Time to travel from sedate Boston, to the manic madhouse that is New York. A previous visit had us staying in mid town Manhattan, so this time we are in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
A almost 5 hour train journey had us in Penn Station, then we caught the subway, which landed us near our hotel. There were bars everywhere heaving with people. First impressions .. this place is “mental!”
We were very hungry from our travels, and were lucky to be squeezed in to the Sweetwater restaurant, a short walk away. Excellent food and service. We then wandered down to the East River, with views to Manhattan silhouetted by the setting sun.
After a disturbed night’s sleep due to nearby loud music, we made our way down to Isla Cafe for brunch. It has a supposed Aussie theme, and indeed the waitress was an Aussie! Great food, and set up for the day. We then walked around the local neighbourhood, taking in the sights and sounds. The people are mainly younger, and it has a busy and sometimes hectic vibe.
It was then on to the subway to the theatre district of Manhattan, for the afternoon matinee of “The Book of Mormon.” Manhattan is just so busy, it is almost overwhelming. The show was excellent, and packed full.
Back to Brooklyn, and decisions for dinner. Our waitress the previous evening had suggested a Brazilian restaurant called Beco, which was close by. It was however, packed, so we eat at a Mexican place called Casa Publica. Food and beer very good.
Today is Brooklyn bike tour day, with the meeting point supposedly 30 minutes by bus. However, the bus is running late, so we get an Uber. The traffic here is heavy, but we arrive in time. Much to our surprise, Sue and I are the only guests. So for the next five hours, tour guide Jeff takes us all over Brooklyn. It is an interesting and vibrant place, but wouldn’t want to live there! He took as to a famous Italian sandwich place for lunch called Defonte’s Sandwich Shop in Red Hook. It had been in business for over 100 years. Huge sandwiches, and Sue and I wisely got one and shared it. Top quality.
At the conclusion of the bike tour, we Ubered back to the hotel, and reflected on the ride. Certainly covered a lot of territory, in fact probably more than necessary. Dinner that night is at Beco, a Brazilian restaurant a short walk away. I had the national dish called Feijoada, a stew of black beans, beef and pork plus rice, sautéed collard greens and other accompaniments. Delicious!
New York has been enjoyable, but intense. It is a hectic, fast paced lifestyle and we are happy we chose Williamsburg to base ourselves, and not Manhattan. Tomorrow, Philly.
