We New Yorked it properly

Wonderful. Amazing. Awesome. Exhausting. That’s my summary of our time in New York. I still can’t believe how much there is to do in such a small space and that every time I emerged from a subway tunnel, it was like walking into a new world – the landscape seemed to change every couple of blocks as we wandered from SoHo to Little Italy to Chinatown. I get it now – why people fall hopeless in love with this city and feel they could live there forever and never see it all. I’m already itching to go back…though my bank account will need to wait awhile, cause holy crap! it’s expensive there.

We spent the weekend with our friend Dave, his girlfriend, and one of his best friends and his wife. Dave is the reason we took the trip, as he invited us to attend the premier of a movie he produced, We’re the Millers.

All dressed up and ready to go. I spent way too much time worrying about what I was wearing and shelling out $ to get my hair and makeup done. Way not necessary. Maybe premiers in Hollywood are different, but this was not the uber glamorous affair I envisioned. The huge theater (The Zeigfield) was packed with people connected to the film and dressed in everything from jeans to minis to cocktail dresses.

The movie was hilarious. I was crying from laughing so hard. That being said, since everyone in the audience helped create the movie, the entire theater was whole heartedly invested and engaged in it, making it easy for laughter and cheers to erupt continuously.

A picture of the red carpet, which was covered in a tent due to rain. We did not walk it. Turns out it’s a big faux pas to stroll the carpet if you’re not a celebrity. That’s a picture of Ed Helms, who sat across the aisle from us in the theater, getting interviewed.

Here’s a shot of Joey with Dave and our friend Bob, who was only able to stay for the premier, in front of a ginormous We’re the Millers sign.

And here’s a picture of Dave’s name on the sign.

We’re all feeling mighty proud of him, as this movie seems destined to be a success, and was his last movie, The Conjuring.

Then it was off to the party at Bryant Park Grill, where the crowd thinned out a bit. And here is where I stood just feet away from all the stars of the movie. They were all in one section of the room (near the bar), surrounded by people. It was amazing that they were never left alone. Not for a single second. Someone was always there trying to talk to them or take a picture with them.

First we saw Jason Sudeikis and his fiance, Olivia Wilde. Ed Helm was nearby. But I was waiting to see Her. The Jennifer Aniston. Joey caught sight of her first. “Look, there’s the back of her head!” And then the crowd parted, and she turned around, looking perfectly movie starred. It was like catching a glimpse of a unicorn, and I could barely stand to make eye contact. But we did, just for a fleeting second. I caught eyes with The Jennifer Aniston. Surely it was a shared moment for both of us.

There was however, one celebrity I spent some quality time with over the weekend – Will Poulter, who plays Kenny in We’re the Millers. He’s British, hilarious, and incredibly down to Earth and kind. He and Dave became friends while casting the movie, and we spent most of Saturday night with him and his friends.

But there was so much more to New York than the premier. Here’s some shots from our trip, which was filled with tons of walking, fantastic food and insanely expensive drinks. I feel like we New Yorked it properly, staying up until almost dawn on most nights. Dave’s friend, Neal, was our tour guide and he tried to cram as much in as possible. He is the reason we really saw the city and braved the subway system.

Central Park is incredible and so needed. We instantly felt relaxed as we wandered through it.

We were intimidated by the subway, and without Tour Guide Neal, we may not ever had the guts to try it. But it truly is the best, fastest and most affordable way to get around.

In Little Italy, an incredibly charming street.

We pigged out on pasta and incredible Italian food, but saved room for what really was the best cannoli in the world and spiked coffee drinks at Caffe Palermo.

A lot of Dave’s fellow producers were staying at the Crosby St. Hotel. I was beyond excited to meet up with them for drinks at the hotel bar, not because it meant meeting more Hollywood folk, but because I could raid the place for anything reading “Crosby.” P.S. All the Hollywood folk were very nice people and surprisingly normal. P.P.S This place was extraordinarily expensive. Three vodka tonics (not all for me) cost $80.00!!!! That is when we knew we were partying with people out of our league.

The 9/11 Memorial is serene, peaceful and awe-inspiring. It made me realize more than ever the real impact those events had on the city and the families.

Brooklyn! We went there in search of a suppossedly “mind blowing” pizza at Lucali (it’s where Beyonce and Jay-Z get pizza, after all), but it was closed when we arrived. So instead we opted for Juliana’s, which was great, ice cream at the foot of the bridge and a stroll over it. We weren’t in Brooklyn long, but being there was the only time I felt I found a place I could call home in New York.

The Minus5 Bar at the Hilton in Midtown was a blast. The entire bar is made out of ice, even the glasses you drink from (vodka, of course). You pay anywhere from $20-45 to rent a parka or fur and gloves and freeze your ass off. Yes, you pay $ to get really cold, despite the fur, and that price doesn’t even include drinks! We had a great time though, and I recommend it. But don’t wear sandals, like I did. I ended up with rented mittens on my feet wandering the bar looking like a penguin.

While we started at a bar inspired by New Zealand, we wrapped up the night at a sake bar that blew our minds. It was like a staircase down to Japan and drinking sake in the basement of a random Japanese guy’s home. In other words, it was unexpected and fantastic.

And…the last photo I took on our trip. Taken at 5:00 a.m. as I stood in the lobby of our hotel holding a plastic bag filled with Budweiser tall boys as I waited for Joey and Neal to go to the bathroom. We were supposed to drink them in Time Square and watch the sunrise, but we were officially spent at this point. New York wore us out. We did and saw so much more, but this post is already epically long.

I hand’t been there since I was 6, and all I remember about the trip was seeing Cats. But after this trip, I am a big, big fan of New York. If you haven’t been there, go. I’m told by those that have lived there or visited often that it becomes easy to entertain yourself on the cheap once you know where to go. Someday, I hope I will have visited enough to know at least a few of this city’s secrets.

• ← Sold! & Movie Premier!
• And then it was time to go →