Day 7 Central Park and Upper West Side

I started the morning off by walking up the street and finally getting some bagels and bialy's. New Yorkers are right, there's nothing that compares to a New York bagel. Later in the morning we headed off for our last full day in the city hoping to see much of Central Park and the Upper West Side. It was only a fifteen minute walk to the park and the park was incredibly busy. It's closed to traffic on Sundays and becomes a beehive of joggers, cyclists, and strollers. It's fantastic to see the park used so extensively. We wandered around for awhile and then crossed over to 80th and Broadway to Zabar's. If you ever want to visit a great food speciality store, Zabar's is the one to see. It was a little calm today, they only had five guys slicing Lox and five working the cheese counter. We spent most of the time upstairs in the kitchen equipment section. If they make a pot, pan, or utensil for the kitchen, Zabar's has it.

Chicken Pot Pie at St. James Gate

After leaving Zabar's we started looking for a place to have Brunch. We tried to get in at least half a dozen restaurants and there was a minimum 30 minute wait at each one. Finally we walked into an Irish pub called St. James Gate. We arrived at just the right time as a two top was leaving. It took awhile to get our food, but it was very good as were the Bloody Mary's and beer. I had the Chicken Pot Pie and Sylvia had a Bird's Nest something or other. After St. James Gate we walked up Broadway and down Amsterdam avenues before heading back to Central Park. We went in the park at West 71st wandered around and back out at East 79th. By now it was getting to be late afternoon so we started back to the apartment. On the way we stopped in at a little place on Third Avenue called Lukes (http://lukesbarandgrill.com/)) to see what was happening in the football games. There were a couple of seats at the bar between two women. Sylvia sat next to a nice older woman and they had a good chat. I sat next to a beautiful and wonderful dancer/actress/screen writer/finance executive and held a long and thoughtful conversation. I think she liked me, Sylvia seemed to think it might have been the champagne I was buying her. I think she's wrong. Sylvia finally drug me out of Lukes and we headed back to the apartment to wait for dinner, which turned out to be back at the first place we went earlier in the week, Rathbones (http://rathbonesnyc.com/). We had a burger and grilled cheese which was just right. Tomorrow we're heading home.

The Reservoir in Central Park