NYC Adventure - Part 1

This post will begin a series of travel posts.  I will be on the road for 6 of the next 7 weeks, with just one week at home to pack and move out of my apartment (more on that later).  I always try to make the most of my travel opportunities and I plan to share my favorite sights, activities, and eats here.

So NYC... Unlike so many people, I have never longed to live in the Big Apple.  Sure, I love Broadway shows and fashion and Sex and the City, but NYC always seemed too big, too loud, and too money driven.  This trip totally changed my thoughts on the city... I absolutely LOVED it!  Here is why...

I took the train up to NYC on Wednesday morning.  I had to be at the office shortly after arriving, but I found time to grab a fruit and spirulina smoothie from a cart across from my hotel.  Score 1 for for NYC:  Fruits, smoothies, and juices are easy to find and can be cheap! While the afternoon was spent working, I was able to meet up with my friend Kelly for dinner and a run in Central Park.  Central Park is incredible, especially for runners.  There were tons of people walking and running, even on such a hot evening.  Score for NYC:  Green space (i.e. space to RUN).

I had work stuff all day Thursday, but made an early morning stop at Organic Avenue, an NYC organic juice bar chain, to get some breakfast and stock up on snacks.  I got the Jalepiña juice, made with spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley, romaine, jalapeño, pineapple, and cilantro.  This green juice packed a punch and was great for some early morning energy.  Organic Avenue also sells raw food and snacks.  I grabbed a coconut yogurt and cinnamon raisin granola for my breakfast, both of which were really good.  As everything I got was so delicious, not to mention so healthy, I knew I would be back again. Score for NYC:  Organic Avenue. Period.

Coconut yogurt

After work on Thursday I hit up a yoga class at a studio recommended by two friends - Yoga to the People.  YTTP is donation based, which makes it an affordable way to practice while traveling (for comparison, other studios I looked at in NYC had drop in rates of $30 per class - crazy!).  The class was great and it was awesome to see that the studio was thriving.  Score for NYC:  Affordable yoga!

After yoga I stopped by One Lucky Duck - the takeaway raw food shop operated by the folks who own Pure Food and Wine (a super upscale raw food restaurant in NYC).  One Lucky Duck and Pure are known for their amazing desserts, so I splurged and got a 'Mallomar' along with a salad. First, the salad - greens, kale, and herbs topped with hemp seeds and pumpkin seed macadamia "parmesan" and a lemon pumpkin seed dressing.  This salad was everything I could want in a salad - it was huge, fresh, and delicious, filled with nutrient dense ingredients.  The salad could have easily been enough for two meals, but seeing as I was pretty hungry from the yoga class I devoured the whole thing.  The Mallomar was also delicious:  a crunchy, chocolate dipped cookie topped with a cloud of sweet cream.  Again, I knew I would be back to One Lucky Duck to taste more of their amazing raw goodies. Score for NYC:  Yummy and healthy raw food!

Mallomar from One Lucky Duck

Friday started super early, with a 7AM running tour of downtown NYC!  I had read about running tours, but this was my first time trying one, and it was a blast.  By running instead of walking you can cover a lot more territory in a shorter time period, and get a work out in!  Our guide, Karl, was super knowledgeable and friendly and carried water for us.  I would definitely recommend this type of tour to any traveling fitness enthusiasts.

Our guide pointing out some sights

Tall buildings!

Park with a view of the city hall

View of Freedom Tower from Tribeca

Me with the Charging Bull post run!

I then headed back to my hotel, stopping at Organic Avenue along the way to pick up some breakfast.  A mini Cafe Latte to counteract the early morning wake up, a Matcha Chai Glow smoothie, and a SHOT.  What?  A shot for breakfast?  Organic Avenue has all these different "booster shots" you can take - wheatgrass, chlorophyll, lemon, ginger, and other interesting blends, each with a specific health benefit.  I felt like I was coming down with a cold, so they recommended the 'Oregano Candida Cleanse' - garlic, oil of oregano, lemon, and alkaline water.  I was a little hesitant but was reassured that it tasted like pizza.  Sure enough, it did taste like pizza!  If you were to blend pizza up into a liquid... regardless, my head and throat felt much clearer the rest of the day, so I think that the shot helped.

After showering and wrapping up some work things, I packed up and checked out of my hotel.  I had plans to meet my friend Emily for lunch, but had a little time to explore until then.  I walked around the Union Square and Gramercy areas taking in the Friday morning sights, and stumbled upon a fairly large farmer's market.  Before too long, I headed to Murray Hill where I had my lunch date.  This area is affectionately known as 'Curry Hill' due to the large number of Indian restaurants.  That being said, Emily and I dined on some delicious (and cheap) Indian food at Chote Nawab. The lunch special at this place was incredible - for under $20, we each got a dish (palak paneer for Emily, okra for me), plus lentils, rice, and naan.  Also, when the waiter realized that I don't eat dairy (the lentils contain butter), he brought us out another lentil dish at no extra cost.  Score for NYC: Great ethnic food.  We hardly made a dent in all of it!  Besides the good food, it was awesome to catch up with another friend.  She had to get back to work, but we made plans to meet up again later in the weekend.

Stay tuned for Part 2 featuring a great art exhibit, more green juice, phenomenal vegan sushi, and a flea market adventure...