This past weekend, I had the opportunity to make the trek from my hometown in Michigan to the big, bright, beautiful New York City. I'd been to NYC two other times and had spent a considerable amount of time exploring theCcity. During those other trips, I was able to check out most of the popular sights, eat at some of the most well-known restaurants and see some pretty amazing shows. This trip was going to be a little different, however, because we weren't only going to be exploring Manhattan.

I was very excited to be able to get back into Manhattan, but I was also looking forward to having some time to check out another of the boroughs. Instead of paying through-the-roof prices for a hotel in Times Square, my mom and I were able to crash on my uncle's futon in Queens. Because of this, we decided to spend one of our vacation days just spending time with my uncle and his fiancée, and this ended up being our favorite day of the trip!

After two days of schlepping around the island, we were quite tired of all the large crowds and craziness that come with a big city, and were looking forward to some more slightly quieter adventures. The day was spent trekking around the neighborhood of Forest Hills, eating at a local diner, grabbing some frozen yogurt and wandering through the fancier area, made up of large villas and lush, green parks. When we returned to the apartment, we had the chance to climb a few extra flights to check out the rooftop view. Although we couldn't see the many, many buildings of Manhattan, it was thrilling to look out over the considerably fewer tall towers in the area and see the trees and lawns of a slightly more suburban area. We were still technically in the city, but felt so far removed from it at the same time.

It was really amazing to be able to see this side of New York City because it was so completely different from anything I'd ever experienced before. It was a bit of a surprise to see children playing on the sidewalks, parents pushing babies in strollers and families gathering in large groups as worship sessions in various temples and churches ended. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle and bright lights of Times Square, I had ceased to remember that this was a place where kids were growing up, couples were growing ol, and people were living their normal, everyday lives.

When I think of NYC, I think of dozens of skyscrapers reaching up so high into the sky you can't see the tops. I see packed streets filled with electronic billboards, knick-knack shops selling any kind of "I Heart NY" merchandise you can imagine and hundreds of different restaurants with whatever food your heart could possibly desire. I tend to forget that there is so much more than just the tourist traps of the Big Apple. There are schools, churches and neighborhoods, each more interesting than the last. The next time you're on a visit to New York City take some time to stop and look around at the smaller details hidden behind the brilliant digital screens and taxis trying to run you over. There are so many cool areas to be discovered, and you may find a new favorite location that you never realized existed.