Under the sea

After a late night the day before and some experimenting with liquor shots called ‘Jolly Ranchers’ and ‘Gladiators’ I had a long sleep in and didn’t get myself together until 10.30am this morning. I felt like a cruisey day, so I thought what better day to locate and check out Mood Fabrics. Mood Fabrics is a designer fabric store in the Garment District. It’s most famously known as the fabric store the contestants from Project Runway visit on the show. I was quite excited to check it out because the fabric stores in Australia aren’t all that crash hot and are very expensive too. The Garment District, around 37th St has quite a few fabric stores so I have a look at them on the way but nothing really impresses me. I brought along with me copies of patterns I intend to make so I knew what fabrics I would need and how much. I get to Mood Fabrics and find myself sharing the elevator to the store with about half a dozen other young women, many carrying sketches for designs of outfits. From what I’m assuming, this place is very popular with fashion students and even designers themselves. I get into the store and it’s AWESOME. It’s like a small warehouse of walls and walls of fabrics bolts arranged by type of fabric. One section I look at is called Designer Section and I quickly see why. They have bolts of fabrics by designers like Versace, McQueen, Pucci, Marc Jacobs and the list goes on. The fabrics are stunning and not badly priced, like $50 a yard which is very cheap given two yards would make a dress by one of those designers which would then retail at about $500-$600 mark. I’m still not in the market for such beautiful fabrics so I head to the main section and have a look. I end up buying three types of fabric including a beautiful silk. I also purchase some Pucci print straight from Italy for $40. That’ll make the cheapest Pucci top you’ll ever see. I was really happy with my purchases and I look forward to getting into the sewing when I get home. My only concern at this point is the weight of the fabrics. I think I’ll have to send some home. Dammit. Hangin out with the fashionable crowd in the store was quite a trip too. I would hazard a guess that there wasn’t a straight guy in the place. That is unless straight guys are now wearing facial hair like Salvador Dali.

After Mood Fabrics I was hankering for some lunch so I started walking in the hope to hit something for lunch. I find a little Chinese restaurant and get some nice and cheap stir fry. I haven’t had much Asian food since I have been in the states so it was a nice change.

It was getting to late afternoon as I spend spent quite a bit of time the fabric store so I headed back to the hotel. I had some time to get ready before I headed out to see Broadway in action. I had purchased a ticket to The Little Mermaid on Broadway before I left and was really keen to see it. Firstly, I loved The Little Mermaid as a kid, and secondly, I’m curious about the production of the show given it’s meant to be all under the water.

I get to the theater and seated. I don’t have a particularly great seat on the mezzanine level but I should be OK and $100 was all I was going to pay. Time started getting on and the show still hadn’t started. Finally, the overhead speakers came on and someone told us they were having ‘glitches’ backstage and are trying to fix them. Oh crap. It is at this point that I think the show won’t happen. After an hour and a very restless crowd of lots of kids we are told the computer problem got fixed. Thank goodness, as I had spent the past half an hour cursing about the fact I wouldn’t be able to see another show if this didn’t go ahead. The show got started and it was totally awesome. The costumes and sets were out of this world and the actors, so talented. The guy playing Sebastian sounded just like Sebastian from the movie; the girl who played Arial was really talented also. I now know why Broadway is the best in the world. I could see a heap of shows and never get sick of it. After the show, many audience members waited outside where the actors came out and greeted fans and signed programs. It’s very much like the Broadway actors get the kudos film stars get, and rightly so.

I had enjoyed a great dinner of potato chips at the theater and still felt hungry. I went to Maccas in Times Square and after waiting in line for what was probably about 25 minutes, I got some food and headed back to the hotel. Word of advice – don’t get Maccas straight after a Broadway show finishes as many other shows finish at the same time, so hundreds are converging to the same places at the same time.

I enjoyed having a less packed in today and look forward to another day in the big apple tomorrow.

What I learnt in New York City today:

• Broadway is worth the money you pay and you CANT go to NYC without getting yourself a ticket to a show. You can line up for a couple of hours and get a cheap one or just pay full like me for the convenience.
• That I’m starting to get really annoyed with people when they ask where I am from and reply with, ‘I’ve always wanted to go there’. Well then why don’t you!

5th Avenue. Where you WISH you could shop.

Tiffany and Co on 5th Ave. I likey. The store refused to let Sex and the City film in the store because they didn't want to lose the hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales they would have got that day.

The stars of The Little Mermaid outside the theater signing autographs for signs. The guy with the red messenger bag played Sebastian.

The movie Meet Dave did a big promotion in the middle of Times Square. The movie ended up being a huge bomb at the box office.