East Side, West Side: The Thompsons in New York

June 24, 2014 – East Side, West Side: The Thompsons in New York

Elliott and Marshall on Delancey Street on the Lower East Side

Elisa and Christian’s delayed honeymoon gave Elliott and me an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up.  We offered to “apartment-sit” for them, and thus became temporary New Yorkers, along with Marshall, who joined us for the trip.  Ensconced in a cozy Lower East Side flat for three nights, I lived out one of my fantasies, i.e. having a pied-a-terre in the city.  Shopping for over-priced groceries at Union Market at the corner of Houston and Avenue A, standing on the roof to watch the setting sun paint the clouds hovering over the skyscrapers, jostling my way through the Saturday afternoon crowds on the sidewalks of Soho – I loved all of it! 

The view from the roof on Ridge Street at sunset

 After making frequent visits to this LES neighborhood over the past couple of years, I’m beginning to feel like I have a second home.  In fact, I’ve developed certain rituals, such as take-out breakfast from Heaven’s Bagels on Houston and after-dinner waffles from Wafels and Dinges in the East Village, both of which I was delighted to share with Elliott.  But this trip brought many first-time experiences, as well.  One day, we explored the Upper West Side area near Columbia University, which was not at all what I expected.  A death-defying cab ride from the Lower East Side up the West Side Highway brought us to a quiet, leafy (thanks to Riverside Park) neighborhood full of residential buildings, shops and restaurants.  The biggest surprise was The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, an Episcopal Cathedral on Amsterdam Avenue (near W. 112^th Street) that is the largest cathedral in the world.  The building is still incomplete, more than 120 years after construction began.  The interior of the cathedral is breathtakingly beautiful, with a variety of stained glass windows and sculpture.  Two enormous dragons, a temporary installation by Chinese artist Xu Bing, added an additional note of vibrant color to the interior.  

One of Xu Bing's dragons in The Cathedral of St. John the Divine

From the Upper West Side, we made our way south (by cab, once again) to 9^th Avenue and 15^th Street.  This was my first visit to Chelsea Market and I can’t imagine why I had never ventured to this foodie-mecca before.  A friend had admonished us not to miss the lobster while we were there, so we headed straight to The Lobster Place.  I was expecting a little lunch counter, but it turned out to be so much more – a combination fish market, oyster bar, sushi bar, lobster shack, smoked salmon bazaar.  Elliott ordered a lobster roll, and since I couldn’t settle on just one thing to try, I was happy to get a slider sampler.  Although the crab cake, tarragon shrimp salad, and lobster – all on fresh mini brioche rolls – left me stuffed, I managed to slurp up a Maine oyster before we left.  

Enjoying a lobster roll at The Lobster Place in Chelsea Market

You would think that food would be the last thing on our minds after that seafood feast, but on the cab ride back to the apartment, I was already plotting a dinner strategy.  While Elliott napped, I strolled over to The Meatball Shop (on Stanton, near Allen) to pick up a take-out meal.  The Meatball Shop isn’t just for meat-lovers.  Veggie balls and chicken balls are available, too.  The restaurant’s concept allows you to customize your meal.  You order the type of balls (6 choices), the sauce you prefer (6 choices), what you’d like to put it over or next to (spaghetti, mashed potatoes, white beans, risotto, etc.), sides (6 different vegetables), and salads (6 different choices).  The only bad part is that you have to make a lot of decisions.  And for dessert, they offer 6 different kinds of cookies and 6 different kinds of ice cream, which they will make into ice cream sandwiches if you wish.  We had espresso ice cream on chocolate chip cookies.  It was a perfect dinner after a busy day – and all in the comfort of our own home-away-from-home.

The following day was devoted to the East Side of the city.  We started with a visit to the Norwegian Seamen’s Church, on East 52^nd Street between First and Second Avenues.  Elliott put this stop on our itinerary because his parents got married in the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in 1911.  However, at the time, it was located in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn where there was a large Norwegian community.  Today the church serves as a cultural center for Norwegian expats in New York, and offers concerts, language classes and other activities.  We spent over an hour there, sipping coffee, devouring heart-shaped Norwegian waffles, and chatting with a delightful young Norwegian woman who works at the center.  It was quite a coincidence that she comes from Frederikstad, the same town where Elliott’s mother’s family still lives.  

In the Norwegian Seamen's Church

 Afterwards, we sampled delicious New York pizza at a nearby restaurant (Angelo’s, on Second Avenue) before we scooted back down to the Lower East Side.  And in case you’re wondering, we took a cab again.  I generally use public transportation, but with Elliott’s walker, subways were out of the question and buses would have required too much walking.  While he took a post-lunch siesta back at the apartment, I took a long walk deep into Soho and did some shopping.  After a simple dinner back at “home,” we were all ready to stroll a few blocks over to Wafels and Dinges for dessert.  Their crispy, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth Liege-style waffles are irresistible.  I should have shared one with Elliott, but I got my own – with vanilla ice cream and Nutella.   

Getting ready for Belgian waffles at Wafels and Dinges

Like real New Yorkers, Elliott and I went out for Sunday brunch (while Marshall slept late).  I took him to Heaven’s Bagels, where instead of getting a bagel, he requested an apple turnover.  I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.  This is a man who recently asked me to put mayonnaise on his corned beef sandwich.  In any case, we both really enjoyed our New York trip.  And on the way back home (on the Tripper bus), we were already discussing where to go for our next summer adventure.