That don't impress me much

I had a lot in common with this dude from match. A musician from Long Island with a love of NYC.

After a pleasant dinner and a sampling of fancy beers at a cool bar in the West Village, my date took me to a hole in the wall bar that I absolutely fell in love with. In the cab ride home to my apartment, I thought about my night.

Dinner was delicious. Drinking some of my favorite microbrews was a nice change from my usual routine. And the hole in the wall is sure to be a spot I'll show off to my friends (although I will be a good sport and not take credit for it).

But I realized after my internal recap that the guy I was with had made no impression on me. I remember him telling me that his longest relationship had lasted 3 weeks which seemed extremely odd to me. He also gave me the worst goodnight kiss in the history of goodnight kisses. He pretty much sucked my face sloppily. One hand was creeping up my middle back towards my hair. The other arm hung awkwardly at his side. As our teeth clanked together in a moment of completely uncoordinated awkwardness, I knew this was not an experience I would like to repeat.

Okay so you know cool places in NYC...That don't impress me much.

When I reached my apartment I cranked up some Shania Twain before hitting the hay.

By the way - What in the world was Shania thinking hitchhiking in head to toe faux leapard complete with matching luggage?

Singin in the Rain

The Metropolitan Opera offers free outdoor concerts at parks throughout the 5 boroughs of NYC in the summer. My good friend Emily and I took a trip to Brooklyn Bridge Park, a gorgeous park on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge with a fantastic view of downtown Manhattan. It was a lovely day to see some opera. We brought snacks and a blanket and picked a spot to watch the show.

The singers were all young artists who are slated to be stars of the upcoming season. The first half began and it was absolutely breathtaking.

Then came the rain.

For about 10 minutes there was a torrential downpour. Emily and I huddled under an umbrella and giggled as we watched other audience members get soaked, flee the scene, scramble to try to get all of their belongings to dry safety, or dance in the rain. All the while, the singers kept singing and the audience members cheered loudly.

After the storm had passed, a beautiful rainbow appeared, the skies cleared, and the sun returned for the rest of the evening. By the time the concert was over, we were dry and ready to take a stroll and enjoy the beautiful weather. We walked over the Brooklyn Bridge and ended up strolling the streets of Manhattan until we reached 14th Street where we hopped on the subway (we had done enough walking for one evening!).

This is what the Brooklyn Bridge looks like at night:

Nights like this remind me of how much I love New York and how grateful I am to have fabulous friends to enjoy the city with.

Baby you're a firework

Seeing the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks from a friend's rooftop in Chelsea was fantastic. And definitely better than sitting along the hard concrete of the West Side Highway with a huge crowd of people in the heat. We BBQ-ed, had some cold adult beverages, and relaxed in the sun for a few hours before the fireworks began.

We had the perfect view being only a few blocks away from the show.

It was a relaxing start to what is sure to be a fantastic summer in the city.