New York state of mind

Two years ago, I accompanied my dad to attend the Arrow Global Conference in New York. It's supposed to be an annual event for all international licensees of Arrow, but for some reason the principal company didn't organize one last year. This year I get to go with my dad again, and the conference is going to be on October 11 and 12, at the W New York Hotel, where we will be staying as well (I believe the Fab 5's loft on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is in the same hotel). I'm looking forward to returning to New York because our last trip went well, considering our limited time and resources, and my usually finicky father was pleased with all the restaurants I took him to, as well as the Broadway musical we chose to watch (The Lion King).

Now I'm starting to plan our itinerary for the October trip, which will be just as short and hectic as before, allowing us little free time to explore the city and do stuff one can only do in NYC. After a preliminary search online, I discovered that Maroon 5 is playing at Madison Square Garden on the night of Oct.10, and Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner will be in the Broadway production of Cyrano de Bergerac, which previews on the night of Oct.12. Both fall neatly within our schedule, and on evenings we'll be free, but my dad doesn't know who the hell Maroon 5 is (I'm not that big of a fan either), and I don't know if we'll still be able to get tix to the very first preview of a Hollywood-celeb-starring Broadway play at the last minute. Won't hurt to try though, so our first stop upon arriving in NY will be the Richard Rodgers Theater's box office. If we can't get tix, then we'll try to snag partially limited-view seats (cheaper by half!) for Wicked, which I have been dying to see for years.

Restaurants I'm thinking of trying include Sfoglia and Carmine's (both Italian places), Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, and Brooklyn Diner USA. I'm also considering going back to Serendipity 3 for their Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, or to try their foot-long hotdog or 1 of their famous sundaes (I'm getting fatter just thinking about it). On the shopping side of things, I have my heart set on (and wallet prepared for) buying a new Coach bag, and I have a couple of books on my Shelfari wish list that I realistically won't be able to find in any bookstore here in Manila. Plus I'd like to pick up some Gap (Product) Red graphic tees for my sibs and myself.

The trickiest thing I'm trying to work out is how to squeeze in a rendezvous or 2 with friends who are based in states near New York: Tangsoc in New Jersery, Ria in Delaware, and Jo (friend/former student) in Pennsylvania. Looking at the jam-packed itinerary I've mapped out, dinner on the 10th and breakfast on the 13th are most feasible, but those times would be inconvenient for my friends, who still need to drive or commute from wherever they are (and no Ria, I don't think I can ditch my dad to go clubbing :p).

I'm sure I'll manage to iron out all the details and logistics as October draws nearer. In the meantime, I'm continuing to scour the Net for restaurant reviews, printable street maps, and other information that would help make our next visit to the Big Apple as enjoyable as the last.