This has been a good week in NYC. Mainly because it’s only two weeks until Laura and most of the kids (except Cassie who chose to sun in Florida) come to visit. I can’t wait to see everyone and show them around. In the two and a half months I’ve been here, I’ve become somewhat familiar with the area, at least my part of the Upper West Side (UWS). I have routines now, church, friends, favorite laundry, deli, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. I even have my favorite running trails. In fact, on my run today I was serenaded by an old man singing the Mr. Rogers Neighborhood song (only in NY). Now that my basic needs are figured out, this has culminated in allowing me more time to learn about the fascinating culture of the area. The UWS is a significant Jewish neighborhood, populated with both German Jews who moved in at the turn of last century, and Jewish refugees escaping Hitler’s Europe in the 1930s. Today the area between 85th Street and 100th Street is home to the largest community of young Modern Orthodox singles outside of Israel. However, the Upper West Side also features a substantial number of non-Orthodox Jews. A number of major synagogues are located in the neighborhood, including the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States, Shearith Israel; New York’s second-oldest and the third-oldest Ashkenazi synagogue, B’nai Jeshurun;Rodeph Sholom; the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue; among others (thanks Wikipedia). So the dominant culture of the UWS is Jewish…which I think is wonderful. There is also a significant population of Hasidic Jews, especially in my area (80’s – 100’s – between Central Park West and Riverside Dr). You can feel their presence in every area of life. For instance, there is a Southern food restaurant called Jacob’s Pickles (great food by the way). On the menu, right under “Biscuits and fixins”, “Deviled eggs” and Fried pickles” is “Matzo Ball Soup”. There is a Jewish ambulance network to make sure religious regulations are followed whenever service is required. In the predominantly Jewish apartments, on the Sabbath all of the buttons on the elevator are pushed so they can maintain their faith and not have to use the stairs. But the two areas that fascinate me the most (at least this week) are how empty the streets and restaurants are on Friday nights (Sabbath starts at sundown Friday through Sundown Saturday and the Jewish community are in their homes observing the Sabbath). The second area are the beautiful, cool hats the Orthodox and Hasidic wear to Synagogue on Saturdays. My favorite is the Shtreimel. These are made out of fine fur and can cost up to $5,000. They are typically given to men on their wedding day by their future father-in-law. I’ll post a picture of one on FB. The origin of the Shtreimel is fascinating. A traditional story has it that an anti-Semitic political figure once issued a decree that male Jews must be identified on Shabbat by “wearing a tail” on their heads. Although the decree was an attempt to mock the Jews, the Hasidic rabbis considered the matter seriously, in keeping with the universally accepted Jewish law stating “the Law of the Land in which Jews live is to be upheld so long as it does not obstruct Jewish observance.” They arrived at a plan that complied with and even exceeded the decree by arranging to make hats such as worn by royalty, encircled by a ring of tails, thereby transforming an object of intended ridicule into a crown. Further, they instituted that the number of tails follow Jewish numerology, symbolizing the wearer’s sacred intentions. (again, thanks Wikipedia). Sorry for the length of this post but as you can tell, I am really interested in learning all about my new Jewish neighbors. I love this city! Until next time….”Shalom”.

