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New York Revisited
September 25, 2012
— Chelsea, New York City, thrift shopping
I had not been to New York City since June of 2001. The World Trade Center was there last time I looked. A recent visit for a fast paced weekend reminded me why I love the city. I like the way NewYorkers talk, dress, act, and the way they interact. For one afternoon I attended a conference for bloggers which I enjoyed immensely. I met in person some people I have known digitally for a long time, and others I had just recently followed. The Triberr conference made the trip worth the effort, but the city itself provided the perfect place to be.
I stayed in Chelsea at a very well priced and, for me, well positioned small hotel called the Chelsea Inn. It was Euro stye with breakfast vouchers for the Belgian cafe next door. I was happy with my giant room on the ground floor with antique fixtures and furniture. It was comfortable, secure, and clean. The staff made me feel very welcome. I did share a wall and the street noise with Manhattan’s busiest nightclub, The Splash. For me, this was not a problem. Not everyone is prepared to deal with that level of noise, but I was just reminded that I was not in Tucson any more. The up sides of the area far outweighed the issue of the pulsing beat all night.
My spacious room at the Inn
I thrift shop for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the chance to find some vintage items in good condition. I sew and know fabric, so I usually feel self assured about my talent and skill as a savvy thrift shopper. In New York City, however, the thrifters have a bigger, better market from which to choose. They may even have jobs in the fashion industry. I noticed right off the bat that the company of shoppers was very advanced in discernment. The prices were so low and the quality so high that I wanted the entire inventory at the Angel Street Shop. I was over my head here, and had no room in my carry on baggage to take much back home with me. I had to leave empty in order to return later with more composure.
I dined, shopped, walked and gawked at the architectural detail in Chelsea, which is forever to be my new New York ‘hood. I have determined, after a really excellent shopping spree with my friend Margaret, that it can be totally worth the effort and the airfare to fly here and do all of one’s shopping. I did not even take in the two very local museums, Rubin and Jewish History, just blocks from my new hotel home. The value and the entertainment never stop in New York. I will not wait so long to return.
Thrift Angel
Inn
Reversible jacket fits
comments
Enjoyed reading your blog about your visit to NYC. I live in Chelsea and it’s always fun to hear a “fresh” take on the ‘hood. Whenever I visit my sister in California, it takes me FOREVER to go to sleep because it’s so quiet. I also remember when my mother was alive she used to comment that it sounded like the Fire Engines were driving right through my livingroom while I was on the phone with her. I had to laugh because I’d stopped hearing them. New York is an alternate reality sometimes. Truly like no other place and I’ve done a bit of traveling.
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Anja Geitz
September 27, 2012
Thanks Anja and Marc. I have been thinking about the nature of the city. now that I am heavily into my ancestry I know what my peeps did there in the 1600s. The distinguishing factor is trade. This is the biggest market in the world..including Wall Street. What New York is and always was is a trade center. This is the place where experts know markets, because they work in them every day.
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Decided to “take a walk on the wild side”! It was nice to have you here, Pam. Do come back and see us again, sometime.
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That’s an interesting observation, and so true. We began as a Dutch trading post for fur trappers, and by the time the British captured the city, the trading kept rolling along, just under a different flag.
I suppose when you look at it in that way, New York’s fundamental underpinnings haven’t changed all that much. We are still a place where people come to trade, whether it’s in ideas, money, or products.
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