Places to Go & People to See

Collaged NYC Postcards on windowsill
I try to visit my second home every year. This time I picked a doozy of a weather week to visit but, of course, it was all worth it.
Frigid cold, rain, slush, snow, winds.
I may not be as tough as a New Yorker but I'm still here to tell you about it.

The High Line
I have walked the High Line a few times before but this was definitely the coldest  (& shortest) walk. It ends - or starts - right at the new Whitney Museum and I highly recommend a visit to both.

Yellow Cabs
I have a thing about Yellow Cabs and I love seeing them out at all hours of the day and night.
But I take the subway.

The Ink Pad
You know I've got to make a stop at the Ink Pad every visit. I met my pal CeCe there on a bitterly cold morning.
I nearly froze to death taking this picture.
No kidding.

Among other things, the Ink Pad is a great place to pick up some NYC rubber stamps to decorate your postcards and travel journal.

Next up - Casey's Rubber Stamps. Also in the West Village. Just step down and into a very fun world of stamps.....

Out front is always a table with some stamps you play with.....I stamped some mail I had with me and a little travel notebook.....

Casey's has got a great selection o stamps too and don't forget to look thru the catalog they have there because they will make up any stamp you want from it right on the stop.

JAM Paper & Envelope
This was a new place for me that CeCe took me to and fun to browse the shelves. My find?
Some really great very large airmail envelopes
that you can get by clicking right here
(I wouldn't share this info with just anybody but you guys are special....)

But, you don't have to BUY things in NYC, there is plenty to pick up around town. I scour every Subway station for those cool Metro tickets to pick up. They are getting harder to find because New Yorkers are getting neater and also, as my NYC pal Harriet says, they cost a $1 now and they are reloadable. But I did find quite a few. And Subway posters. Yes, a few did find their way into my possession. (I only took them when there were multiple copies -- don't want to screw up the transit system)......menus, blue coffee cups....all kinds of things to tear up and stick....

I worked on my travel journal diligently every day.....(more about that soon).

City Bakery
I met Harriet at City Bakery where we had cappuccino and hot chocolate and treats and talked about mail art and NYC.....City Bakery was having a month of hot chocolate -- a good time for it when the temperatures were hovering around ZERO - and on the day we went it was Hot Fudge Hot Chocolate with a giant homemade marshmallow....

Harriet gave me a big bag of fabulous Russian candy -- she knew I had been wanting them so I could use the cool paper wrappings in collages...eating them is kinda fun too.

OUT my hotel window. I loved looking out there. But when it was snowing I didn't like it....See that little red door right across the street?????

Well, this is what we ran out and picked up from there and got cozy in our hotel room one night with Chinese food and a bottle of wine.
Sometimes you've just got to do what you've got to do.
We saw plays. We went to museums. We ate out. We even saw Hamilton the Broadway musical with the BUZZ. And the hip-hop.

Valentine's Day
And I found a sweet little Valentine on the desk one morning....

AT MOMA
HOY (Tomorrow) -- by Torres-Gracia 1919
I also liked seeing artists Henry Darger and John Houck
I spent a delightful few hours with Ester K Smith (How To Make Books) at MOMA looking at art.
A really good idea when it is is snowing.
Which it absolutely was.

Junior's
Why yes, I did go to Junior's. Twice, in fact. And I'm not sorry.  You just cannot get this in San Francisco.
And the cheesecake....

More outgoing collaged postcards

So, I was trying to post about the travel journal but I just had to share some of the NYC fun I had with you guys.
I didn't put links to everything since I have posted about the places on previous  trips but you can just google them if you are lucky enough to be taking a trip to the
BIG BAD CITY.
And a BIG thank you to my friends CeCe, Harriet and Esther who really added a lot to my travels but spending time with me and being such interesting and charming friends.
 I leave you with this ---

"We were happy to be in a city the beauty of which was unknown, uncozy and not on a small scale" -- William de Kooning on NYC

I am sorry I left because things have really been hitting the fan since I got home.....

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL
(and sometimes you just gotta hang on till things get better)
See you all soon!