Three nights in NYC, the “city that never sleeps.”

I take the Shoreline East from Old Saybrook, connecting in New Haven to Metro North, which drops me off at Grand Central.

I prefer Amtrak over the commuter trains—it’s more direct and faster—but there’s something about arriving at Grand Central Station that the Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station can’t match.

I decide to walk from Grand Central to my hotel. It’s wet, rain threatens, but I’m eager to take to the streets and join the crowds.

I plot a path to Rockefeller Center so I can see the tree. It’s not yet lit and I’ll miss the tree-lighting ceremony, but I want to catch a glimpse of it. Every year I lived in NYC I would make sure to trek up to see the tree at least once. Now, even though I’m just visiting, I can’t help but want to honor the traditions I’ve set myself.

It’s relatively quiet; either the Christmas rush has yet to begin or the inclement weather is keeping people at home. Even the ice rink feels empty.

I walk through Rockefeller Center towards Sixth Avenue, passing Radio City Music Hall. If I had the time I’d love to catch the Rockettes. I’ve only seen the Christmas Spectcular once, and I’ve been talking about it with one of my cousins. It’d be fun to see it again and to see how it’s evolved in the many years since I’ve attended.

I’ve decided to visit MoMA on my way to the hotel. There’s a Ruth Asawa Retrospective on view, and I’m excited to be able to catch it; she’s one of my favorite artists.

Inside it’s busier than I expected it might be and I have to wait in line to enter. Fortunately, the line moves quickly and I soon have secured a ticket. I eschew the coatroom and opt to carry everything with me as I take the escalators up to the top floor galleries.

It’s great seeing so much of her work in one place. The last time I had the opportunity to catch one of her shows it was in a small gallery in Chelsea, and I’m overwhelmed with the number of works in the exhibition. I’m also excited to see prints she’s made that I’ve never before seen.

As I walk through the galleries I get a text from Angela. She’s at Soho House in the Meatpacking and invites me to join her. I tell her I still have to check into my hotel but will head down once I do so. I quickly finish walking through the exhibit and head to the hotel.

The room I’m given is spectacular, with views of Central Park and of the Hearst Building, where I used to work. I’m also just down the street from the Penguin Random House offices where I also once worked, but other buildings block my view of that office.

I arrive at Soho House shortly before Angela is about to leave. She’s with her children and husband eating dinner and I ride in a cab with them back to their apartment. Her husband takes the kids so that Angela and I can catch up and we head to a nearby bar to do just that.

After drinks I walk Angela back to her place and then continue up to Washington Square Park. I’m revisiting my old stomping grounds and taking photos that I first took when I arrived in the city.

From the park I take the subway back to the hotel and admire the evening views before going to sleep. I have an early morning doctor’s appointment and am looking forward to a good night’s rest.

My alarm goes off before dawn.

The views of the city are even more spectacular than during the day or at night, the lightening blue skies reflected in the skyscrapers around me, punctuated by the electric lights illuminating various office spaces. I have an early-morning doctor’s appointment and have decided to walk to their offices to revisit a little more of the city while I’m here.

I choose to walk through Times Square, finding it almost empty at sunrise. It’s cold out, which might also deter people from wandering the square at this hour, but I can’t imagine a more pleasant time to visit.

My physical takes less time than I had anticipated and I text Winnie about getting lunch. She’s working near Chinatown and I suggest dim sum. We settle on Golden Unicorn. I have time to kill and so decide to walk, passing through the Lower East Side on my way downtown.

It’s difficult not to over-order when you’re only two people but we do a decent job of eating everything that comes to the table. In the end, I can’t resist ordering. set of buns designed to look like pigs.

I’ve arranged to meet my friend Anna for a quick dinner on 14th street after which she’s generously offered to take me as her plus one to a screening of Avatar. For some reason I think we’re seeing the first one, not realizing how close we are to the release date of the latest film even though I saw ads for it in Times Square.

To kill time I head to the Soho House roof in the Meatpacking district. I’ve picked up a few postcards and while away the time writing them up.

The next day I see the dentist before heading to Brooklyn for lunch with a friend I made while on safari in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. Then, she was on a year-long trip around the world with her family. She’s been home now for a few months and it’s great seeing her place and reconnecting with her and her husband. Her younger daughter comes home from school while we’re enjoying tea and it’s fun to see her again as well.

I text Jean while I’m in Brooklyn and she’s free to grab something before I head back to Manhattan to meet Akriti. I find a cafe near Dani’s and we catch up over matcha and snacks. It’s been a few years since we’ve connected but she looks exactly the same. It’s great to spend time with her once again.

I take the subway back to Manhattan and meet Akriti at Kanyakumari, restaurant specializing in the cuisine of the areas I’m about to visit in India. We close out the place and I walk her to the subway, parting in the sttion. We’ll next see each other in Portugal for her wedding. She tells me that for the wedding the dress code is Indian clothing optional. Later, I’ll send her a photo of an outfit I bought in Delhi and ask if it’s appropriate. Very, comes the reply.

It’s another early morning as I’ve managed to squeeze a visit to a urologist into my schedule. Once again, I walk through a city just waking up.

The urologist asks the usual questions and I make him laugh with my shocked response to the question of whether I bleed when I pee. I ask if these are all things I have to look forward to. No, he says. They’re just routine.

I take the subway back to the hotel before my next doctor appointment. I walk there and then walk to the Lower East Side afterwards.

I stop by Russ & Daughters to pick up bagels for my cousin. For lunch I buy a burrito from Son del North and eat it at the Soho House on the LES. It’s been a while since I’ve had a decent burrito and I can’t wait to be back in Southern California to eat more of them.

I text Jo to see if he’s free for coffee. It’s a busy day for him but he some time in the late afternoon and suggests we meet at the Blue Bottle next to his workspace in Chinatown.

It’s a quick catch-up, but I’m happy for the time we have. We talk about Norway and his family and when we might see each other again. I’d love to do a drive around Norway to see all the scenic spots and do some hiking. I hope we might coordinate something someday.

I walk through SoHo to the subway, stopping on Thompson Street by my old apartment to take in the view I would have every night coming home. I’m slightly nostalgic, but I don’t miss being in New York. And as I think this I remember one of my fvorite local pastry shops: Sweet Rehab.

I walk up to the cafe to pick up some cakes to bring back home, passing a new Japanese tea shop (Sorate) and Blue Ribbon Sushi, which has been there as long as I can remember. Looking into the storefronts it’s like two small windows into Japan. It’s a small glimpse into my future; my flight to Osaka leaves in two weeks. 🇺🇸