A view of The Standard High Line from the High Line.
After New Years Eve, birthdays are my favorite holidays to celebrate. For mine last weekend, I decided to live out a long held fantasy of residing in a luxe hotel in New York City’s Meatpacking District, more specifically The Standard High Line. I’ve had a fascination with that hotel ever since it was erected straddling the newly minted High Line. Both developments seemed to have breathed new life into the neighborhood that I’d made so many memories in back when I lived in the city. The High Line is an elevated railroad track built in 1847 that was repurposed in 2009 as a pedestrian park running from 30th St to Gansevoort St above 10th Ave. Its views of the Hudson River and West Chelsea tie together even more of what I love in New York.
Room with a view… of the Empire State Building… & DVF!
I checked into The Standard and when I opened the door to my corner room, I was greeted with floor to ceiling sweeping views from uptown to the Hudson with the Empire State Building, Chelsea Piers, and the DVF flagship store in plain sight. The room is decidedly sexy with an enormous tub, complete with bubble bath, and a large glass window opening up to the bedroom (and the rest of Manhattan), as opposed to a shower curtain. Your reflection catches you unexpectedly with mirrors and glass placed cleverly in in the white and cream room with warm wooden accents.
Living in the 10014 for a long weekend was definitely my speed. I loved waking up and grabbing a coffee at Pastis before running across the street to Hotel Gannsevoort for a core fusion barre class at Exhale Spa. The proximity of Chelsea Market and the West Village made getting around a breeze, not to mention the ridiculous amount of shopping at your fingertips. I managed to drop a lot of cash in very little time–something I have a talent for. And we haven’t even talked about the nightlife and dining playground that Meatpacking is known for. Yes, I was in heaven.
Broadway
Scene Partners: “Brick, you really seem preoccupied with all this mendacity talk.”
One of the things I miss most about living in New York is going to the theater. I make a point to see at least one show every time I go back. This time, it was Cat On A Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams. There were two big draws for me. First of all, I love a good family drama, in the vein of Eugene O’Neill, Harold Pinter, and, well, Tennessee Williams. A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie are a couple of my favorite plays, but somehow I’d never really seen or read Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. Now was the time, especially since my old friend from high school Benjamin Walker was starring as Brick opposite Scarlett Johansson. I’ve followed Ben’s career from the time I played Fastrada to his Pippin in high school to catching him in shows at Juilliard and in his stand up routines on the Upper West Side. I even went to see him star recently in the movie Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter in 3D. In high school, he was one of those kids you just knew was going to make it, and, well, he did.
The play was amazing. Williams writing soars. It’s a play that you want to go back to and read and underline lines because the dialogue is so provocative. Today, it still feels ahead of its time even though it was written in 1955. I went with one of my best friends from college who I actually moved to New York with, Ted, and chatting at intermission, we dubbed it a “psycho-sexual drama.” And really, what’s more entertaining than a psycho-sexual, multi-generational family drama? Not much.
Also, the best way to enjoy a night on Broadway is with pre-dinner and post-drinks. We enjoyed Bar Centrale on Restaurant Row for pre- and The Tippler back in Meatpacking for post-.
Barbuto
Barbuto Birthday Party. Top Row: Isauro, Rebecca, Matt, Ted, Matt. Bottom Row: Colin, Jason, Rachel, Shayne, Brett.
Saturday night it was time to celebrate the b-day, and on Ted’s recommendation, we booked a private dining room at Jonathan Waxman’s Barbuto for the party. Ten of us, including my little brother Brett, friends I’ve know for years, and their lovers, gathered to gorge on a four course family style dinner. We enjoyed an incredible charcuterie spread with melt-in-your-mouth prosciutto, along with a citrus salad and kale salad, followed by a pasta course with gnocchi and a broccoli rabe and sausage dish, leading to the main course of roasted chicken, pork, and a seafood stew. Then, we decided we’d have our cake and eat it too as a surprise red velvet birthday cake appeared, along with the Barbuto dessert, chocolate mousse.
Birthday girl, birthday cake at Barbuto.
With belly’s bulging, we marched back to The Standard, and went straight to the top–the 18th floor that is, and the Top of the Standard cocktail lounge. The setting is sumptuous with 360 degree views of the skyline, and we sipped Champagne, sampled the cocktails, and chit chatted inside the curvaceous, honey-hued room. Before long, it was time to kick the energy up a notch, and we headed across the hall to the dance club Le Bain. We explored the stairwell covered in glitter and mural art leading to an upstairs rooftop. We even popped outside for a minute to take in the views al fresco with snow flurries in our eyes. Then, it was time to head back to the club and dance until we couldn’t dance anymore.
Barclays
Raving with SHM – London to NYC!
As a little extra icing on the cake, I’d bought tickets to Monday night’s Swedish House Mafia show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. My friend Meredith from Key West who now lives in Jersey joined me for the occasion. Exiting the subway, the stadium makes quite the statement as it fills your sightline with giant blue glowing letters. I jokingly warned Meredith that we had the worst seats in the house, and it was no exaggeration as we ascended the steep precipice to the last row in the corner of the stadium.
Going to see DJs at clubs in Miami, you’re not exactly exposed to the teenage fans of EDM that you see at an arena show (who knew?) and it was definitely funny to talk to girls who were literally half our age trying to buy beer in line ahead of us scantily clad in neon. Having taught school in New York to kids who were 10 years younger than me 10 years ago, it kind of made me feel like I was at the show with my former students. Nevertheless, SHM brought the house down with a high energy performance, a killer light show, and a rowdy crowd. With our bird’s eye perspective, it was amazing to see the entire stadium bouncing around from the floor to the rafters. There really was no one not dancing!
Brunch at The Standard Grill with Rebekah, Shayne, & Ted.
With a visit to the MoMA and brunch at The Standard Grill thrown in for good measure, I really couldn’t ask for anything more of my birthday weekend. Every time I visit New York, I feel like I could move back in a heartbeat. For now, though, I’m more than content with my little piece of paradise in Miami. I’ll just continue to find an excuse to get back to the city for regular visits–I’m thinking at least twice a year.
