This year it was harder to find a place to stay in NYC. Last year we found a 1200sf two bedroom place for $1,500 a month in Chinatown. This year after two months of looking we found a 600sf one bedroom for $1,200 in the village.My cousin Randy was unable to check out the place so we are renting it after only seeing pictures in a email. It is below Washington Square and north of Houston on Sullivan Street.
Nancy printed up the 100 cheap good resturants as recorded by the Village Voice. Hopefully we will get to ten of them but with the good places nearby/ old faverites/ takeaway food shops, who knows? We are in NYC and enjoying it vey much. We went to the Metropolitan Opera on Thursday night and saw a modern opera called "A View From the Bridge." On Friday night, we saw the play "Our Town" with the actor Paul Newman. He still looks good and the play is so good-reminds us of Beulaville as it is about life in a small town. Went to Lincoln Center on Saturday to attend a classical music concert. Went to Carneagie Hall last night to hear the Messiah.We are eating good food. Went for Dim Sun in Chinatown on Sunday afternoon. They bring out all kinds of dishes on a cart and you choose what you want-very good. Also, eating good prepared dishes from Zabar's and Gourmet Garage. The weather has been very cool and Nancy has her first cold of the season, but is surviving. More news next time!
The money is working out OK. On food and resturants we have spent about $25 per day. Of course, we are spending some extra cash, maybe $200 per week and the admissions. We have averaged paying $20 per person, but NKO wanted to see MEDEA and we paid $45 per person. I am missing my Easy Chair, Satellite TV and Bed.
Xmas day was snowing. We rode up to 86th street and walked out into Central Park.It was empty of people. Walked down to the boathouse cafe. There is a $20 Lunch side and a $1 coffee side. We went to the $1 side. Looking out over the lake with the smow reminded us of several movies. We walked out to 59th street and saw very few people.
On the 27th, we went to the UNC vs IONA basketball game at Madison Square Garden. The cheapest ticket was $21.50, but I scalped two for $20. Close game, but IONA pulled away at the end. The day before we scalped tickets to "Dance of the Vampire" for $15 each. It is supposed to be the worst musical on broadway, but we enjoyed it. Michael Crawford,who played the Phantom of the Opera for several years on Broadway stars as the Vampire.
Today, the 28th, I am seeing the 2nd act of "A View From the Bridge" (opera) for $12 standing ticket. It is costing me twice because we went to see it on our first night here, but we were too tired to stand for the 2nd act. We are heading home tomorrow, Tuesday, January 7. We have seen everything, done everything and eaten everything! What did it cost Extra to stay in NYC for a month?
Above what we expect to spend in Beulaville, we spent:
Rent $1,200
Cable 100
Less:Bville Saving (100)
Admissions 500
Parking 200
Less:Bville Auto-EXP(200)
Extra ResturantGrocery-Allowance 500
TOTAL $2,200
Here is a list of the activites we enjoyed in NYC:
Opera-A View from the Bridge;Die Fledermaus; Electra; Carmen; Don Giavonni; we bought "standing" tickets for each opera for $12 each
Ballet-The Nutcracker, $12 "standing" tickets;
NYC Ballet, $14 "standing" tickets
Symphony-NY Philharmonic, $15 tickets (scalped);
Carnegie Hall,Skitch Henderson Holiday Concert, $10 ticket;
Carnegie Hall, Emanuel Ax, $10 ticket;
Carnegie Hall, Messiah, $15 ticket;
NY Philharmonic morning rehearsal, $14 ticket;
World Financial Center-Downtown-Messiah, free concert
Plays-Our Town with Paul Newman, $21.25 "standing" ticket; Medea with Fiona Shaw, $45 ticket; Burn This with Elizabeth Shue, $35 ticket; Dance of the Vampires musical with Michael Crawford, $15 ticket (scalped); A Christmas Carol with F. Murray Abramson, $14.50 ticket (two for one special); Movin' Out on Broadway (dance/musical with music by Billy Joel and dance choreography by Twyla Tharp, $20 ticket "standing"
Sports-UNC vs. Iona Basketball at Madison Sq. Garden, $10 ticket (scalped); NY Boat Show at Jacob Javits Center, $12 ticket; NY Rangers Hockey game at Madison Sq. Garden, $10 ticket (scalped)
Museums-Metropolitan Museum, $1.00 donation; Phillips Collection in Washington DC, "Bonnard" exhibit, $10 each; "George Caitlin" exhibit in Washington DC, free (Indian portraits)
Movies-Doug saw "Lord of the Rings II" (current one showing), $10 p/ticket; Nancy saw "Far from Heaven," $10 p/ticket
Restaurants-Spain (lots of Spanish food), $22 per person; Dominicks on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx (lots of great Italian food), $24 per person; INO in Greenwich Village (Milanese sandwich and soup), $11 per person; Sapporo (Japanest-good curry chicken), $10 per person; LaBonne Soup (French-good French Onion soup and salad and wine and dessert), $18 per person; Simply Pasta (Italian pasta-lunch), $20 per person; Veselka (eastern European, located in the East Village, good mushroom barley soup and buttermilk pancakes for breakfast), $10 each; "A Pound of Italian Cookies and Biscotti" from bakery on Arthur Avenue-so good, $10 total; Dim Sun in Chinatown, $15 per person.
All in all, a wonderful month in NYC. Such an exciting place with friendly people, good food and lots to do!