This has been a good week overall but I have to say, I’m really missing Laura, even more than usual. For some reason it’s been harder this week than most. Maybe the weather is getting a little warmer or something else, but I really wish she were here with me. Every time I see something new, or eat at an amazing restaurant or have any kind of cool new experience, all I can think of is how much she would like it. So everything is still good, but not as good as it could be or will be when she’s here. The good news is she will be here in a couple of weeks for 4 days when Jessica gets married. I can’t wait to see her, the family (except Cassie which makes me sad) and a ton of friends. Sorry to take up so much time, but I thought it was important to tell that no matter how good the new job is and NYC is, it’s just not complete without the love of my life, my partner and my best friend…Laura! FaceTime makes it bearable but it’s just not the same. Also, Sunday dinners with Brad, Nicole and Baker Blackmon really help. Thanks for adopting me!
As far as things I’ve learned this week, there are a couple of topics I want to briefly mention. First, NYC is a runners paradise. Riverside park is amazing in the winter, I can’t wait to see it in the spring and summer. I feel like everyone in NY is a runner, biker or dog walker, which really makes running fun. The only advice I have is when you buy new gear (like I did today, CW-X compression tights), TAKE THE HUGE TAGS ATTACHED TO THE SEAT OF THE TIGHTS OFF (which I didn’t) SO YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT (which I did) on a two mile run today. Well, hopefully I made a few people smile.
Second thing learned: In a city the size of NY, with over 8 million residents, there are going to be extremes. The vast majority are wonderful people but there are exceptions and I ran in to one this last week. Getting on the subway at 34th Street, there was a man eating jelly beans sitting on the bench talking to himself. He spilled the candy all over the floor and the next thing I know, he was going absolutely berserk. He started screaming, crying and pacing back and forth really fast. Finally, he let out a shout and ran out of the subway. Lesson learned, never get near someone eating candy in the subway.
Lastly, in the two months I’ve been here, I have yet to have a bad meal. Due to my job, I get to go out quite a bit and I have to say I’m getting spoiled.  Food here is on a different level. It’s so expensive, bad restaurants can’t afford to stay in business, so everything is amazing. I’ve put on nearly 8 lbs (which is where I draw the line). So many restaurants, so little time! Until next time….

There truly is no place like home. Last week I had my first opportunity to spend a long 4 day weekend with the family in TN. It was great, and loved just hanging out with everyone. Laura and I got to celebrate Valentine’s day with a nice dinner in Chattanooga. The humorous highlight of the weekend came from Cassie. For a few days, her hands would turn a bluish gray, especially in the evening. We were all worried, wondering what mysterious illness she might have contracted (anemia, circulatory problems, etc.). I finally did what we all do in this day and age….sought the advice and council of the Internet. After sifting through all of the dire diagnosis, and seeing just how many people were affected by this, there was one blog that caught my eye. It basically started like this: “I know what the problem is and it’s easy to fix”. The diagnosis……new blue jeans. I looked at Cassie and her blue hands and sure enough, she had on a brand new pair of jeans. I told her to go scrub her hands and sure enough….no more blue. So thankful we didn’t make a trip to the emergency room. Granted, it would have made this post funnier, but could have made for a long, embarrassing day. After seeing everyone, it was difficult heading to the airport to come back to NY. But here I am, sitting in a little coffee shop on 86th and Amsterdam writing about my adventures. I’m really thankful the temperature has started to rise (a little). Days are now peaking in the high 30’s which is my cue to get back out and run. I’ve packed on 7 lbs since 1/1, all due to the amazing quality and range of food here and it being way to cold to run. That has to stop now! I ran Saturday and plan to run 4 days this week in the mornings. You can see below my a pic of Riverside park, my favorite venue to run. If that ever gets old, there is always Central Park. The last thing I want to mention this week is that I continue to learn new things every day. This adventure has been a great education so far. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a lot easier to move from the South to NY than vice versa, but only if you love diversity, change and new adventures. Everywhere I go, there are new people to meet, most with completely different backgrounds.  I don’t need to travel to see new cultures…they’re all here. If I want French food, there are french communities, where the primary language is French. Creole, no problem. Romanian, check and it goes on and on and on. In fact, our pastor today said there are over 800 languages spoken in NYC alone. There is actually a dialect of Croatian only spoken in Queens (it’s a dead language in Croatia). So virtually everyone is from somewhere else. It can be disorienting if you can’t adjust. With the right attitude though, it’s the recipe for adventure. God is truly amazing and He is such a creative God. I see that every day in the distinct faces and voices of the people of NY. Well, until next time…

