Roomies New York City Tour
Well, hello there, what have you all been up to?
Really!? No way, me too!
What are the odds that you’ve also been eating lots of breakfast bars, drinking coffee, and rewatching Schitt’s Creek? Wow.
Anyway, I also went on my Roomies New York City tour! Wanna hear about it? Why not? Sit back, relax, and Here. We. Go!
If you didn’t get a chance to read my review of Roomies and sneak peek into my Roomies tour, check it out here.
Summary
If you’re too lazy to do that, no judgement, here’s a little summary: in Roomies, Holland has quite a crush on this hottie Irish subway busker named Calvin. She takes her crush to new levels! Girl tries to help him land a gig in her musical director uncle’s Broadway show, aka the hottest ticket in town. But oh sh%t! There’s a problem. Turns out that Calvin can’t accept the gig since he’s unofficially living in the U.S. He overstayed his student visa so he is now living in the U.S. on the DL. However, Holland has a solution! She’ll marry him. She does her uncle a solid and Calvin is a major hottie. It’s a win-win!
This book got me excited about my tour because not only does the book have music and Broadway, but it also has actual New York City locations. I love it when that happens!
Another cool thing about this tour is how I felt during it. In the past, I’ve opened up about feeling a little lonely during my tours, wishing I had some sweet, Calvin-like guy with me.
However, for this tour, I felt complete contentment as I was striking out on my own. Having cool readers being so encouraging has helped. One person once commented that it’s probably better doing my own thing not worrying about anyone else and you know what? She’s right! I do like exploring NYC all on my own terms. There’s a lot of freedom in it.
Let’s go!
Holland has a spot she goes to just so she has a reason to pass by Calvin while he’s doing his musician thing in the 50th Street subway station. She claims to need to stop there to pick up coffee for herself and her uncle but does she really need to go out of her way for this coffee? Ask any New Yorker and they would tell her that she could easily find some coffee in NYC in a more convenient location.
However, maybe the coffee really is that good? Let’s see!

Okay, the coffee is actually pretty good and that cookie was to die for! The barista was kind of cute too, so that was a bonus. I’ll definitely be back! Luckily it’s not too out of my way. I’d be going back for that cookie though, not the barista, I swear! Maybe if he was a singing barista?
I’ll excuse Holland on this one, it’s good coffee and she got to enjoy Calvin’s hot tunes. Who could blame her?
The interior was cool too.
After I enjoyed my time at Madman Espresso, I decided to look for Calvin at the 50th Street subway station.
Sadly the subway station was a little difficult to get to this weekend due to it being shut down in one direction due to maintenance. That’s a common occurrence on weekends in the city, but I knew it wouldn’t bode well for any subway musicians. Still, I persevered in getting to it.
I heard music as I walked through this big station, but didn’t find any musicians. I searched high and low. It was a little desolate in there, so not somewhere I wanted to stick around. Sadly, no cute Calvins around. However, I knew I wasn’t crazy. I heard something so I followed the sounds which lead me outside and into a street fair. If you visit NYC between April and November, you are bound to run into a street fair.
NYC Street Fair
The Lobster Rollin’ truck was pumping the music! No Calvin in there though.
I did stumble upon some crystals and thought about buying some rose quartz to bring some love into my life.

I thought better of it. After all, I bought some during my I Heart New York tour and did it bring me any love? The answer is…no! So I thought maybe not buying it would bring me love and the added bonus of saving my Benjamins. More cookie money!
The absolute best thing about a NYC street fair, in my opinion, is the abundance of dogs around. And the people who are at a street fair with their pooches are a happy bunch, I think. When I confessed to a couple of these pooch-loving street fair-loving people that I was a dog stalker, they happily enabled my ways and allowed me a pet and a picture. It was beautiful!
Here are Bentley and Louie. I can’t remember which is which, sorry.
Bentley or Louie was a little shy but Louie or Bentley came in for the gold. Such cuties! Their owners were so nice! Thank you nice dog-loving folk!
Holland and Calvin’s Neighborhood
The street fair was in their neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen, but I wanted to head to an area that I thought for sure would be on their block. Also, I only had that one tiny, minuscule little cookie, so I needed to get some nourishment in my belly. I went to a place mentioned in Roomies that was surely a spot that Holland and Calvin frequented together.

