New York 2022 – Day 2 (The Pub crawl and the Play)
When we woke on Saturday, it was raining…like really raining…like soaking, pouring, flooding rain. But we are adventurers so we sallied forth, umbrellas in hand. How could we let a little rain or a minor typhoon stop us? We had the Pub Crawl and the Play ahead of us.
Morning Shenanigans
Where we ate and drank – Our first stop was 787 Coffee for pastries, coffee and hot chocolate. Outside, a group of about 10 people were gathering and pinning numbered bibs to their backs. We discovered that this particular Saturday was The Great Saunter which brings together thousands of people to hike the 32 mile perimeter of Manhattan. I can imagine this might be pretty fun adventure…on a better weather day.
We had brunch scheduled with a friend on the seaport so we decided to walk along the East River to the restaurant. The views of the Brooklynn bridge were amazing but the rain picked back up again and we had a hard time seeing anything through our soggy eye lashes.
Where we drank and got warm – The temperature was starting to drop so we decided to move inland and look for a cozy spot to post up until it was time to meet. The Café Patoro was right by the restaurant. We were able to grab some warm drinks and dry out for a few moments before heading back out.
Afternoon Shenanigans
We met our friend at Dorlan’s Tavern and Oyster Bar as soon as they opened. We each ordered a Dorlan’s IPA and shared a plate of roasted oysters to start. They were delightful and too soon gone. Again, I’m forced to wonder…why are the oysters always gone. I also wonder this about wine, but that’s a story for another day. We ordered lunch, Momma and I opting for Clam Chowder before heading off to the MOMA.
What the ladies did – Momma and I headed uptown to the Museum of Modern Art (known as the MOMA). Hey, MOMA with my momma. That’s a thing, right? We had to book timed entry due to Covid restrictions but there were SO MANY people there! The two pieces we wanted to see the most were Starry Night by VanGogh and the Persistence of Memory by Dali. We spent the rest of our two hours at the museum exploring the 5th floor which included works by Picasso, Degas and Monet.
Low Stress Tip – Often famous works of art are housed in large spaces. Because time and energy are limited resources, before you go, download a map of the space and find out where those pieces are located. Once you’ve been able to find the pieces that are a “must see”, anything else you get to see afterwards is a bonus! Using this method, we navigated the Louvre in 2 hours and saw the 8 major works we wanted to hit.
What the fellas did –
The Pub Crawl
What the girls did next – Since the weather was still quite soggy, momma and I decided to Uber to the restaurant rather than negotiate public transportation. It costs us about $45 for the UBER and the ride was WELL worth it.
Evening Shenanigans
Where we ate and drank – We arrived at the Hard Rock Café around 5pm and got three seats by their huge, modern bar. Although we normally opt for smaller, local restaurants, the Hard Rock is located right across the street from the theater. As an added bonus, we met some great folks while enjoying our wine and dinner.
The Play
Next up…Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Lyric Theater. The show, though over three hours long, was extremely entertaining and time went by quickly. I’m fairly certain that our seats, in the first row of the balcony, were the best in the house.
When we left to head back to the hotel, the rain had mostly stopped, so we strolled through Time Square on our way to the subway station. The ride on the subway as easy and relaxing. We were off to dreamland by 11:30.
Check out our adventures on Day 3 where we visit the haunts in Sleepy Hallow!
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