2021 Year in Review
Well, another new calendar year (and already a month into it actually), and seems like just in a blink of an eye I was spending the Thanksgiving holiday break plugging away at the gift guides that I propped up here in late November.
But what has got me itching to come back to the blog is to do a 2021 review in the vein of Wit & Delight’s post. The month-by-month single paragraph resonated with me.
I’m going to keep the intro preamble short, since the following will be 12 paragraphs long. If there’s one continuum that I’m going to strive for in 2022 (as I try to do every year) it’s to be more generous and not in terms of money, but in terms of my attention. To give my undivided, whole attention to a person (even, place and moment) when in their company (whether that is virtual, phone or in real life). It’s the greatest generous act and gift to give someone, I believe deep down.
January 2021
The new year saw us in at The Carlyle to be very specific. I took advantage of a pandemic, winter-time massive steal of a deal to stay at this historic and quite normally way-out-of-the-budget hotel. For New Year’s Eve we ordered from The Polo Bar and ate in our sitting area of our hotel suite. The city was still deserted and times still felt odd, to say the least. New Year’s Day, we met up with a friend couple for a double dinner date where we feasted on Italian plates in a heated outdoor cabin. Again, details not typical to “normal” holiday times. I traveled down to Florida to finally feel warmth on the skin and visit my parents for an extended couple of weeks. My husband joined me soon after, and one sun-drenched weekend, we all went to Gasparilla for the day. An easy day trip from Naples with a cute downtown threaded by old train tracks, a handful of beaches, and a bountiful banyan-tree filled street you can stroll beneath the shade. I remember the day fondly and well. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this was the month I kicked off this blog, “Corners.” I honestly thought I started this in 2020, but the blog dates don’t lie, and I’ve been going at creating content on here for a year.
February 2021
We finished off our extended Florida stay by heading to Miami for a long weekend over President’s Day and Valentine’s Day. More sun-filled days where we explored The Design District, ate at the new-favorite Mandolin Aegean Bistro, and I got to see two of my oldest girlfriends for a couple hours strolling through the design area. We also finally visited Vizcaya Gardens and Home (I previously wrote about here), and I say finally because it had been on my list for a few years to see its grandeur. It had been a good handful of years since a proper Miami stay, and this time it was nice to dive deep into more attractions like museums and restaurants. Back in NYC, it was time to do taxes and ask ourselves the age-old question, if we were going to move out of our apartment…
March 2021
Now that we were back in NYC with 2-3 months until Summer / warmer temperatures would be upon us, I decided we needed some city weekend excursions to plan and look forward to. In combination with hopefully looking at neighborhoods for our potential move, I plotted out the various spots. First up, Weehawken (in NJ), and let me just say there isn’t much to say about it. It promptly confirmed we couldn’t live there. The following weekend, we hopped on the subway to visit Jackson Heights, Queens. I was eager to see some of the South Asian stores. While it took an hour to get there, an hour to come back, and we spent a total of 2.5 hours there, it was good to say, I’ve at least been there now, after living in NYC as long as I have. We stopped at the Patel’s Brothers grocery (a chain beyond NYC, I believe) and I picked up various snack items that were easy enough to schlep back home. It was quite the sight to see an entire aisle’s worth of rice varieties for sale. I can still see all the piles of brightly colored packaging, one after another of basmati, etc.
The rice aisle in all its basmati blue hues. Jackson Heights, Queens.
April 2022
This entire month could very well be summed up in a single word: vaccines. Nothing short of elation was to be had once we finally managed to secure an appointment for our shots. The spot I went to was being run by the National Guard and all was orderly and well thought out. There was even a volunteer string trio playing live music while you waited the obligatory 15-minutes post-jab. A much smaller milestone, but accomplishment was we finally at Peter Lugar Steakhouse—for lunch. A mere 25 minute walk from our apartment, and a historic restaurant institution for the city and the neighborhood, we somehow have lived a mile from it and never made our way there. Well, no more. But we did not order the steak. We ordered the classic, and just as memorable burger, shrimp cocktail, and an ice cream sundae. All eaten outdoors under heating lamps, mind you. Such details, I continue to force myself to remember, because I’ll want to remember these pre-vaccine times as we move into a post-pandemic era. We also made a quick overnight trip to Philly, which we hadn’t been to in almost 8 or 9 years together. We explored Rittenhouse Square and Fishtown, the latter reminding so very much of our neighborhood here in Brooklyn. This month also saw a day trip to Hoboken. I hadn’t really walked the streets since I worked there almost 15 years ago. I also made a trip out to Monclair to visit two dear friends for a full day of touring the town. It’s cute, and I totally see the appeal of city folk making the move there, close enough, but just far enough away to feel suburban.