While I was excited that they had a breakfast option with halloumi cheese, it wasn’t anything to phone home about. Decent enough, but I’d probably only go if I lived on the block, which is why I figure that Holland and Calvin must live right across the street in this building…
I know, nice building! When you figure that Holland’s uncles help pay her rent, it makes sense that she’d live in a nice building like this. Holland did remark about how lucky she was to have as nice an apartment as she did. So this is it Roomies fans! It has to be!
Let’s go for a stroll around the neighborhood…
After my lovely stroll, I decided to go search various subway stations where I thought for sure I’d see some good subway buskers.
Music Time!
The kid on the top left really could play those buckets! Seriously amazing! The keyboard player sounded great too and he had his cute little son accompanying him by “playing” a water bottle. The little boy kept squeezing it and throwing it around. It was funny. I definitely think it added to dad’s keyboard playing. I’m also a fan of trumpet playing in the subway right next to the trains. The contrasting sounds of the trumpet, trains coming in, general subway noises and chatter sets a perfect NYC scene.

*Full disclosure: I didn’t see these two on my tour day but felt like I needed more subway musicians for you all.
Despite this, it is because of my blog and my Roomies tour that I stopped to listen to these amazing performers. I’m so glad I did! So thankful that this blog is making me appreciate what’s around me.
Slow Down
It also goes to show you that you can’t necessarily search out subway buskers, they have to come to you. And when they do, you should stop and take it in. I can’t write it better than a quote from Iian himself that I found on his Facebook page, Eyeglasses- String Music: “The world moves fast 😰 music slows it down so you can live in the moment 🎶🎻it takes a lot to stop a busy New Yorker on the streets😂”
Iain is a medical student by day and subway musician by night. You guys, I feel like Holland, I’m obsessed with him now! I want to learn his subway busking schedule and watch him some more. I’ve been re-watching the couple videos I have of him and finding new ones online. He’s SOOOO good!!! He’s got this cool vibe and presence about him that draws you in. I’m a fan! Can you tell!?
I will be sharing videos from ALL of these fabulous subway buskers! I may even share videos of me searching lonely subway stations for them. Ha!
Find me on Instagram @literary_dates to see all these musicians in action! They’ll appear on my Stories, maybe my feed too, and I’ll create a Story highlight titled “Buskers.”
After my time searching for subway buskers, it was time to head to good ol’ Times Square to purchase my ticket to see a Broadway show.
Times Square
I got out of the train in the heart of Times Square and decided that it would be a good time to take my bookstagram photo with a Times Square backdrop. Remember?
That made me an easy target! Cookie Monster rushed up to me imploring, “Let’s take a selfie!” And I’m thinking, “Well, I do need a picture for the blog. Selfie it is!”
As we pose, out of nowhere, Winnie the Pooh, a couple of Elmos, and I don’t know who else, but all of a sudden I was surrounded! It might be a five-year-old’s dream scenario but not for me! My heart was pounding. Can’t you just see the fear in my eyes just with Cookie Monster? So when they all bombard me, I did what any smart New Yorker would do in this scenario…I ran for dear life and didn’t look back! I did not need that memento and had no desire to fork over my subway busker money to them, which they would have surely requested had I posed with them. No, thank you Pooh Bear!
Times Square is filled with eye candy all around from the digital billboards, characters accosting you, street performers, tons of people, and even Transformers randomly in front of a lit up Old Navy.
I try to walk full speed ahead in this chaotic mess. I can’t give you my tips for navigating the crowds because I might not go the safest route. Totally DM me for my secret, don’t try this at all tips.
tkts booth
For those of you who don’t know about the tkts booth, it’s where you can purchase same day, discounted tickets for Broadway, Off-Broadway, dance, and music performances. Tickets purchased here are anywhere from 20% to 50% off. It’s been operating for over 40 years and my family and I have relied on it probably since I was a kid. Keep in mind that the ticket you’re purchasing could be a discount on possibly say a third-row seat? So when Broadway tickets go for 200+ dollars, your 50% off ticket could run you $100.00. I got 6th row tickets when I went, but I also asked for the best possible tickets. I like being up close! However, Broadway theatres aren’t very big, so really anywhere you sit, you’ll have a good view.
