DAY 29 - Random NYC cont... - Dec 29

I had another late start to the day, sleeping on the floor hardly puts me in a good mood. However after having what could be considered lunch I headed to the ice rink and picked up my skates, lined up for about 30min and finally got in.

It was fantastic, skating in the open. I haven't done that since I was 10 in Beijing. But this was in between skyscrapers. Although it was so full you could hardly skate, and that I also had to break in my new skates, I couldn't do much, but the prevailing feeling was of utter sweetness. The rinks in Sydney could never compare, even when the surface is choppy the ice doesn't turn into slush and by the end of the sessions you're not swimming in a shallow pond. Did I also mention no actual session times? So you can literally skate from 8am to 12am, a whole 14 hours if you wanted. But I was pretty spent after an hour and desperately hungry too, so I decided it was time to leave.



I headed to the burger joint on 57th St which came highly recommended on several top burger lists. I bypassed it with really knowing a couple of days ago when I was near Carnegie hall. However the actual address directs you right into the Le Parker Meridian Hotel, the thing is that the Burger Joint is a hole in the wall place in the lobby of the hotel. No signs other than a neon burger directing the way, and both days there was a hefty line outside. So I join the back of the line.

35min I was finally inside. It was small 6 booths, 1 stool table and 2 normal tables, the kitchen resembled some of those floating stalls in Blade Runner and the Fifth Element. The food was quite expensive for the fare, $11.75 for a burger, fries and a drink. The burger was small compared to most, but the pattie was thick. It was tasty, but I can't help thinking I would have enjoyed the entire experience if I had lined up for less time and had more time to enjoy my food rather than scoffing it down because everyone behind you is giving you the death stare. Then I found out you could actually call in and order, I think I might do that next time, but still, I guess you'll loose the atmosphere, and the price is a tad too high for takeout burgers.



I digested in the lobby of Le Parker Meridian. New York nearly doesn't have enough resting spots, I think hotel lobby's are a fab replacement. Usually I guess in Sydney, I just bum on the UTS couches.

I headed down 5th Ave later, and squealed thoroughly over the NBA store, pity that it only sold adiddas stuff though. And there wasn't anything particularly old school to tempt me. Walking down 5th Ave I realised that New York fashion is so much more hip and heaps cooler than the west coast. Although San Fran had its indie moments, I just want to take all of NYC with me in my suitcase. Every clothing and shoe store I pass I'm like ohhhh, that's nice. Whereas in LA it was like, yeah that's nice if I'd like to go hang with my homies in south central.



The crowds around Rockefeller and Times Square were insane, shoulder to shoulder and to cross the road you had to shuffle. Through the rockefeller, I found something that I was looking for since I got to the city.



The nintendo store, 2 levels, full of Wiis and DSs for your pleasure....and pleasurable it was. I need to go back and get countless nerd T-shirts I've always wanted. But I could just spend days in there playing every single game they have. And they even had the Wii Raygun system setup too, *salivates*...heaven.



At night I had cheap roast duck wonton noodles which were cheap and totally fabulous and a wonder through chinatown and little italy. Maccas and Burger King both had signs in Chinese, like wtf? And little Italy was like a bright more neon sparkly version of Norton St, not very Godfather at all. I was a little disappointed.


times square at night