May 2021
Before the first week was over, I was double vaccinated. There was definitely something that changed in life with much more hope to lean on and even momentum, I’d say. I couldn’t help think though how extremely privileged I felt being already fully vaccinated while other countries (and family members of mine) were still patiently waiting to receive even their first shot. It didn’t seem fair at all. Early in the month, I went back to Brooklyn Museum for an early Saturday morning visit—the perfect time to visit the museum before all the families descend, and done by lunch time time to still enjoy the day. By this point, we had concluded yet again to stay put in our apartment and not move… The Memorial Day weekend saw me take my first “longer” flight since before the pandemic, where I met my best friend in LA. We stayed at the Santa Monica Proper (that I wrote about here) and ate many o’glorious spots that I’d had on a list for years. We hiked and did a spa treatment, and naturally got in a bit of shopping. But the best part was seeing her face for 3.5 days straight after 1.5 years apart. It felt like a fresh start to the “unofficial start to Summer.”
June 2021
This month I’d say the city saw a resurgence—of life and energy. People were getting out. While my husband traveled to visit family, I spent the weekend getting out to little spots here and there in Manhattan that I’d been meaning to see and visit. Boutiques, galleries, and even a gelato spot. I finally made it up to the NYBG (New York Botanical Garden) to see Yayoi Kusama’s full-blown exhibit spread across the grounds. It was a sweat-inducing blistering hot day to be outside, but her installations were still enchanting. On the last day of the month, we departed for our 10-day trip to Maine.
Yayoi Kusama’s installation in the greenhouse, looking very pretty and eye-catching, not sweating the heat one bit.
July 2021
Our Maine trip saw us traverse the the East Coast all the way up to Acadia and Bar Harbor down through Kennebunkport and the small coastal towns frequented by Northeastern families. Perhaps the most memorable was our time in Deer Isle, a small island in between Portland and Acadia. It had been 10 years, since I visited Maine and Deer Isle. We stayed for 3 nights in Aragosta, and the small downtown spots truly hadn’t changed. I ate as many oysters and lobster as I get my hands on, and enjoyed seeing Portland in-depth this time around. Hiking at Acadia and stopping in Rockland for an art museum and lighthouse mid-day break were memorable, too. It was refreshing to see a place in scope, or at least a large breadth of its coast. From there, we flew to Florida to finish out the summer and stay a month back in the humid, sweltering (but ever-sunny) weather.
August 2021
Those dog days of summer really hit home in this month. The first half was spent in Naples, which really saw us settling into a routine of spending as much time as we can outdoors. We are not deterred by the humidity! We take advantage of all the outdoor activities and even outdoor living space that we’re bestowed with since it is hard to come by the rest of the year in NYC. This visit to Naples, we made a day excursion to The Everglades, specifically to Shark Tower. An abandoned mining tower right in the epicenter of the national park. You can ride an easy-going tram ride to the tower, pop-out for the dramatic photos, and take the tram back. With finicky rain showers, it is a good idea to take the tram, in my humble opinion. There is no coverage along the path and if you are out in the heat, you best be prepared. Many people were not that we passed. We also took advantage of the proximity to Miami, and popped over to do a lunch at a spot in the Wynwood neighborhood. A long day, but nice to get out and do something different than the general scene of quiet Naples.
When man meets nature. The patina of Shark Tower is quite dramatic, especially against the hyper-green of The Everglades.
September 2021
Back in the groove and vibe of the city. As in back at it with cultural city activities. First with the US Open. I don’t take for granted the easy accessibility of being able to pop up to Queens and easily attend this tennis event. Watching tennis for me (after casually playing as a kid beneath my dad’s [pro] tutelage) has become one of my favorite past-times. The player energy, the strategy, and the simplicity of court, ball, racquet to play the game shapes it into an all-around perfect viewing. We happened to see Naomi Osaka’s last match before her “break” (but she’s already back competing, so it was a short break). Impulsively, I bought a ticket a few days before to go see opening night of the NYC Ballet. The first performance night in over 1.5 years. I went with my fellow ballet-devotee compatriot, and we were on a high. The sentiment in the audience was adoration and pure love. I even got to see one of my favorite ballets, “After the Rain” performed. Maybe it was time, the lights, the emotional high, but everything and everyone seemed to shimmer and glow. It was an NYC night for the books. I promptly followed up that event, with a visit to Brooklyn Museum (2x in one year, typically doesn’t happen) to see the Dior exhibit. As a die-hard fashion lover (in all regards from the craft, materials, art and performance of it), the exhibit was astounding. All the details upon details on the dresses, seeing Dior’s sketches up-close, his naming of the designs, and so many iconic patterned designs that transcended decades. What can I say, j’adore Dior.
