"No sleep 'til...Brooklyn!!!"

Day Two of Iona and Dusty's excellent New York adventure is at an end so it's time for a re-cap.

Yesterday's MOMA sojourn was utterly bloody amazing. All those Klees, Picassos, Mondrians and Kandinskys (not to mention the Munchs, Van Goghs and Miros) were enough to make even my art-nerd head spin. The special Bill Brandt exhibition was the proverbial icing on the cake. A chickpea salad at the MOMA cafe and a side-trip to the store was the cap-off to an extraordinary experience.

Iona Chef arrived at Pod51 as scheduled, and after a quick laundry drop (shout out to Symphony 59, the best value drop off/pick up service in Midtown), we wandered down to the Theatre District for a Shake Shack burger and frozen custard followed by a stroll back via the Rockefeller Centre - basically, a re-hash of my first night on the town with Red K. Not a bad way to experience Midtown on one's first night in NY.

Today was an altogether different experience of New York. A subway ride to West Village took us to Buvette's, a chic little cafe recommended by Torn Karpitz, that does amazing food in small, but beautifully served packages. Steam-scrambled eggs, delicious coffee and pastries are just some of the scrumptious morsels on offer. The OJ is real, freshly squeezed (with pips) and served in tiny beakers. The service is attentive, the patrons so very very stylish, and the mood warm and cosy. Iona went with oats and I had the scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. Two coffees each. Yummy.

We walked to the Highline, a public park-come-walking trail-urban garden built on the old raised freight train line that once serviced the Meatpacking district. The Highline is lined with ornamental grasses, holly bushes and shrubs, dotted with the odd bit of urban 'street art'. It's a long, but easy walk, and there are ample Village/Chelsea/Hudson River photo opportunities because of the elevation.

We then wandered to Chelsea Market, which was a delight. Books, spices, veggies, flowers, artisanal bread, outrageous cupcakes, homewares and take-away food outlets - White People Heaven basically.

There was even an Anthropologie store...

After an hour mooching around buying books (books here are CHEAP, people!) and soaking up the atmosphere, we caught the subway to Little Italy and Chinatown.

Iona got her music history fix by snapping the Bowery Ballroom after which we sauntered through Little Italy (Mulberry and Mott Streets is pretty much it - I suspect the real Italian Noo Yawk experience  is likely to be found somewhere in Jersey or Long Island) and Chinatown (AKA Abbotsford in NY) before heading back to Pod51.

The night ended with a trip on the Staten Island Ferry (yes, the Statue of Liberty looks fabulous lit up at night), an ice-cold Blue Moon blonde beer, followed by some dude food in Williamsburg (Brooklyn). Next trip to Brooklyn will have to be in daylight though...    

Tomorrow, The Met, dinner at Les Halles and an off-Broadway show.

Nighty Night.