Sunday morning, I rolled out of bed…
And enjoyed a nutritious breakfast of cold pizza and champagne around a game of Cards Against Humanity. I hear from Kellie that on Black Friday the company sold thousands of boxes of literal bullshit to people and donated any profits to charity. Talk about developing brand identity.
We packed up our things, said a quick set of goodbyes to our amazing hosts Caitlin and Mark, promising to get the next reunion on the books ASAP, and headed into the city each going our own way.
After dropping off my bag at a hotel concierge, I met Yuko in the midst of the craziness of Times Square. Times Square is such a pretty place and the times square hotels are even prettier! I kind of wished I had booked a hotel in the Square purely because of how amazing it is but that’s something for me to think about next time I visit.
We walked towards Chelsea Market and stopped by Mason 140 along the way. I definitely recommend popping into this shop if you need inspiration for your home décor, to find the perfect gift or just want to experience the creative atmosphere of this adorable boutique.
Arriving at Chelsea Market, our first order of business was to find something to nibble on. After purchasing Banh Mi style sandwiches at Num Pang we realized we had made a mistake ordering from a stall and had nowhere to sit, eat and catch up. We were on our search for spare tables when we caught sight of mokbar. We quickly tucked away our sandwiches for later and ordered up two large bowls of ramen sitting at the bar, tucked away to the side in Chelsea Market.
Yuko went for the kimchi ramen with kimchi bacon broth, braised pork, kimchi and scallion, and said the pork was beyond amazing. I enjoyed the vegan miso ramen with kombu shiitake doenjang broth, tofu, triple seasoned vegetables and crispy potato.
Not only was the food delicious, it was whipped up quickly and right before our eyes in an exposed kitchen.
Equally as good were the seasonal soju cocktails we ordered up. One was sweet and refreshing while the other one tasted like Christmas and was flavored by nashi, a pear apple hybrid.
Full and happy, we set off to explore the shopping of Chelsea Market. The Christmas and Hanukah decorations were definitely on par.
Naturally, I was drawn to Imports from Marrakesh, vowing to buy everything for my one-day home if I don’t just get it directly from the source myself.
Past the Moroccan goods was a shop filled with Artists and Fleas from Brooklyn.
I was particularly interested in the prints this guy puts on local maps of the city. Unfortunately he was only taking cash at the time and I was too lazy to wander back to the entrance for an ATM.
Out on 10th avenue we found ourselves at a highline entrance, and zipped up before climbing up into the cold.
We realized it was time to head back for my bag so I could catch my bus to DC.
Exiting the highline, we found one last surprise, a love note for a very lucky girl named Emily. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a Gone Girl-esque scavenger hunt.
We stopped into a bar for a drink just before it was time to get on my bus and learned two things – be wary when ordering margaritas from an Irish bar and doing the former is a sure way to lose track of time. Five o’clock quickly rolled around and we had to run to catch the bus, me hopping on at the very last moment, with the guy yelling at me that I had almost lost my seat as the door shut and we rolled off.
NYC still remains my favorite city – well, tied with Paris, that is. Each time I visit, I leave with only more reasons to return.
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