I’m sure this article may not be particularly exciting, and I’m sure those reading this may think to themselves that they don’t need to read this because they, too, have gone on some of these classic New York City adventures. Despite this, however, I want to relay the vacation that I just went on, visiting the greatest city in the world. I’ve been to New York several times, and I think this was my favorite time. I took it upon myself to plan in some New York highlights that I’ve missed in past years. I’ve never been to some of the classic tourist spots, and thus those became the focus of this summer excursion. We often had to maneuver our way though crowds of tourists just like us, but these spots were so worth the exhausting week we had.
1. The Statue of Liberty.
I’d never seen Lady Liberty in person before, and it was such an amazing experience. It was so cool to stand up close; it barely even felt real at all. The view from the pedestal was incredible. It’s so unbelievable to be in a monument of such historical significance in the making of America. The ferry ride was a blast, too, as I greatly enjoy boat rides and have never ridden on a ferry before.
If you know me, you should know that I love the rain. This was convenient, as it rained a bit on the way to the Statue. Luckily, this only added to the tranquility of the journey. Any city becomes more beautiful in my eyes as the wet pavement glistens and the street lights glow. New York’s breezy and mild summers were so welcome after weeks of 100-degrees in Texas.
2. Ellis Island.
I really feel like Ellis Island should find a place on everyone’s bucket list. It’s nothing short of extraordinary. I believe that it’s a particularly important experience to have in our current political climate, what with so much negative energy surrounding immigration. I immersed myself in the stories that collected over hundreds of years, from the lives of people all over the world. Experiencing, from their perspectives, the utopia that is America, was truly inspiring and heart-warming.
3. The Guggenheim.
I’ve also never been to the Guggenheim Museum before, but I became especially interested when I realized it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (obviously, I’m quite the fan). This museum is, without a doubt, an architectural wonder; a beautiful building to gaze upon. It was really cool to walk all the way up the spiral pathway, while observing interesting, albeit mildly confusing, modern art along the way. There was even a detour-gallery featuring some of Picasso’s finest pieces!
(I particularly enjoyed remembering the movie “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” in which CGI penguins slide on their soft bellies down the slope of the Guggenheim in the middle of a black tie gala.)
4. The High Line.
During one of my first visits to NYC, I began hoping to pay a visit to the High Line. Years later, I finally got around to it, and it was so awesome. This park used to be a railroad, and it’s been transformed into an elevated and linear park, traveling through the city streets. At every turn, the pathway overflowed with wildflowers, and you could see incredible views of luxurious New York apartment buildings off in the distance. We even stopped for delicious popsicles alone the way!
5. Culinary excellence, ft. Jack's Wife Freda and Sarabeth's.
On this particular trip to New York, I indulged in some truly amazing restaurants. We visited many quaint, European-feeling places, with outdoor patios and tall glass windows open to the busy streets and calm breeze of the city. In the Neue Gallery, we stopped in at German cafe and sipped hot tea. Some of the best places I dined at included Jack’s Wife Freda and Sarabeth’s.
Jack’s Wife Freda is a cute little cafe, located in the incredibly gorgeous, cobble-stoned and pricy West Village of Manhattan. (The name originates from a charming story about an immigrant couple, who passed down through generations their love of food.)
The second place deserving of mention is Sarabeth’s. This delicious smelling, yellow-painted bakery featured the single greatest grilled cheese and bowl of tomato soup I've ever tasted.
6. A spontaneous piercing with a best friend.
I’ve been craving some glittery metal for a while, as my old ear piercings sadly did not last very long. As I shared this wish with my Manhattan-host and best childhood friend, we reminisced that we had, coincidentally, originally gone to get our ears pierced together on her 10th birthday, nine-years ago. Nine-years later, there was no better opportunity than this in which to repeat our tradition. We traveled to West 4th Tattoo, and I pierced my nose after my friend Viola bravely volunteered to go first and pierced her cartilage.
We held hands through the pain just like we had nine-years before.
7. Big Gay Ice Cream!
8. The Color Purple.
This show was “too beautiful words,” as Shug Avery so soothingly sings to Celie. I admit I have not yet finished the book or watched the film, but I was sort of pleased to see the musical without having an idea of the story beforehand. This story is so beautiful, and so inspiring. The vocals of Cynthia Erivo, Heather Headley, and Danielle Brooks left me choked up and speechless. This show is undoubtedly a must see.
9. Empire.
Amidst a multitude of incredible experiences I had last week, the Empire State Building was the most breathtaking.
Firstly, we waited in hours and hours of lines, filling up room after room after room.
I, almost hilariously, didn't even think about the fact that there would be lines, which proved detrimental to my perception of an easy-breezy elevator ride to the top.
The lines were awful, yes. Luckily for us, there was a photo shoot to distract us. Mom and I posed in front of the green screen, trying to frame the Empire State Building with our arms. It turns out, we were a little crooked, but we both looked so good that it didn't matter.
The views from the tower were worth every second of waiting. We bravely conquered the elevator to the 102nd floor, and then I couldn't tear my eyes away from the incredible sight of Manhattan. It glistened in the sun as it spread out in front of me. I could almost see the entire shape of the island. New York is just really, really, amazing.
10. Book Culture & Liberty House.
The area of Manhattan I stayed in, in a gorgeous apartment with my childhood friend and her mom, was abundant with fun things to look at, all within a walking distance. Two of my favorites included a cute and artsy boutique, and a book shop (of course, knowing me). Liberty House is a small shop with lots of fun gifts like jewelry, post cards (of which I am an avid and overindulgent collector), vintage clocks, tin boxes, purses, soft shirts and more! It reminded me and all of us a lot of a store called The Mercantile, in my old homestead of Amherst, Massachusetts. I picked up some mini prints of New York scenes, like Central Park in the snow and the street signs of Broadway and 42nd street.
Book Culture is as awesome as it sounds. I got lost amongst the stack of good books and cute literary gifts. There was a coaster with a typewriter reading “Cherish Every Moment!” There was a tote bag with Goodnight, Moon on it. There were journals that read, “I Heart Paper” and “Non Digital Device!” There were notebooks with yellow taxis on them, books about tidying, books entitled “Taxi Driver Wisdom,” books about Malala, and Hillary Clinton, and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” (which I, of course, snagged a copy of). Book Culture is my heaven.
Closing note:
If any of this commentary has not convinced you to daydream about, plan a visit to, or hop a train to New York City right away, please give me a call and we can chat about how great this city is.
