It seems each year, when December arrives, we all take a collective moment to sigh, appraising time's strange ability to fly so quickly. Here I sit, already eight days into 2021's final month, looking back on some phenomenal memories. And before Christmas truly takes over, with joyous gatherings with family and friends, holiday parties, traditional foods and all the other intangible aspects of a good, old-fashioned American yuletide, I thought I'd take just a quick moment here to re-cap the super-quick visit of my friends Serena and Toby, who flew from Switzerland to visit for only two nights!
Yes, you read that right! Two nights. Forty-eight hours. Talk about a quick trip! And I had only a few days' notice that it was evening happening!
You see, Serena's mom Ursi is a flight attendant on Swiss Air. After a long career, she is retiring at the end of this month. So in late November, during what Ursi thought could be her final trip to New York, Serena made sure to put us in touch, leading to a wonderful day that started with a walk from her hotel in the Financial District to Chinatown, continuing with dim sum at the oldest dumpling house in Manhattan, and finished with a long, leisurely stroll all over town.
I'd never met Ursi before that day, but it really felt like I was spending time with an old friend. And she had such a good experience, too, that she put in a request to be assigned another New York flight, if possible, which she was lucky to get approved!
Well, feeling pangs of jealousy at having seen the photos of our meet-up, Serena and Toby didn't want to miss out on any further adventures. So, with less than a week to go, and pulling a few strings (i.e. cheap flights, upgrades to business class), they also secured their own seats! And they actually arrived one day earlier than Ursi, since flight attendants currently only stay a single night on layovers, guaranteeing a two night vacation instead of just one. And because they landed at Newark as opposed to JFK, we decided it would be fun if I picked them up and hosted them at the house for that first night.
It was slightly surreal to see them waltz out of Terminal B a little after 9pm on Saturday. But it was so much fun to bring them home, introduce them to Dad and Danii, and sit by the lights of our Christmas tree, as we all caught up.
With only two days, you must have guessed that we needed to maximize every moment. Too much sleep would obviously be a waste of precious hours. So around 7:30am the following morning, I took them on an impromptu tour of the Garden State.
We started at Cheesequake, the lovely state park less than a mile from my dad's house. A frost had formed over the lawns abutting the lake, and it was clear in the crisp morning air that winter is well on its way. We walked out over the picturesque crabbing bridge that spans the marshland of the park, as I did my best to provide a bit of history and context of a place that has played a role in my life since the earliest days of my childhood.
No visit to New Jersey is complete without breakfast in one of our iconic diners. And Broad Street Diner in neighboring Keyport is a natural choice, having been voted the state's best in a major poll several years back. We all left completely stuffed, and I know from a culinary perspective that I did a good job of showcasing the glories of this special region.
From the diner, I made a beeline to Route 36, as we cruised towards the shore, to the musical accompaniment of Christmas tunes on the radio. Our first stop was the Twin Lights, overlooking the Navesink River and Atlantic Ocean. As you know, I have a real soft spot for this special attraction, and I always take the opportunity to visit, whether alone or with visitors. I was glad to be able to share it with Serena and Toby.
Crossing a bridge, we next entered the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. I took my friends down to Fort Hancock, where we admired the historic Sandy Hook Lighthouse and stately Officer's Row, a strip of old houses in the former military community.
And, of course, we capped off our quick visit to the Hook with a stop on one of it's many impressive beaches, with the glistening spires of the skyscrapers of New York City sparkling in the mid-morning sunshine. I pocketed an impressive clamshell or two to add to my collection as a nifty memory of the morning.
Like that, it was time for the New Jersey portion of Serena and Toby's trip to come to a conclusion. My father, sister and I had afternoon plans with family friends over on Staten Island, so I dropped my dynamic duo off at Matawan Station, where a train would take them into Manhattan. There, they would do some exploration on their own, get the COVID tests required for their return to Switzerland, drop the bags off at their hotel, and eventually link up with Uris, who was slated to land at JKF a bit later in the afternoon. Then, when our family gathering had ended, I'd jump on the Staten Island Ferry and link up with everybody again for dinner.
Fast forward to 8pm, and that's exactly how it all played out. My ferry departed on time, making a quick, gorgeous crossing. And the subway took me towards Chinatown, which we had selected as the neighborhood for a memorable dinner. I mean, come on... Serena and I met and became good friends in Hong Kong. I just had to ensure at least some part of her trip took us here!
Sadly, Hop Kee, a favorite restaurant of mine on Mott Street, could not seat us when we arrived around 8:45pm, because their kitchen shuts at 9pm on Sundays. But trusty Chinese Tuxedo, only a few atmospheric streets away, was on hand to welcome us. We took a seat at the bar and indulged in a round of drinks while we waited for our table. And before too long, we were settled in a cozy banquette in the trendy dining room.
