So I guess we'll start the way I always do, but THIS time I'll actually give you as much of the run down as I can ... not just stuff on "The List." Seriously, I really need to just spend less time on PerezHilton.com -- I admitted in class today that it's my biggest guilty pleasure -- and spend more time jotting on here all my daily shenanigans.
Week 5 -- Fun & Fearless List:
2) Go to a Broadway show.
Promises, Promises. Well, I promise you this, it's a show definitely worth seeing. First, get your tickets from TKTS and please my touristy friends, avoid the Times Square location at all cost. There's another location in the South Street Seaport down in FiDi. (That's my new favorite way to refer to the Financial District ... me love abbreves? Never.)
A short run down of the plot: Set in the 1960s, young Chuck Baxter (Sean Hayes), a low-on-the-totem-pole employee at an insurance company, is willing to do whatever it takes to climb the corporate ladder -- even if that means loaning his one bedroom apartment to his unfaithful superiors who are looking for a little one-night action away from their Mrs. Throw in the lovely Fran Kubelik (Kristin Chenoweth), a waitress at the company cafe with many a problems of her own, and it's one delightfully funny tale of romance and work, shaken and stirred into the perfect blend, that I must say packs quite a punch (That can also refer to Chuck's drink in the Hi-LARIOUS bar scene).
What also made the musical? My aunt having to explain the meaning of "pervert" to my 7-year-old cousin. Ahhh, another reason why marriage is nowhere near even a consideration. (I mean... what Fun & Fearless girl has the time for that!?)
Check out more about the show on the official web site.
Week 5 -- Fun & Fearless List:
Promises, Promises. Well, I promise you this, it's a show definitely worth seeing. First, get your tickets from TKTS and please my touristy friends, avoid the Times Square location at all cost. There's another location in the South Street Seaport down in FiDi. (That's my new favorite way to refer to the Financial District ... me love abbreves? Never.)
A short run down of the plot: Set in the 1960s, young Chuck Baxter (Sean Hayes), a low-on-the-totem-pole employee at an insurance company, is willing to do whatever it takes to climb the corporate ladder -- even if that means loaning his one bedroom apartment to his unfaithful superiors who are looking for a little one-night action away from their Mrs. Throw in the lovely Fran Kubelik (Kristin Chenoweth), a waitress at the company cafe with many a problems of her own, and it's one delightfully funny tale of romance and work, shaken and stirred into the perfect blend, that I must say packs quite a punch (That can also refer to Chuck's drink in the Hi-LARIOUS bar scene).
What also made the musical? My aunt having to explain the meaning of "pervert" to my 7-year-old cousin. Ahhh, another reason why marriage is nowhere near even a consideration. (I mean... what Fun & Fearless girl has the time for that!?)
Check out more about the show on the official web site.
View leading up to the Broadway Theater:
Outside the theater with my ticket!
A sneak peak inside the theater before show-time. Shhhh. Cameras aren't allowed inside.
Well, actually the Naked Cowboy hasn't been roaming the streets lately seeing that he is in the midst of a legal battle. It's a modern day (naked) country-western battle for Times Square stomping grounds and Trademark infringement with none other than she-version of the Nakedness himself: $andy Kane, The Naked Cowgirl.
Heart-shaped booby pasties, a decorated guitar, a constant flip of the bird and all, this former "entertainer" looks like she might need to put her recent earnings from laughter-ridden tourists toward a new suit. Or at least a decent bra.
Read more about the controversy here.
OK, so I've been warned about eating food off the street. It's contaminated. It's been sitting in the dirty, bacteria-infested air. You'll get sick. There's been so many reports on how bad it is for you. Etc.
You know what I say to that? Wah wah. It's delicious. I love hot dogs. I love pretzels. I've yet to see a Philly cheese steak cart actually, but I have gotten a mean street bagel. And guess what, I'm alive to blog about it. Next cart visit? Foursquare keeps telling me there's a taco truck nearby... um, YUM!
61) Go to a Good Morning America Concert.
Let's be honest. I'm generally not exactly thrilled to go to class. Especially when it requires me to take off (precious) days at the office. But the past Friday was an exception. After waking up at THREE AM (only because I naturally procrastinated my paper due that morning, woops) I got ready and headed off to Central Park's Rumsey Field. Arrival time -- 6:25 AM. I hadn't had my morning cawfee. My hair was unwashed. But, there I was surrounded by the lovely 18 other Mizzou journalism ladies in my program, standing maybe 10 feet away from Good Morning America's concert stage. The coolness factor totes trumped any crankiness factor.
Yes, our professor got the hook-up for the first of our three media visits that day (the others included ProPublic and the Wall Street Journal). VIP bracelets for the Alicia Keys concert. And let me tell you, in the words of my favorite (guilty pleasure) celebrity blogger Perez Hilton -- Alicia looked FABOOSH (read: fabulous). I mean like really FABOOSH. Not only was she glowing from her very talented stand-by makeup crew, but also the glimmer of her baby bump slightly popping through her romper.
