Serendipity At Its Finest

Day 6

Day 6 was a long, but ever so eventful! To kick off the morning, we took a longer than usual subway ride to the very bottom of Manhattan. From there, we had our eyes set on one thing, the magnificent bridge that stood towering before us. The Brooklyn Bridge to be exact.

 Our cameras came out without delay, and we embarked on the journey across the East River.

  

After successfully making it across without getting hit by bikers, who showed no mercy to the walkers, we made our way to Brooklyn Bridge Park; a water front area just off the bridge offering stunning views of Manhattan, Lady Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge itself.

 We stopped in the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory and treated ourselves to a scoop of their homemade ice cream.
You can probably guess what flavor I picked. Did you guess chocolate? Right you are! 

It tasted so delightful after our long walk in the summers’ heat.

One of my favorite things I discovered on the bridge and then again at the park, was the number of locks attached to the railings. I did a little research afterwards and found that couples attach these locks, actually called “Love Locks”, and throw the key into the East River so it cannot be reopened, symbolizing everlasting love.

 (Being the cheesy, romantic I am, my heart melted when I read that!)

 From the Brooklyn Bridge Park, we walked to the nearest subway (running into a film crew along the way, shooting scenes for something!), and made our way to Fort Green, where we spent the next hour checking out a local flea market. 

Not having anything planned for our evening, we decided to try our luck with Brooklyn’s TKTS booth; where they offer discounted tickets to a number of Broadway musicals. After chatting with a local guy from Brooklyn, who regularly attends musicals, about which show we should attend, we decided on Nice Work If You Can Get It. 

Little did we know that with the help of this local, we would end up meeting a New York icon. (But more on that later!)

Hungry and craving bagels, we headed back to Williamsburg once more. We were pleasantly surprised when we saw the streets closed off for an event called Williamsburg Walks. Real grass had been placed all along the streets, allowing people to hang out, play games and watch artists at work. We grabbed a bagel and a window seat at Bagelsmith and had fun watching all the happenings outside.

  

After bidding farewell to Brooklyn, we headed to Broadway. Nice Work If You Can Get It is a musical filled comedy and catchy jazz numbers. It's set in New York during the 1920’s, and features Matthew Broderick and Jessie Mueller as leads.

 We were both surprised at what good seats we managed to get from the TKTS booth. (Left side, floor seats, about half way back!) What Meg and I didn’t realize when we bought the tickets, was the fact that it was the shows’ closing night! This meant the audience was filled with important producers, writers, composers and family members of the cast.

 More importantly, this meant a very distinguished actress was probably in the theatre somewhere, 

considering her husband was the lead.

As the lights went down and curtains rose,

 I pushed the hope of seeing this person out of my mind and settled back to enjoy the show!

During intermission, Meg and I were walking back to our seats, when I heard a familiar voice behind me. 

I stopped in my tracks, turned around and there she was. 

Sarah Jessica Parker. Thee Sarah Jessica Parker! 

“I’m dreaming, I must be dreaming,” I thought as I pinched myself. 

I grabbed Meghan, “Look, there she is!” I stammered with excitement. 

Not sure of what to do, we inched our way back to our seats. 

“I have to go talk to her Meg. I can’t just let this opportunity go! She’s right there!” 

Meg looked a little uncertain. We had previously learned that in New York, seeing celebrities is supposed to be no big deal. Actors and actresses are respected and not bombarded with screaming fans asking for their autograph. 

Regardless, “I’m going over there!” I declared. 

“What are you going to say?” Meg replied.

 “I’m just going to introduce myself!” I said. 

And that’s exactly what I did. I grabbed Meghan, and marched right up to her, introduced myself, 

stating I was a big fan of hers and that her shows and movies were a few of the things that inspired me to come to
New York City.

 “Thank you, thank you so much!” Sarah responded sweetly, “It’s great to meet you!”  

Lights began to go down, signaling the start of the show.

 Touching my arm lightly, she smiled and told us to “have a great trip girls!”

 It’s safe to say I had trouble concentrating the second half of the show. I was completely star stuck. 
She was so soft-spoken, humble and dressed very elegantly.
After the show, we left still in disbelief that that actually happened. Meghan was practically skipping down the street!
The fact that we had gotten tickets for the show just hours before it began, 
and then met one of the most iconic New Yorkers of our time, still blows my mind. 
Serendipity was definitely on our side that night. 

Adventures in Midtown

Day 2

"I want to wake up, in that city that never sleeps."

I awoke on day two very much excited I could finally live the words Sinatra sang so many years ago. 

We decided to explore the Midtown area first, considering how many iconic attractions it holds.

 Stopping first for coffee and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, we continued our way down Park Ave until we came across the Waldorf Astoria (the hotel featured in Serendipity). Of course we had to go inside! We walked around and admired the elegant, old victorian charm it had. Imagining we were in the movie, we got in the elevator and pressed the button for floor 23 (a notable scene from the movie).

Our next destination was the famous Grand Central Station. As I rode down the escalator into the Grand Concourse, classic Gossip Girl scenes flashed before my eyes. I stood in awe for quite a few minutes gawking at the architecture and the classy looking people hurrying to catch their train.  

After Grand Central, we located the New York Public Library. While wandering around the marbled halls, we asked each other, "where are all the books?" We had noticed a couple rooms that were filled with encyclopedia looking books, but nothing more. Investigating further, we asked a woman working about our question. We learned that this library was for research only and that if we wanted fiction/non-fiction type books, we had to go to the New York library down the street. Who knew?!

Bryant Park is located right behind the library, so we made a stop there, then continued wandering the streets looking for a place to eat. Europa Cafe, which offers delicious salads and sandwiches, was the winner.

Our next stop included Radio City Music Hall followed by the Rockefeller Center Plaza, where we stopped in at the famous Bouchon Bakery for some afternoon treats. I had my first ever macaroon (chocolate flavored of course), and let me tell you, it was love at first bite!

Times Square was next on our list and I have only 3 words to describe it; bright, loud and crowded.

We spent time sitting on the red steps gazing at the giant, colorfully lit billboards and people watching.

Located in the heart of Times Square, the Marriott Marquis hotel has a revolving rooftop restaurant and lounge called The View, that offers a 360 degree view of the city. As you may have guessed, we were all over this! Meg and I enjoyed fruity (virgin) cocktails, while marveling at the view before us.

It was then time for our first broadway show...

The Lion King!

I was completely blown away. From the puppet like figures in shape of animals (controlled by the actors), to the set designs which made you feel like you were in Africa, everything was beautifully done. 

Considering our "dinner" consisted merely of virgin cocktails, we were starving by the time the show was over. We decided to head to a pizza place called Angelo's, which is located right next store to David Letterman.
Once our stomachs were happier, we found the subway and journeyed back to Queens!

I want to be apart of it...

New York, New York!

It's official, only 74 days until my best friend, Meghan, and I venture to NYC.

Words cannot even begin to describe the kind of excitement I'm feeling.

It's hard to believe we first began planning this trip as only freshman in high school!

Now, 4 years later, it's actually going to happen.

Here's a little peak into our NYC bucket list...

The Lion King on Broadway

Top of the Rock

Serendipity 3

Strolling in Central Park

5th Ave

Grand Central Station

Swan Lake at the American Ballet Theatre

Shakespeare in the Park

Stopping at quaint little coffee shops and used bookstores

The MoMa and Guggenheim Museum

Times Square

Brooklyn Bridge

New York Public Library

And more...  Any other suggestions?

I can't wait to share stories and pictures of our first experience in the big apple.

It's sure to be quite the adventure!