David Beckham and Manchester United

New York hosted this years MLS all-star game.  The MLS (Major League Soccer), is the US's best soccer league, but pales in comparison to the European leagues in regards to quality.  The biggest soccer stars in the world play in Europe, however the US has the biggest soccer star of all time in David Beckham (though he is in the twilight of his career).  This year the MLS all-star game was between the MLS's all-stars and the most popular/richest sports team in the world Manchester United.  I would be lying if I said I was more excited to see the MLS All-Stars.  As a supporter of Manchester City, their longtime rivals from the same city, I was definitely rooting for the All-Stars.

So even though the All-Star game was hosted in New York, the stadium was in New Jersey so I made my way to the PATH, which is the subway that takes you to the various New Jersey cities.  Very shortly my intuition was correct, this was going to be a Manchester United game, and their opponent was going to be the All-Stars.  As I made my way into the subway, all I saw were Manchester red jerseys.

But once I got inside, I got some flashbacks of South Africa... Wavin Flag was blaring and probably be part of every soccer game from here on out...

It was a pretty nice stadium.  Only 20k capacity, but intimate enough that almost every seat you felt close enough to the action.  I was lucky enough to get pretty good seats at the corner flag.  I saw a ton of the action in the first half.

Even the announcer crew was set up not that far away.

The All-Stars, or David Beckham's team didn't play very well.  And approximately 90% of the stadium was rooting for Manchester United.  Secretly I believe 100% people were rooting for David Beckham.  Or at least that's what it felt like with all the girls sitting next to me yelling, screaming, and squealing each time the big screen focused on Beckham (and it was a lot).  

The second most popular player on the field was Wayne Rooney.  He didn't do anything spectacular during the game (actually no one did), but it still was pretty cool to see him in action.

All in all it was a great experience, but it was a really boring game.  And since it wasn't a huge stadium there wasn't really much else to do other than watch the game.   It was a little weird going to a game like this myself.  Maybe next time I can convince T-Mike the biggest Manchester united fan I know, to come join me.

The way to Raman's Heart.... Breweries and Baseball...

I can't recall when i agreed to this, but at some point in July Raman convinced me that he only had one and only one opportunity to see the SF Giants play this season, since we moved.  Seeing his excitement and not wanting to break his heart, i nodding my head, didn't mention the games in SF he had already been too, and packed up a day bag for philly.

The Giants were playing the Phillies in Philadelphia which is advertised as 99 miles from NYC.  With a slogan like 99 miles to Philly, how could anyone really pass up the opportunity to see Citizen's Bank Park and the SF Giants on the East Coast (some of you may ask, has Raman brainwashed me - and the answer is possibly)...

Se we packed up another rental and hit the road around 1pm (we left later since we didn't want to leave Chester for too long).

Philly here we come:

So after about two hours on the New Jersey Turnpike, we arrived.  (quick side note, the New Jersey Turnpike is exactly like the I-5 to LA but green).

Upon arrival, it was about 3 and Raman had surprised me with reservations to a restaurant called Amada.  This is one of Chef Jose Garces (known as one of the Iron Chefs!).  Reservations were not until 5 so we pulled out our iPhones and started the search for what to do in Philly for two hours.

Now you would probably think, 2 hours in Philly they'll probably hit up the Liberty Bell, the Rocky Steps, some of the historical highlights of the city, but if you thought that, then maybe you should get to know Raman and I a little better......

Raman is all about maximizing time and i'm all about leisurely strolling, so we decided to enjoy our afternoon and instead of packing in as many sites as we could, we choose to find the nearest Brewery and take in an afternoon beer sampler.

We ended up at a Brewery call Triumph Brewery.  We had the 8 samples of their beer which were delicious.  There were three particularly that make a memorable mark on me (the Brunch Stout which was a beautiful combination of espresso and chocolate, an Apple Weiss, cause we all know i love Weisses, and a Raspberry Blonde, which had such a fresh taste from the Raspberries that Raman will be trying this as his next batch!).

We even met an adorable older couple who happen to 1) go to Raman's high school Lowell in the 70s and 2) the gentlemen has been brewing for the past 30 years.  Let's just say, Raman utilized the time to ask 20 questions to that guy.

From there, we packed up and headed to Dinner.  Which was amazing.  We enjoyed the tasting menu (which for Spanish Tapas, was enough food to feed an army) but was all very delicious.  After 2 hours of octopus, salads, scallops, oysters, flatbreads, steaks, and they most delicate chocolate cake, we left the restaurant full and happy and on to the game!

Getting to the game, Raman can tell you i was a bit nervous as I was entering enemy territory and I didn't know just how we could be perceived.  Like for me, people are nice enough to not yell at a girl, so we left there pretty well untouched.

We made it up to our seats, enjoyed the Giants beating the Phillies and then headed back to the city of NYC, but oh wait.......  One last stop as you know it's Raman and we're in Philly....  You ask what?  but most of you already know....  Yes, Raman had to stop at Pat's King of Steaks for a Cheesesteak for the road...


