New York 2008: Day 4: The West Side
Back into Manhattan, and into the rain-- although it was clear enough most of the day...
Finally had sushi, athough it was at Todai in Manhattan's tiny little Koreatown. We missed Funayama's all you can eat (AYCE) the night before due to some unplanned schedule shuffling, and despite Maria's insistence we go to Del Frisco's for the bar menu's steak tips and mashed potatos, sushi was a must on the trip... and AYCE was sort of a must to fit starving bellies. Someday I'll make it to Sushi Seki to try quality sushi in New York, but since I'm with starving grad students, cheap sushi works just fine. =)
Wandered over to B&H next. Sort of the mecca of audio/video gear, including photography, and perhaps the #1 electronics retailer in the USA for this sort of thing. Long story short, while the selection of pro audio/video gear is impressive, I was underwhelmed by the rest. The average Fry's store is ten times as large, although I'm sure the warehouses in the back aren't nearly as impressive. B&H is clearly best appreciated on their website or in the catalogs.
Next stop was the Natural History Museum, where, much like The Field in Chicago, the original core of the museum was largely static dioramas from an earlier age... and then the expansion wings were lifelike and dynamic. Dinosaurs especially. The IMAX theater was nicely well done in a classic style, as opposed to the more modern looks typically seen. Explored the planets and space, Oceana, the Americas, etc...
Rain commenced, nearly aborting an attempt to meet up with Maria. We hit Flor De Mayo for Chinese-Peruvian food. Quite good, probably on par with the hole-in-the-wall place that Joe and I hit on the last trip in Astoria, only, naturally, with a much more classy atmosphere. Prices were still very reasonable and the oysters were actually safe to eat. Maria met us as we finished, then we went to a lousy dessert place afterwards. Great dessert, but the creme brulee wasn't crisp on top and it was $*@#! expensive. Maria says it was reasonable years ago, but evidently they'd changed their pricing since she was last there!
Since it was wet and rainy outside and it was still delicious, we stayed there anyway. Something to be said for being warm and dry. Debated heading out to party the rest of the night after meeting up with some of Maria's friends, but sanity prevailed (it was getting late already) once I assessed transportation options. Staying out in Long Island does create a tad bit of a mess, not to mention some of the party options were up in Harlem... having never been to Harlem I was very tempted, but getting back from Harlem to Penn Station at 2am or 3am and then the long trip back to Joel's on the LIRR... not exactly ideal!
