Autumn in New York City
Looking back: Thanksgiving in NYC
2018.
5 years ago.
Time is a construct. Honestly, 2018 seems 5 minutes and 50 years ago. Especially due to what has gone on in between.
But, 5 years ago, this week was one of my favorite personal and travel memories. There are some incredible places to bookmark for your future New York travels so onward.
5 years ago on Thanksgiving Day, I left in the dark, in the middle of the night to take a cab to the Portland Airport for a 6 am flight to New York City to meet up with my son, Zach, for several days.
November 22, 2018.
I had just turned 50 the month before and since January 1st of 2018, had spent the year going through one of the most hectic seasons of change in almost every aspect of my life: I left my full-time job, started consulting; gained a few great clients in the wine and luxury travel space; gave up the lease on my townhome (without having a new place to live yet); put 95% of my belongings in a storage unit; moved into a temporary space for the summer with my best companion of 16 years, my dog Bee; said goodbye to Bee in the autumn, mourning her loss; and in late October decided to book 4 months traveling and living in a different country every month in SE Asia beginning in March of 2019.
Whew - lots going on.
I had been looking forward to this trip to New York City for many months. I feel lucky, as a mom, to share a great adult relationship with my son. We haven’t lived in the same city since he went to college many years ago but we set intentional time together. When he used to travel the world, on tours, as a lighting designer, I would meet up with him in London and those times together were so special. We love art, music, shows, museums, and eating great food.
Almost a year in advance of my 50th, my son unveiled my birthday present: tickets for us to see ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ on Broadway, in some of the last performances with the original London cast. I was over the moon, floored, and so excited to experience this show with him and spend a week in NYC over Thanksgiving (the holiday season in NYC is pretty great). Zach had also arranged for us to stay at a friend’s lovely apartment in Brooklyn, as they would be traveling themselves for the holiday. Amazing. He was also working on getting us tickets to another show and as we got closer I found that we would be seeing ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ which was on my fantasy wishlist to see in NYC.
Zach is pretty incredible.
After learning of our trip, I got to work on making lists of restaurants and other ideas for us to discuss. Zach lived in NYC for a couple of years after college so he had places we needed to go - our combined efforts really made for a wonderful and delicious visit.
November in New York - All the seasons in 5 days
New York City in late autumn can be many things weather-wise: freezing, warm, rainy, snow, sleet, ice - plan for it all.
I arrived to a temperature of 19 degrees - brrrrrr. But it doesn’t matter - it’s New York!
That first night, we celebrated being together, our unfolding trip, and Thanksgiving with dinner at Locanda Verde, a very upscale Italian restaurant in Tribeca. They do a 3-course menu on Thanksgiving that includes no turkey but features delicious Italian dishes and meats. The space is stylish and cozy at the same time. One of Zach’s friends joined us for drinks and dinner and we had a fun, very delicious night.
We hit the ground running the next day: New York is all high energy and we were happily busy - exploring around the city, eating great food, seeing shows, going to museums, and generally soaking it all up.
The Highlights:
Walking the High-Line - a public park built on built on a historic freight rail line elevated about the streets on Manhatten’s West Side. One of my favorite places on the High Line is the apartment building designed by Zaha Hadid - see below.
Visiting the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Natural History. The Whitney has a great observation deck that’s a don’t miss. The High-Line and the Whitney are adjacent to Hudson Yards and this area is full of shops and restaurants. You could easily spend a whole day here.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Back in 2018 (pre-pandemic), the show was in 2-parts. Part 1 in the early afternoon and Part 2 in the evening with a dinner break. Now the NYC show has been changed to one part. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is one of the most incredible, magical, wonderful shows I’ve ever seen. I loved it immensely and it was so special to see with Zach, who had already seen the original London show. Seeing the original London cast was also absolutely incredible. Truly one of my favorite experiences ever.
Dear Evan Hansen had won the Tony in 2017 and I was obsessed with the soundtrack. One of Zach’s best friends from high school and college was the sound designer on DEH and after Zach got tickets (no free tickets to this show!) Jarrett was able to arrange for us to have epic seats. The show was so wonderful (lots of ugly crying from me) and we went backstage after the show, which was very special.
