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I’m off to discover the New World. This time next week I will board a plane at Narita and fly to the United States (my first time to visit the country). As they say in the movies, yee-hah.
The trip, which will last for two weeks (unless I am arrested and held without representation, in which case it will be longer but I might get to see Cuba as well), is a mixture of business and pleasure, although I’m in the happy position of not quite being able to work out which parts are which.
I fly into Washington DC where I spend a week attending a conference followed and a couple of days of meetings for work, then I go to New York Fucking City where I will stay for another week with a dear, dear friend in whose company sleep is a low priority and, in fact, rarely an option.
I’m pretty damned excited about both the business and pleasure aspects of this little excursion, and I’m gratefully accepting suggestions for how to make the most of the trip: the best places to hang out at 3:00am in Washington DC bleary-eyed and shaky from jet-lag, the best bagels in New York, the new address of Gotham Book Mart (where did I put that?), the best prices on fully automatic weapons, &c., &c.
Watch out for me while I’m there and say hello if you see me. I’ll be the wide-eyed one asking all the dumb questions.
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Posted to General Rants • 2005.04.30 (Sat) • 10:41
Comments
Posted by Pascale Soleil 2005.04.30, 11:14
If you’d like to have a coffee with a total stranger while in DC, drop me an email.
I’m happy to try and answer any DC-type questions…
Posted by Christopher 2005.04.30, 12:17
I like Nippon better then US
Posted by lago 2005.04.30, 14:58
While in New York City, you might enjoy the Strand Bookstore for its 18 miles of books, whatever restaurant currently resides at 20 Mott Street for excellent Chinese food, and Gray’s Papaya in the West Village for cheap and tasty hot dogs.
And don’t worry about the automatic weapons. As every person who’s never been to the US knows, you are given an M-16 for personal protection after you clear customs, since all people in the US carry guns everywhere.
Posted by Steve Ray 2005.05.01, 02:16
D.C.: Be sure to spend time around U Street late at night. Great nightspots and eateries, incl Cafe St. Ex, Black Cat, Utopia and Local 16. Ben’s Chili Bowl for late night eats. Eighteenth Street Lounge (ESL) @ 18th and Connecticut for Downtempo, Dub and Bossa Nova. Red (literally right around the corner) for after-hours partying til 5 or later. FIVE (next to ESL) for house, drum and bass or broken beat, depending on the night.
NYC: spend as much time as possible in the Village. Go to The Village Vanguard for an experience at a classic and historic jazz club in an intimate setting.
Let me know if you wanna meet for coffee or drinks in D.C.
Steve
Posted by Richard 2005.05.01, 02:22
I’m not sure when it’s going to be in Japan (it will, just not sure when) but while in New York you might enjoy seeing Ashes and Snow on pier 45 (at the end of 13th St.
Wow, first trip over here… If you have a bit of time in New York and you want a taste of rural New England (Connecticut) about 1.5 hrs away by car or an easy Metro North train ride from Grand Central, let me know. If I’m home I’d be happy to pick you up at the train and give you a bit of a tour of the area.
Enjoy the trip.
Posted by Narayan 2005.05.01, 08:28
It could easily be perceived as a bit of a downer, perhaps, but given your penchant for history and humanity, the jewish holocaust museum in DC should not be missed. It’s easily one of the best (i.e. educational, engaging) museum experiences I’ve ever had, and the few friends that have succumbed to my pressures to go have expressed great gratitude at my insistence. The whole museum is really well done, I think, taking into account the fact that kids may be there (putting graphic photos or information on the floor, surrounded by meter-high walls), and it doesn’t pull punches in regards to criticizing the U.S. and other nations for their role in the events.
In the event that you do go, do know that you can’t just walk in. You have to get a ticket which lets you in at a certain time.
On another note, there’s also really good Ethiopian food in D.C. Actually, there’s pretty much good everything food in D.C., as you can imagine given the small ethnic communities that tend to build up when consulates and embassies are staffed.
Have a good trip. Send me a postcard.
Posted by seraph 2005.05.02, 11:08
New York, my city!
The best Tibetan to be had in any place short of Tibet itself is in a place called Tsampa, about a block from the Cooper Union campus in the Village.
I think it would be a crime to come to NYC and avoid stopping by the Metropolitan Museum of Art…
Have fun exploring the best the east coast has to offer. :)
Enjoy yourself!
Posted by Greg 2005.05.02, 17:28
DC is a great place to visit and I suggest that you pay a visit to the Mall, not that mall. Pick only one of the Smithsonian Musuems and have a look (the collection is 142 million objects, almost as large as your photo library) and free. See the link http://www.si.edu/visit/ and look for the current exhibition lists to focus your attention. I suggest, if you’re into these things, to go inside the Capital building. You must be screened, but otherwise you can just line-up and walk in and walk around. The architecture is stunning and if not in session, you can see quite bit. Quite casual and open to the people, so American. for a virtual tour see http://www.senate.gov/vtour/ If time permits, just behind the Capital building sits the Library of Congress. The “Great Reading Room” is newly restored and is stuning. Finally do yourself a favor and check out the history of the city’s design. They just plopped it down in a swamp, (very American again) in 1791. But the city is beautiful, even if designed by a Frenchman. http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/lenfant.htm. The grand and magnificent Baroque design is virtually unchanged over 200 hundred years later. New York will sweep you up anyway, but you need to survey DC with inquisitive eyes. Just my 2 pennies.
Posted by Arikawa 2005.05.02, 21:28
My vote for best NYC bagels, H&H, 2239 Broadway (Google map).
Posted by Grayson 2005.05.02, 21:38
Let us know if you’ll be in a particular place (a cafe in DC) at a particular time (evening), and perhaps we can have an informal meetup.
Posted by Jeff 2005.05.03, 02:29
Don’t forget to visit your Congressman! Oh wait, Japan isn’t part of the US —yet <g>.
Posted by David C 2005.05.03, 11:02
Holy crap, you’re leaving roughly on the same day as me. I’m flying off on the 8th May to NY. The last time I was there was back in ‘94 when I was still pretty much a kid.
I can’t wait.
Posted by Turbanhead 2005.05.04, 01:56
don’t forget to visit Brooklyn. Some great restaurants here. See if you can get a reservation at The Grocery on Smith Street.
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