July 29, 2008
I had a nice time in NYC and didn't have any trouble keeping myself busy. Hubby was there on business and the company he was meeting there set us up at the Hudson Hotel. That was our first (and last) time staying there. The room there was really small. No, REALLY small. There was just enough room to walk around the bed and that's it. The bed was also so short, both of our toes hung off the end, and we are not really tall people. And the bed was very hard!
The bathroom was also small. I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but there is not a lot of space between the toilet and that wall.
So I took this picture too to give you a better idea of how close that wall is. I had to straddle the toilet before I could sit down because my knees kept hitting the wall otherwise. haha We won't even discuss the size of the shower stall. And this is not an inexpensive hotel. I don't know what you would do if you showed up there with kids. Probably cry. I know I would have if I had small kids with me.
It was also really, really dark. All of it. The lobby was dark, the rooms were dark, the hallways were dark. This is the hallway outside our room during the daytime, with flash. It was actually kind of creepy. If I had paid for this hotel I would not have been happy, but seeing as I didn't, I dealt with it. We both couldn't wait to check out though.
On the first day I walked from West 58th Street to Purl in Soho. It was a long walk. It didn't look that long on my trusty little map, but by the time I got there my feet were not happy. I kept thinking about getting a cab, but it seemed silly to get a cab when I was almost there. Yeah right...Once I had lunch and visited Purl's yarn and fabric store, I took a cab to a The City Quilter on West 25th Street and then worked my way through the garment district and eventually back to the hotel. I definitely got my exercise in that day! There were many places I had planned on seeing that I never made it to though. I was especially bummed about missing Habu. That night we had dinner at Wolfgang's Steakhouse with my brother in law, who lives in NYC and it was truly the best steak I have ever eaten. Ever. We had wanted to try out Bobby Flay's restaurant, but we forgot to make reservations in time and it was full. Maybe next time....
Believe it or not, I didn't buy a single thing at any of the garment district shops. It was like my first time at a fiber festival.... completely overwhelming. There was fabric everywhere. You had to climb over it in some stores just to get to other parts of the store. I spent the second day sight seeing with hubby and didn't take any pictures that day.
I got these fabrics at the quilting shop. The Wizard of Oz fabric because they are Dorothy's ruby red slippers of course! And the taxi fabric because I had one particular cab ride on day one that took about 5 years off of my life instead of the normal 1 year, and I surely don't want to forget that.
Some fat quarters...
And lastly, some Pop Garden from Heather Bailey ,which I love and don't know if I can cut.
Of course I also had to stop at the M&M store because who can resist peanut M&M's in these cool colors!? Yum!
It was a fast and fun little trip.
Posted by Karen at July 29, 2008 08:10 PMWe had a mini hotel in Paris...could not turn around in the tub (no shower) and there was a pocket door, it was so small. But, it was PARIS, so who cared! You are more adventuresome than I am...I get lost in Bloomingdales and would not wander around myself. So, am making the husband take me in Thursday to see Walking With Dinosaurs that we had to miss last weekend, and to go to jewelry supply store. You got some great fabrics!
Posted by: Marcia Cooke at July 29, 2008 10:05 PMThe room and bathroom look incredibly small! I laughed out loud when I saw the space between the toilet and the wall.
The fabrics are fabulous! Glad you had a fun trip!
Wow, that was small! But it looks like you had a great time in NYC. Nice fabric.
Posted by: Jane at July 29, 2008 11:00 PMSucks about the hotel, but the touristing sounds great. I'm always exhausted after a trip to NYC cause, like you, it always seems like it's not that far, and getting a cab is often difficult. Glad you had fun!
Posted by: Chris at July 30, 2008 05:49 AMI bet your feet were hurting because I know that was a really long walk! Glad you had a good time and of course the M&M store is a must.
Posted by: wendy g at July 30, 2008 07:38 AMYou were really a trooper to put up with those extra small accommodations. Whew! My husband would have been balistic at the "get-go". We stayed in one very similar in FL one year---yours, however, look much cleaner than the one we ended up with. Gorgeous material. You got a lot of work cut out for you. Glad you had a good time and that you didn't let your room get you down.
Posted by: Elizabeth at July 30, 2008 07:57 AMYes, that is a really long walk! I love going to Purl - they have so much stuff in two small shops. Did you get any yarn?
Posted by: Lisa at July 30, 2008 09:11 AMGlad you enjoyed your trip! The Hudson Hotel is crazy - I've been there a few times to see co-workers staying there...did you catch the big ole chandelier above the reception desk? That's my favorite. 20 blocks is about a mile...so you probably walked almost 4 miles from the hotel to Purl - that's nuts! No wonder your feet weren't happy with you!
Posted by: Leann at July 30, 2008 09:15 AMI love short trips to NYC. I'm spoiled because I have a good friend who lives there and I get to stay in her spacious condo. Don't feel badly about missing Habu. As yarn shops go, there's not much to see. It's way more exciting to catch their booth at a knitting event. (Unless they've changed their displays since I was there a couple years ago.)
Posted by: Sharon at July 30, 2008 10:06 AMas soon as i saw that pic i knew it was the hudson! i stayed there too back in 2006 and holdy crap it was expensive!! (luckily work paid for it). for that kind of coin you should be able to sleep on a bed without your feet hanging off the end and sit on a toilet without needing to be an acrobat! sheesh. and did you check out the mini-fridge? i've never seen prices that high! and that gloomy doomy lobby! don't get me started. :D
Posted by: brenda in toronto at July 30, 2008 12:30 PMGlad you are back! I can do about ....oh...24 hours maximum in NYC and then I am more than ready to leave. 12 is probably better for me. I have a great-aunt tho, who has lived there all her life and totally adores every minute of it!
Posted by: Anne at July 30, 2008 05:01 PMThat hotel room looks like one of those Japanese hotels where you sleep in drawer in a wall--like in a morgue. I couldn't have done it. And my husband would never even have put his bags down. Yikes. I bet they don't get much repeat business.
Posted by: Suzanne V. (Yarnhog) at July 30, 2008 05:04 PMLooks like a fun trip, despite that tiny hotel room! I don't know what the deal is lately - I ran into a few of these high-end miniscule hotel rooms lately.
Posted by: robin at July 30, 2008 05:21 PMThat is quite the hotel room. Do they have photos of their rooms in their brochures? Imagine the fish eye lens they'd have to use to make it look livable.
The fabric you bought is beautiful.
The website makes it sound like a stately cruise ship - oh wait, those rooms are miniscule too.
I remember the blisters from walking in NY with new boots, groan.
That sounds like it was a fun trip, even if the hotel room wasn't up to par. Makes me want to go back to NYC
Posted by: Valerie at July 30, 2008 07:56 PMWow, that really is a teensy tiny room! I'm guessing they don't book too many basketball teams in there ;) Looks like you scored lots of fun stuff!
Posted by: maureen at July 30, 2008 09:20 PMOoh, I don't think I could cut that either. Nice haul! That sucks about the creepy hotel, but at least it was free.
Posted by: Jenny at July 31, 2008 09:08 AMGee, you wouldn't want to be fat, or even a little plump!!
Love your new fabrics.
Posted by: Ruth at July 31, 2008 09:32 AMI guess cozy has its limits.
Posted by: Li_B at August 3, 2008 03:24 PMMe again, I went on the hotel's site and they described it as having "daredevil design." LOL
Posted by: Li_B at August 3, 2008 03:27 PM