NYC (December 23, 2010)

My Cartoonist and I blew into town the day before Christmas Eve on the train from Philadelphia for 24 hours of wandering the streets of New York City. Despite how much I walk on a regular basis, even I managed to become completely exhausted after walking from our hotel in mid-town down to the Village and back on the first night, and then from our hotel to Central Park, down to HiLine Park, and more of the Village the next day.

All in all, we figured out that we walked close to 20 miles over the 24 hours that we were in town.

but what a 24 hours it was....

Hotel Metro, NYC (December 23, 2010)

Pigeons, NYC (December 23, 2010)

NYC (December 23, 2010)

NYC (December 23, 2010)

Swift, NYC (December 23, 2010)

We left the hotel around 3pm and started walking.....and walking....with me running into people and staring up at buildings, and my Cartoonist watching me with delight as I discovered this little part of New York.  Eventually we had to stop for libations, and found ourselves at Swift (recommended by friends in Denver as a great place for a Guinness).

My Cartoonist, NYC (December 23, 2010)

While I was out front having a smoke and chatting to a member of the NYC Fire Department, my Cartoonist found himself in a conversation about bars and drinking with the author of the new book "Punch" (about,well, the history of punch), David Wondrich.  After some discussion of NYC bars, where we were off to, what was recommended and not recommended (McSorley's is apparently too full of tourists these days...) there was a delighted promise to be interviewed for our friend's magazine "Modern Drunkard"  when Mr Wondrich was in Denver in April, we were off to our next destination... 

...the glorious Double Down Saloon, NYC (December 23, 2010)

another view of the glory that is the Double Down Saloon, NYC (December 23rd, 2010)

i love the colors in here...NYC (December 23, 2010)

Yes, the Double Down.  Just as dark and dingy and divey as the one in Vegas.  The drinks were cheap and strong, and bartender attentive.  Fantastic.

 We then moved on to that bastien of punk-rock tiki....

  Otto's Shrunken Head, NYC (December 23, 2010)

  things were a bit blurry, but my cartoonist got a tiki mug, so all was well. NYC (December 23, 2010)

the walk back to the hotel was cold and shivery...and yes, still a bit blurry.... NYC (December 23, 2010)

Old Town Bar, NYC (December 23, 2010)

We stopped for a nightcap with our friend, before he went back to Brooklyn and we went back to our hotel (and to get warm) at the Old Town Bar. Lovely old plce, with tin ceilings and a huge ornate old bar...

NYC (December 23, 2010)

After one last look up, we found our way back to the hotel and sleep.

stay tuned for part two....