New York - Part 3

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

We did dinner the night before we left in Greenwich village. Lovely little Italian place - La Lanterna di Vittorio. Building has to be at least 100 years old. We sat at a small table in the atrium. As the sun set the lights provided a romantic ambiance.

After dinner we strolled a block or two, over to Washington Square Park. The people watching is top notch!

We made our way back up broadway - some 25 blocks - back up to Times Square. By the way each time broadway crosses a street it makes a square ( a small park). It was a neat experience. Along the way we saw The Empire State building in the fog.

The next day we had an afternoon flight so we decided to do brunch on the lower east side. We chose a trendy roof top bar. They decided to open the roof to the beautiful sunshine. Thea meal was wonderful. Try the grilled cheese or stuffed french toast. