The New York Shaving Company

I started noticing that there were more and more of  those fancy one station barber shops with beautiful leather antique barber chairs popping up in New York City this year.



My husband has great facial hair, and I have always thought that it would be an interesting gift to send him to one of these barber shops. His birthday this year was the perfect occasion .
After I did some research on the internet, I found out that there are two shaving companies in New York City: The New York Shaving Company and The Art of Shaving. Both companies offer similar products and services, but The Art of Shaving has more locations available.



I chose The New York Shaving Company for the location, and treated my husband to a haircut and an ultimate shave. An ultimate shave  includes a traditional shave and a mini facial.  The haircut and ultimate shave takes about 60 minutes.



The end result?
My husband enjoyed the experience immensely.

His face was as soft as a baby's butt after the shave, and the beard did not grow back until the third day.

For all the ladies out there who have a hard time finding gifts for men, this is definitely a great idea for a special occasion.

Lombardi's Pizza: The first American Pizzera since 1905 -- Nolita

I often pass by this pizzeria in Nolita on the weekend.
It is hard not to notice the bright red awnings and Mona Liza's painting on the wall at the store front.
Not to mention a small crowd often gathering at the sidewalk waiting to get in.

Although I always have a hint of curiosity about this place, pizza is rarely my first choice of food.
The fact that Chinatown is within short distance walk away sure does not help the situation.



In Anthony Bourdain's book "Kitchen Confidential", he mentioned a couple of his favorite New York Food. Lombardi's white pie was one of them. Being Anthony Bourdain's fan, I was intrigued.

As I later found out from the internet, Lombardi was not just another Pizzeria.
Lombardi was the first American Pizzeria established in 1905.
(The old pizzeria closed in 1984 and reopened at the current location on 1994 by the funder, Gennero Lombardi's grandson, Jerry Lombardi, and his childhood friend.)


Half white pie and half Margarita. (White pie is too dry for me.)
White pie contains Mozzarella, ricotta, romano cheese, 
oregano, basil, black peppers, garlic infused oil. 
No tomato sauce.


Small pie with Anchovies mushroom, and Pepperoni .


The crust was thin and tasty, and the toppings were all very good.
The restaurant does not sell pizza by slices, so go with a group. 
It is also a good place to take out-of-town guests to.

Noguchi Museum - Long Island City

After living in Manhattan for over a decade, I have to admit that sometimes I do take the city for granted.
There are always places I thought about visiting but never made the effort to.
They are geographically undesirable and you figured that they are not going anywhere....

Thanks to a friend's 3rd visit to New York, playing the tour guide finally gives me enough motivation to check out the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City.


Garden of Noguchi Museum: Isamu Noguchi design the layout and landscape.


Isamu Noguchi first purchased this factory building as a storage space for his sculptures.
The museum was opened in 1985. The exhibition displayed the artist's work chronically with all the pieces handpicked by Noguchi himself.


The Well, 1982
The fountain in the garden with Isamu Noguchi's initials carved in the stone.


Slide Mantra, working model, 1966


Model of his architectural design.


Variations on a millstone #2, 1962


Isamu Nogochi's work is quite popular in Asia.  His paper lamp is an iconic furniture piece.
You can find more about Noguchi from the museum's website.