All and all, thanks philly for a great 6 hours.  We'll be back for a proper weekend to see the history behind your great city, but until then, we bid you a'du.

Free Bryant Park

Since we've been here, we've realized that with the heat, everyone like to be outdoors and to be out doors there are always activities included.  Given this, we decided to take the week Erin was visiting to experience the free events at Bryant Park!  Monday's is movies in the park at night and Thursday's is Yoga on the lawn.  The pictures tell all the stories!

A very Long Island

With the hot hot heat pretty much making the city unbearable, we decided to pack up, rent a car and head to Long Island to see what the island had to offer.  We were quite ambitious with our plans of conquering both the North Folk and the South Folk, so we jumped in a ford fusion and hit the road...  We decided we would see where the day took us knowing that we would start North and work our way South.

After about a 90 minute drive outside of the city, we hit the beginning of the North Folk of Long Island and a very cute Farm stand (we didn't realize at the time how abundant farm stands the two folks would  be).

From there we stopped off at a winery on the route.  A little know fact, the North Folk has a pretty low key but populated wine tour and reminded us of Sonoma/Napa region.  There were wineries all along two of the main roads, all very cute and quaint.

For lunch we decided to stop at a little fish market in the town of Southold and munched on Lobster Tacos, Grill Tuna Steaks and Clam Chowder (i told Raman it was too hot for soup but he insisted)...

All Delicious!!!

Back in the car and up to Greenpoint (according to Forbes - one of the prettiest small towns in America) and I have to agree it was cute!  In Greenpoint, we enjoyed a beer tasting that the Greenpoint Brewery!  Cheers!!

After the brewery visit, it was time to up on the ferry for a slight detour through Shelter Island to get to the South Folk (aka.... The Hamptons!!!).

We started our tour of the Hamptons all the way at the Top Point in Montauk!  We saw the beautiful light house and enjoyed spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean!  Driving back west through the Hamptons, we stopped at the Main Beach (in East Hampton) and enjoyed the beach for a few minutes!

The Day was getting shorter and shorter so we had to jump quickly back in the car and start the trek back to the city as it was getting later...  Last stop Blue Point Brewery in Blue Point, NY..  Great final destination on our tour of Long Island!

After a long day we arrived back in the city at 8pm (after leaving at 730am) and were exhausted.  Erin, Raman, and I all ordered some of the spiciest Thai food ever (i actually couldn't eat it and erin and Raman were sweating like crazy in our air cond apartment)....  We all fell asleep around 930...

All and All great day on Long Island!  We will return to go wine tasting, beer tasting, tour the cute towns, and to eat a lot more seafood!!!!!

Until then....  Long Island we bid you a'do.

Hot, hot, hotter. Highlights from a week in the city

Just before we got in trouble for taking pictures at the play

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of...

Close but yet so far. Actually not close at all.

La Quinta Hotel Roof Top Bar

North Star

Hot Yoga in Bryant Park

Friend, houseguest, personal assistant, dog walker. Hello my name is Erin. I have been lucky enough to be a guest of the Edwards' household for one week today. There have been many highs during this visit, most notably the extreme heat. But despite the hot, humid weather, fun times have been had by all. If you are lucky enough to know Christie and Raman, then you know that they know how to "do work" in any city they call home. NYC is no exception. What started as a classy evening of theater for Christie and I on my first night in town, ended after 3am in a crowded private room in a karaoke Bar. And yes, it is always a good idea to order 2 bottles of sake at 2am.  Sorry Dad, you were wrong when you said nothing good happens after midnight. In NYC, nothing good happens before midnight. Being the old woman that I am now, I was nervous when Saturday night's plan was a rooftop bar crawl. However it was shortly after walking into the greatest beer garden ever, that all memories of that mornings hangover were forgotten. Especially after witnessing Christie's attempt to chug a beer in under 30 seconds.  Let's just say that Raman, circa 2001 could have given her a run for her money. However we did return to the scene of the "chugging" later during the week when we were happy to find out that the Lobster Roll truck we were coveting, just happened to be at the very same beer garden! Wednesday's are apparently Christie's day, because she impressed us with finishing half a beer in 7 seconds.  Just when I thought i'd seen the best of the best of Manhattan's outdoor drinking establishments, we walk onto the Fry Pan. The Fry Pan is a boat turned into a bar docked in the Hudson River . Beers on a boat. Enough said.  I don't want you all to think that all we did was drink while I was here. Christie and I also braved the heat and did yoga with hundreds of other people in Bryant park. Christie will be adding a post about our trip to the Hamptons. So if you don't have a trip planned out to see them yet, get on it!

