Last month one of my besties, Leah and I took off for a long weekend trip to NYC. We have three goals: see some theatre, see a friend, see basically the whole city. I thought I might share a few of my favorite places in NYC plus a few tips along the way:
#1: Miss Leah in our pimped out limo. We might have rode into the city in style. This actually was a car service that her aunt recommended to us, they threw in the limo as a bribe-us-for-a-better-tip bonus. We soaked it up, and....tipped a little extra
{BONUS TIP}: Get a number for a good car service before you get to the city. They cost about the same as a cab, but they come right to you! Definitely from the airport to the hotel, but even from your hotel to sightseeing it can be a great value!
2. Go to Times Square at night. Seriously, there's nothing like it. The lights, the people watching, it's all the NYC stereotypes rolled into one.
{BONUS TIP Do not eat at any restaurant in Times Square. I'm sure there are some wonderful eateries there, but guaranteed it will cost you three times what it would elsewhere, plus there are so many people, you can't relax. I recommend 5 Napkins Burger, which is just a few blocks away. so good.}
#3 The Plaza Hotel. Possibly the prettiest hotel on the planet. If you can't get a room there, you must go to see the beyond gorgeous lobby. And take a bunch a pictures of you and your friend in this lobby.
#4 I am now a HUGE fan of Central Park. In two visits to the city I never made it there. Oh man, was I missing out. I mean really-look at this place:
{BONUS TIP: Look for the guy on Literary Row with a sign that says '$1 Laughs Guaranteed'} {BONUS TIP #2: Look for the 'Alice In Wonderland' statue near the 5th Street side down from the Museum of Art. Such a beauty!}
#5 The Metropolitan Museum Of Art. I've never met an art museum I didn't like, and this one is no exception. I got to see the Cloud City exhibit, now closed
#6 The 9/11 Memorial was on our itinerary pretty much from the start. We both really wanted to see it. Amazing and beautiful. It was kind of emotional for me, because it brought back a lot of memories. I know there was a lot of controversy about how it was built, but I thought it was very respectful.
#7 St. Paul's Trinity Church. I didn't even know this place existed? How is that possible?But, I've never met an historic church I didn't want to explore. (Apparently, I have a soft spot for old churches....again.). St. Pauls was the spiritual center of the 9/11 recovery effort and it has a long history that was so fascinating. The spirits of all the people St. Paul's has helped are powerful there. A really beautiful place.
{BONUS TIP: St. Paul's is right across the street from the 9/11 Memorial. Visit the memorial in the early morning, then take a slow tour of the chapel. Powerful combination}
#8. Broadway, Baby! One regret we both had from our weekend is NOT buying our theatre tickets before we came. Yes, we could have done TKTS day-of, but all the shows we wanted to see were sold out by the time we got there. However, we did see one-Glengary Glenross, starring an up and comer named Al Pacino. We may have waited outside the stage doors to get an autograph....and geeked out all afternoon about meeting Al Pacino.
So, there's our little weekend trip. It was busy, but fun!
Later,
Michelle
