August 5, 2025

This recent sabbatical is now officially over but I'm still recuperating from my trip to NYC. I'll go into more details throughout August and September (not planning on doing a massive recap post outside of here, since a number of different subjects are involved and better-off provided piecemeal).

I will, though, give you all the following bullet-list rundown of thoughts I have from this trip:

• Now been to NYC over 10 times in my life over 30 years and it always finds new ways to excite and stupify me.

• My impression of improv comedy from the two shows I saw at UCB is that most of the audience is made of friends and/or other improv performers and not normally regular audience members...

• Jazz is best enjoyed in a small club and the Jason Marshall Quartet show I caught at Smalls was phenomonal. One of his albums is today's choice and should be listened to if you enjoy jazz.

• The Kurosawa retrospective at Film Forum was packed with people - I'm honestly surprised how much New York loves his movies.

• The Strand is still the best bookstore in the city but McNally Jackson is great for new books. Sweet Pickle Books in the Lower East Side is also good. Got overwhelmed by The Drama Book Shop (a lot more playwrights I've never heard of or seen anywhere!) while Books Kinokuniya just made me feel old. If you like cookbooks, absolutely go to Bonnie Slotnick's Cookbooks. Bonnie Slotnick is one of the sweetest little old ladies you'll ever meet and knows a hell of a lot about cookbooks (it's worth it).

• Happy I went to Tannen's Magic Shop but also glad to close that chapter in my life.

• Want excellent Georgian food? Go to Chama Mama in Chelsea. Make sure to also get some amber wine.

• Want to find a cool little musuem? Check out Poster House. I'm going to post more about it another time since all three of the exhibits were really cool and complimented each other well.

• I had never been to The Frick Collection before but was able to score a chance to eat at their exclusive cafe Westmoreland and then see the art in the evening. I don't normally like pre-Impressionist art but it was an excellent selection of 19th-century art (the Ingres portrait of the Comtesse d'Haussonville is arresting in person). Only gripe I have is that the docents were almost a little too militant in keeping people from getting too close or taking photos...

  

  Said portrait by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

• Best ramen in the city is at Ippudo, no question.

• Never thought I'd walk out of a Muji with so much stuff...

• Times Square is still the most obnoxious place on Earth.

• Don't forget that some subway stations are split on opposite sides of the road and are not connected to each other underground.

• We were pleasantly surprised by the fact the city shut down Park Avenue to traffic and just let everyone walk, run, bike, whatever down the street for the whole day.

Like I said, this is barely a blip since there were a number of other restaurants, markets, shops, attractions, and what-not experienced during the week. It's both a maddening and comforting place for me personnaly and I don't regret going this or any other time.

Today's album is New Beginnings by Jason Marshall (2022) and the featured image is from Bosco Shots. - A.B. 8/5/25