Long Lines?
Another thing to keep in mind with the tkts booth is that the line can be very long especially if you get there right when it opens. It’s probably smartest to get there early so you have the best ticket options, but if you’re like me, and don’t like lines, don’t worry. It is possible to stroll up there on a Saturday night at 5 pm, not have long to wait and score 6th-row tickets to a solid show. I did! I was there in October so not prime tourist season, so do keep that in mind. However, my parents and I scored last-minute tickets to Beautiful and Dear Evan Hansen in September.
Also, if you have a condition preventing you from waiting on that line, the people who work at tkts are often understanding people. When my parents have been there when the line is long, my mom, unbeknownst to my father, who has leukemia, (you’d never know from looking at him), informed the staff of his condition and they allowed them to skip the line. Who says New Yorkers are rude?
Another thing to keep in mind is that the official tkts staff are in red shirts and they are there to help you out with any questions. Be wary of anyone not in a red, “Got a question?” shirt because they may try to sell you a bogus ticket. I’d stay away.
For more information on the tkts booth locations and hours, check out their website here.
After scoring my ticket, it was time to kill some time and fill my belly again! We will get to the show soon, I promise!
Roomies provided me with a few different restaurant options, but I ultimately chose…
Dutch Fred’s
Holland and Calvin were on their way to this restaurant after one of his shows when they were faced with a mob of teen girls clamoring to get to him. That’s the moment they realized his star had risen. They barely made it to the restaurant.
I didn’t have that kind of trouble as I made my way to 47th and 8th Avenue. It was right before Halloween so the restaurant was filled with festive decorations and the staff got in on the action too all dressed up.
I had two of those yummy cocktails. It’s called Paradise Found and it had Vida Mezcal, passionfruit, pineapple, agave, and lime. Yum yum! The Mac & Cheese was tasty too!
I have to thank Twitter because while I sat at this bar, I was feeling the need for company. When I reached out via tweeting, you all did not disappoint with telling me what you were up to. You really came through for this single gal out on the town! Thank you!!
I won’t lie, I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t wrangle someone to snap a pic of me in my cute outfit, so desperate times call for the always faithful bathroom selfie:

Okay, enough anticipation…I know you all are dying to know what Broadway show I went to, right? The anticipation is higher than when we were wondering when Holland and Calvin would finally get together in Roomies, am I right?! Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. Anyway…
Broadway
Yup! I saw a play not a musical. I know I know Roomies probably should have inspired me to see a musical, however, I recently saw two musicals and as a former theatre actress, I LOVE plays. When I read what this one was about, I really, really wanted to see it and I’m SO glad I did!
Understandably, many theatre-goers choose musicals, but I am here to let you know to give plays a chance! They can be awesome too. They often star celebrities too, which I have mixed feelings about. I love seeing the celebs but also feel bad for the many talented actors out there who won’t get the parts because the celebrities sell the tickets. I am guilty of buying these tickets. How many celebs have I seen in Broadway shows? Let’s see…Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, Hugh Jackman, Christina Applegate, Jennifer Garner…and I’m probably forgetting some. I’m very guilty! Shame!
Betrayal
Betrayal stars Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Cox, and Zawe Ashton.
To my romance-loving audience, let me apologize in advance for this little detour…maybe the title has clued you in that it might not be the happiest of stories?
It’s going to be okay. I promise. Please stay with me.
Betrayal, by playwright Harold Pinter, encompasses a seven-year time frame and plays out in reverse. It starts off at the end of a marriage and ends with the first spark of an affair.
It explores the relationships of the three involved, the married couple, Robert(Hiddleston) and Emma (Ashton) and Robert’s best friend, Jerry (Cox). We are taken through scenes exploring the affair between Emma and Jerry, we see the disintegration of Emma and Robert’s marriage, and the evolution of Robert and Jerry’s friendship. It sounds heavy but there is humor throughout but also honest reality. The style of this production is raw and emotional. All three actors are always on stage even when they are not part of the dialogue or action. I think this decision makes sense when thinking about the dynamics of an affair. As much as the betrayer tries to ignore the other person in the equation, it’s not possible. They will always be lurking in the crevices of the subconscious.
