[LIVE] New York Diary – Jan 2022

DAY 1

Bricks and Face Masks

I’ve arrived in New York, the place I’m on a piece journey with the crew of StoneCycling this week. For years, I’ve been managing the social media channels, e-newsletter and weblog for this firm, which makes stunning constructing supplies from upcycled building and industrial waste.

Or, as my mates all the time say: ‘oh sure, these brick guys’.

The group of ‘brick guys’ began with founders Tom and Ward (two childhood mates of Nick) and the corporate has grown over time (alongside everybody who works for them within the manufacturing unit, logistics and monetary division) with gross sales toppers Thomas, Esther and since a short time one other Tom, who I consider is definitely known as Thomas, however after all that might trigger an excessive amount of confusion inside the crew… anyhow.

Planning a visit in Corona instances is an absolute deal with, let me inform you, however after our triple vaccinations, testing earlier than departure, printing 10 paperwork per particular person and loading the suitcase with face masks, disinfectant and bricks (a.lot.of.bricks – the lady behind the check-in desk had some questions) we ended up deciding to go forward with the journey in any case.

With a diary filled with appointments with architects, designers and builders and after having handed all (well being)checks at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, we lastly dared to have a little bit of a breather on the airplane immediately. Nicely, so far as that’s in any respect attainable with a rag over your mouth, after all.

Because the flight attendant by chance introduced by the intercom: “Women and Gentleman, after your lunch, please don’t overlook to place your face again on”. And that’s precisely what it felt like after being up within the air for lower than an hour. I believe we must always search for a skincare clinic as quickly as we land.

How handy that we’re within the nation of beauty therapies. Fortunate us!

That is your Captain Talking!

By the best way, it was clear that I hadn’t flown in a really very long time, or KLM used their lockdown time to tinker with the plane, as a result of I found some good upgrades right here and there.

For instance, there was an actual socket for my laptop computer cable (which all of the sudden gave me time to sort the beginning of a pleasant journey diary), I may lastly use my very own headphones (no extra messing round with a 2-leg enter the place you by no means have the conversion piece with you, so that you’d find yourself with sound on only one half of your headphones and ultimately simply needed to go for the trashy plastic headset they hand out), there was not a sliding window, however a futuristic button with which the glass coloured darker or lighter (okay, personally I wasn’t such an enormous fan of this) and the meals we obtained turned out to really be respectable! (a tasty heat pasta with cous-cous salad and heat cheese wrap).

This, together with the truth that the airplane was half empty (and the six of us all had an empty seat between us) and that the flight attendant stored on bringing us beers, pretzels and Dutch caramel stroopwafels, made my first expertise with a long-haul flight after such time very pleasurable.

And to high it off, I discovered that we had an hour of free WiFi with the KLM app and I stunned Nick, my brother and my mother and father with a video name, haha! The Future is NOW.

New York, you’re stunning, however you possibly can take it a bit less difficult on the sugar. And the heating! Holy Moley, if even I escape in sweats as a result of a room is simply too scorching, you’ve actually exaggerated it a bit!

Fortunately it’s good and funky outdoors, and the solar has additionally began to shine. Judging by the piles of snow below the bushes, it has fallen under freezing within the evening, however immediately the climate is crisp and clear with a stable blue sky.

A gorgeous day to make folks keen about bricks whereas carrying a face masks in an architect’s workplace that has been heated as much as a sauna!

Exit by way of the Reward Store

As a result of we stroll round with a face masks all day lengthy, I like to take as a lot contemporary air as attainable this week, so I’ll skip the museums this spherical.

I visited the Guggenheim earlier than and though the constructing is nice, I discovered the exhibition that was there on the time a bit disappointing and I grew to become extra enthusiastic in regards to the reward store. So this time I went straight there and scored not solely two new espresso cups, but in addition a fruit bowl which might be all the identical form as the skin of the constructing. So I type of take the museum residence with me.

It’s Friday, Yay!

Again on the lodge, the ‘VRIJMIBO’ (the Dutch abbreviation of a Friday Afternoon Workplace Get together) is in full swing and we’re on the brink of have a pleasant meal and go to a hip gin bar. Close to the Chelsea Market we discover an amazing restaurant with Israeli meals and since it seems to be New York Restaurant Week we get a set menu with all totally different dishes that we share.

The crew has turn into very shut this week and we’ve got a number of enjoyable collectively, which continues till the late hours. After the gin bar (a darkish speakeasy with a gold bathtub in the course of the bar… sure, it was as cheesy because it sounds) somebody had the spontaneous concept of ​​pulling up an enormous black limousine on the nook of the road and we drove to Brooklyn, having fun with loud rap music on the best way over, to go to a membership.

Nicely, that was the thought, as a result of apparently this membership was so standard (or possibly simply the one one nonetheless open presently) that the road turned the nook. After virtually an hour and a half ready at freezing -13C we gave up earlier than any of us needed to go to the emergency room with hypothermia.

We met some folks in line and so they took us to their native dive bar, a squat-looking shed with two punks behind the bar and music that seemed like somebody was always dumping a cutlery tray onto the bottom. However the Budweiser was superb and the environment nice, so when the lights got here on at 4 am we had been truly disenchanted that the get together was over.

The following morning all of us took a handful of paracetamol with our breakfast and we needed to look again on the images and movies we took to recollect the place we had been precisely, however… we went out in New York and had an amazing night. Mission completed I’d say!

DAY 6

It’s all the time greatest to spend the day after an intense evening out as quietly as attainable.

That’s the reason immediately I paid a brief go to to the comfortable Williamsburg district. We additionally all did a Covid take a look at, due to course we wish to stay a bit of accountable… and to have the ability to fly residence tomorrow would even be fairly chill.

New York from the Sky

We return to the lodge, as a result of three of us are going to do one thing actually cool: take a helicopter flight over New York!

I gained’t come alongside and chill out for some time within the lodge, which I actually wanted, however once I see the images and movies and listen to the enthusiastic tales from the others once I return, I can’t secretly really feel a bit of little bit of FOMO, although I’ve I’ve already made a helicopter flight 3 times earlier than (in Australia, Italy and Austria).

However flying above the New York skyline is after all very particular! Subsequent time!

Harlem & Residence

We finish the day with dinner in Harlem at The Grange, the place the chef serves us extremely tasty issues. We ate actually scrumptious all week, however it’s all the time good once you discover that you’ve made a sensible choice.

If you happen to, as a chef, may even put together Brussels sprouts so properly that everybody who ordered them is ooh-ing and ah-ing, then you will have expertise. My grilled artichoke hearts with aioli and handmade ravioli are additionally actually heavenly.

After dinner, the thought of ​​experiencing the environment in Harlem by visiting a jazz bar is not excessive on the bucket listing for most individuals. The busy week, the chilly, the numerous impressions, the hangovers and normal exhausted-ness seem to have performed its toll. And so it’s again to the lodge and a final good evening’s sleep earlier than we’ve got to fly once more at 7am tomorrow.

Personally, I all the time desire to be the one who turns off the lights within the metropolis at evening, however going into Harlem alone after 11 o’clock within the night doesn’t look like one thing that might get my mom very excited, so I’ll adapt this time, if solely with a bit of reluctance, haha.