Manhattan Muscle

The view from Google

The first time you take up a new sport you're bound to be sore the next day. Seeking new activities is thrilling and full of opportunity, but there is often an awkward period in the beginning when your body hasn't mastered the movements yet. As a runner you may find that, as fit as you are, that first yoga class targets muscles you never even knew could become sore.

Around two o'clock in the afternoon the other day I turned to my friend and told him "I think I'm going to need a nap. I can tell that today is one of those days." Between not sleeping well the night before (again--I'm a sound sleeper, but I haven't had the chance to exercise that part of me that can ignore beeping garbage trucks and incessant police sirens), being beaten up by some new dress shoes, getting lost (more than once) in the poorly marked subway station, and walking the length of the High Line, I may have strained my Manhattan Muscle. In fact, by the time I laid down for the nap that brought me to the brink of a coma, I felt like I'd been hit by a bus.

As I search still for my future lifestyle, New York City is once again on the horizon. Though I do not yet know where I will find myself in a few months, I am hoping that New York will give me the opportunity to come back and try again, this time for a duration that will give me ample opportunity to grow some muscle. I know it'll be hard--everyone says New York is a tough city--but I think that getting your ass kicked by a city is a hearty experience that everyone should have.

Besides, there is plenty of fun to be had along the way.

 Watching the sun rise over the Lower East Side

Lunching at Google with a successful friend from my time in Nanjing was a treat. The workplace is a dreamland accessible only through cyberspace. Upon being escorted in with my "host" I dined at the main cafeteria, complete with soup, salad, main course, fruit, dessert, and beverage stations, before moving on the the smaller cafeteria, in which I walked up to an actual ice cream truck parked in the middle to order my complimentary peanut butter and caramel soft-serve ice cream with caramelized bacon bits scattered on top. With the food and the gym and the comfy lounge chairs set up for wireless working, it's no wonder Google is so successful--no one ever leaves.

I had the pleasure of meeting my cousins at Spitzer's. We passed over the fried pork bellies and opted for the richest mac and cheese I've ever had. If the cream and the cheese doesn't get you, the truffle oil will. While my Kobe beef burger was indeed some well-prepared meat, the dense bun took a burger that could have been magically simple and transformed it into mildly boring. However, the cafeteria-style wooden tables and easy-going decor gave the restaurant a quiet charm. 

For a more exquisite meal, my recommendation is Eataly. Italy may be a plane ride and unfortunate jet lag away, but Eataly was thankfully well in reach. And my day was all the happier after hand-crafted tagliatelle and spicy Italian sausage simmered in picante sauce, made special by Allegra's addition of broccoli rabe and kale. The only downside is that Eataly is close enough to my target living quarters to elicit an ill-advised eating and spending habit. But I haven't tried the desserts yet, so going back isn't an option.

 The rows of olive oil at Eataly

Somethin' Jazz Club

The Brooklyn Bridge from Dumbo