Christmas in New York

Christmas time in New York is wonderful.  Tim planned a fabulous day filled with holiday cheer.  We avoided the tree at Rockefeller Center and the shop windows along Fifth Avenue, which we had both seen before, and opted for a more low-key day.  We did some Christmas shopping, went ice skating, and had drinks with family/friends to end the day. 

First, we ventured over to Greenwich Village to do a little Christmas shopping/look at the interesting shops.  We stumbled upon a tiny gem of a store called, Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks.  The store is a cubby-hole filled from floor to ceiling with used cookbooks.  I found an old cookbook from the 1970s that my mom used  - More with Less.  I'm looking forward to making the granola of my childhood, a delicious lentil dish, and trying out a few others.  

Our next stop was to McNulty's to pick up some tea as a gift.  Though it may not have been the largest selection of tea and coffee, the quality was unbeatable.  I loved the aesthetics of the store.  In many ways, it made me feel like I was stepping back into time.  The wooden shelves holding tea tins and loose leaf tea were a far cry from the supermarket's tea aisle.  Accompanying the tea were glass jars filled with coffee beans and old-fashioned scales.  A gorgeous tin ceiling topped it all off. 

Our last stop was The Meadow.  This was definitely most unusual store of the day.  They specialize in gourmet salts, chocolate, bitters (for cocktails), and flowers.  Yes, don't all those items make complete sense to sell together (read with sarcasm).  I didn't even know so many types of salts existed (an entire wall of them).  The chocolates looked delicious, even though I didn't buy any.  However, the main reason we stopped by was to purchase some bitters.  Apparently, they have the larges selection of bitters in the city/east coast.  Overall, this seems like the perfect shop to buy a gift for someone who has everything and/or someone you barely know.    

While waiting for the subway to make our way over to Bryant Park for ice skating, we were surprised by a vintage subway train stopping at the platform.  It appeared without warning, didn't open any doors to allow people to go in, and then continued on its way.  The Polar Express must be its distant relative, because it carried with it a certain magic that everyone on the platform wished they could enter into and enjoy.  

After doing some research, I discovered that it is known as the Vintage Subway.   It makes appearances during the holiday season for "nostaligic shoppers".   While this one was completely empty, adding to its magical aura, you can get on the subway at designated stops for the standard metro fare.

Just as it was getting dark, we got into line for ice skating.  Bryant Park as free admission to their rink.  We just had to pay for our skates.  The setting was idyllic.  There is a Christmas market set up right by the skating rink, the library borders another side of the park, and the skyline views are stunning.  The rink was soooo crowded, but we really had a wonderful time.

Our night ended at the bar Elsa.  Their cocktail list is impressive and the mix of ingredients is strange yet delicious.
 It is a perfect way to end the night - enjoying a perfectly crafted drink with family and friends.