The lighting, the music, the way the stage moves, it was so captivating. I read somewhere comparing it to poetry which is so true, it was like poetry on stage. The actors were all fantastic! Such a beautiful play. It closes December 8th so if you’re in NYC, hurry up and go see it! I met a guy who flew in from California that morning and was flying out the next day. All just to see this show. It’s that good.
Not Quite Backstage
Did you all know that you can meet the actors at the end of the show when they exit through the stage door? I hear Tom Hiddleston is in Avengers so I thought some of you may be fans? Charlie Cox is in something too, Daredevil? Well, I waited in the crowd for you all. I don’t know who Loki is! Yeah, I’ve seen it but I still don’t know. It took about an hour for Loki, I mean Tom Hiddleston, to finally come out. Someone thank me!


The very cool Tom Hiddleston posed in a way so that all of us in the crowd could take a selfie with him.
My selfie aim was a bit off.

I don’t know where I was aiming either. I’ll have to make my way to the stage door to try this again.
That’s all folks!
Wait! A lovely subway busking moment capped off my night.
Thank you all for coming along with me on my Roomies New York City Tour. Thank you Christina Lauren for inspiring an awesome literary date in the city.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @literary_dates for more from my Roomies New York City tour.
If you like what you see, Pin it!
Guess what?! My next New York City literary date is happening soon! My next tour will be inspired by Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by another writing duo, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. This will be a Christmasy tour of the city and may feature a special guest!😉
Spoiler! I LOVE the book! Read it!😍
OMG freaking loved this tour! You did an awesome job finding so many street musicians. LOVE LOVE LOVE that Iain guy (swoon!)
So many gorgeous photos as usual! And aww those dogs! You looked so pretty in that dress when you went out to dinner at that restaurant Holland and Calvin escaped to!
And OMG I loved how you kept the Broadway show you watched a secret until the tour! How freaking cool! I’ve been hearing so many wonderful things about Betrayal, it sounds incredible–and heavy! And OMFG you got to see Tom Hiddleston up close?! Not jealous at all! Aaahhhh!
But seriously, excellent tour! I loved this book and you did an amazing job featuring it on your tour 🙂
Thank you!! So glad you liked this one too. Iain was AMAZING!! I have to find out where he’ll be next. I’d love to see him again!
Betrayal was an incredible show!! It was so good! All of the actors were fantastic! Haha! I stayed for Tom Hiddleston in case any of you all were fans. I like the Avengers movies but I don’t know the storylines very well. I think I’ve seen a few movies here and there. He seemed like a nice guy posing for a selfie with the crowd. That was nice. Too bad my aim stinks!
Thank you for all your compliments! So glad it didn’t disappoint. Thank you for telling me about this book and thank you for reading!!❤️❤️
This was such a great tour of classic NYC! hahaha, I love how the Times Square creeps thought you were a tourist because of your photo-taking and honed in right away! Poor you. There’s no bigger insult for a NYCer! 😀 I used to work in midtown, so I would cut through Times Square every day to get to work…at like 7am, which I actually think is the best time to enjoy Times Square. The lights and attractions are still going full force, but it’s pretty much devoid of all tourists; they are all still sleeping! It’s only other city commuters on their way to work, and it always allowed me to enjoy Times Square as tourists might, seeing it as something amazing and fantastic, instead of something that’s overcrowded and full of weird life-size puppets who try to grope you, LOL.
Loved your bit about the subway buskers. I never knew they were called “buskers!” I’ve come across so many, but there was only ever one that truly caught my attention. I was sitting in a subway car on my way somewhere, and this guy started playing guitar and singing. He had THE most beautiful voice. I was like, “WTF is he doing here??? He should be a star already.” I gave him money. It was the only time I ever gave a random singing person on the subway money, lol. And, I wished I’d had more than just a fiver to give him. I hope he makes it big one day, wherever and whoever he is!
Haha! I know! I often look like a tourist on these tours because I’m constantly taking photos. I feel a bit self-conscious about it but try not to think about it much.
