“No, we are not getting married”

That was the response my three friends (Aileen, Dana, Nicole) and I gave each time we told a friend or colleague we were heading to Niagara Falls, Canada.  I never realized it was a destination for young lovers to run off and marry!

Why did we go to Niagara Falls, you ask?

Well, a few months ago, I was talking to Aileen and mentioning that I’ve never been before.  She’d gone once, with her family years before, and agreed to join me.  Nicole and Dana had never been either so it became a foursome.

We flew into Buffalo, New York on US Air, directly from LGA.  The flights were about $160 bucks each and we were on little crop dusters.  We rented a car from Buffalo and drove the 35 minutes to Niagara Falls.  We stayed on the Canada side, which we heard was much more “fun” and “exciting” than the New York side and stayed at the Doubletree hotel, which was about $135 bucks a night.

The Good

The falls were beautiful!  They are comprised of the American Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Bridal Falls.  Take the Maid of the Mist that is open until the end of October to get the best view.  Also, the time of year was beautiful.. the weather crisp, leaves turning and not a lot of crowds!

Horseshoe Falls

People at the base of American Falls

We did not get to do this, but if you ever go to Niagara Falls, you should stay in Niagara on the Lake.  It’s such a quaint little town and the food and overall atomosphere is much better than either Niagara Falls, Canada or New York

Walking around town in Niagara on the Lake

The Bad

Niagara Falls is full of overly expensive chain restaurants (we actually went to a disgusting Macaroni Grill and IHOP while we were there and spent $20 on omelets, seriously). The non-chain resturants we found were actually much more reasonable – and this is coming from a girl who lives in NYC and is willing to spend money on good food.

On the Canada side, there doesn’t seem like a lot to do and the main downtown area, seems like a depressing Atlantic City or very ghetto Las Vegas.

On Sunday, before we left, we actually drove over the border to try to eat lunch on the American side.  Needless to say, that was even scarier.  We  actually had a restaurant in mind to go to (a recommendation from a Canadian local), but it was closed down.  The rest of the town seemed too depressing and boarded up, so we turned around and just headed back to Buffalo!

The Verdict

We didn’t really expect much, so overall, we had a really good time hanging out together. Despite the sort of kitchiness, I would definitely recommend to anyone who has never been and who want to stay one or two nights.   Just do some better research on where to stay and have some places in mind about where to eat first!

The four of us on the way to Niagara on the Lake

You Went to School to Learn, Girl….

Michael Jackson sang it best… “ABC…all about love dear.”

And love it is… I am in love with ABC Kitchen.

This restaurant is a cool, Jean Georges place, located on an obscure block north of Union Square, near ABC Carpet and Home.

A friend recommended this place to me and said it was one of her favorites in the City… ever.

I was told it was practically impossible to get a reservation. I had some luck though…  I called the week before and took an 11 pm seating on a Saturday night.  Not a big deal though, since my group and I were planning to see La Cage Aux Folles on Broadway first.

My party of four walked in on time for our reservation.  The place was dimly lit, almost glowing, with lots of seating at the bar and a cute dining room.  It was sort of a sweet romantic vibe and I leaned in to give my guy a kiss.

The only downside of an 11 pm reservation in NYC is that you don’t want to eat too much that late before going to bed.  Nevertheless, my group and I were able to order some yummy dishes from their seasonal menu to share (although we skipped on appetizers).

I plan to go back to ABC Kitchen again.  This place has delicious, beautiful food, a great wine list and ambiance.  Beyond that, I just want to try more dishes and sample some of their appetizers and salads.

House Cut Fries; Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, and Basil Pizza

 

Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes

Sea Bass

 

Akaushi Cheeseburger with Herbed Mayo and Pickled Jalapeño

ABC Kitchen

35 W. 18th Street (between bway and S.Park Ave)

30 Minutes

I am sitting in my office with 3o minutes to spare.  I am thinking about all the things I have to do over the next 9 days before I move back to New York City.  And I am getting excited…actually, VERY excited!  Although my “to do” list seems really overwhelming.

