Yikes!! House hunting in Manhattan... via Virgin America and American First Class

I had to do most of my move to Austin myself. I will likewise be lighting my things on fire if I have to do a >200 mile move ever again .

OH. Mrs. Madone has been in Charlotte for 6 weeks and the moving truck rolled yesterday . Don't start me or I'll of to moderate myself over to OMNI

Thanks for your Trip Report and the pictures.

It sure seems like First World problems to me! This report begs the question: Have you ever eaten at The Fish Company in Los Alamitos?

SFO777 just throwing this out there...have you and Mrs. SFO777 ever consider moving to either Montreal or Toronto? Both are within easy reach of NYC and there are some pretty good restaurants up here too. Plus if you're buying a home, the US dollar exchange rate is VERY favorable.

I wondered that too... why did Mrs. SFO veto the idea of Montreal? I'd love to have a second home there one day, at least in the summer. Housing is dirt cheap anywhere for Americans in la belle province. Toronto is nice but just feels too "sterile" to me.

Thanks brooklynflyer82. OK, we may visit a restaurant or two, but it's gonna be Manhattan.

LOL. Thank you JohnRain for being the voice of reason and sanity.

Thanks nequine.

LMAO. Thanks very much HawaiiTrvlr. Apparently, you can buy a 212 number for $1,000 or so.

I like that idea especially if you can convince your insurance company that it was an accident.

I dunno. I think that a move is a move, be it 2 miles or 2,000 miles.

Thank you Loose Cannon. Embarrassed to say that I had to google Los Alamitos. We're in Dana Point so that may as well be in San Diego.

Montréal, oui. Toronto? Let's put it this way. I grew up in Montreal and always hated Toronto. No way would I ever live in Toronto. It's bad enough to have to visit T.O.

Have you ever been to Montreal in the winter?
There is a reason that I'm from Montreal.

With nothing on the schedule until an 11am appointment, we slept and even passed on breakfast since we were still full from yesterday's food orgy.



With three specific appointments today, we decided to Uber or taxi our way around the city. First stop was Sutton Place and a "pre-war" building with a manually operated elevator. Whoa.



Very nice, but the owner really wanted to rent the place furnished.





Next stop was back to the Upper East Side and the corner of Madison and E. 77th. OMG, what's not to like about this??









Oh yeah!





Our noon appointment at a lovely 2nd floor apartment.







... with a view of The Mark and yet another Jean-Georges restaurant. How cool.



OK, we really, really liked this place and we liked the Upper East Side. With lots to think about, we walk a block south on Madison to The Lowell and Daniel Boulud's fabulous Café Boulud.















Then Uber to our 2pm appointment in the heart of midtown.













This is cool and in the heart of the action with loads of restaurants nearby including Le Bernandin just a block away.







Then back to the hotel to pack and head to JFK for our 7pm flight home.

Nice options!

Well you don't have to live IN T.O. There's always the outskirts like Mississauga (I believe there are some very nice homes for sale near the Country Club and within a very short drive to either Pearson or Billy Bishop Airport) though the nightlife is non-existent. One of the top Montreal chefs recently came to Toronto and said that apparently it currently has a better restaurant culture than Montreal. As for Winters, there was barely any snow last time! There was more complaining than snow.

Let me one-up you; I've been to Carnaval de Québec years ago. Had a good time, but not sure I could do it now since I'd have to spend at least $300 rebuying heavy winter gear that I won't be wearing again .

Summers in Montreal, Winters in Paris. win win

I'm surprised that no one has commented on Mrs SFO777's contention that there are no decent restaurants in southern Orange County. Simply untrue! I won't say the place is stuffed with them, but it's not devoid of them either.

If that's the only reason for moving, it's not a very good one. And think of the temperate climate you'll be leaving!

Spent a couple of hours at Bar Pleiades (connected to Cafe Boulud). They make a pretty tasty drink there . That's the area I would live I think.

You need another house to go to when it's cold in NYC.

Lovely trip report SFO777 Thanks for showing us some of the more interesting aspects of NYC, like the restaurants and the residential side.