New York and Turning 30

Start spreading the news...I’m blogging again... 

I think that introduction shows just how rusty I am with this blogging malarkey. It’s too late to say happy New Year so instead I’ll just say hello and happy 2019. How are we all?

I thought I’d get back on the horse with a somewhat unassuming post on NEW FLIPPING YORK!!! I know I’ve been absent from the blog but if you follow me over on Instagram you may have seen a post or few thousand I’ve put up o the big apple.

I went for my thirtieth birthday last month and after romanticising about it through Sex and the City episodes and Frank Sinatra songs and I have to say it lives up to the name and so much more.

Chris and I were there for six magical days, taking in the sights and the atmosphere. I won’t bore you with all the details of where to go and why because to be honest it would seem a bit patronising. They’re tourist attractions for a reason and I can assure you they are worth visiting. I will say though that my highlights were the Empire State Building for the views- I mean just look at them.

One place I really do have to tell you about is this gorgeous gorgeous restaurant in Brooklyn called the River Cafe. Chris took me here on my 30th Birthday as a surprise and I can honestly say it was the most special, thoughtful and magical thing anyone has ever done for me. He made reservations 9 months in advance to ensure I had the best birthday ever and I have to say he nailed it. The restaurant itself has been there for 42 years and boasts the most stunning views of Manhattan on the riverside of Brooklyn, right next to the Brooklyn Bridge.

As we entered we were greeted by the sound of beautiful jazz music played on the piano and the breathtaking views through the large windowed restaurant. The dress code for the evening was “jackets for gentleman for dinner anytime after 4pm. Ties preferred” and then I realised why Chris had been so adamant on the dress I wore. Usually he’s not interested! Ha!

We had the most exquisite dinner I’ve ever had in my life from the three course set menu and honestly I had a really tough time choosing what to have. Everything sounded amazing and its the longest I’ve ever spent pouring over a menu, which doesn’t surprise me as the restaurant is Michelin Star. Eventually I chose the Three Shells for an appetizer.

A variety of chilled shellfish, fresh abalone, citrus, soy, lime, Shigoku oysters, cucumber Champagne mignonette, Peconic Bay scallop ceviche, sea bean, tomato and coriander.

Chris’ main looked equally delicious. He went for the Colorado rack of lamb, braised lamb breast and Swiss chard cannelloni, Sicillian pistachio and arugula pesto, whipped ricotta.

All in all it was such a special place to spend my birthday. I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t shed a tear or two because honestly I’ve never felt so special in all my life. If you are ever in New York and celebrating something special,I urge you to go. It is phenomenal.

On another birthday note that is a whole different class of fabulous is the Sex and The City tour! 2018 Marked the twentieth anniversary of the show and I couldn’t help but wonder... would anyone still be into it as much as I am? It turns out they are and if you too are a fan of the show, this is a must do tour! Firstly our tour guide Melissa Stokoski was fricking hilarious. I mean she is a comedian but she’s awesome and she really made the tour. A bunch of single gals and us ladies with unfortunate husbands who were forced to join all gathered by the fountain outside Central Park to get on the bus and from there we were whisked away and shown various locations the show was shot at.

During the tour you get to stop at some of the famous filming locations such as Carrie’s House (eek!) and the bar known as ‘Scout’ in the sow for a cosmopolitan or two. It was bloody awesome and well worth doing!

Yes this is a crappy iPhone photo but fuck it, it's New York!

Finally the last thing I would recommend on my to do list in New York would be cycling. Yup! But not just cycling anywhere- cycling in Central Park!

Until I visited New York I had no idea quite how HUGE Central Park really is so to get as much out of it as we could we hired bikes for couple of hours. The park itself used to have traffic running through it but then got pedestrian-ised so the roads that remain are perfect for cycling novices and beginners plus you can see so much more of it on a bike rather than walking!

So those are the un-touristy things that I would recommend and yeah I’m 30 now! It’s been three weeks since I got back from New York and hand on heart I still miss it now and feel sad to be back.

Maybe its the fact it’s new year and I’m doing dry January, maybe I’m having a quarter life crisis at 30 (I mean, what do you do in your thirties anyway!?) or maybe it’s the best city in the world and it has changed me forever. I think its a combination of all three but who knows!