A Sunday in August in NYC

A Sunday in NYC during August is different than a Sunday other months of the year.  During August, the pace of the city slows a bit.  Many New Yorkers vacate NYC for their vacations--whether in the Hamptons or at water parks in Pennsylvania.  The change is noticeable.  It's actually a nice time to be in NYC, if you don't mind the occasional heat wave, like the one last week.

Sunday was a nice day in NYC.  Below is a pictorial map of our day.  We started with brunch, then a visit to an auction, then a stroll through a department store and later a visit to the West Side followed by dinner out.  It was a nice Sunday in August.

Brunch with friends at Pongal, a restaurant at Lexington Avenue at 27th Street featuring South Indian cuisine

Appetizers at Pongal.  The sauces were tasty.

The main event at Pongal, a dosa with sauces and spicy soup.  A dosa is sort of a mega-burrito with vegetable/potato filling.  The food is vegetarian, kosher, Halal and delicious.  Everyone is happy, except die hard carnivores.   

Brunch at Pongal: (l. to r.) Bill, random hottie, Greg and Dean.  (Greg and Dean attended Georgetown together..) 

Chirstie's NYC at Rockefeller Center.  The event was the preview of "Living with Art", an auction this week featuring paintings, sculpture and decorative art.

A signed James Thurber print, featuring the ever-funny penguin

Club chairs.  Notice the headlights on the arm rests?

A set of embryo chairs

"Monkeys Celebrating" by William Skilling.  A precursor to "Dogs Playing Poker"?

The napkin in the photo is not a lot in the auction.  It is a souvenir from the complimentary espresso at Christie's.  The experience was a treat:  no admission charge, good AC, beautiful galleries, great art, free espresso.  Does it get any better?

Following our visit to Christie's, we strolled through the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store.  It was right there.  How could we pass it by without going in?

On Sunday evening, we visited friends in their newly acquired apartment at Lincoln Towers on the West Side.  Aside from being a fantastic apartment in a great location, their terrace overlooks Lincoln Center.

Pop Quiz:  What do Lincoln Towers and the film West Side Story have in common?

A Hint:  Lincoln Towers are located on the West Side in high 60's.

The Answer:  West Side Story was filmed on location among the tenements torn down to make way for Lincoln Towers.  Lincoln Center was built nearby.

Sunday dinner found us at Arte Cafe, a neighborhood Italian eatery on 73rd Street at Columbus Avenue.  (Wasn't Columbus Italian?)  The meal with friends was a great way to complete a nice August Sunday in NYC.  Ciao.