outside. We had some food and wine and spent most of our time on the upper level viewing the grandeur of New York City. The cruise lasted for two hours, traveling up the Hudson River along the west side of Manhattan, then down by the Statue of Liberty, and finally up the East River and under the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. It was beautiful!

We decided that we needed ice cream and found that Momofuku Milk Bar was nearby, so we walked over there. I had heard a lot about their crack pie but had never been to try it. Stacey got the crack pie (not ice cream), and I tried a bite. It was good but not quite crack–sort of a glorified chess pie. I got a swirl of their two soft serve ice creams, which are birthday cake and cereal milk. That’s basically what they tasted like. Again, it was good but didn’t blow me away. Not sure what the hype is about with this place, but I’m glad I tried it.

We were both tired and got on the subway to go back to Brooklyn. I went to my hotel and quickly checked out the rooftop view, which was very nice. I got a few pics before my phone died. And the evening and the morning was the second day, and it was good.