Hillary Davis Travels's Blog

Photo Essay: The High Line NYC

    If you are visiting New York City, or even live there, and haven't been to High Line yet, it is something you really should do. It is over a mile long, running high above the streets on the west side of Manhattan on old railroad tracks. 

    My last walk there was on this sunny day and you can see how many people gravitate to it to enjoy the weather and socializing.

    Art and fun and interesting buildings and peeks at the river are on either side as you walk. 

    

...........and here the walkers stopped for a rest, facing a window that looks at oncoming traffic coming towards them on the street below..........

..........lounge chairs for sunning...........

..........cafes and tiny restaurants for dining...........

......lawns for resting...................

...............and if you walk down the stairs every few blocks..............

...........you can drop into the Meatpacking District and other neighborhoods for shopping, dining, or cruising the bars...........

    High Line Park runs from Gansevoort Street to West 34th Street. Access points are at Gansevoort Street, 14th Street, 16th Street, 18th Street and 20th Street. If you enter at 20th street you have a great stroll downtown towards the Meat Packing District.

High Line Park Web Site

 

 

 

Central Park Stroll

Wow, what a sunny weekend in NYC! Everyone was out and about. Here are a few shots of a stroll I took through Central Park. Come with me!

    Hills were covered with bikini clad sun worshippers. Picnics were spread out under trees. I turned a corner near the Metropolitan Museum of Art and sat down on a bench to listen to great jazz.

    But you don't have to go in the museum to see art, there's tons of historic and innovative art throughout the park....this cat sits on a bluff above the running lane....waiting for runners to pass by and ambush them....(just kidding...!)

    The boat house was packed...............

.........brunchers were enjoying their meal with an excellent open air view of the rowers on the pond....

...the bar was humming. And the outside bar was filled to the gills with people celebrating summer.

..........just steps away, this was the line waiting to rent a row boat to go out on the pond...

.....there are so many beautiful corners of Central Park....this fountain being one of them.

..........and did you know there is a very lovey croquet court in the park??

...in fact, in many ways, Central Park is on the up and up. There's even a Pain Quotedienne instead of the former, not so great, snack shacks that used to dot the park. This is seriously good news.

...........it seems to me that Central Park is the perfect place to be on a perfect sunny day. Good food. Clean, well-groomed landscape. Art. Music. And others who also are in the mood to celebrate, in a laid back way, the return of summer in the city.

 

 

Madison Avenue Stroll, Part 1

    While mid-town Madison Avenue is impressive and international, the upper reaches of Madison Avenue feel like a small town. Side streets are tree lined. Town houses have planters overflowing with flowers and vines. Stores are small, and antique shops, boutiques and art galleries abound.

    Come take a walk with me and let's look at all the shops together. Later, I will post a second stroll that takes you to mid-town.

    I started around 94th street and began to walk downtown....

    

    Rather than big book chains, a couple of independent bookstores have survived with a very loyal local clientelle. 

    This knitting store looked very tempting, but I have bags full of beautiful yarns waiting for me to transform them into something, so I bypassed this temptation and kept walking!

    Despite only being mid-June, summer sales are in full swing. 

 

    Bistro du Nord was ready for guests...........

.....and looked like it had an interesting menu for the evening.....

...........this lavender was so fragrant as I walked by...........

......shoe window shopping. From casual flats to space age stilletos!

    I stopped into Dean & Deluca, an upscale food market, to take a look around.....

...and ended up with roll mops and some peaches for later. 

....back on the street, more window shopping.

.....loved this window of an art gallery.

......not sure how I felt about these shoes!

.....EAT Cafe, always busy.....

    I stopped into L'Occitane....from the south of France where I lived for so many years. They make a wonderful Shea Hand Cream............

    And I ended up at my hang out, my favorite restaurant in the city. I stood at the bar. I had a tiny sandwich and an expresso. I feel so at home here, either dropping in for one of the gelatos they import from Milan, or for a wine, or for lunch, or for a late afternoon snack. Great ambiance. The family is from Milan and have had this restaurant in this location for years. You have to try it!

    Soon I will post Part 2. Stay tuned!

 

 

Farmers' Market NYC

Even on a rainy day in New York you can still find outdoor farmers' markets throughout the city. This one is called the 67th Street Farmers' Market.

    I visited this weekend and it was almost empty of people but filled with fresh produce dewy and glistening from the rain.

    Super fresh (and super seriously huge) carrots. The Easter bunny better be a big one this year!

    I like going to this market because it is just a few block's from my friend's apartment and they always have lots of samples of everything. The added attraction is that inside the building next door is a flea market that often has amazing finds.

    
    Do you know how, when you go to the sea when it rains, everything is grey or white? Here in the city when it rains, everything is in technicolor.

    I spotted the perfect gift for my friend, but then I realized she really didn't have enough sun for this wonderful little salad bowl planter. What a great idea. A city garden salad mix.

