A taste of the Greatland in Manhattan

For four days, we get a taste of the Greatland in Manhattan! Today, I took a trip to SoHo to check out one of Target's Bullseye Bodegas. There are four temporary Bodegas set up in Midtown, Union Square, SoHo and the East Village, all of which feature clothing, beauty products, and housewares from 22 of Target's top designers. For an inside look, click here. I was hoping to score some super cute low-end Sigerson Morrison flats, but I'm sorry to report that they were a bit too glitzy and rhinestone-encrusted for my taste. Bleh!

I did pick up a couple of Dwell Studio things for my baby nephew-to-be and a boy's Mossimo shirt for me for only $9.99. After the Bodegas close up shop tomorrow, I'll either have to trek to New Jersey or order online to quell my Target fix, boo.

It's coming!

I have been wanting to go to a New Yorker Festival event ever since I was fifteen and first introduced to the magazine by my sophomore English teacher. While I (SO) sadly missed out on the hottest ticket, "The American Dream with TC Boyle, Jeffrey Eugenides, and Jhumpa Lahiri," Evan and I were able to score tickets to "Oliver Stone talks with David Denby." October is looking up already!

On being healthy (two buck Chuck swilling) Californians

All is not lost: we have a Trader Joe's! Last Friday, Evan and I took a trip to Union Square to stock up. New York law limits the sale of wine and spirits to liquor stores, hence the existence of this:Woohoo! The regular store itself was a bit of a madhouse: But it's comforting to know that our favorites (tartes d'Alsace, creamy unsalted peanut butter, raw almonds, trail mix, and cheap wine) are only a few subway stops away. Yay!

(On Sunday, I also checked out the Whole Foods in the Lower East Side, which has its own pommes frites COUNTER. Ooh baby! Healthy ways begone!)

Eastern Destination #1: Fire Island, Suffolk County, NY*

This west coast girl can get used to east coast beaches! Being on Fire Island is like being in an episode of Barefoot Contessa -- sans Jeffrey, my black convertible Mercedes, and my astonishingly handsome gay bridge partner. The sea grass and cedar fences that dot the soft sand dunes along the Atlantic are a sweet contrast to the rugged and craggy beaches of the California coast. It's the perfect place to escape the hussle and bustle of Manhattan.Thanks to Evan's friend's parents, we had a chance to experience living at their spacious and well-appointed beach house for 4 days. We left the city Friday late morning and took the 20-minute ferry ride from Bayshore, Long Island to the Fire Island Seaview Terminal. There, we were greeted by cute wagons that families leave tied up near the terminal to cart their belongings to their (2nd/3rd/4th/?) homes. Carfree, it's the perfect place to: ride beach cruisers,
play with Molly, one of the sweetest dogs in the whole wide world,watch out for jellyfish, and find my dream house. Come Monday night, I was sad to see the wagons all tied up and to say good-bye to the last hurrah of the summer, but there's always next year.Fire Island in late August: as Ina would say, "how bad can that be?"
*Technically, my first east coast destination outside of the city is Paramus, NJ, which is surprisingly just as blogworthy, but for different reasons. Ha.

Here and at home

Hello again! I know it's been a week without a single peep, but I'm here. After a glorious weekend away on Fire Island, I'm actually starting to feel at home. It's been a tiring week of settling in, which involved a trip to the IKEA in Paramus (my first trip to NJ ever, ha), waiting at home endlessly for deliveries, assembling IKEA furniture, unpacking, and assembling more IKEA furniture. Our apartment is in pretty good shape though considering we've only had a few days to work on it together. It's funny how household tasks like getting new pillows become novel when you buy them from the Bed Bath and Beyond in Lincoln Center and schlep them home on the subway.

It's also strange to fight that touristic urge to see and do everything all at once. Aside from the trip away and a run around the Central Park loop, I haven't even stepped foot in any other NYC neighborhood besides my own. It's comforting to know that I actually live here (self: yes, really!) and that the city will let me wind my way through it at my own pace.

I am learning lots of new things every day, but namely, how to think in seasons. In SF, there are only two seasons: foggy and clear. In either one, you'd never pack away your wool coat because god knows you'll still need it in July. Here, it is stubbornly summer: shoulders are getting brown and freckly, girls are in cute, breezy dresses, boys are in shorts, chapeaus, and the ever-so trendy black Wayfarers, and diners are eating al fresco. I can't wait for autumn, but from a practical storage standpoint, I have to pack those sweaters, coats, and knee-high boots away until at least October. Seasons: who knew?

On a related note, does any East Coaster know what kind of tree this is with yellow leaves that are perfectly white underneath?
Very curious. I spotted these this weekend. More on that soon!

Nearly there

Ahhh. I am finally catching my breath, after a whirlwind of events. There have been friends to dance with (exuberantly!) at Cat Club, a half marathon to run, a bevy of fantastic last meals at Range, Bar Jules, and Citizen Cake, and a beautiful wedding to attend. All in addition to the packing, shipping, and moving involved with relocating to another city. I haven't had a chance to even really get excited about the thought of living in NYC, until now. I'm feeling disheveled, nervous, sad, and happy all at the same time.

I've started to become known to my friends as the friend who likes to leave town every other year or so. I swear I don't do it for the free meals, attention, and City Walk cards from Krissy. (Although I would love to get the one for Paris and Barcelona one day, ha.) I get antsy in one place. But if the past is any indication of future behavior, I will return.

To all my family and friends who continue to let me be antsy: thanks for all the hullabaloo. :-) I do love and appreciate it all. The next time I post, I'll be in NYC. Crazy.

Link of the Day

From Shouts & Murmurs, "Fourteen Passive Agressive Appetizers":

"3. Steal Cheryl’s famous potato-salad recipe. When Cheryl asks, “Why did you steal my recipe?,” say, “I don’t know, Cheryl, why did you break my heart?” Then laugh so she knows you’re just kidding."