ohio tourists: day one

Over Labor Day, Kurt's friends from Ohio, Nick and Ben, were in town to visit with their entire family. I mean, mom and dad were there; so were an aunt and uncle; throw in a cousin and his girlfriend; add another cousin and his wife, and then you have the Peters/Hickey Clan. They had a lot of plans on their own, but thankfully we were able to show them a few small pieces of the city we love.

The Highline is really something you cannot miss when touring New York, so we started with lunch at The Standard Hotel Biergarten. I had been to the Standard Grill before (office Christmas party, believe me, I'm not that fancy) and was super excited to check out their more laid back, outdoor space.

They have a funny token system for buying drinks and food, but the space is absolutely gorgeous. It's tucked right under the Highline, so it has a cozy feel without being too claustrophobic. We were there on a Friday afternoon (last summer Friday of the year, tear), so it was pretty quiet and got a couple picnic tables to ourselves. We needed lots of space to fit our herd of tourists!

They offer a limited menu of sausages and sides to fit the German heavy theme (beers too). I tried the Currywurst and Kurt had to try his namesake, the Kurtwurst :) Both were delicious!

Then we were off to walk the Highline. I hadn't been in a while and was amazed how much all the plants have grown in! It really is always changing and evolving.

They also have a new water feature! A portion of the path is now an interactive fountain you can walk in. Such a nice relief on a hot summer day.

Apparently I was the only one in our group who felt compelled to rip off my sandals and tip toe in the water. Moth to a flame, I suppose. It was glorious. 

There are a couple of new murals that have sprung up along the park. I'm amazed to see how the surrounding neighborhood has changed since the Highline has opened. I'm an NYC newbie and can even see the transformation. I can't imagine this neighborhood back in the day!

After the Highline, Nick requested a trip to McSorley's and we were happy to oblige.

Thankfully it wasn't happy hour yet, so it was pretty bearable inside. We shared a few cheap rounds of light or dark (the only beer choices on the menu) before carting Nick and Ben back to Brooklyn.

Then it was on to one of our Friday night favorites, the Brooklyn Brewery! Here we have Ben, Nick (donning his new purchase), and Kurt.

Kurt and me!

Now, fun times aside, can we all please have a moment of silence for Monster, the resident Brooklyn Brewery cat who recently passed away. RIP, Monster! I will miss you! :(