Beware of Window Cleaners

I'm sitting at a coffee shop near NYU, called Think Coffee, and everyone in here is reading or writing, so I decided that I would too.

It's a very cool, artsy kind of place with great iced tea and lemon bars. I think Ryan Adams is playing in the background. The crowd here is very intense though, these NYU people aren't messing around.

The universe was good today. I got up and headed to Central Park for my first official run through the park. Unfortunately I had to wear a back pack because I didn't have anything else to put my MTA card, phone, water, etc...so my run became a walk eventually. I went home and ordered one of those runner packs from Amazon to fix that problem in the future.

The park was absolutely beautiful and it was so nice to find some shade. I may go there again tomorrow or try the park out along the river for a morning run.

The cool thing was that on my way to the park I was listening to The Swell Season...that band from Ireland I mentioned in a previous post. I figured their music would make for a good mid-morning soundtrack. Anyway, when I got home I spent some time looking up events in NYC on this website called Time Out New York. I ended up finding out that The Swell Season is playing a FREE show at Prospect Park in Brooklyn at the end of July. Coincidence? I think not. I can't even believe it really...definitely something to look forward to. :)


I had a very stereotypical "big city" experience earlier today. Having just taken a shower from my run, I came back to my room to get dressed. Literally two seconds after I put my clothes on, I see this blue machine moving up my seventh floor window. Suddenly the window-washer man is being pulled up by past my window as well. You can imagine the heart attack that gave me considering what he wold have seen had he been hoisted up even thirty seconds earlier....

Well, after doing loads of walking trying to find this coffee shop and finally getting here, I have now worn myself out to the point of needing to go back to the W for a nap.

Think I'll hang in Chelsea tomorrow, maybe go by the sample sale in the Market.

Ciao.

Edit-Friday Night Recap

My experience tonight is worth getting off my chest, more for my sake than for the entertainment to those of you who have been reading this.

So after being here almost a week, I decided I really needed to get out and have a beer or glass of wine. I know a few people in the city, but not many, and so I decided to try and be confidently independent, alone on a Friday night. Around 8 I tried convincing myself that I would walk to Chelsea and grab a beer at a little pub or bar.

After walking around for about thirty minutes, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I couldn't help but be a little too insecure about what it might look like if a 22 year old girl is out by herself, on a Friday night nonetheless. It seems like something that is so much easier for a guy to do. He can grab a beer or dinner at a bar and no one says a word. But if a girl does it, people wonder about her intentions...at least that's my perception.

I was heading back to the W when I realized it was only around 9 pm. "I'm in New York for goodness sake, I can't go home now," is what I told myself. I decided to go for yet another walk. I ended up at Times Square again, mainly because I knew it would be safe because there are so many people out. In all honesty, it's a crazy feeling to be in such an extremely crowded area and be alone at the same time. Kind of a weird oxymoron of a feeling.

I really didn't want to be in the crowd so I headed to a side street where I found a restaurant/bar that I went to with the girls over spring break when we visited New York. It's a pretty-family oriented place so I decided to stop in for some dessert. The hostess suggested the bar for me, since I was alone. (Ha). So I went and ordered a glass of wine and feeling the pressure-somehow ended up with an ice cream Sunday. Talk about a sugar rush. I was doing alright, and proud of myself for my independence...until the manager (old enough to be my dad) got off duty and decided to join me. He was nice at first, just making casual convo about baseball and such. And then he started doing the "touchy-feely" thing while talking to me. Needless to say, the minute he got up to check on something, I got my check and took off. I thought I was in the clear when I ran out to get a cab until I nearly ran into him having a cigarette...then I had to say bye. Great.

So-baby steps. Gotta find a balance between being an independent woman and also staying in my comfort zone.

I much prefer hanging out in more "neighborhood-type" areas like Chelsea and Greenwich, but I think it will be awhile before I have the confidence to go out there alone for a beer. Maybe I'll try it again on a week night, early, around happy hour.

Guess we'll see!