The Weekender: February 2022 Edition
February is a long prelude into Spring. It’s so close, I can feel it. There are surprisingly warm days sprinkled in between that sparks a bit of hope for sunny days. This month was truly local in New York. A surprising amount of things were done over the weekends of the shortest month.
Monster Jam at UBS Arena
My husband has recently been into RC cars as his new hobby and this is sort of an extension of that. He says he has fond childhood memories of seeing monster trucks which are just truck bodies on gigantic wheels. I hope I’m getting the concept right. They do tricks and get the audience excited. Granted, most of the audience was full of young children and families. He insists it is because the arena is small and the show was a bit limited in that regard. I was happy to indulge in my stadium hot dog.
Haircut at Aveda Institute
I absolutely love Aveda products and usually have little to no reaction given that I have super sensitive skin. Like others during the pandemic, I grew out my hair and didn’t frequent the salons. I also intended to grow out my hair for the wedding, so I’d trim the dead ends and leave it at that. It was so refreshing to chop it all off. The Aveda Institute located on Spring Street is a place where students practice the art of hair cutting, facials, massages, and more. My sister and I signed up for the haircuts, priced at $30 a pop, which is a steal compared to a typical $100+ spend at local salons. It does take longer so you’ll need the patience and kindness to wait as students trudge their way through a consultation, shampoo, cut, and final look over. Everything is guided by a master teacher so you won’t walk out of there a mess. I’d certainly go again when it comes time for my next haircut.
Time Out Market - New York
Lisbon, Portugal is hands down the best Time Out Market in existence. I know, I haven’t been to them all, but it’s the one market that WOWED me and of course it was the original market. The New York version is split between two floors, nestled into Brooklyn’s DUMBO area.
Girls Night In with Nippon Cha
A Japanese tea brand, this is their first and only output in the US. The food is varied and high quality. I’m a huge fan of their meal sets which provide variety and intrigue. We actually ordered in but their restaurant on Bell Blvd is always bustling. I absolutely will never turn down a meal at Nippon Cha.
Surprise Birthday Dinner at Pig & Khao
A dear friend had her birthday here. It was a surprise courtesy of her husband. This restaurant has been on my long list of places to try, so glad we ticked it off the list. Pig & Khao has menus that change time to time. I thought the flavors were pretty fantastic. As an aging person, perhaps I enjoy atmospheres that are more calming. This had that quintessential Lower East Side grungy sort of vibe that a younger me would have appreciated more.