Day 6

Early Morning again.
I'm an insomniac, I'm a legal insomniac I'm a Welshman in New York. Actually I slept pretty well but I was wide away by 7, so went for my normal morning constitutional on a cold but bright New York morning. The city at that time has a nice vibe, with various eateries and coffee shops doing a roaring trade. I even saw Taylor Swift. Well I heard people shout her name and take photos of a blonde woman, so I guess it was her.

Healthy breakfast.
Is lox on bagel and cream cheese healthy or just healthier than the previous 4 days? What ever it was delicious.

Flat iron Plaza.
The creation of urban spaces is a success story of NYC in my opinion. Places to sit, access to the internet, get coffee at the kiosk but not feel obliged to. It makes for a lovely atmosphere. I can't believe I left my bag and hat unattended  and went to the kiosk to get sugar for my coffee. That's how safe this town feels.

Greenwich.

East village was a bit gritty, a bit down to earth, a bit beatnik, artsy. The West side, Greenwich and Soho are nice, leafy, middle class. Totally different atmospheres. I liked both, they have their charms. Washington Square was another urban area for people to enjoy. Then I popped back into Chelsea market! which was further away than it appeared on the map. It's nice but by that time I just wanted to get back and put my feet up.

Feet
The rest of my body doesn't want to go home yet, but my feet are already half way there.

Part 2

The Heartland Brewery 

I had high expectations for this  place having been recommended it by Mr Andy Williams whose other calls had completely hit the spot. But no one's perfect and I ignored Mr Willians's suggestion of havimg a burger and went for the steak. So I've only myself to blame. But let's start at the beginning. Once again a cold, draughty table was reserved for the lone eater and once again my foot was firmly put down. 

I ignored the waiter's suggestion of baked Potato soup, yes you read that correctly, baked potato soup!  Watching the guy next to me wade through the quagmire suggested my ignorance was bliss. I ordered the steak frites which said it came with fresh cut idaho fries. The food rushed to the table, the words were barely out of my mouth before the food was served. The steak was nice, welk cooked, tender but I know you are wondering how the fries were. What is an idaho fry? Well those idahoeans sure know how to cut a potato symmetrically. It was almost as if they were cut by a machine. I've had less regular fries in McDonalds. It was as this point I realised I was eating in a glorified Berni Inn, 

The Key Lime Pie looked tempting for dessert but I decided to desert and not sample the homemade delicacy straight from their freezer.

So all in all Mr Williams you did me proud with John's, the High Line and the SI ferry but next time I am in the Big Apple, I'll give Heartland's a miss. 

100 Days of Grumpiness Post -Budget Airline 

I've come to the conclusion that New York is like a budget airline. To start off with there are far more people here than is comfortable, everyone wants that little bit more leg room but only the priority boarders have it in their penthouse suites.

On top of this when you book a ticket for Brian Air or Greedy Jet you are quoted a price and you think that's a bargain. But then comes the extras, the tax, the luggage allowance, the return ticket premium. And that's the same in New York, you see something on the menu or in a shop but then you have to add on sales tax and tip meaning you need to add nearly 30% on to the price. For dumb foreigners like me it is very confusing and for the locals I can see them standing behind me thinking idiot Englishman. The final similarity is they don't charge you for using public restrooms.

P.s. They are thinking idiot Englishman because even when I tell them I am welsh they stil call my English.