Report Card: Adventures in NYC!

DAY FOUR: Write about someone you love.  

So I'm incredibly behind on this 28 Day Challenge...my apologies. There are many people I love in my life, but I think I'll take this time to write about my older brother. My brother is by and large the funniest person I know. Few people besides comedians like Martin Lawrence and Kevin Hart can actually make me laugh until I cry; my brother is one of those people. I also admire him for finding something he's incredibly passionate about and making a career out of it--a career that allows him to travel the world, something I'm incredibly envious of him for. I love how he's not afraid to vocalize his thoughts and theories when it comes to everything from politics to women, no matter how cringeworthy and honest they are. I love how his taste in movies and television is similar to mine and that he shares the same desire to be cast on The Amazing Race. Oh, and I love his storytelling abilities (remember the MeowMeow story?). Basically, I love my brother : ) 

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Clearly this blogging everyday deal has been quite the struggle, which is a damn shame considering I really haven't been doing much! So I'll admit...it's a tad bit hard to write when you don't have much inspiration besides a big plasma TV, a couch, and an Italian greyhound.

However, I HAVE had a few highlights in the past couple days and I HAVE tried to venture off the couch, in an effort to remind myself that I NEED to go out and enjoy this summer before it's time to buckle down and get real with my life. I thought I'd detail my latest adventures in NYC, as I pretend to be a hip young professional out on the town (instead of a Bridge and Tunneler). 

- AMC Dine-In Theatre: Okay, so this isn't in NYC, it's in West Orange, NJ, but whatever...I thought I'd review it anyways. So our favorite movie theatre conglomerate AMC has decided to fold the "dinner and a movie" concept into one with their new chain of dine-in theatres. Basically, you sit in a big comfy leather seat with a table in front of you and get seat-side service and order yummy food and cocktails as you watch a movie! It's awesome! This is the future of movie-going people! While I'll give the movie I saw, The Hangover 2, a B, my mozzerella sticks, chicken fingers, and frozen strawberry margarita were delish, so the AMC Dine-In Theatre gets an A+! This is how the theatre works...

- Happy Ending: So a friend and I read about this old health spa turned club/lounge in the Lower East Side called "Happy Ending." Now, the name alone probably should have deterred us from going, but we're young and dumb and decided to risk our lives. Not to mention the outside of the club, still looks like a store-front massage parlor. However, the cover charge was $0, a Long Island was only $10, and the old saunas of the former health spa were turned into semi-VIP areas...très clever! The DJ was bumpin old school hip-hop and R&B all night, the crowd was young, diverse, and hipsterish, making for an overall pretty fun experience. Not to mention my friend walked away with the phone number of a guy who turned out to be the little brother of a pretty famous actor on Primetime television! I give Happy Ending an A. No A+ because I'm still salty I didn't snag any famous actors' brothers for myself : (

 
- Greenhouse: So I read online that "Greenhouse" was supposedly one of the most exclusive clubs in NYC. And the pictures online made the place look amazing, so naturally I HAD to check it out! If you're a guy and want to get in, you better be "somebody" or prepare to drop some serious cash for a table. If you're a girl, have a healthy BMI and a nice face (sounds harsh, but these doormen are no joke). I called ahead to find out the cover charge and the girl on the phone said, "it's at the doorman's discretion." Yikes! My friend and I weren't too excited about possibly having our self-esteems crushed by night's end, but we decided to brave it anyways. Well, because we're like total babes (duh!), the doorman didn't turn us away, but instead gave us the option of a $30 cover or a $75/each bar tab. Um $30 cover please!! As we rushed behind the velvet rope, before homeboy finally realized we weren't Ford Models, and ushered ourselves into the club, our excitement went from a 10 to about a 2.5, give or take a digit. 

"Wait, are we in the right place?

Is this Greenhouse or somebody's 2-bedroom apartment?" 

The place was super small yal! And the decor was not as breathtaking as it looks online! I'm telling you, this place is proof that pictures online can be deceiving! Did I seriously just pay $30 to dance in a 10 ft X 10 ft area? I'll give it to Greenhouse...the music was pretty good, we did see Carmelo Anthony, Swiss Beatz, Chrissy (Jim Jones' girl from the critically-acclaimed VHI show "Love and Hip Hop"), and some sailors in the city for Fleet Week. But seriously, the anticipation and politics of the door were not worth it. Greenhouse gets a big fat B-. 

- Kool Bloo: So immediately after Greenhouse, the drunk munchies set in. As my friend and I took off our heels and slid on our flipflops, we randomly met these two characters from Jamaica, who took us to this 24-hour food stand called Kool Bloo. If you're in the South Village late at night and need a place to eat, GO HERE! This place puts White Castle (Jersey people's late night food option aside from diners) to shame! The menu was extensive...a little overwhelming actually...but I ate the biggest and best bacon cheeseburger ever! To add to our Kool Bloo experience, our new friends were hilarious. One of them turned out to be an up-and-coming reggae artist named Spoon AKA (Google him) who apparently has a song with Nicki Minaj! Our friend Spoon here had a rather thick Jamaican accent, which allowed him to be one of the most entertaining storytellers I've ever come across in my entire life! My friend and I ended up sitting there chatting with our new BFFs until 5 in the morning! Don't you love random nights like that?! Big fat A (no A+ because we then had to take the Path train home and I didn't get home until 7am....stress). 

- Luke's Lobsters: Before dropping my brother off at JFK airport, we had to stop at one of our favorite food spots in all of NYC...Luke's Lobsters. If you're a seafood lover and particularly enjoy lobster rolls, I'm telling you...this place is Jesus's VIP section in heaven. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. A+++


 

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Other NYC spots on my list for the summer...

- Katz Delicatessan & 2nd Avenue Deli: So I can eat their pastrami sandwiches and compare, à la "Food Wars" on The Food Network

- Peking Duck House: Hands down the best Chinese restaurant in Chinatown.

- Picnic in Central Park: So I can cross this off my bucket list.

- 1Oak: Greenhouse's evil stepsister that I got turned away from back in December. I must persevere!

- Big Gay Ice Cream Truck: Because its name is so fun!

- Pacha: To get my fist pump on, duh!