My Latest NYC/Eating/Shopping Perspectives

Perhaps stereotypical of a New Yorker, I don't find myself at many typical tourist attractions. I've never been to the top of the Empire State Building, never to the Statue of Liberty, I'm not a big fan of Broadway, etc. But, I do love my annual jaunt to Coney Island/Brighton Beach, which will continue to become more of a tourist attraction for years to come.

The best neighborhood joint in my neighborhood is the Rodeo Bar & Grill, hands down. Good food, drink and free live music. The best late night joint in town? Well, I don't do late nights like I used to, but I guess I'd have to say L'Express on PAS - they serve food until all hours and you can get quite a "show" in there, depending on what time you arrive. The last cultural thing I did was attend an art auction in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, at which I didn't buy anything, except a couple of drinks. I don't get to go to enough fancy schmancy restaurants, and now that my dad is retired, I can't even rely on him to take me anymore. However, we did recently go to the Gramercy Tavern and the food and atmosphere - and the hooker in the bright yellow mini dress from the 80s - were excellent. My friend is going to kill me for letting the cat out of the bag on this one, but the best bar to meet members of the opposite sex is Marshall Stack on Rivington St. Seems like men over the age of 28 are in there actually looking to talk to women in the same age group. Not exactly a fashion trend, but something that I have been most pleased with during the past couple of years is that shoes and boots have really upped the ante. There was a phase there in the 90s where I could hardly find a pair I liked, but now I am overwhelmed with the selection that not only suits my tastes, but also encourages me to take some fashion risks that I might not have taken before. Oh, and one request to the footwear designers who are reading this: please keep making tall leather boots that fit around normal sized calves. Thank you. My favorite brand? Well I find myself in Club Monaco's sale section all too often, but on a more elite scale, I can't believe the genius behind Marc Jacobs. And while I can't afford to buy even a T-shirt, I am blown away by his style sensitivities, and perhaps more than that, his marketing approach! Other brands large and small should take note.

p.s. Howdja like my new logo? I have another one to unveil tomorrow. I think this one is my favorite though.