So, after being here for in NYC for 5 weeks, the cold was starting to get old. It’s not just the cold because I actually like winter. But when it stays below 25 for days and days, that starts to wear on the nerves. Kick in the wind whipping between the buildings and having to walk everywhere, and I was just about ready for spring. Then, Friday and Saturday changed everything. Nemo hit and turned NYC into a winter wonderland. I know it was rough on many, especially north of here, or anyone who got stuck on the road or lost power. But I live just a couple of blocks from Central Park, so when I woke up Saturday with a foot of snow on the ground and took a 5 mile hike through the park, my whole attitude about winter transformed. It was truly amazing. You can see the pictures of the beautiful side of Nemo below. Thousands of people were in the park…hiking, taking pictures, sledding, skiing (really) and just enjoying the beauty of God’s world. It was still cold, but the park was magical. A few other things struck me about the storm. In TN, a foot of snow would shut down the city for days, and there would be no bread or milk on any store shelf. Here, everyone took it in stride. When I left work Friday, right when the storm was starting to hit the City, I saw snow plows parked on the side of streets everywhere, just waiting. New York never stopped, in fact, I don’t think it slowed down. No one rushed the stores to buy supplies, no businesses closed, subways were on time…basically life went on. I know they’re used to snow here, but the preparation and efficiency of the City workers was impressive. Me, being from TN of course went to the local store and bought milk and bread. Which brings another thought to mind. I love the stores here. My local market is called Broadway Farms. I’ll post a picture of it shortly. When I go there or to any store on the Upper West side, I feel like I’m in Europe. Being in a majority Jewish community, most of the food is from Europe. I couldn’t find Kraft cheese (not that I would want to) if I tried, but if I want some “Old Amsterdam” or 157 other types of cheese, no problem.  Also, the store is small, the aisles are so narrow, I can’t walk through them without turning sideways, but they have everything. It’s just UP. I literally mean UP. I needed aluminum foil and it was about 7 feet off the ground on a shelf near the ceiling, luckily I’m pretty tall and could jump and get it without trouble. Fruit, vegetables and fresh meat are amazing and not much more expensive than TN. The difference is how fresh everything is, very little pre-packaged food.
Last thing for this week, I went to a Rangers hockey game and and a Knicks basketball game at Madison Square Garden recently and three things really stood out to me: (1) New Yorkers know their sports and love their teams (2) I learned some new words and some new uses for old words (3) Since 9/11, the Star Spangled Banner has a different feel here, hard to explain but the feeling is palpable.
I get to go home next weekend (4 days) for Valentine’s and can’t wait to see Laura and the kids. In fact, as I write this, Kelly Clarkson is singing Tennessee Waltz on TV (Grammy’s)….makes me home sick. By the way, congrats to Micah Massey, Chris Garmon and Regenerate Music on the Grammy…so proud of you! Until next time…stay warm!

This week (week 3) in NYC has been a real week of lessons learned. First, it’s cold, no….it’s really cold…check that, it’s bitterly cold. It was 11 degrees (and windy) a couple days this past week when I left for work. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been that cold in TN, but usually I was just going from the house to the car, and then where ever I was going. Exposure to the cold was seconds at most. Here, I have a 4 block walk to the subway, then wait until the train comes, then a 2 block walk to my building. Most days, it’s great, but when it’s 11, my face felt like the skin was going to peel off.
I also learned that NY’s steam heat system for heating pre-war buildings (mine was built in 1920) is an amazing and efficient system, but not below 20 degrees. Since there is no thermostat (it’s either on or off), people experience one of two things (1) burning hot to the point where you have to open a window (2) freezing cold — guess which I have…freezing cold. So I just pile on the blankets at night and run a space heater to keep warm.
Enough about the weather, things are still going great here, especially since Brad and Nicole Blackmon introduced me to Jacob’s Pickles for brunch. Best biscuits and gravy (with buttermilk fried chicken and cheese grits) this side of the Mason Dixon line. Actually the owner is from Memphis and knows how to cook food that really gave me a taste of home (see pic below). This just furthers my impression that NYC has the best food on the planet.
Another thing that really jumped out at me this week is the sheer amount of art everywhere you go. I mentioned this last week, but it amazes me where you can find art here, particularly in the Subway stations (look above and I’ll post a few pics). At church, there are some of the best opera singers and string quartets that I’ve ever heard. It probably helps that Julliard and the Lincoln Center are a few blocks away but the talent level that invades everyday life is unbelievable to this Southern boy.

The only thing so far that annoys me about living here is the absolute lack of space. Everywhere you go is small to begin with and then packed to the brim with people. I think that’s why people don’t necessarily say “excuse me” or “pardon me” that much…they would be saying it non stop. In restaurants, you might as well be sharing tables with several others. In order to sit down, you usually have to move the table to get to the chair. I read a statistic that may help you realize how big an issue this really is. Apparently, if you put the entire population of the world inside the borders of Texas, you would have the same population density as NYC.
Still, I am loving it here, the job is amazing, the people are great and it’s truly a once in a lifetime adventure. I can’t wait to see Laura and the kids soon though. When Laura moves, up, life will once again be complete. Until next time…stay warm!

