NY // NY — Rachel Friedman Elberts

It had been over a year since I had visited my home town of New York City. I didn’t realize how much I missed my family, friends, and energy of the City until I caught a glimpse of the skyline from my window seat. I became giddy with excitement. It was a perfect early Fall (or late Summer - if you will) night - where the air was neither too cold nor too hot, and there was that Friday night hum hanging in that perfect air - where everyone in the city was excited to be buzzing around. It was electric!

I felt particularly nostalgic for warm city nights where all you want to do is dine alfresco and walk the city streets until sunrise.

San Francisco has a completely different feeling and energy than NYC, and when you get New York on a good day it can do no wrong. I was so happy to soak up all the familiar sites, sounds, smells of the City that I had left behind.

My schedule was jam packed as usual between seeing friends, hanging with the family, cleaning out my childhood room, and walking the streets of Manhattan. With my trips home being few and far between I’ve really come to appreciate New York far more than I ever have. While you are living in the City there are always places to go, people to see - life moves at a faster pace, and you take the City for granted - where you never really take a breath or a look around. But this trip, for me, was all about taking in the energy of the City and storing it away until my next visit.

First stop on Friday Night was catching up with 2 of my oldest friends: Sam and Leigh. Love that we’ve stayed in touch all these years through out all my relocations! You can’t tell that Leigh’s pregnant from the photo, but she is one adorable pregnant lady - can’t wait to meet baby Brill!

I invited my friends to a picnic in Central Park, thinking it would be easy to see everyone and get to connect on a more personal level. It could not have been a more beautiful day, and I am so happy I got to see everyone who showed up. It was a great group with friends from different parts of my life (Vail, High School, College, Birthright, friends of friends, NY Friends) and no one had the same job - which always makes for interesting conversation!

A Chinatown must stop: Wo Hop

All roads lead to Central Park for me.

One of my favorite NYC views - Central Park Mall with a saxophone and some warm pretzels

Morning run view down Riverside Highway

I had been reading all about Momofuku Milk’s new soft serve - and I had to try it. Probably the creamiest, richest ice cream I have ever had - 5 people could of finished this small cup.

This used to be the place - I remember picking my way through these cobblestone streets many times.

Meatpacking has changed so much even in the 8 years I’ve been away from the City.

I dined at 2 amazing restaurants while in town. Red Farm and Charlie Bird - both were small plate kind of places with amazing food and drinks.

My parents took me to Red Farm which happened to open near our apartment on the Upper West Side. Red Farm is a clean, fresh approach to Chinese food. Their food had tons of flavor and we’re very innovative. We had:

BBQ’d Duck Spring Rolls

Cold Sesame Noodles, Chicken

Shrimp & Snow Pea Leaf Dumplings

Shrimp-Stuffed Crispy Chicken

Wok-Fried String Beans, Brussel Sprouts

Shiso Cucumber Cocktail

Janice, Emily, and I went to Charlie Bird my last night in town and I have nothing but good things to say about the meal, the service, and the restaurant. Even the way they describe the food makes me happy:

“The menu comes from New York’s farmers markets, Long Island fishing boats, country fields and the wondrous meanderings of spirited travelers with passionate palates”

I decided I wanted to go here after my friend Michelle made the Charlie Bird Farro Salad at her beach bbq, and I was hooked, wanting to try the real deal - and it was totally worth it!

We ordered:

Gnocchi Rosa ricotta, basil, tomatoes

Farro Salad summer tomatoes, pistachio, mint & parmigiano

Dry Aged Beef Carpaccio horseradish, blackened leeks

Crispy Squash Blossoms ricotta & anchovy

Broccoli Raab red chile & tuscan olive oil

Caramelized Cauliflower pancetta, almonds, olio nuovo

Salmon Salad

Olive Oil and Hazelnut Gelati & Pignoli

Such a good meal! Such a great trip to NY. Can’t wait to go back

After this trip I feel like I’ve reconnected with my roots and the electric spirit of the City that never sleeps.

Whoever is born in New York is ill-equipped to deal with any other city: all other cities seem, at best, a mistake, and, at worst, a fraud. No other city is so spitefully incoherent.
James Baldwin

“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless"
Simone Beauvoir

There is no place like it, no place with an atom of its glory, pride, and exultancy. It lays its hand upon a man’s bowels; he grows drunk with ecstasy; he grows young and full of glory, he feels that he can never die.
Walt Whitman

When I’m in New York, I just want to walk down the street and feel this thing, like I’m in a movie.
Ryan Adams

I was in love with New York. I do not mean ‘love’ in any colloquial way, I mean that I was in love with the city, the way you love the first person who ever touches you and never love anyone quite that way again.
Joan Didion