NYC Part Dos: West Village Festival, Amazing Indian Grub, Secret Bar Crawl and SMALL World

Hope you’re not bored with my NY trip yet! :) Thanks for your sweet comments – here’s my second and final post about NY!! And BTW - I forgot to tell you something COOL! Tyson had hooked up his upstairs neighbor/co-worker before by letting him use his place when he was out of town. So, you guessed it, we were in his neighbor’s place (i.e. our own bed, bathroom, etc.) all weekend! Don’t get me wrong, I love some Tyson and obvi it would have been FINE, but a private bath is like OMG godsent. Anywho, backing up to Saturday…

We got up around 10, split the leftover half of my gyro from the night before, and headed out for coffee and a diet pepsi! When we were leaving the coffee shop we bumped into Tyson’s friend Micah from the night before! So funny! She told us that there was a festival down the block, so we walked over and low and behold – Austin, who had noticed the “beer truck and big flag” the day before, was right – a festival was starting and we were the first ones there! AMAZING! We were there for the welcome, the star spangled banner and were able to visit the booths and talk with the designers, artists, etc. before it got all crowded – I officially fell in love with the West Village.

Smoothie stop!

Me walking through - love the big flag! We got lots of video.

cheeseballs

Loved all of the puppers around!


And to think this place was on the same block as Tyson’s apartment – WOW! We walked around, bought some happies for our family, saw the building at Barrow/Grove that was shown in Friends when they show the outside of Monica's building, visited 75 1/2 Bedford Street (NY's narrowest house where Carey Grant and others stayed!), bought two pillows for our home and had a FABULOUS TIME.

Early on at the festival

The first of many bands of the day - this one was SO cute! Amazing clarinet player!

We walked around a bit and had to take a picture at Bleeker Street Pizza since I practically lived off of it while there!

Austie at the festival

Me in front of where they shoot the outside of Monica's apartment from Friends

We split a lemonade and then Tyson came to meet us around 4 for Indian food at Karahi! We each got a lunch special, served with Nan and my favorite – basmati rice! I got the Murg Shahi Korma, chicken in mild sauces and almond gravy. Austin got the Murg Moiley, chicken in coconut milk/curry spices. We absolutely loved it – fantastic!

Loved how it was nestled in between the buildings!

Yay - Tyson finally stopped working to join us!

Me leaving the Indian place - Austin was taking pics of me while I was filming!

It got c. r. o. w. d. e. d.

After lunch I went back to the apartment, had a cookie, and read/took a nap. Meanwhile Austin and Tyson got a GREAT 4-person table at the festival, Mark met up with them and they began having a few drinkies. Around 8 I met up with them, had some wine and a slice of pizza (Bleeker Street again!).

Can you believe this is the same area?! It got so packed and no one wanted to leave!

Then the four of us met up with Tys’s friend Paige at McSorley’s Old Ale House. Very cool – the city’s oldest bar! (i.e. 1854). We had a few beers (they give you two at a time!

Me and Austin at McSorley's

See what I mean - each "beer" is two little mugs, usually "a light and a dark." It's like the capital of double-fisting. Mark had fun pretending to taint them all.

Austie outside on a barrel - where else would he sit?


After the bar, we were off to Please Don’t Tell. Basically it’s a small hotdog spot, but if you use the phone booth it takes you to a speakeasy bar. However, there were 5 of us and they had no room, so we left to hit up another secret bar - Backroom. This one was really cool… like there was NO WAY to know this bar was there. Then you realize the guys standing at the top of the stairs are bouncers. You show them your I.D., walk down the stairs, walk about 30 - 50 feet through a hallway, up more stairs and you’re in this HUGE speakeasy bar that serves its drinks in coffee mugs with saucers. Nice!

Me and Austin in Backroom - not that you can tell as I look naked and we could be anywhere! LOL


The music was good and I loved the décor! It was just a little too packed for my taste – I wanted a chair! LOL We stayed there for a while, and then headed over to Grandma’s Basement – really cool – decorated like all 70’s with wood paneling and polyester – pretty funny!

Mark, me, Austin, Paige and Tys at Grandma's Baement

It was just WAYYYYY too crowded. We had a beer and then called it a night, getting in a cab, hitting up Bleeker Pizza (again!) and then going back to the house! I ended up at 2,412 calories, 256 carbs, 67 fat grams and 57 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.

Sunday we slept in until 11, packed/showered and headed over to another really cute deli for brunch. I had a roasted tomato, salami and mozzarella flatbread. I split it with Austin – fab! We walked around, hit up American Apparel and some other small shops and then I hear, “Kelly… Kelly!” It’s Katja! (the girl I met in Punta Cana from Germany!) She is on a double decker tour bus – I kid you not – and she happened to be at a stop sign at the intersection by us! We stood by her and chatted for a bit (i.e. yelling at each other) – then her light turned green and she was off! It’s officially a small world after all! Before we knew it it was 1 p.m., time to say good bye! We left and I was so sad to go – what a great visit! We headed to the airport, had a slice of pizza, boarded the plane, I finished a book (book review tomorrow!) and then got home to our little Reuben! Reunion – yay! We unpacked, ran laundry and got ready for the next day – me back at work and Austin’s first day at the new job- WOO! Whirlwind! I ended up at 1,232 calories, 117 carbs, 47 fat grams and 58 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.

That pretty much ended my trip!! Tomorrow I’ll post a book review for Joanne Fluke’s Fudge Cupcake Murder – adorable! I’m not reading another Lucy Stone Mystery by Leslie Meier, Turkey Day Murder! These little murder mysteries are awesome!

What’s your favorite “small world” story? I LOVE small world stories – I’ll have to tell you another funny one from a few years back tomorrow!

Ever been to a “secret” bar?