Week 2 is now in the books and I’m learning more and more every day about the joys and struggles of being a Southerner in NY. Just a few random thoughts I’ll share with you this week (too lazy to put it in a dialog): (1) FaceTime, group texts (we have had some very entertaining group texts recently) and Social Media make life away from the family much more bearable. Laura is my world and being able to see her helps so much. But not having her by my side, even just sitting and watching TV, or discovering some cool new restaurant together is the hardest part of the move. But again, absence makes the heart grow fonder…mine is pretty fond right now. (2) Being tall is a huge advantage on a packed subway train…I actually have air to breath and never have to bury my nose in someone’s armpit like the short lady standing next to me last week (3) There is no better food in the world than in NYC but I would give my eye teeth for biscuits and gravy (4) There is art everywhere in NY if you take time to look…in the subway stations, parks, building facades and just random places like beautiful planters around trees on the sidewalks, I’ll try to post some pics soon (5) Beurre De Baratte is just a fancy name for butter…amazing butter but butter nonetheless. (6) Don’t offer to share your umbrella with strangers in NYC, even when you’re in a coat and tie…people think you’re going to kill them. (7) No one here knows anything about college football (or cares). The cable guy saw a UGA book on my end table and said “hey, why do you have a book where Green Bay’s logo is red and black?”…no way to explain that (8) I am obsessed with Prosciutto, even if it is made from the hind leg of a pig…24 month aged Prosciutto will make you slap yourself. (9) Everything is very expensive but with help and guidance from the wonderful people in my building and Brad Blackmon and Nicole Daniels Blackmon, I am learning the secrets of survival. (10) Finding a good church has been a real blessing, love Tim Keller and the people of Redeemer Presbyterian…amazing place (11) A few of you suggested a blog, I don’t mind doing that if there’s real interest in joining me on this experience. It actually makes it fun for me to be able to share it with you. Just let me know if there is interest…then tell me how to set one up. More to come….

So my first week working in NY is behind me and I thought I would share a few early perceptions of living and working here. First and foremost, I miss Laura. She’s not only my wife and soulmate but also the best friend I’ve ever had. She’s my rock and even though I can talk and Facetime with her “multiple” times a day, it’s just not the same as having her by my side. But it’s just for a short season and you know what they say “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. Plus I’ll see her at least every few weeks. I also miss all of the kids, they each add so much to my life. Considering all of that, I truly love being in NY. The people here have been amazingly friendly, warm and welcoming. New Yorkers have been unfairly labeled as rude and unfriendly. While I’m sure there are people here like that, they are the exception, not the rule. The people I know, from the building I live in to my work have gone out of there way to try and help me in every area.

My building is the little white one in the middle

New apartment – 700 sq feet of NYC

They love their city and want me to love it also. I live in the Upper West side and it has a great family feel (lots of kids and dogs and runners everywhere). I’m only a mile from the heart of the tourist section (Times Square) but this part of the city is much quieter with great little coffee shops, book stores, cafe’s, and museums. Everything here is incredibly expensive (off the charts in some ways) but the real New Yorkers have helped me make it very manageable by showing me the best places to get inexpensive but amazing food (best food in the world) and where to take my dry cleaning. There are so many amazing, free things to do here that I don’t have to spend a lot of money to stay entertained. In fact, tonight just walking down the street outside my building, I followed two young opera singers as they strolled and practiced a piece they were working on. I followed behind them for about 15 minutes just listening in amazement…As far as getting around NY is concerned, taxi’s are $$$$, but the subway is great and only $2.50 per trip or $100/month unlimited (bus and subway). I spent way more than that on gas each month when I had a car. As far as the job goes, I’m loving working in an office again and VNSNY is a great company with an amazing mission. There are three people in my team from the South so that keeps me from getting too homesick. So, my first week has gone well. If Laura were here, it would have been perfect. More later from this Southern boy in NYC…