Brooklyn, Bagels and Gatsby

Day 4

In our effort to live like locals, as well as save a little money, we whipped ourselves up a breakfast of scrambled eggs before heading out. Our destination for day 4 ... Brooklyn! 

A friend of my dads', Rich, is a freelance illustrator/animator who lives in Williamsburg. He was kind enough to take time off his busy schedule to show us around. We met him at his apartment and were able to see where he lives and works. 

Skyline view of Manhattan from the rooftop of Rich's place.

From Rich's apartment, he took us around Williamsburg showing us his favorite coffee shops, restaurants, and offering us insightful tips for our time in NYC. I loved hearing him talk about his work, experiences, and day-to-day happenings in the city. You could see how passionate he is about his work and for New York itself.

Before parting ways, Rich gave us a couple more pointers, as well as recommendations for lunch. A little place in Williamsburg, called Bagelsmith, provided us with a taste of our first New York bagel.
 I had a delectable cinnamon raison bagel with a heaping amount of strawberry cream cheese.
As much as I love the bagels from Bruegger's or Boppa's, Bagelsmith definitely took it to the next level!

Meg and I found a bench outside and ate our bagels while doing some people watching. We determined Williamsburg must be where all the “hipsters” live. Hipsters meaning; younger (20’s), trendy (think Converse, thick rimmed Ray Ban glasses, skinny jeans, and large headphones), and not to mention looking effortlessly cool while riding a bike with a basket on the front. Before heading to Manhattan, we wandered around Brooklyn a bit more, stopping in little boutiques along the way.

Back on the island, we explored the Flatiron and Union Square district (both relatively close to each other). The atmosphere was bustling with excitement. And best of all, fewer tourists! I discovered that if I ever moved to New York City, these areas would be great contenders of places to live. From the Flatiron Building and four-story Barnes and Noble, to the variety of people, shops, and restaurants, I could definitely see myself there! 

We took a coffee break at Stumptown Coffee, where we enjoyed mochas and lattes topped with coffee art,

 conversations with locals, and more people watching through the front window.

Mocha from Stumptown Coffee.

Pondering over what to do for the evening, we decided to catch a movie considering the forecast was rain. 

Back on the subway we went, returning to Times Square. 

Once we located the movie theatre, we knew there was only one movie perfect enough for us to see while in New York. 

The Great Gatsby. 

It was magnificent, dazzling and enchanting. (Kind of like Times Square!)

I felt transported to the 1920's era in New York. 

I highly recommend it! But of course read the book first. :)

How the movie portrayed Times Square in the 20's.

After the movie, we unfortunately had a long walk home in the rain and only 1 umbrella. 

Hot showers were first order of business, then sleep to get us refreshed for day 5!

The Sun Sets and the City Gets Brighter

Day 3

The morning of day 3 began with a subway ride to Manhattan and a Starbucks run.

Once Meg and I were caffeinated and ready to conquer the day, we made our way to Central Park.

Along the way, we passed the renowned Plaza Hotel. It's red carpet and friendly doorman led us through the revolving door and into, what it felt like, another time period. With its' crystal chandeliers and grand decor, 

it was easy to see how Eloise loved to call The Plaza home. 

The Plaza

Back out the revolving doors, we were only minutes away from the Central Park entrance.

After not only walking a minute in the Park, I came to understand why Central Park is known as New York's backyard.
It truly didn't feel like we were in a city anymore (just as long as my eyes didn't wander up to the skyscrapers).
We strolled down The Mall, stopping occasionally to watch street performers. 

The Mall

We were then led to the Bethesda Fountain and Bow Bridge; a gathering place for New Yorkers and tourists alike.
Considered the heart of Central Park, it is one of the most iconic locations in all of NYC and has frequently been the set for both film and television. (Gossip Girl, Sex and the City and Disney's Enchanted are just a few!)

Bethesda Fountain

Bow Bridge

A look at our phones told us it was time to go our separate ways for the afternoon. Meg headed off to the Lincoln Center to catch a matinee at the American Ballet, while I spent the next couple hours wandering aimlessly through Central Park.