The meal was enough to confirm for me that my first visit to Tuxedo, back in early November to celebrate my Hong Kong anniversary, was no fluke. We had a grand assortment of tasty dishes to share, and every one was spot on. From mapo tofu with shitake mushrooms to a wok-fried beef to the most delectable crispy eggplant coated in Sichuan peanut caramel, each plate to arrive contributed to an unforgettable feast.
Dessert was a lovely little assortment cheekily called Netflix and Chill. It consisted of a central scoop of popcorn ice cream, surrounded by globs of toasted marshmallow, sliced chunks of Snickers bars, fresh raspberries and homemade honeycomb. We shared it between the four of us, but believe me, I could have easily wolfed the entire plate down without assistance, had I been given the opportunity.
I took the subway back up to Heidi's apartment after dinner, while Serena, Toby and Ursi opted to stroll down the moonlit streets of Manhattan to their hotel. But we made plans to meet up for breakfast in the morning, for what would be their final day in town.
The venue was Penelope, a cozy, adorable little café over on Lexington Avenue and East 30th Street, which was bristling with charm. It was movie Manhattan at its finest, the kind of place you'd expect to find the stars of some rom-com sipping hot cocoa while falling in love during a madcap knickerbocker romp.
As we left the restaurant, I suggested an impromptu walking tour that would see us marching up Park Avenue, exploring Grand Central, cutting across to Fifth Avenue, ducking into the New York Public Library, spending some time in Bryant Park and eventually arriving at the Empire State Building to visit the observation decks. Luckily, my friends trusted my knowledge and gave their assent for the expedition to begin.
I'll always love Grand Central, with its marble grandeur and zodiac ceiling, so I was delighted to see all three of my visitors' impressed expressions as we moseyed around the lofty space. Perhaps most memorably, we popped down to the Oyster Bar, where the whispering arches provided an unforgettable little moment, as two people standing about thirty feet apart with their ears up to opposite walls can have themselves a whispered conversation due to some acoustical fluke.
Leaving the station, we passed through the MetLife Building and made our way over to Fifth Avenue, turning south towards the library. The stone lions are currently wearing their holiday necklaces, those giant evergreen wreaths that lend a cute holiday air to the noble guards.
And we even popped inside, to get an up-close look at some of the grand rooms of this imposing space. It was hushed and graceful, as it always is, and perhaps next time I have a free hour or so, I'll return with a good book to read for a spell in such an opulent setting.
For this trip, however, it was time to be making tracks, so we kept our exploration to the major highlights before venturing into Bryant Park, directly behind the library. Here, a lovely Christmas market has been set up, with a noble tree, an attractive ice-skating rink, and dozens of stalls selling all manner of food and goods.
But the major highlight of the day was yet to come.
You see, my former Hong Kong flatmate and all-time great friend Maxime works in New York City's most famous tower, the Empire State Building. And one of the perks of being a tenant is that each company is granted a number of access cards which allow up to five people to cut the line to visit the storied observation decks on the eighty-sixth and one hundred and second floors! What's more, there is no cost whatsoever to do so!
Tickets to the very top normally cost a whopping USD 75 per visitor, and lines can stretch around the block. So Max not only saved us a great deal of dough but also considerable time. And it was nice to catch up with him, if only briefly. (Although neither Max nor Serena remember the one time they met, at my rooftop Thanksgiving party at the Blind Tiger last November, I had the photographic evidence on my iPhone to prove they were both in attendance!)
We must have spent at least an hour ogling at the city from these lofty perches. From the very top level, a miniscule circular capsule that sits just below the antenna, you have panoramic views in every direction. It's undeniably entrancing to peer out from such a recognizable position.
However, down on the eighty-sixth floor, a much larger space means you can't really take in the whole scene at once, you have the novelty of outdoor terraces, which allow you to glance in each cardinal direction without any irksome windows getting in the way of your photos. As I observed to Serena and Toby, "I think the experience of being on the top deck is cooler, but the photos definitely come out better from down here!"
Sadly, this was the last hurrah for Ursi. As a member of the cabin crew, she didn't have the same luxury as Serena and Toby to plop down in a comfy seat and sleep for the duration of the flight. She had to be on her toes and ready for work. So she headed back to the hotel to prepare for the flight.
We took the opportunity to savor a final hour or so with a few drinks. There's a well-known rooftop bar called 230 Fifth just a few blocks south, so we headed over. I left my friends to soak up the view and settle in while I took care of one final task: tracking down a copy of the New Yorker Magazine for Ursi, who promised a good friend she'd bring one back to Switzerland for her. And once I had managed to find it, I was sipping on a nice IPA with a view to die for.
As dusk descended upon the city, the towers began to illuminate, including the Chrysler Building and our old friend, the Empire State. Serena scrawled out a few postcards to some mutual friends, and I added my own greetings, as we could do little else but acknowledge that this short trip had come to an end.
It was bittersweet to see them step onto the R train a little after 5pm. There were so many more things I wish I could have showed them, in both New Jersey and New York. But I'll always remember this short, last minute mini-visit. I hope you guys had as much fun as I did! And remember, you're welcome back any time!
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