October 2021
It’s the birthday and anniversary month—a month bookended by celebrations because I do believe both are worth celebrating in some fashion. Staying local to NYC, and even Brooklyn, we had a four-day eating out agenda. Not typical at all, but we packed it in since our birthdays fell on a Monday and Tuesday. We traveled back to Red Hook and went to the winery there for an early drink before making our way to Red Hook Tavern. A neighborhood institution that we hadn’t yet visited. The other three spots span Williamsburg, Bushwick and Greenpoint neighborhoods and all close by to our home front. A prix fixe meal, a casual pizza spot, and a newly-opened bar / restaurant with a view (although it was raining on my b-day dinner here), all were different in their own regards but worthy of going back. I flew to TN to visit my sister and her kids, my sweet nephew and niece. It had been another whole year since I saw their little faces beyond FaceTime, and typical to kids when they’re younger, the physical changes are huge in that time. We made some good memories visiting a Nashville bookstore, taking some portrait photos in a field, and visiting the Sewanee campus where my brother-in-law works as a professor. The visit fell on my sister’s birthday, and as a treat, we traveled to Atlanta, a short drive away where I treated her to two-nights away in a hotel and all the vegan meals to her heart’s content. This month was also the month, I got to sit in a Broadway seat and see a live show again. My first Broadway show in almost two years. I saw the fanfare of Moulin Rouge followed up by To Kill A Mockingbird with the famed Jeff Daniels playing Atticus Finch. The latter’s themes were still so relevant to today’s societal and cultural movements that it’s a bit sad that fundamentally we’re still tackling the same issues that generations before us were, we haven’t transcended as far as we all might think we have. To close out the month and celebrate the anniversary, we traveled to the Berkshires and stayed in Williamstown, MA. We got in a hike at Mount Greylock, visited Mass MOCA, and also saw our first movie in-theater since 2019. Dune. Need I say more? Completely naive to the plot, I see 100% why the storyline has resonated since its novel debut back in the 70s. Last, I published a travel piece in Fathom (also with photography by yours truly) which was a monumental accomplishment. I had been working getting back into my published writing space since the start of the year, and it was with great pride to see it out in the world. Working on more to come with this online site and travel for the next year ahead…
Seen on our hike around Mount Greylock in Williamstown, MA. The setting seemed all too perfect to set the scene of a piece of fiction.
November 2021
My parents made it back for a city-visit after four years (the last time being for our wedding). Naturally, we took them to a slew of restaurants (that I had not so secretly been wanting to check off the list), with a couple other stops like a Broadway show (Hadestown), a visit to The Brant Foundation for a Julian Schnabel exhibit, and a walk through Hudson Yards and Williamsburg. On any trip or visit with my parents, I’m always amazed at a) their willingness to do just about anything, and b) their energy. I can only hope I take after them in my sixth decade of life and have enough spirit and stamina to keep up with current pace of the world. Thanksgiving was a quiet affair spent local and at home. My company offers us a well-appreciated shut down week, so I had 9 glorious days to read, stream, and lounge. Our actual Thanksgiving dinner was spent out at a Manhattan restaurant, which normally, we cook for two at home, but this year, we didn’t. And I have to say, I enjoyed the respite from cooking and cleaning up. Plus, the menu was a good split of each of us ordering our preferred meals (his: traditional turkey and mashed potatoes, and me: Italian pasta).
December 2021
The month where it never fails to make you think, “where the heck did all the time go?”. It’s true. Never fails. Even with pandemic schedules and timing. Booster shots became available and open, and I scooped right up on that offer. I wanted to make sure I was fit to go for the intended upcoming travel to see family for the holidays after we skipped out on our typical holiday family visit ritual last year. The largest surprise of the month (and maybe even the year?) was an impromptu invite to dine at Blue Hill Stone Barns. The “Chef’s Table” spot in Tarrytown, NY started by Dan Barber was everything—and more. Perhaps my favorite part was the sit-down in the kitchen with Barber a mere 10 feet away, tasting the roasted “86 squash” grown only on the Stone Hill Farms, a savory taffy-like experience while the rest of the kitchen staff hummed and made their magic. An unplanned most memorable evening to close out 2021. With the Omicron variant starting its course in the U.S., activities on our part were limited to null. We didn’t want to do anything that could get us sick and screw up plans. At the same time, flights were being cancelled left and right due to a staffing issue because of the new variant. Miraculously, we made it home (and even were upgraded to first class complimentary!) and I got to see my other nephew who I hadn’t seen in 1.5 years. He was such a different little boy. Fully into his passions and not at all the same type of two-year shenanigans, but instead a three-year old personality. We drove to Ohio to spend time with my in-laws and our other six nieces and nephews. All seemed right in the world with getting to spend the holiday with family again. And that’s a wrap! New Year’s Eve was spent back in NYC with a pre-midnight bedtime (as is often the case). We quietly and gratefully turned the page on another calendar year.