Last Day in NYC

I'm back in sunny London now, but I still have a few other New York adventures to write about. After my epic bacon feast on Saturday lunchtime, I went to Bloomie Nails with Mum to have a manicure. We always go to the same branch on 55th Street, which is just down the block from our hotel, the Blakely. Mum went for a pinky cherry red polish, and I opted for a spring-appropriate lilac, which I thought went well with the TopShop dress I wore on Saturday evening.

We met some friends for drinks at the chic bar at Betony on 57th Street. Betony is named for a herb in the mint family and the food menu is very impressive, but we had a table booked elsewhere, so we just stayed for a cocktail or two. I tried the Blood & Sand, which was served with fresh blood orange juice, and I also had a Spiced Julep. Both were mixed impeccably and the bar is a great spot for people-watching.

We had dinner at Bill's Food & Drink on 54th Street. There was some enthusiastic karaoke going on downstairs, while the upstairs where we ate was almost empty. We got the feeling that it was more of a mid-week kind of place. The food was good though: somehow, I managed to find room for a cheeseburger, which was pretty good, and an ice cream with caramel, brownie and peanut brittle.

The US clocks sprung forward on Saturday night, which left me choosing between a final run in the park and a little extra sleep on Sunday morning. In the end, I was good and went for the former, in a vain attempt to burn off some of the meat-fest that was Saturday.

I grabbed a coffee from Ninth Street Espresso but I was too full for the hotel's (pretty good) complimentary continental breakfast. We walked up through Central Park to the Upper West Side, which is particularly lovely on a sunny Sunday morning. We grabbed another coffee at Irving Farm's UWS location and then spent an hour or two browsing the GreenFlea market.

Then, there was just time for a final lunch at the Ocean Grill, where I found room for a delicious lobster and shrimp roll, before we went to do a last bit of shopping at Union Square.

I was flying premium economy on the way home, which meant a little extra leg room. I had hoped that I might get upgraded to join my parents in Club World, but the plane was too full. I did at least get to join them in the Club lounge, where I had a soothing facial that went some way to restoring the damage inflicted to my skin by a week of New York winter; a relaxing end to a wonderful holiday.