    Frank Sinatra came from Hoboken. So does Hoboken Farms! I loved their sign with a cow rising up amongst the high rises...........

    I love this pickle guy. I stop for his horseradish pickles, but they are all superb. Artisan pickles, pickled with love.

    .....and the Polish stall always has a good variety of fresh pirogi I can take back and heat up for dinner.....this one is a winner.

    .....okay, so this stall tells me that this honey is local. It is from beekeepers who keep their bees on the rooftops of the city....I couldn't figure out where they would find enough flowers to produce all this honey, but it was worth a try!

....and what do I love on my toast with my honey? Fresh butter!




    So even though it was pouring, even though it was a bit cold this weekend in NYC, I went home with arms full of wonderful food. Love NYC. Love farmers' markets.

The Limelight NYC

Imagine this.

A nightclub located in a former Episcopalian church. A disco ball disco haven for night owls and druggies. It became famous for a murder which was later depicted in a movie called Party Monster. Are you still with me? And why am I telling you this?

Because today the same Episcopalian church is home to an upscale group of shops, cafes and bars. The former spiritual sanctuary is now a shopping sanctuary, providing an intimate space for quietly grazing through small boutiques in downtown New York City.

At first it is a bit jarring. You look up and see the bones of the church ceiling and the sign of the cross here and there.

You seemingly are walking down the main aisle of the church as you enter. It is pretty and well designed, so eventually you forget where you are and settle into a shopping mode.

The shops are luxe. Petrossian caviar. 

Specialty bakeries and gourmet kitchen items.......and interesting granitas on offer.

 

You can stop in the lovely cafe for homemade sandiches and soups.

Now here is a question I am not sure you can answer. I am not particularly religious, but feel very spiritual. So why is it jarring for me as I climb the stairs past the stained glass window?

I suppose I would have really felt disoriented if I had been here in the time when it was a throbbing disco. So, onwards and upwards............

When you get to the top floor there is an exquisite view of the rose window. 

And what turned out to be my favorite spot, the Cana Wine Bar. It was small, tucked high and away, sort of romantic, and it had lovely food and an outgoing bartender. 

The reason I am introducing the idea of your visiting The Limelight is that I think it is a special and unusual destination in New York City that is especially appealing around the holidays when it is beautifully decorated and offers a quieter venue for gift shopping. 

It is off the beaten track. Not a tourist destination. It is a pleasure to navigate. And it is small enough that you can make it your own in an afternoon. 

Perhaps the sanctuary you need today simply comes in different forms. Travel sometimes makes me look at things in a totally different light. Limelight.

The Limelight Marketplace, 656 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10011

(212) 359-5600

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Choose A Restaurant When You Travel

This looks amazing doesn't it?! As a confirmed Francofile, foodie, food blogger, and world traveler, this photo signals "good food", "cheeses they hand picked", and possibly a really great restaurant experience in the restaurant that harbors this lovely "cheese cellar".

Ok, so here is what I learned. I swooned at seeing this cheese cellar at a restaurant in NYC. I made a point of returning soon thereafter for a meal. And I was really really disappointed. What happened?

I don't honestly know. I really don't want to tell you the name of the restaurant, but those of you who have been there will recognize it. 

It had a menu to die for it you are yearning for a French brasserie menu in NYC. It was so perfect. All the dishes you would find on a brasserie menu in France. 

So I ordered the Fish Soup (Soupe de Poissson). I shared a Cheese Fondue with my darling dining companion. We split other dishes. And with increasing dismay, we slogged our way through stuff that was boring, just not right, and plain not right. 

Lesson to me: when I travel, even to a city I know like the back of my hand, ALWAYS read Yelp, Urbanspoon, and yes, even Zagat. Take the advice and real-time counsel of others into account.

We are now a circle of connectied palates traveling the globe sharing our experiences and our mistakes. No longer do we either read a guru, or follow blindly a guide, or even a celebrity. Why? Because now we can tap into real time minute by minute analysis from day to day and diner to diner and traveler to traveler. We feed each other information that is spot on because we expect the same back. 

So my beloved and yearned for Soupe de Poissson? It was just awful. Red. Shouldn't be red but it was. Tasted like tomato paste. Ugh. And the yearned for Cheese Fondue allegedly made with real Gruyere? Oh, well, it was something like a balance between white processed cheese and maybe one slice of swiss thrown in and melted. Shame. I won't be going back anytime soon. That is, unless a Yelper or fellow blogger signal that it is time to go back.

 

Hotel Review: Wyndham Garden Hotel Chelsea NYC

How lucky did I get?? On a weekend when it was very hard to get a room in NYC, I scored one at a hotel right across the street from EATALY. 

For a foodie traveler this holds great significance. I visit EATALY, an Italian food emporium, every time I visit the city. And now I had a gem of a little boutique hotel to stay in just steps away.

The Wyndham Garden Hotel was small and intimate with a colorful lobby....

and very friendly and helpful staff at the front desk.