Her rendition of Empire State of Mind sent chills through my blood and made goosebumps prickle on my skin despite the sweltering heat. I even (embarrassingly) made it on TV! *Side note: the camera guy told us to do this awkward sway clap thing, where, well, anyone who has rhythm (read: most normal people) would look totally cool and fun doing it. Me? Not so much.
Let's be honest. I'm generally not exactly thrilled to go to class. Especially when it requires me to take off (precious) days at the office. But the past Friday was an exception. After waking up at THREE AM (only because I naturally procrastinated my paper due that morning, woops) I got ready and headed off to Central Park's Rumsey Field. Arrival time -- 6:25 AM. I hadn't had my morning cawfee. My hair was unwashed. But, there I was surrounded by the lovely 18 other Mizzou journalism ladies in my program, standing maybe 10 feet away from Good Morning America's concert stage. The coolness factor totes trumped any crankiness factor.
Yes, our professor got the hook-up for the first of our three media visits that day (the others included ProPublic and the Wall Street Journal). VIP bracelets for the Alicia Keys concert. And let me tell you, in the words of my favorite (guilty pleasure) celebrity blogger Perez Hilton -- Alicia looked FABOOSH (read: fabulous). I mean like really FABOOSH. Not only was she glowing from her very talented stand-by makeup crew, but also the glimmer of her baby bump slightly popping through her romper.
Her rendition of Empire State of Mind sent chills through my blood and made goosebumps prickle on my skin despite the sweltering heat. I even (embarrassingly) made it on TV! *Side note: the camera guy told us to do this awkward sway clap thing, where, well, anyone who has rhythm (read: most normal people) would look totally cool and fun doing it. Me? Not so much.
Look for awkward teal shirt & headband girl at 0:14.
Told you so.
Of course my camera died at like the beginning of the show, so here are some otherwise "borrowed" photos from my friends' FB albums:
A bunch of the girls from class before the show.
Natalie, Mallory, me, Jessica, Morgan.
ALICIA KEYS!
Thanks to Kat for her awesome DSLR camera.
We really were so ridiculously close to her.
It's OK. You can be a little jealous :)This awesome delicatessen is no secret in NYC. Tucked away along the dives of E. Houston in the Lower East Side, this famous gem is well-known for it's pastrami sandwiches and links (is that what they're called?) of salami. It is a bit pricey at $15 - $18 a pop for a sandwich, but the meat is hot off the grill and cooked to perfection. Jessica opted for a burger and fries and gave her seal of approval. The plus for her, a burger is much cheaper.
Also totally great about this place: they serve matzo ball soup. If you've never had matzo ball soup, find a Jewish friend and ask for a recipe. So good.
Photos of famous celebrities and politicians such as Bill Clinton and Rudy Giuliani line the side wall. On the other side is the food counter. Now, when you first walk in, the scene is a little overwhelming. There's 5 or 6 different lines forming, a single one for each server behind the counter. What I recommend, and what you don't first realize they have, table service. Get a waiter. Ask their opinions. Sit down and enjoy the fact that you have no idea which line serves fries, which serves drinks, which has the condiments, which has the sandwiches, etc. The counter is a mess unless you're a Katz's veteran. Otherwise, the extra tip money is so worth it.
Cool thing No. Whatever: Katz's is also the famous deli in Harry Met Sally. You know the famous line. "I'll have what she's having." And you know what, when you're in there, you want what everyone's having. It all looks just so damn delicious.
Here's the menu. Let the mouth watering begin.
Brooklyn is home to a many cool people and things. The Brooklyn Bridge. The Brooklyn Museum. Coney Island. Steve & Miranda's place. Household automobiles instead of cabs. Michael Jordan. But the non-Brooklynites are unaware of some of the most legit vintage shops housed by this mostly residential area. After chatting up a local bartender last night, Jenny and I were told we needed to visit northwestern Brooklyn. Just to check it out. Our 'tender (a 10-year Manhattan inhabitant) said he always swore up and down he'd never leave Manhattan, yet after moving to Brooklyn not long ago, he swears he never wants to leave.
So we took his advice. Hopped the L over to Bedford Ave., the first stop in Brooklyn, and wandered around. What we found: it has some ritzy boutiques and some crazy vintage stores. We're talking vintage, vintage. Also Jenny taught me a fun TV Anchor trick -- scour the blazer rack at the Salvation Army. Ten times cheaper and half the time the tacky-on-the-hangers actually make flattering on-screen attire. Who woulda guessed?
Either way, saw some cute stuff. But, I ended up making a trip to Union Square's Nordstrom Rack before class and got myself the slouchy bootie flats I've been yearning for. Only $40. Not a bad find in this city. Really.
