Achingly hip and achingly full

Today we wanted to get into New York, be part of it, see something other than just the traditional sights. Now I quite like being a tourist, after all it is what we are and the sights are worth seeing, but I wasn't sure I could face the neck ache from staring at very high buildings.  So, after some discussion we decided to hit the vintage shops....well after a VERY lazy morning taking full advantage of NOT getting up and running. After some very careful forward planning from Miss Daisy who plotted all of the interesting suggestions onto our map, we set off to explore Williamsburg.  

The subway took us right to the heart of Hipsville central and we had to take a break before we had even started as we were all that bit too early (hip cool shops do not open until 12pm so it seems.) which was fine, we indulged in bagels, muffins and oh yes, waffles (no, I did not have all of them....) and then we set off.... 

Now Williamsburg is hip, totally hip, beyond hip actually.... A little like Shoreditch, was hip, went achingly hip and now people come because they think it is hip, but the hip is now a little sanitised.  Like  Spitalfields market, nice to look at, no real substance.  The shops were ok, but when did 90's clothing become Vintage?  I must admit I was hoping for stacks of American vintage, but instead we were faced with racks of Topshop imports....never my favourite shop in England....certainly not here.  The warehouses were interesting, for sure, but the clothing? Just didn't do it for me.  But we kept on trying of course, never one to back away from a shopping expedition.  Poor Sam, no bowling shirts, no lounge shirts, not even any 80's American sports wear....Daisy enjoyed it and tried on arms full of clothing throwing herself totally into the experience. Joy.  Best buy of the day was certainly the kneelenght convers that Daisy had been lusting over in England, bought here for $20.... 

Knackered, hot, dusty an in urgent need of a refreshing beer we retreat into a gorgeous Brooklyn bar....refreshing ale indeed...and the bar tender was hot and very friendly (again, everyone is so friendly, the whole of New York it seems just wants to chat, tell us their favourite bits of the city and encourage us to visit!)

Tempting as the food was, we managed to hold off on cramming anything down our throats, knowing we were going to eat that evening, so lubricated, still WoWing over our shopping luck (Daisy) and beer luck (me, mainly) we decide to head for another part of town to see something different.

Park Slopes.... Now the temptation of course, for every area we visit it to determine it according to where we already know.  If where our apartment is is very much like Islington, and Williamsburg is Shoreditch (or Hoxton) the Park Slopes could be maybe Camberwell? Trendy, but with shades of real life.  Real people clearly live there, there are real shops.  Sam & Daisy fast retreat into the comic shop that is just along the street whilst I lust after, and finally get to go into a Drugstore...is there anything bête than a drugstore?  All those potions I do not recognise, all those creams and unguents....sigh... And then we hit what we came for....

The Superhero supply store! A novel idea of a shop that sells everything the budding, or experienced Superhero might need.... Actually it is a project that supports literacy in children from the local area and I had been into the Monster Supply Shop in Hoxton last year,so was familia with the concept... But its fun and is an excellent way to engage with kids!  Who wouldn't love a vat of invisibility, or a fabulous glittery cape? It also allows us to really indulge in our 'OMG - we are in a film' fantasy.

Refreshing showers and changing several times to reflect our new purchases we head out again on the Subway (Sam is now obviously an expert, it has not taken him long to get back into cool city mode)  and jump back to Williamsburg to meet Tom Walker for dinner.  Tom is part of Sam's old neighbourhood kids gang and is the only person that makes Sam look short. Well shorter. We arrange to meet Tom and his partner Paula at Champs, a vegan cafe/diner that I have been reading blogs on for the past couple of years from Bitchcakes, or Sheryl and I had thought it might be interesting. OMG.... It was beyond interesting.... Vegan food, but not as I would have trout of vegan food, not dull, not worthy, not bland... Full on, I wanted everything on th menu interesting.... And that's without it being a really cool diner, with really cool tattooed staff that are extra friendly.... Even Daisy wants to try lots of things, she has finally discovered being a vegetarian!  I have some kind of burger, with EVERYTHING in it, Sam has a Philly cheese steak sandwich.... Daisy has some kind of burger with chunky shops that ar smothered in vegan cheese and bacon... Damned it is just too good. (Also met and talked to a man on the street whose Brooklyn accent was sooooo strong (hate it when people say accents are think, he wasn't thick) he was barely intelligible...wanted to stand and talk to him for ages!)

Champs....what a huge success, Tom & Paula were lovely, think we were quite exuberant, maybe they just thought we were like small circus folk, they did keep giggling....and the food was AMAZING...

A huge thanks to Sheryl for talking about it for years......

Unable to eat ANYTHING else (damned I wanted to so badly, the whoopee pie things looked amazing) we had to just come back and lay down in our immaculate Brownstone apartment... Swearing never to be eat again....aching tummies.... Early to bed.

I think I am in Love.