Eating & Drinking:
Locanda Verde - Tribeca - as described above delicious, special, cozy, great vibe, EXCELLENT wine list
Russ & Daughters Cafe - Lower East Side - ok a MUST. Russ & Daughters Deli has been a NY institution since 1914 for smoked fish. The Deli is located a quick 5-minute walk from the cafe and I definitely recommend checking it out. The bagels and whitefish sandwich with wasabi roe is one of the very favorite things of my entire life! We went twice.
Buvette NYC - West Village - Iconic. Neighborhood-y. Parisian (and there is one in Paris). Everything a bistro should be. We went for breakfast on Harry Potter day and had the best breakfast at the bar while people watching the locals (full of characters) and visitors. We also went back for dinner and had a long evening of talking, eating, and drinking in the darkened room, with candlelight flickering and rain pouring outside. Perfection. *Buvette has locations NYC, Paris, Tokyo, and Notting Hill
La Mercerie - Soho - a unique combination of restaurant and artists showroom the space is gorgeous and the food is very good. A whole vibe and experience. We went for breakfast before wandering the art galleries and shops of Soho.
Frankie’s Spuntino 457 - Brooklyn - other than Russ & Daughters this was my most looked forward to spot. A favorite of many chefs that I know across the US, I was so excited to nab a reservation. We had a super yummy evening enjoying some of the very best meatballs of my life, pasta, wine, and cozy vibes. The 14-block walk back through Brooklyn was perfect for digesting it all.
We roamed around the New York Public Library and skimmed by Rockefeller Center to peep the skaters. I also love the holiday windows on 5th avenue.
And Zach indulged me in a special request:
Going to Central Park to find the ‘Hot Duck’
Let me explain:
Now, no trip to NYC is complete without a visit to Central Park. 843 acres may sound daunting but you can walk around the park in about 1.5 hours and it is worth it. Charming and picturesque in all seasons, the park is full of meadows, water falls and ponds, interesting architecture, and performance areas it is an iconic spot with much to explore.
Now, about the ‘Hot Duck’.
A phenomenon in the autumn of 2018, a gorgeous Mandarin Duck suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, in one of the ponds in Central Park. Photographers, instagramers, and journalists followed his daily activities while pondering how he got there and why.
From the first moment I saw him on Instagram, I was enraptured and fascinated. He was stunningly beautiful and stood out among all the ‘regular ducks’ in the pond. As our trip to NYC drew closer in November I kept a keen eye on his activities and told Zach I definitely wanted to see him in person if we could.
There’s a twist to the story! A week before Thanksgiving the Hot Duck suddenly disappeared. He hadn’t been spotted and there were lots of folks looking for him. It seemed he had gone as mysteriously as he appeared.
I was not deterred.
One person who definitely shared my fascination with the Hot Duck was Laura Brown, then-editor of InStyle magazine. I follow Laura on Instagram and she posted about her love of the Hot Duck and his mysterious disappearance. On the day we were out wandering the 5th Ave storefronts, I saw from Laura’s Insta that there were still no sightings but I wanted to try.
Zach and I entered the park by the famous Plaza Hotel entrance and as we were walking towards a bridge I could see a small group of people gathered by the pond. I said to Zach: “He’s here!”
I just knew it.
When we came around the corner, indeed the ‘Hot Duck’ was in all his glory swimming around the pond.
Then, the most insane thing happened.
As we stood by the side of the pond, he changed directions and swam right over to ME!
He posed on a rock and I got a sweet video and this amazing photo.
I was so happy I was giddy.
After we had our fill of watching this stunning (so handsome in person!) bird for a bit, we were continuing our walk through the park I sent Laura Brown the video and message and she promptly shared it to her Instagram. We were united for a moment in our love for the ‘Hot Duck’.
The Hot Duck did indeed disappear as mysteriously as he arrived. He was last seen in Central Park in March 2019, right before mating season. While there was some thought that he would return in the fall after molting season, he wasn’t spotted in Central Park again.
I like to think he went back to wherever home was, after a whirlwind tour of NYC, gracing us with his beauty and charm, and taking in all the city has to give. Like us.
When I say that this trip to NYC was magical, it truly was in every way. Spending time with my son, wherever we are, is always magic and the added wonder and energy of NYC just lent itself to an epic visit.
Do you have NYC on your list? Have you been? What are your “must-visit” spots?
Let me know.
In the spirit of gratitude and thanks, I am so thankful for all of you who have joined this growing community of travel enthusiasts. I appreciate everyone who reads, comments, and shares this substack.