My wife, Kitty, asked for a pedometer for Christmas. Today was her first day using it. And what a day it was. Christmas proper was spent in Rochester, visiting my family and friends. It was a whirlwind trip. The weeks leading up to Christmas were packed with gigs, rehearsal, travel and more gigs. We missed the sights and sounds of NYC at Christmas time and now was our chance to appreciate them.
Our day didn't begin as an attempt to catch the Christmas spirit. Rather, it began with the search for the cheapest haircut in New York.
It Takes a Village...
to score the cheapest and best haircut in New York City.
My previous haircuts have been a real mixed bag. The first was good. I went to a local salon in Brooklyn. DeeDee cut my hair and she seemed a little intimidated by the weird white guy coming in to get a trim. She was probably about as intimidated as I was. It turned out well, but on my second trip, I got her assistant. If I had not helped him out, I would have looked like the youngest, thinnest Stooge of the bunch. It was a truly appalling cut and I called Kitty, who was out of town, to lament the loss. Let's just say that if it had been a bris, I probably would lost the ability to procreate. (non-Hebrews should google the word “bris”)
Here we are in the East Village, this morning. I walk past a hip (and very empty) salon and turn into a training school for barbers. Barber Juan doesn't really speak English, but his teacher does. I feel the pressure rise, as I try to explain my current “look” and the way I'd like my hair cut. I can see Kitty in the mirror as I try to explain. She's trying to look as positive as possible. “You can do it!” her smile seems to say as she nods along with my description.
The teacher looks at the back of my hairline. “You've got little pony-tail... You want to keep?” No, it's just the way my hair grows, I hate that little thing... cut it off. He goes to work and shows his student how to carefully remove the repugnant growth of hair from the nape of my neck.
About forty minutes later, three conversations with teacher, translator, barber (-in-training) and Kitty, the cut is finished. Voila! It's great and one of the best in the recent past. Cost? $5 (plus $2 tip). It's unbelievable and I'm sure I'll never get the same cut again.
The Hike Begins...
Step 4,000. Our next stop is two storefronts north of the barber school, a place called the East Village Cheese Shop. Or, heaven, as I like to think of it. The cheese is inexpensive but it feels like a premium cheese shop. We kept our purchases light, knowing that this would be a long day of walking. A small package of low-fat havarti and a roll of fresh goat's cheese.
Kitty and I now are on a mission. We start roaming down St. Mark's and stop in at a comic book store (for me) and some fun boutiques (for her). We find some incredible menus at the restaurants around there, but our lunch has been packed and there are too many to make a choice. We make mental notes of names and locations and swear that we will go back some day.
After a quick break from lunch we decide to explore neighborhoods that we have not gone to before. Since we have arrived, we have spent a great deal of time in Chinatown, the Village and Chelsea. Yes, we have made the occasional trip elsewhere, but we have primarily foraged in these three areas. Today is our day to break down those borders, one step at a time.
The Best Electronics Store in the City?
Step 7000. We have walked uptown to B&H Electronics. Our excuse is that we are looking at digital cameras. Honestly, we heard that it was a neat experience. I've read a lot lately on the Internet about the death of the intelligent, computer/electronics salesman. These days, when you walk into an electronics “Superstore,” you find high school kids who don't really care, middle-aged men who try to sell you up to something you don't need, or worse. Gone are the days of people who actually know what the hell they are talking about.
B&H was a far different experience. Here are some observations: The store store was packed with customers and you checked all bags when you arrived. Salesmen helped you find the exact item you want. The items were placed in small bins that traveled via an elevated conveyor belt to the front of the store. You paid your bill, went to the pick-up counter, got your items and then got your other bags and left the store. I have no idea how anyone could shoplift. Yes, it was a lot of layers to buy an item, but considering the cost of the items, it seemed perfectly logical to try to protect themselves. Also, the salesmen were entirely men and most were Hassidic Jews. The only women we saw at the store were serving free soda and pretzels. All over the store there were small bowls of fruit candy for the customers. The salespeople who helped us were incredibly helpful, well-informed, and made us feel very comfortable with any purchases we might have. I got the general impression that they did this for a living and they really enjoyed their job. Moreover, they were a pleasure to speak to. Though we didn't make any purchases, Kitty and I agreed that we would be back to make any purchases after figuring out exactly what we need and want. We both could have purchased several items after the salesmen took so much time with us.
Foreign Friends
Step 10,000. I find myself thankful that I have friends from foreign lands. In this case, we are grateful that one of my best friends married a woman from Korea. He had told us to check out a small row of shops on 32nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. It was as if we had entered another country for that one block. Every store sign was in Korean and every employee spoke English as their second language. We walked by some incredible looking restaurants. In the end, we found a small 24-hour deli called, Woorijip. It had dirt cheap food and Kitty and I shared a small plate of Kim-chee pancakes. Though we would have browsed, we might never have taken the time to stop in if it weren't for our friends.
Christmas comes but once a year, so make it last!
Step 14,000. One would think that after Christmas, the celebration would start to taper off. No, the city basks in the afterglow of the holiday season, making efforts to liberate dollars from the tourists that hold them hostage. Case in point, the tremendously complicated window displays at Macy's.
It is a short walk from Woorijip to Macy's but as we neared the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Broadway, the crowds became a challenge. Yes, we were taking steps, but when they are slow steps, do they still count?
All of the Christmas lights were still on. It was becoming a gorgeous night. As we forced our way up to the window displays, we could look up and see the Empire State Building directly above us. For those of you who are reading this with your maps by your side, you will realize how far we have walked today. Upon reaching the displays, I was surprised to still be enchanted by something so simple. I have a high school friend, Roboguy, who now builds and designs very complex robots. I think he might have been impressed by the intricacy of these giant books that sat in the window and then opened up to reveal a scene of New York City at the holidays, all choreographed to some nice, jingle-belly music. We watched each little show and though the crowds were still terrible, Kitty and I agreed that kids in New York should see that yearly. It's a lovely (and inexpensive) way to celebrate the season.
It is Beer Thirty.
Step 16,000. We need a rest. This has been a long walk and I find myself in one of those rare moods where I have an opinion. Yes, humble reader, I don't like to make decisions. Not big decisions, mind you, but the little ones. Where to eat for dinner? Eh, I could have anything. What movie to see? I'd see King Kong or Brokeback Mountain. Both sound good. In the rare instance that I really want to do something, I just speak up and I usually get my way.
Kitty was happily shocked when I said that it was still happy hour at our favorite tavern in the Village. This time, though, we hopped on the subway to get downtown. I know that I've mentioned that Kitty can find a deal anywhere? Imagine a fun, college bar that serves $1-Sam Adams from 3 pm to 7 pm during the week. Usually, it is still quiet during those hours and you can still talk without needing vocal therapy the next day.
Home at Last
Approximately 20,000 steps later, we arrived back at home. Was it a good day? You betcha.
No comments:
Post a Comment