Checklist for Last Day in New York City

1. Go to the Neue Gallerie and flash long expired Christie's ID to save $20. Marvel at the Brücke: Birth of Expressionism exhibition and works like this:


Marzella (Franzi), 1910, Kirchner
Creepy, right? Excellent review by the venerable Roberta Smith here (true story: we once had a conversation in a bathroom in Marfa, TX. I freaked a little).

2. Visit Dina at her amazing gallery, Skarstedt Gallery and have a quick Kenka-planning coffee break.

3. Run into MoMA again to catch the James Ensor exhibition


Aernout Mik (again, I just can't stay away!)

Roman Ondak (I added my name!)


And Projects 90: Song Dong


4. Run for the subway twice and twice have the conductor open the door! That never, ever happened when I lived there.

5. Stop into Battery Park to wave to the Statue of LIberty and find this place for lunch:


Yep, that's Lady Liberty on the left.

And my adorable waiter, working in NYC for just another month, gave me his email. Just in case I ever need anything in Positano, Italy.

6. NAP.

7. Meet friends at Verlaine on the Lower East Side for the best martini happy hour in the city:

8. Meet more friends at Kenka, my favorite crazy loud cheap woah cotton candy-for-dessert New York restaurant:


Kenka by day (not recommended)


Kenka by night

We were perturbed that the restaurant had shrunk, but were relieved to discover it meant the creation of a new storage room, complete with life-sized (possibly animatronic?) statue of Man Playing Snare:


That's Kevin to his right, not another statue. Unfortunately.

9. Return to the eight figure penthouse on the Upper West Side:










Resist urge (barely) to pose with owner's Emmys.

Yeah. Emmys.

10. Rush home to Brooklyn the next day to pack and head back to Dallas. Miss you already, New York.