I bought myself a refreshing lemonade iced tea at Le Pain Quotidien, then found a perfect spot in Sheep Meadow to relax and bask in the sun. I could have easily spent the whole day here. With picturesque views of the trees mixed with the skyline, people having picnics, laying out and throwing frisbees, it seemed like the place to be when you wanted a break from the busyness of the city.




Once my shoulders had had enough of the sun, I went in search of some shade. 
I meandered a bit more until I found myself looking at a circular mosaic stone in the ground with the word Imagine.
I was in Strawberry Fields; a living memorial to world-famous singer, songwriter and peace activist, John Lennon.

Even with the numerous tourists gathered here, it was surprisingly the most peaceful part of the park I had been in yet. I took full advantage of this and parked myself on a nearby bench. I spent time in my thoughts and watched as person after person did the peace sign or meditated, while having their picture taken.

After a much needed relaxing afternoon, it was time to meet up Meg.
We explored the Upper West Side a bit in search of food and stumbled upon Nanoosh; a mediterranean restaurant that offers all-natural and organic hummus, wraps, salads and soups. We each had a falafel and hummus wrap with quinoa. Nanoosh proved to be a wonderful discovery!

A spontaneous decision led us back to Midtown, where we bought tickets to Top of the Rock (and another macaroon from Bouchon's!) Making our way up the elevator, we arrived at the top just in time to watch the city transform from sunset to nightfall.

After looking at my pictures from this night, a good friend of mine commented on one saying,
 "The sun sets, and the city gets brighter."
 His description could not have been more spot on.
This city comes alive at night and I felt completely captivated watching it happen.



Once we tired ourselves out from the hundreds (yes hundreds) of pictures we had taken, it was time to venture back down to the streets of Manhattan. We found the subway and headed back to the apartment for some much needed zzz's!

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!

Start Spreading the News

Day 1

Frank Sinatra's iconic song about New York was playing on repeat in my head as Meg and I took the hotel shuttle to the Minneapolis airport.

"Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today. I want to be apart of it, New York, New York."

Our final destination was Forest Hills, Queens. Only a 15 minute subway ride to Manhattan. Once we landed in NY, we flagged down a cab, only to realize the cab driver had no idea how to get to our apartment.
(I thought New York cab drivers knew this city inside and out?!)

 For a second there we wondered what we had gotten ourselves into! 

But no need to fear! With the help of his GPS and my iphone GPS, we eventually managed to find our home for the week; an apartment nestled in a residential area, where we took the challenge to live like the locals! 

Before heading to Manhattan, the brother of the guy we rented our apartment from gave us a piece of advice on what it takes to a pass as a New Yorker.

He told us you need to look sharp. This doesn't mean coming off as an unpleasant person,
 it means looking/being comfortable and confident in yourself. 

Practicing our "sharp" looks on the way to the subway, we effectively purchased/used our metrocards and got on the correct subway line bringing us to Manhattan!

After taking a moment to take in the towering skyscrapers and listen to the sounds of honking cars all around us, our first order of business was finding food. (Make that second order of business. We couldn't resist a stop in Bloomingdales!) 

On our NYC bucket list, was the famous Serendipity 3 restaurant (which also happens to be featured in one of my all time favorite movies, Serendipity). They are known for their Frrrozen Hot Chocolate dessert, so naturally I was all over that!

Peanut Butter Frrrozen Hot Chocolate!

Our waiter told us we should take the Roosevelt Island Tram, which takes you 250 feet above the busy streets of Midtown. And best of all, its free (with a swipe of your metrocard that is)! So after dinner, we walked down the street to the entrance and rode the tram to Roosevelt Island and back. It was such a great way for us to get a first look at the streets we would soon be exploring.

Roosevelt Tram 

After the tram ride, we found a nearby grocery store to pick up a few food items for the week.
Still being newbies at this whole "taking the subway thing", we thankfully managed to find a station and get on the right train going the correct direction back to our humble home in Queens!

(Still in the) Empire State of Mind

After 8 gloriously splendid and quite exhausting days in New York City, I have returned to the good ol' Fargo-Moorhead area. With lack of free wifi in NYC (minus the Starbucks on every block..and I mean every block)
 I decided to wait on posting my adventures until I was back. 

So here begins the first of an 8 part series, recounting everything from what we saw, ate, did, 
and which iconic New York celebrity we had a run-in with.

Stay tuned....