Good morning, Freaky Friday. I say it's Freaky Friday because Mercury is still in damn retrograde and I wish it would just go home already. I've already cracked my phone and nothing else seems to be working so there you have it.
So I was walking through Soho this am to meet an old friend of mine for breakfast at another old friend of sorts, Balthazar. I'm telling you it's worth all the craziness and chaos and expense in the world that living in this city creates to be able to walk through Soho early in the morning to have breakfast there. I always get that perfect omelette they have with the fresh herbs and those insanely delicious buttery potatoes. I love it there in the wee small hours when nobody is around- perfect spot for solo breakfast indulgence or catch up with a friend.
It was lovely to see this pal of mine, and I realize that being in this neighborhood for this freelance gig is a real gift. Lately I've been feeling a bit rudderless (still do but...) and being in Soho, strange as this may sound, makes me feel grounded. I lived in this neighborhood for years and although it is now a giant mall and has been for some time, there are pockets of it that still feel so comforting and special. It's magic. So what's with the pink furry coat you may ask?
I found this pic the other day and it spoke to me. First, I love pink. Second, I love fake fur. Third, it represents the way I feel when I walk through Soho on a sunny Summer day- warm, happy, and somehow protected from, well, everything and everywhere else. The way the sun hits the buildings here and the quiet mornings before all the tourists come for cronuts (they were already queued up at 8 am but whatever) and Starbucks becomes overcrowded with the workforce is pure pink furry magic.
So to me, downtown Nuevo Yorko and Soho in particular is like a warm, fuzzy coat. A pink one- because pink is pretty and soft and brings out the less edgy all black everything side of myself. Thanks to Soho, I'm having a severe case of the warm fuzzies, and I don't mind one bit. I hope you're in a nice warm spot that makes you feel protected too. Mine will somehow always be this little pocket of overpriced but so beautiful goodness, particularly between West Broadway and Sixth Avenue.
And that's what's up this in my happy place kind of Friday in Soho. Yours, in early morning light- if you ever want to do early breakfast at Balthazar, I'll be there, in my proverbial pink coat. XO