Home girl

I'm back, baby. NY rocked as hard as expected, to get some housekeeping out of the way here's some highlights:

Food
Carmines 200 West 44th Street - you HAVE to see this place, well worth the hour's wait (what's that, three, four Cosmos?) in the bar.
Yum Yum Bangkok (Thai restaurant, 650 9th Ave, between 45th & 46th St.)
The Jekyll & Hyde (7th ave/Greenwich village) good fun, after a few drinks.
Swing 46, 'Restaurant Row' 349 W 46th St, dinner and dancing, woo!
Little Italy

Note:Stay away from Ruby Foo's, off Time Square, the food was gross and, unusually for NY, the staff were unhelpful plus the place was much pricier than everywhere else.


Must-sees
Natural History Museum
Museum of Modern Art
Central Park Zoo (we walked through Central Park from the Natural History Museum on the opposite side) I was particularly impressed by a neon orange frog in the rain forest section, a giant polar bear and a red panda. It's monkeys a-go-go in there.
South Street Seaport (Pier 17) The amazing Bodies Exhibition is also there at the mo.
The Rockefeller Centre (Top of the Rock for incredible views)
9/11 memorial tiles in Greenwich Village - heavy stuff


Shopping
Bleecker St. Records,239 Bleecker St. - well worth a few hours if you have room in your suitcase for $4 finds. I picked up the Jane Fonda work-out on original vinyl, I figure it'll be more fun than the 300 'salsa-cize' and aerobics classes that kindly crammed their details through my letterbox while I was away.

Great vintage and second-hand stores in Greenwich and Soho
The usual designer knock-offs in Chinatown, I didn't indulge but I know people who've picked up some nice copies.
Note: Don't buy anything within ten blocks of Times Square, everything from t-shirts to souvenirs is half the price elsewhere.



Average mani/pedi - $20 and you'll need it after all the walking, NY is pedestrian central. This, incidentally goes a long way in burning off the extra 3000 calories in hot dogs, cheese steaks, pretzels and pizza you'll consume daily.

The cold wreaked havoc on my skin so I've been slathered in Armani's Crema Nera (pricey at €250, but you'd be surprised how much you can save if you do your weekly shop in Aldi...) since I got back. In hindsight I should have brought it with me.

Against Mr. Pedestrian's wishes, I bought Jobe a jacket. If you've never seen a cat in a sheepskin hoodie, you're missing out...