Arbitrary Adventures & Celebrity (Baby) Sighting #20 (Penny)

---

Manhattan excels in random meanderings. No plans necessary. Just walk, explore and the city reveals exactly what you need at that moment. Overwork and conflicting schedules have left me and Dave with no time to hang together for months .... until this past weekend. We ran the (quiet) bar together all day Saturday, and a surprise 3pm blast of freedom set us cruising Downtown purpose-free.

A warning to all you coffee-crazies out there: Americans make millions selling watery silt whilst soiling the good name of the nation's favorite beverage. It's so bad I now have a strict 'iced only' policy. Add a cup of chilled milk and that bitter mud is diluted into a palatable milkshake. Imagine my rapture upon discovering New York's first ever 'Stumptown Cafe'. The brainchild of an obsessive coffee-monger touting bean varietals as precisely as wine grapes, Stumptown coffee is phe-no-men-al and takes me back to those Sunday brunches in Melbourne. Aaaah, now I can safely get through winter with a warm drink of choice.

With Stumptown lattes in hand, the Dave-n-Penny-Arbitrary-Adventure led us through some real Manhattan-style stores we'd previously ignored. Boutiques brimming with original, stunning, quirky stuff where the people-watching portion was as compelling as the price-tags. Halloween is on the horizon and a large chunk of our night wove through costume shops. We were in hysterics donning zombie heads, witches hats, ladybug antennae and giant bananas. I am soooooooo excited about Halloween in the USA! The yanks go insane with their pumpkin carvings and storefront decorations. There are candles and fairylights everywhere, sparkly black cats, twinkling skeletons, eerie cemetery scenes and ravens circling cauldrons. There's a street parade in the West Village which we plan to join before finding a party to crash. But the best bit is inventing your dream persona for the night. It's less about gore and more a free-for-all. What have you always dreamed of becoming? A Yankees player, a hotdog smeared with ketchup, a naughty nurse, Superman, Beetlejuice, a monkey, Cleopatra, Frankenstein??? Halloween is where your dream comes true... amidst a bucketload of drinking and stuffing your cakehole with candy. Sooooo much more fun than Christmas, don'tchathink??? I cannot WAIT!

A similarly random Sunday led us on a wild burger chase through the Lower East Side. Our workmate recommended 'Pianos', a laid-back beach-house style bar rumored to serve the greatest burgers in Manhattan. (Boy, was that an understatement when we finally got there!) With no clue as to Pianos' location, the city led us to our desired destination via a covetable celebrity twist:

Repeat sightings don't usually count, but since this celebrity was prancing about the West Village in her Manolos with her new baby strapped across her chest, we'll count her again thanks to the presence of celebrity spawn. Whilst Dave had his nose in the new iPod, desperately attempting to hijack some free WiFi, I decided to snap a few pics of my new blonde hair to satisfy Facebook requests. I felt like a bit of a fool taking self-portraits in public, and I almost didn't notice Sarah Jessica Parker laughing at me as she passed by to grab a cab. Luckily I had the camera out already. As soon as she turned her back to me, I snapped a few shots. (Clearly becoming a true New Yorker now as I wouldn't dare photograph her head-on. It's all about the subtlety here ... leave the animals to roam freely in their natural habitat).

Our magnificent random weekend ended with two trips to SugarSweetSunshine (the best cupcake bakery in the city ... seriously, Magnolia pales in comparison), and a dinner party in the Park Avenue apartment of a NZ couple who frequent 'The Australian'. Aaaah, I'm falling in love with Manhattan all over again.

---

Photos

SJP and her New Baby
Celebrity Sighting #20

Comments

[Pen and Dave]

Welcome Back Rosanne...
It's been sooo long between comments!