Coney Island and the Hot Dog Eating Contest

There aren't many sporting events that I wouldn't attend.  Which means, there are a lot of sporting events I do/would like to attend. You can argue that professional eating is or is not a sport, but it is at the very least an event.  Every 4th of July, 10 minutes are focused on Coney Island instead of the bbq's, fireworks, and family outings.  As with every other "sporting event" within shouting distance of NYC, I try to make an appearance, and depending on how persuasive I am, Christie comes along as well.  So this 4th of July, I promised her with her first trip to the beach, so she agreed to accompany me to this spectacle.

Coney Island really isn't that far from Manhattan, roughly 45 minutes and only 2 subway rides out there.  So we pack a small bag and head out there for the day.  We expect a little sun and some good beach time.  We find out really soon, that EVERYONE had the same idea as us.  The subway was filled with beach goers.  I guess, the promise of sun, sand, and water was enough to lure half of the city out to the coast.

We get off the subway and make our way towards the action.  We had no idea what to expect, but while walking there we were greeted by a preview of what was to come.

Yes, they are the official refs of the hot dog eating contest.  I let them know that my friends ate 100 chicken nuggets in around 1 hour and they weren't rally amused.  But they did take a picture with me.

 As the countdown clock stated we were within 2 hours of the main event... and let's just say people were both fired up and patriotic.

We head down to the original Nathan's hot dog "stand"

I enjoy my first Nathan's hot dog.  I mad sure to eat it before I saw the event, because I didn't know how long it would be till i ate my next one after watching people eat them at a rate of 5-6 a minute.

Probably the greatest into I have ever seen live.  This guy was pumped up and seriously got everyone else pumped as well.  We would need it, because on TV the event really take 10 minutes, but in real life things take a loooooong time.  Christie and I stood in the crowd for around 2 hours, after we got our spot, in the heat, and with a lot of other large bodies around, it was almost unbearable.  All this to watch grown men, swallow full size hot dogs.  But hey, we knew there would be a little waiting involved.  And I knew I would owe Christie big time for this.

The results were a foregone conclusion.  Joey Chestnut from San Jose, won by eating 64 hot dogs in 10 minutes.  Which was just as disgusting thinking about it as it was watching in person.  Check that off the list, and never have to do/see that again.  

So we decide to head to the beach.  But so did everyone else.  I have never seen a beach so packed since, South Africa.  But in South Africa they had a big screen projecting soccer matches, at Coney Island, everyone just wanted a little piece of sand to spend their 4th of July at.  We looked at each other and both knew that this was not the beach day we were expecting and starting the trek home.

But everywhere was packed... And Coney island with their vintage coasters and carnival games, really gave us reason why we would never come back again.  It reminded us more of the jersey shore than the Santa monica pier. 

The NBA Draft

Nothing gets me more excited than a sports draft.  Whether it's fantasy sports, NFL, or NBA, it doesn't matter... I sometimes even read the results of the MLB, NHL, and *gasp* WNBA drafts.  I don't know what it is.  Does it go back to my schoolyard days of getting picked for dodgeball or kickball teams?  Is it because it has all of the strategy of a good game of risk or carcassone?  Or is it because that day can alter the trajectory of a franchise for years to come?  What if the Trailblazers pick Michael Jordan instead of Sam Bowie?  What is the 49ers picked Aaron Rodgers instead of Alex Smith in 2005?  The draft for better or worse is the building block for most teams to get better, without paying out huge contracts that only certain teams can afford.

We moved to NYC the same weekend of the NFL draft (which is my dream to attend).  And from that point I realized, I am in a city that is going to host a variety of sports events, but also my two favorite drafts; the NFL and NBA drafts.  So I researched when the tickets were going to be put on sale, and within 10 minutes of the date, I had 2 great tickets to the NBA draft.  I don't know how, but I convinced Spencer to fly a few thousand miles to go to the draft with me.  If there is someone you want to go to the draft with it's Spencer, as his usual party trick involves naming off the college and high school of any basketball player that comes to mind.

So we both leave work a little early (Spencer worked in the NY Gap Offices) and head to New Jersey for the draft.  It's usually at Madison Square Garden but because of construction it was moved to Prudential Center "The Rock" in Jersey.  We take the train there, barely making the first train out of the city due to a power outage that knocked the whole system offline for several hours.  We get in with about 30 minutes to spare so we walked in to check out the scene.

The Tag line, where amazing happens comes to mind.  It looked just as it does on TV and we got to experience it live!

I grabbed a quick seat behind the NBA tonight crew as they were prepping the pregame show for the draft.  It was great seeing the behind the scenes, almost like a scene out of "Sports Night".  I am still trying to find out a way to get a tour of the ESPN campus in Bristol.

These were our seats for the draft.  Within 50 feet we had every team represented.

I obviously was repping the GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS.  

I won't bore you with the rest of the details, because honestly if you cared you would know the results, and if you don't then there;s no need to list them out here.

The highlights I will say were that the Warriors picked who I wanted them to pick, Klay Thompson, out of Washington State (I don't know if that's a good thing), but I am happy about it now...

And when the Kicks picked everyone went nuts in a good way and bad.  We all knew what was coming... Boooos!!!