My room, on the 17th floor, was small but super super comfortable with a bed I didn't want to get out of once I was in it and a view over the neighboring rooftops and over to the famous Flatiron Building a street away.

It had free Wifi, a large flat screen TV, desk and ergonomically engineered chair that only made my back feel better.

Nice little treats awaited.......

as well as Wolfgang Puck signature coffee and lovely teas......

The "be well" theme of the center bed pillow was echoed throughout, including a new bathroom with "spa" toiletries and good fluffy white towels.

Downstairs in the lobby there is a door connecting to the Italian restaurant San Rocco. I took a look before dinner. It was lit with candles and looked wonderful. I had reservations at a French restaurant nearby, but you know, I should have stayed put!

Any restaurant lit with candles and filled with the music of Frank Sinatra must be taken seriously.

Which was confirmed in the morning when I dined at San Rocco for my  Italian breakfast, which was a beautiful buffet.

To the left, fresh squeezed orange juice. Cereals. Yogurt. Nutella. Two freshly baked breakfast cakes redolent of candied orange and rum soaked raisins. Superb capuccino. Fresh fruit salad. Panini press to make ham and cheese panini.

I was so happy with the quality of the food, the beautiful waitress who told me she came from Rome and the chefs from Milano, with the great conversation with fellow guests....that I decided then and there that I would be coming back to the hotel Wyndham in Chelsea.

I would reserve ahead a table at this restaurant for dinner, and I would again find my seat for the lovely breakfast served here. This was a special experience, and I am grateful to have found such an intimate and ultimately homey place to call home when I visit New York again.

 

 

Amazing Find: Cire Trudon

Travel sometimes takes me to the past. I found this store in New York City and was transported to another time.

It is the oldest candle maker in the world, so you can imagine what it was like entering their new space in Greenwich Village, an odd location for a really upscale store like this. Somehow I thought it would be better suited to Chelsea or Tribeca or even Soho. That said, I felt tremendously lucky to have found it.

"In 1643, a salesman named Claude Trudon arrives in Paris. He soon becomes the owner of a shop on Saint-Honore street thanks to a fruitful and happy marriage. Among groceries, the store also provides its customers with wax, candles for any domestic usage as well as church candles to the neighboring Saint Roch parish."

That was written in the 18th century, and the original store still exists in Paris today. The company makes candles for all the top French brands, including Hermes and Cartier. They still make the candles for the Chateau de Versailles.

As I walked in, I expected to be overwhelmed by aromas from the candles. Not a whiff. Almost all of the candles are under glass to preserve their scent until you lift the glass to smell them. 

Except of course for these beautiful tapers. 

What a treasure trove of visual treats. The color of the paneling, the wax busts, the antiques for lighting candles and displaying them.....all were from a distant past when light bulbs hadn't been thought of and candles were vital to survival as well as love.

I loved that they had so many candles lit and it was not even noon. It made a point. Candles are not just for the dark. 

These are some of the less expensive and absolutely delightful smelling candles you can find there. Most of the candles are quite pricey, however, considering that they burn at least 80 hours makes them actually reasonable. The quality and the colors and dyes and perfect fragrances all combine to make these some of the finest candles in the world. 

For instance, these pillars with individual cameos are $130. They come packed in a beautiful grey and red box with a book about the candle maker. 

The candle on the left under glass (cloche) is their signature candle. The gold coat of arms of the candle maker is on the front. It is hard to make out, but it is of a bee hive, with bees and the caption, "Bees work for God and the King." They come in a small travel size all the way up to a huge 7 pound candle. All are set in hand blown glasses from Vinci in Italy. 

My favorite? Has to be their candle scent called "Mademoiselle de la Valliere" because it is all tuberose, my favorite flower. All the scents are magnificent though and their descriptions delightful.

Carmelite sent: "The perfume of old stonewalls, in the shade of cloisters and convents, this scent of fresh and mossy stone tells us about the black and white silhouettes of sisters moving in the silence of ritual mass. Under the light of votives and psalmody, Carmelite refers to the peace of souls and eternity."

CIRE TRUDON, 78 rue de Seine, Paris   http://ciretrudon.com     http://blog.ciretrudon.com

54 Bond Street, New York, New York  

EATALY in NYC

Culinary travel is one of my passions, and one of my new passions in New York City is EATALY, a foodie emporium created by celebrity Chef Mario Batali and Chef Lydia Bastianich---amongst others.

I was so excited about it that I took my video camera with me and filmed it a couple of weeks after it opened. Click below to watch. Hope you enjoy it!!!!

 

 

EATALY, 200 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York

New Luxury Shopping Destination In NYC

I often stop into the Plaza Hotel in New York City to breathe in the air of luxury it exudes. It has been newly renovated and it is stunningly beautiful.

Now there is another reason to visit. It as a new luxurious shopping mall downstairs, with a food hall and restaurants by celebrity Chef Todd English. I put together the following video to show you around! Hope you enjoy it!