NYC gift show and The Bowery

the night life

me

me

from freemans website

from Freeman website

from The General  website

from the General website

The gift show is always fun, tiring, visually stimulating,  predictable, exciting, confusing and lots of walking. Usually for me it's with George which is nice because he keeps me together and besides companionship and support he helps carry my junk. I never thought of it but he acts like my assistant. I think I need one full time:)  He's great and puts up with me as I maneuver through it all with minimal growning. This trip around I went with Deanna which was wonderful. She's a hoot and hopefully we can go again. I promise I won't make you run to catch the train back. We'll wait for the next one:)  The first night we met up with 4 of her friends on the lower east end. They were on a girls get together and had been doing the town for a few days. We met them for drinks at a cool place called Freemans in the Bowery area. We were forewarned to not let the pee stained alley we needed to walk down make us turn back. It would be all worth it. They were right on both counts. I have to say at one point when the taxi driver dropped us off a little distance away from the address that I wondered....hum! The street was a little desolate and not well lit  and as we got to the address the doors was closed. Windows blackened out.  Where the heck was this place? Deanna always able to laugh in any situation helped calm me but all I could think of was if George was here he'd be having a bird:) He's mister cautious about everything. We asked a couple of nice ladies walking their dog if they knew the restaurant. They didn't look scared....what's my problem? maybe they were carrying mace? They told us to walk down to the next corner and turn right, then go down this alley. An alley?  Freeman's alley.....oh right that's the name they gave us. They were right, lots of graffiti on the walls but I didn't look for the pee stains.  There were lots of pretty twinkling lights at the end of the alley.  Nice touch,  twinkling lights are friendly. I felt a sigh of relief. We walked thru the door and immediately ran into a long black curtain. Ok this is weird, is this a theater? but as soon as I pulled the curtain open it was magical, warm and filled with people. I almost wanted to share my surprise with the first person who would  make eye contact with me and say something stupid like " were you scared too? but wow this place is really cool! "  We were swept up these big stairs by the hostess to where they were waiting for us at a cozy sitting area. Drinks already waiting for us and some of that yummy artichoke dip you see in that  photo.  Did I tell you Deanna I love your friends?  I didn't take enough good photos. Mine are the dark moody ones.  Notice all the taxidermy. Deanna's friends thought that she would love it. She and I both did. I am now hooked on the whole natural history look.  Freeman's was a great choice for the start of our evening. We later went to an asian restaurant for dinner called The General only a couple of blocks away. So much fun and loved the streaming service (means it comes out one at a time and you are encouraged to share) I was good.... I shared. Everything was delish. 

Afterwards we went to check out the fab decor at Gemma's and have a drink of course....that's the one with the dripping candelabras. I will never clean candle wax again. Think of the time saved. I am starting one right now but I have mostly the good non dripping kind so will have to buy the cheapy ones that leave the mess I'm after.  

They are on my list and so is going back to these places .....with George next time. I promise