NYC, Act II

I met Armin and Steph at Armin's apartment since he was nice enough to carry my stuff from the Google office where it had been stored for the day. He shares a nice place in Lower Manhattan with a few guys and soon the three of us were heading out to dinner and drinks in the East Side with his friend Erica. It was a lot of fun to hang out in NYC with someone who really knows the place and we had a beer at a bar that caters to SF Bay Area sports teams and such so I got a taste of home. I also got a taste I wasn't expecting with the newly popular "pickleback" drink. It's a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice. Certainly not conventional but I found it surprisingly enjoyable. We hopped to and through a couple bars before it started pouring, pushing us to catch a cab back. One last stop at the nearby dive bar resulted in a quick dance on the bar by one of us (I won't name names but with two guys and one girl you can probably guess who it was) and the free shots that were payment, then we called it a night.

Saturday started out with another delicious bagel and lox before we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge. Although the bridge was under construction it was still fun to see the iconic structure and turn back for a vista of the Manhattan skyline. Armin, Steph, and I walked around Brooklyn a little and then trained over to Williamsburg for some satisfying beers at Brooklyn Brewing Co. The destination in this area was the free concert at Williamsburg Park and we walked over to listen to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. I've loved her music for a few years now and was blown away by their live show. It was fantastic to share such fun music and dancing with Steph and Armin and we had a great time. After the show we got some amazing pizza at a hole in the wall place and headed back to sleep.

Sunday started off in the best way, with a mouth watering brunch at Chop House. The food and Bloody Marys were fantastic and the three of us enjoyed a walk along the gorgeous High Line and listened to a good jazz trio playing for tips. Steph and I checked into the luxurious Standard Hotel fornight the night and took their complimentary bikes out for a ride down the waterfront trail. We walked around Greenwich Village awhile and picked up some pizza and side dishes which we brought back to the room. A tasty but quiet meal with just the two of us was the perfect way to end a fantastic week together, especially when capped with cocktails and dessert from the room service menu.

The next day we said goodbye for a couple weeks and I made my way uptown to get the car. I found another "no plates" ticket but at least it started up again and soon I was on my way across the GW bridge to meet Ariel in Philly.