Ryan's New York

Or . . . an adventure in poetic license.

* Caution! Spoilers Ahead! *

Ryan’s Gaf

- Yes, she makes quite a few. But, no we’re not talking about that kind of gaf. The bar that Ryan, Audrey, and Veronica frequent is a real place. To be exact it’s two real places. The Gaf that we frequent has now moved from East 85th Street to 1715 First Avenue, between 88th and 89th. But there’s also another Gaf on the West Side at 401 W. 48th Street between 9th and 10 Avenues.

Our Poetic License?

In reality The Gaf is a little less dive-y than Ryan’s Gaf. There’s also no Bill. Bill is a figment of our twisted imaginations. However, the real Gaf is chock full of character and characters. And, the bartenders are younger, better looking, and have very dreamy Irish accents. Hence, we recommend it highly.

Ryan’s Tiffany & Co.

- There’s really no better place in the world for fantasy shopping than Fifth Avenue in New York City. Well, okay. . .Paris is probably pretty great too, but then there’s the language barrier thing and that pesky conversion of foreign currency. So, all things considered, the several blocks between 54th Street and 59th Street along Fifth Avenue are tops.

In Chapter 10 Ryan, Audrey, and Veronica go fantasy shopping at the world-famous Tiffany & Co. flagship store at 57th Street.

Our Poetic License?

If you walk into Tiffany’s for the first time, and go on Ryan’s description of the place, you may be disappointed to find that all the engagement rings on the first floor look remarkably like pearl necklaces. Remain calm. Though Tiffany & Co.’s elevators are very elegant indeed (including, quite romantically, elevator attendants) we felt the journey upstairs would take too much time and break up the action of the scene. So, we fudged the location of the engagement rings.

To see the real deal--a bevy of criminally large solitaires intended for the slender fingers of wealthy fiancés to be--you must travel to the second floor. No matter how many wind-breaker clad tourists happen to clog the way, go on up. It’s worth it!

Ryan’s Metropolitan Museum of Art

- Making things up is an integral part of writing any novel. To be honest--it’s the best part. However, when it came time to describe Egyptian antiquities we found ourselves inadequate to the task. (We both failed hieroglyphics in college. Okay, Sarah got a C+, but that was totally by accident.)

In Chapter 21 Charlie and Ryan go to The Metropolitan Museum of Art and venture through the Egyptian Wing. The Outer Coffin of Henettawy, seated statue of Hatshepsut, and the Heart Scarab of Hatnofer are all real things in The Met’s collection. In addition, the pivotal sculpture Yuny and his wife Renenutet is real and currently on display. Please visit with a boyfriend or sympathetic gay man and reenact the scene between Ryan and Charlie. The Temple of Dendur is there too--in the room around the corner.

Ryan’s Empire State Building

- Truly the most glorious gem in the New York City skyline, the Empire State Building plays an important role in the development of Ryan and Charlie’s new relationship.

Our Poetic License?

Because of its beauty, and unrivaled views of the city, the Empire State Building is a very popular place. In Chapter 30 Ryan makes her way to the promenade with unbelievable ease. In fact, for her it involves one elevator and one easy stroll. Hmmm.

In reality, there are a great many elevators and hallways to traverse to get to the lookout points. There are metal detectors, velvet ropes, and lines--long lines. (Not to mention a disturbing amount of ear popping on the way up.) We thought it was better to take a cue from Nora Ephron and make going to the top of the Empire State Building seem as simple and easy as hopping on a plane to stalk a man you’ve heard once on the radio.

More from inside the book . . .

• Read an excerpt!
  
• Ryan in Distant Lands
  
• The Book Title Hall of Shame
  
• Central Casting

back to the books page . . .