Easy to Speak

Aaahh, that's more like it...a nice Ale (for myself) and a Cider (for the mrs.) at your friendly "Speakeasy". Well Old Chumley's (Bedford St. West Village) (http://nymag.com/listings/bar/chumleys/) a left over from the Prohibition days, is still serving up cold beer at pre-1920's-depression-prices. Can't complain. In the days of yore during prohibition, assorted mafia such as Lucky Luciano and our good friend - or maybe relative (heres hoping)...Meyer Lansky - set-up such gathering places in quiet corner's of New York to avoid the cops. The furniture is still from the 1920's (as is the urinal - hehe)...but what the hey, its cozy, smelly, musty and the sawdust kept blowing up your nose....just what you need when you're trying to enjoy a quiet one. Cheers!

BTW, happy to see ol Robbie G posting comments...good man!! A star next to your name. Tomorrow its back to mid-town and to Brooklyn (bwwuklyyn) thereafter to practice my "Goodfellas" routine. Over and Out.

Talking Turkey

We have just returned to NYC from a 4-day 'holiday-from-a-holiday' in Atlanta, Georgia, spending Thanksgiving weekend with our cousins 'down-south'. Turkey, Cranberry, pumpkin pie and "good times" (spoken in a Jack Nicholson falsetto). We had a great time and also had the chance to check out some of the "Hot-lanta" scene such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial (http://www.thekingcenter.org/) and the botanical gardens with spectacular mosaic fixtures by a French artist. Quite amazing.

Well we're back in NYC having been treated to a spectacular night view of the whole of manhattan, aka serious air traffic delay. This was followed by a taxi ride over a Tri-boro bridge into Manhattan - cue "Law & Order" themetrack...and onto a culture-vulture week of museums, music and (if we can arrange it)...an Ice Hockey game (www.nhl.com). Photos below:

"Georgia On My Mind"

Nic and I will be experiencing our first ThanksGiving this year. We're heading down to family in Atlanta, Georgia (I'll be sure to take my Confederacy Flag and white sheets with me!) - to partake in the festivities (no, we still don't understand exactly what it's all about).

Stardust Memories

A quintessential Saturday night in Manhattan, dinner at a great little Mexican place called Mexican Mama (hat-tip Dani)(http://www.addyourown.com/restaurant.php?rest_id=540&cat_id=1&city_id=1) then onto a movie in mid-town ("Stranger Than Fiction"...quite a quirky one http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/strangerthanfiction/). I (nic) thoroughly enjoyed it, a really raw film about the concept of fate. Amazing how a break away opens your mind and allows you to respond differently to b4.

It was after the movie when we were walking back down 8th Ave., that we both realized it was a Woody Allen moment (cue brassband music - which was also playing at the ice rink on 6th ave earlier in the evening). The dinner, the movie and then wandering through the streets, shootin' the breeze late at night...as friendly NYPD Officers conducted a drug-bust a few meters away...surreal...felt like a mix between "The Basketball Diairies" (or in our case the 'Blintze Diaries') and "Deconstructing Harry".

A shot below of a grand New York tradition...ice skating...and an even grander tradition (shopping at Bloomingdale's).

Resolve This...

Earlier Saturday evening we went for a wander around the East-Side and ended up at the UN building. Quite an impressive structure...pity about the foundations (HooHaa!). Kinda hoped I would bump into Kim-on-the-Hill (Kim Jong Il) or Ahmadinnerjacket (Ahmadinejad) and get into some fisticuffs, or at least a game of chess, but all we came across was a lousy gift shop selling "Security Council Sparkling Water" and "UNSCOM muffins".

Baltimore 1962...

"Hairspray, The Musical"...yes we're becoming quite the 'culture vultures'. This was a great show and a great night at a Broadway production...I took the chance to slip my (well-worn) script (Die-Hard meets Annie meets GodFather...don't ask)...to whom I thought was the Producer, who then promptly responded..."That'll be $5 dollars to get your coats back"...hmmm these producers really do run all aspects of their theatrical productions don't they. Anyway, photos below: "proof of life".