You’re making me want to see Times Square at 7am. It’s possible I have circa 2006 but my memory is terrible so I need to see it again at that time. It’s cool seeing the city when there are less people around.
Haha! Groping puppets! You’re right! They are giant puppets on the prowl!
I never knew the subway musicians were called buskers until this book either! I wonder how common that term is? I have a feeling it might be an older term?
Isn’t it a special moment when you come across a subway musician with real, amazing talent? I haven’t had too many on the train either but every once in awhile, I get a nice surprise.
I hope your random singing person made it big too! I’m sure he appreciated your fiver.
Thank you so much for reading my post! I appreciate the support!😊
What a fabulous date with yourself! Seriously, I’m jealous!
Can you believe I didn’t know of tkts booth? I mean, I knew there was a way to get tickets the same day for cheaper, but for some reason, I thought it was at a theater. Thanks for that amazing tip. Growing up we never went Broadway shows, it’s not something my mom could ever afford. As an adult, we try every now and then to see Broadway shows here in Hollywood but sometimes the tickets are so ridiculous we can’t justify it. We do have tickets to see the Frozen musical next month because we purchased them for charity. That will be fun.
Betrayal sounds like a fantastic play and something I’d totally would see on my own or with some GF’s like you. What a great cast!
Dreaming about that cookie. Omg. Looks so good.
Oh and I carry love crystals! Totally get them. And I have them around the house and I carry one in my bag. Not to find love but to keep it flowing always.
I truly enjoyed this tour. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
P.S. I love your dress! So pretty!
Thank you as always for reading!! Glad you liked it!! I can’t believe you didn’t know about tkts. I’m glad I shared about it because I’m sure there are lots of other people who don’t know about it either. There are definitely other ways to save even more money. I want to try for the lottery more often. Now it’s easier because of apps so I need to try. Also, my friend and I were able to walk up to the box office of a show last minute and scored cheap tickets. I think it was either some people who couldn’t show up for their seats or they knew they wouldn’t be able to sell them that last minute anyways so they might as well sell them to us. Our other tactic for discounted tickets, and this I can’t officially recommend, but we used old student IDs and they totally accepted that and gave us student discounts. Again, I also think we showed up last minute so they needed to sell the tickets anyways.🤷🏻♀️
I love going to Broadway shows! I mostly manage to score tickets for free because my parents pay.😂
You’ll have to tell me about Frozen! That does sound fun.
Betrayal was AMAZING!!! No exaggeration. Beautiful poetry on stage.
You reminded me that I need to get that cookie again. I’ve been eating a lot of cookies lately! It’s a problem!
I used to carry rose quartz around. Don’t know what I did with it. I also had a few different crystals and stones in my old office. I don’t know what I did with those either. I’m sure they are all somewhere in my apartment working their magic.😉
Thank you again for reading my post!!😍
Yes! Finally!! I had to stop myself from scrolling to the bottom just to see what show you saw. This whole date looks like so much fun but that Mac and cheese…
I don’t know much about the show you saw, actually butbinhope it was good. And OMG how funny are those fan photos!!
Hahaha!! Thank you for reading! Man, isn’t Mac & Cheese the best? It’s totally my go to meal. It’s a staple in my diet.😉
The show was amazing!! Sorry for all the suspense!! I hope I’m forgiven! I can’t believe how I so badly messed that up. That’s no joke. I tried to find him.🤦🏻♀️
Thanks again for reading my post! I really appreciate the support!
I love this tour of NYC! I must admit I got super excited when I saw the pictures of Dutch Fred! I was hoping that they always dressed up like that but, alas, it was close to Halloween. It’s so cool that Roomies went to so many places around NYC that you can visit. This has to be one of my favourites of your literary dates! Just looks like you had the best fun! I love the Cookie Monster selfie because there is nothing funnier than seeing the face of the person in the costume hahaha!
Dutch Fred’s was a cool spot! Who knows? Maybe they do dress like that all the time. I’ll have to go again and report back.😉
I loved that Roomies had so many options! I was going to list the other spots in the book that I didn’t get to but felt like the post was too long as is.
I’m so glad you really liked this one! It probably does top my list as one of my most fun tours. Can’t beat cool musicians and Broadway! That show was incredible!