If you know me in person or just read my blog from time to time, you know that I have an affinity towards New York City.  I just love it and it’s inexplicable.  I moved there originally in September 2002 to go to NYU for grad school.  I remember saying goodbye to my parents and siblings at the airport and thinking, “whoa, I’m really doing this!” I sat by a nice man on the flight and chatted with him the whole way there on the red eye.  When I arrived in NYC, I had 2 suitcases, was 22 years old and felt like I was the youngest person in the world.  Coming from California, NYC naturally felt scary and overwhelming and it took me a while to settle in properly.  I had major homesickness and felt grossly under dressed and poor wherever I went.  The first night I went out in the big city, I actually only withdrew $40 from the ATM and felt like that was a lot of money… I spent twice that amount that night alone!  That first year was tough, but it was Spring (my favorite time of year in NYC) and it clicked for me that I LOVED New York.  I would stay in NYC for the summer, work and enjoy the city.

That love affair was not a short stint.  It lasted a long time, but 4 years after I moved to New York, I felt a pull home to California.  I missed my parents and family…. and I would actually get jealous when my sisters would call me and say they spent the weekend together.  It wasn’t fair, I was so far away!  So, after a bunch of volleying in my head, I decided one night when I was laying in bed and on the phone with my boyfriend (at the time) that I would go home, get a new job, save money and be close to family.  That was the “right” decision.  Stop being selfish and move home already.  My parent’s were ecstatic!  But the decision brought me to tears.  I don’t know if it was because I was happy or excited, or what.  It was a really emotional decision for me.

Two short months later, after Craig’s Lister’s bought all my furniture, I was packed and ready to move “home” to California.  Two suitcases later and a flight later when I arrived in San Francisco it didn’t feel right.  This didn’t feel like home.

So, I’ve been here in San Francisco ever since.  I’ve had two jobs… one with the State and one with a major consultancy.   I’ve lived in 3 different apartments and have re-furnished twice.  I’ve traveled all over the world and have almost tripled my first starting salary.  I’ve been close to home and have rekindled friendships with friends from middle school, high school, and college.   I’ve also met new friends and had romantic relationships, happy, sad, good and bad.

And just as abruptly as I decided to move back to California in 2006, almost 4 years later, I’ve come full circle and am moving back to New York.  I won’t feel like the youngest girl in NYC anymore, I’ll be an experienced woman this time moving back as a newly minted 30 year old.  I do have another new job… one that requires less travel and will allow me to be home in NYC most of the time.   I’ll be going home to my old hood – the Upper West Side in a new apartment.

The past 3 years in San Fran were not wasted though… it was a great time, I had some great experiences and made a lot of wonderful memories.   And now I know SF and the Golden State will always be my second home.

A Year in Review…

I’ve sadly taken an unreasonably long hiatus from my blog.  I’m not sure why, God knows I spend enough time on the internet to spend 15-20 minutes to update this thing from time to time!  As we usher in the new decade that starts with the year 2010, I’m going to use this as an opportunity to renew my commitment to blogging and sharing some of my life, thoughts, insights, and just plain silliness with you in the New Year.

So to end this year, I think I’ll just sort of recap 2009…

I don’t think 2009 was unreasonably good or bad.  I can think of some years that were amazing… 2003-2006 were definitely Peaks in my life… I was living in NYC, feeling like I was the youngest and most carefree girl in the world, in an amazing city and hopelessly in love (with two different boyfriends during that period). In 2007, I went through a bit of a Valley of despair (it’s ok to be dramatic, right?) when I left my friends and job to move to SF, got a new, shittier job, and had to deal with a sad break up.  I rallied though… and came out strong in early 2008. New job, awesome apartment, new outlook on life, no new love, but lots of loves for “now”.  Now life is just good.  Nothing to complain about at all, but nothing to get all crazy excited and happy about either!

I did go on some amazing trips this past year… January, I spent some time in Vail with some good friends, re-connected with old friends and made new ones.  It was beautiful there (my first time) and I’m so excited to go back again in four weeks!

In April, some friends and I ran my second half marathon in Central Park.  It was hotter than hell, but I finished it!  And it prepared me for my third (and best time ever) during the SF half in July that I ran with my sister Christina.

Finishers! Tracy, Me, Yasmin, and Aileen

In May, I got to see the Alamo, while doing a brief stint for work in San Antonio, TX and got to work with my good friend and homie, Will.

Yee Haw!

So I am on assignment for work in San Antonio, TX.  The past year or so, I’ve spent more time in texas than I ever had in my whole life.  I have now gone to Houston, Dallas/Ft Worth area, and now San Antonio.  One of the things most people think about when they come to TX is S-P-R-A-W-L, I know I do and BBQ.  When people think of San Antonio, they think of the Alamo and the Riverwalk.  I’m going to post a full write up on my experience at the riverwalk later.  For now, here is the historic Alamo.

The Alamo