******
No Fun & Fearless girl sticks just to a list. We deviate. We wander. We explore. So here's what I've done on a whim, on someone else's list, by recommendation or just by getting lost. I'm sure I'll forget to tell you some of the things. And most of these probably deserve posts of their own. But in a nutshell, I'm going to attempt to fit in all the notable stuff I've left out the past few weeks. Here goes everything... (in order from longest ago to most recent)
Meatpacking District Excursion:
If I haven't clarified this, I'll clarify now. My roommate Jenny and I are the only two of the bunch to have an unusual work schedule. I have three-day weeks. She works weekends. Thus, we both Mondays and Tuesdays off together. So what we like to do is pick an area/ neighborhood and wander it. No destination in mind. Just get lost and see where it takes us.
So some time in Week 3 (IE - most likely a Mon. or Tues.) we decided to hit up the Meatpacking District. It's known for its rich nightlife and swanky eateries. So we got lost and this is what we found:
Actual old, real meatpacking factories.
The corner of Little West 12th St. and 10th Avenue. Soon to be our favorite nighttime hot spot. Also soon to be realized the entry to the High Line Park.
Cute, little cobblestone streets. Reminiscent of Main Street St. Charles with an older, more historical feel.
A&F Marketing. For all my friends with the company, this photo's for you. See, in the retail world of Abercrombie & Fitch, it's not hard to see that we really don't do billboard marketing. The customers sell the brand via the logos they bear on their clothing. Needless to say, when I saw this ad, I nearly had a heart attack. It really does exist.
Then we stumbled our way back into Greenwich on accident. But we weren't upset. We found:
Christian Loubotin -- Designer of the most fabulously crafted footwear ever:
And we snuck a peak at the lady inside who was walking through the store like she was shopping Payless's BOGO deal. Like it was NBD at all that she was wandering barefoot, examining only the finest pairs that caught her fancy. *Sigh.* Maybe one day, we thought.
Even though she lived in the Upper East Side, Carrie's stoop was shot down in Greenwich Village -- only a few blocks away from where the real SJP lives!
Does it look familiar? (Photos via Google Images)
When I make it big one day, this is the neighborhood where I'll live. Fosh.
After-work strolls through FiDi:
Nothing is worse than being cooped up in a mini "apartment" when a big, busy world is at your doorstep. So, naturally, the roomies and I make it a mission to get out of the apt. as awf-ten as pawssible. And thanks to Allie's celeb fanaticism and constant Twitter updates from OLV (On Location Vactation -- they tweet movie and TV filming locations!) a lot of these leisurely strolls turn into hectic prancing down the narrow walkways of FiDi searching for the next celebrity to grace our neighborhood. I might not have seen any movie stars yet (Allie has!) but hopefully one day soon I'll spot more than just their trailers!
Look for this scene in the movie!
Production Signs for a TV show called Lights Out, located literally a BLOCK from our apartment:
NYC Media Site Visits:
Like I said previously, our summer journalism class isn't glamourous (however you look at it, even if class IS in Times Square, it's still class) BUT it sure does have its perks. The obvi being Alicia Keys, but also just as (almost) great were these visits:
Wall Street Journal. (Shout out to Alecia Swasy, the best journalist WSJ has ever seen. Also known as the best writing professor at the J-School. It's OK, I've already gotten my grade so it's not sucking up, right?)
FOX News. Didn't get to see Bill O'Reilly though. Um, Shucks?
CNN. We got the to tour a bunch of sets and even saw the stage for the presidential election coverage. NEATO!
Just chillin' in Nancy Grace's desk. NBD.
Central Park Adventures:
If I could pick one favorite place in NYC, well, that'd be Central Park. Hands down. It's beautiful. It's green. It's enchanting. There's always new people to watch and a new secret grassy spot or bench or rock to find. I haven't even seen half of it yet. But what I have done: found the most amazing boathouses, like, ever. And for about $3/person, you can go on a double date (or in our case an awkward gaggle of girls), row-boating away on the lake.
Little Italy:
It's the cutest little alley only a street and a few blocks long that's filled with stings of lights, corner gelato shops, the glorious wafting aroma of garlic and butter and cheap accessory stands. It's loud and touristy ALL the time, but its got a vibrant energy about it. All and all, thumbs up -- but be willing to accept some not-so-great table service from the servers if you're with a young-looking group.
******
OK, so that gets us caught up in (mostly) full to about week three. It's late. I'm a wittle sweepy after last night's midnight showing of Eclipse (EEEE! I KNOW!). And secretly I've been working on this post for the past three nights. What can I say, I'm picky about what I put in print ... and I'm eager to just publish this already. If I go into week four, well, that might take a-whole-nother three more days to write.
Until next time.
Keeping it Fun & Fearless & (as Jessica added on for me) Fabulous!
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