Hahaha! That Cookie Monster really wanted to take a selfie with me. I couldn’t say no and break his heart. Although it probably did break his heart when I ran off without tipping.😬
Sorry, I only budgeted for tipping the Subway buskers.😉
Thank you SO much for reading my post! I really appreciate it!!
The coffee shop looks amazing!! That’s one of the few things I begrudge bigger cities–there’s always a bit more of the nicer things. I still couldn’t live in a big city, even if I was surrounded by alllll the lovely coffee shops :’)
I love your dress! Yep, sometimes a handy mirror selfie is all you’ve got to capture a pretty outfit. This was such a fun tour. I enjoyed following you along. I can’t wait until I make it to a Broadway show someday.
Tom Hiddleston must have been INCREDIBLE on stage!! Going out alone and treating yourself to a lovely date like this sounds like bliss. I’m glad it was mostly wonderful… other than not meeting your own Calvin 😉
Aww I’m sure you’ve got some nice coffee shops too. Yes, big cities aren’t for everyone. I don’t know if it’ll be forever for me. We’ll see! I might want to live somewhere where I’m surrounded by animals. Over here I get stray cats, squirrels, birds, pigeons (yes, they belong in their own category), and rats!😳
Haha! I’m glad you liked my beautiful bathroom selfie. Haha! I have no shame!
You have to see a Broadway show soon! Definitely come to this big city! You can enjoy it for just a week, right? Tom Hiddleston and the rest of them were awesome! It was such a great and beautiful show.
I did have a great day. It is nice to treat yourself every once in awhile. I hope it can encourage others to do similar outings and adventures or any kind of special little treat.
And yup, I wouldn’t mind meeting my Calvin during one of these tours. I mean I do love being on my own, but I definitely wouldn’t turn down a cute guy who wants to join me.😉
L, I loved everything about this tour! From the coffee, the buskers, the mac and cheese and to the surprise ending-Betrayal! I actually considered seeing that! You really stumped us on that one. And you are right, many of us often go for the musicals. Glad you enjoyed it. And I love how you go for the gusto and post all the cute selfies no matter where you are:). Can’t wait to read your next tour. I am sure I will feel like I am there;). ANYWAY, fab as always!!
You should see Betrayal! You still have time! It was SO good! Haha! Glad you liked my self indulgent selfie. I tried to snap that fast before anyone walked in on me!
I’m sooo excited for my next tour!! I’m very confident that you will feel like you’re with me.😉
Thank you for reading and for your awesome comment!!❤️❤️
I’m so excited to read through your whole post because I feel like I was following along on the day you actually did all these things! Hooray for Twitter updates. That photo of the girl taking a selfie with Tom in the background is hilarious!! I can also completely understand the little kid accompanying his dad on the water bottle. That is currently one of Connor’s favorite toys 😂
I’ve never noticed a Subway busker before so I’m definitely looking forward to finding a few next time I go to the city. Any updates on Iain? Hopefully you’ve found him a few more times to enjoy that music. So good!
Haha! I love that! I like doing Twitter updates while I’m on my tour. My latest one I didn’t because I was hanging with people.
I liked that picture of Tom too! She looked so excited.
That little boy was so cute. I wanted to share a picture and video with him, but since I didn’t ask dad’s permission, I didn’t.
No, you’ve never seen musicians and singers in the subway station? It happens all the time. I put up a highlight video on Instagram of all the ones I saw. It’s titled “Buskers.” I never knew they were called subway buskers until I read this book.
Oh my god Iain is playing again tomorrow! I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to go. 🤔 He’s seriously amazing! One day I’ll see him again!
I definitely felt all of NYC with this post–from the subway being down to the random Cookie Monster running around ready for a selfie and the TKTS booth. Plus, the shot of everyone with their phones out trying to get InstaGold. This is NYC.
Honestly, my favorite was Cookie Monster, though. I think that one should go on your dating profile, personally. And hey, you even ate a cookie while getting some coffee.
Your dog tribute cracked me up too. Hey there, cutie!
Your cocktail looked and sounded delicious along with everything else that you ate and drank! I want an NYC book date now. Glad you had such a great tour!