On the Road

We have done a fair bit of walking around Manhattan in recent days. I feel like Nic has put me through "celebrity overhaul" - all except - no Merv Hughes to have a laugh with...well on one of our jaunts we checked out the Financial District, NYSE, NoLita, Ground Zero etc. - all down to the southern tip of the island, with Lady Liberty winking at us in the distance...Jeez, I do need to rest up a bit...find me a speakeasy please...

"Yo...I'm the Super..."

You haven't experienced New York, until you've dealt with your "Super" (Superintendent). "Super's" are those fun-loving guys / gals who lovingly tend to the garbage, clean the hallways and staircases, attend to basic electrical and plumbing issues and other such things in most of New York's 'older-style' (sic) 'Brownstones'. Usually you can expect your "Super" to be angry and disdainful, well-versed in the "Superintendent's book of theology" - with answers to all of the worlds' problems. Anyway...cheers to 'Richie'

"Touristas"

Hey y'all...well we tried to hold-off, we really did, but we can't seem to shake this need and we've collectively fallen off the wagon. Yes...we've been celebrity spotting. So, (in the falsetto voice of Leonard Maltin)...first up,we spotted Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgewick, then the 'Gob' character from Arrested Development (don't know his real name) and I think (or hallucinated) that I saw 'Scary Spice'...but that could be all the caffeine I am consuming and I possibly bumped into the Sam 'The Bull' Gravano...but I didn't turn to look as I ran the other way (and possibly he's 'sleeping with fish', so who knows). Anyway, don't worry, we won't bore you with a constant litany of who and where, just indulge us this once...? Becky - thanks for the suggestion re - Cafe Gitane, great food / atmos. etc. (http://www.superfuture.com/city/reviews/review.cfm?ID=1157). More news from gotham shortly...

"I'm Rick James B?"#"?tch...enjoy yourself"

OK, so on Saturday night we caught a stand-up 'set' (11:30pm session) at the Comedy Cellar (www.comedycellar.com) - in Greenwich Village. This was after some serious negotiations between Nic and the floor manager (who insisted the show was sold-out)...her gracious ways won him over... ;)

It was hilarious - 4 comedians doing 20 minute stints each. The 'quality' was top-notch, one of the comedians was a writer for Dave Chappelle (he was white - which I must say, I didn't expect - and no that doesn't make me small-minded)...another was a writer for "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"...pretty good hey - gimme a "HooHaa"! We were sitting right at the front and I was waiting to get picked on, but most of the comedians seemed content trying to pick-up a 6'4 blonde-blue-eyed-lass sitting dead-square in front of the stage (not that I noticed the specifics)....Over and out.

Strawberry Fields

Well, the other day we made our way to Central Park for a little wander amongst nature (and a sample of this city's finest homeless) - we made a beeline for Strawberry Fields, the memorial to John Lennon and whilst we were there taking in the atmosphere, a tour group came past - which allowed Nic and I to listen in on some additional background to the whole story. Nic just reminded me of this chap who devotes his time to cleaning, maintaining and decorating the memorial site...we thought at first he was a busker (when he pulled out an old tattered guitar)...but actually he is the unofficial historian...anyways, photos below.

OK, here we are..we're set up and now we have some photos to show. In the week that we have been in New York - we've done some of the touristy stuff (hat-tip - Times Square and Soho), as well as some of the must see - the Chelsea Hotel, Strawberry Fields (Central Park), Carnegie Deli and the like. Below are a couple of 'panoramic' shots of our humble abode at 113 Christopher St., West Village. Hot damn! No its not trick photography...its really that small a space...On a separate note, the mrs. has taken some great shots of Central Park, which we will post shortly. Apologies for sloppy editing and image-placement, still gettin' the hang of this blogging-thing.

OK...not much has been posted yet...but we've set-up our apartment, our lives and our internet connection in NYC, so now its 'gonna get busy', stay tuned