You may remember my lamp from my
Living Room Post. This lamp traveled many miles to end up here on my side table. A few years ago, we went on holidays to New York city. I LOVE NYC! I fell in love with her years ago watching movies on a rainy Sunday afternoon. There are so many films set in New York - I've seen a LOT of them! Before I travel anywhere I always like to read a novel and see a film that's set in the country I'm going to, it gives me a feel for the landscape and people. Here are a few of my favorite films set in NY:
An Affair to remember ... Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr . . . a tearjerker . . .
Breakfast at Tiffany's . . . the iconic Audrey Hepburn in
that little black dress . . .
Annie Hall . . . Love Diane Keaton . . .
The Goodbye Girl . . . Marsha Mason and Richard Dreyfuss - he won an oscar for this role!
When Harry Met Sally . . . the infamous diner scene made cinema history. . .
My first visit to the Big Apple was on my honeymoon in Summer! I'd never been to the US so we had the trip of a lifetime. Sometimes when you have a picture in your head of a place that you've seen in a film the reality can be a disappointment, but thankfully New York was everything I expected it to be - and more. We loved every bit of it. Our second trip back was two years ago in Winter when we took our eldest son Aran on his first trip. On both visits we stayed at
the Inn New York City.
The little gate to the right of the steps leads to a little self-contained apartment called 'the Vermont Suite' which is one of four suites in the building. Our little apartment had it's own front door, with a living room, kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom. The suite is charming, cosy and very comfortable. The decor is homely, quaint and has an old world feel. The owners Ruth and Ellen are soooo nice, lovely and warm and greeted us on arrival and were so welcoming which was greatly appreciated after traveling from Ireland. They offer the right blend of presence and privacy, they are there when you need them and the rest of the time you have your privacy - perfect for us! The suites are cleaned daily and restocked with breakfast, breads, juices, wine and they always leave some surprise treats, cakes and crisps. The brownstone itself is a restored 19th century building on a quiet tree lined street on the Upper West Side. Around the corner is a lovely boardwalk down by the river with beautiful views, perfect for an evening stroll. Nearby are two excellent markets , Fairway and Zabar's both pretty legendary in this area. It was such fun to go shopping and then make our way back to the apartment, it really felt like we were living there, like real New Yorkers!!!
The Opera Suite
The Vermont Suite . . .
cosy with lots of books . . .
romantic bedroom - perfect for honeymooners . . .
Also nearby is the Natural History Museum which we really wanted to show Aran (our eldest son) as this was his first trip. So, we set off one morning to visit the museum and stopped in a deli on the way for bagels and coffee. We visited in early January and while it was romantic as it still felt Christmassy, it was bitterly cold. It was snowing as we left the museum (which was fantastic by the way) and then out of the corner of my eye I spotted a "FLEA MARKET" sign!! I stopped in my tracks and pointed to the sign, my husband and son just nodded and we all crossed the road into what looked like a school yard and into the building. By accident we had stumbled into one of the best markets in Manhattan. Called 'GreenFlea' this market which has both open air and indoor vendors, has been running for just over 25 years. There's a real mix here too, antique, vintage, retro, collectibles and handcrafted stalls jostle for space. Furniture, home accessories, jewelry, clothes, shoes, bags, pretty much anything you can think of is sold here.
Like any market, you can be lucky or unlucky and you have to root around to unearth the good stuff. The three of us strolled around happily browsing and then I saw it. A white marble lamp sitting quietly on the table surrounded by mismatched plates and vases. I almost didn't ask the price thinking it would be too expensive! So when the lovely lady vendor said that it was $25 I couldn't believe it, but of course feigned disinterest. I found Niall and Aran and we had a quick "what do you think? should I get it?" conversation. But alas, they were not as enthusiastic as I.
". . too heavy . .", they said,
"it will break on the flight home" they warned,
". .you buy it, you carry it . ." they muttered!!
"there won't be enough room in the suitcase . . . blah, blah, blah!"
". . I s'pose . . " I sighed.
We walked around the market one more time, I looked wistfully at the lamp one last time as we walked out the door. We got as far as the gate in the schoolyard when I stopped and tugged at their arms to go back.
"I can't leave it behind, I'll carry it . . . it's not that heavy!!"
They smiled at each other and shook their heads at me and followed me back in to the market hall. They should have known, when it comes to me and white marble, resistance is futile! I prayed it would be still there as I hurried back to the lovely lady vendor.
It was.
I got it for $20.
The light snow turned into a dazzling blizzard as we walked the few blocks back to the apartment. My husband went to take my package to carry it but I clutched my bubble wrapped parcel to my chest and stubbornly carried it the WHOLE way back to the Inn saying "its actually not that heavy (it was!) . . . ". As you can see my purchase also made it in one piece back to Ireland on the plane. Niall re-wired it for our Irish sockets and to my surprise and delight it worked perfectly! I was VERY happy!!
I love that my $20 lamp has a little story, like so many pieces in our home. Wherever we go on our travels I always end up in some sort of flea market or antique shop. It's lovely to have a memento of our New York adventure. Good times! We will definitely go back to New York and stay at the Inn and no doubt we will find our way back to Greenflea and all it's treasure!
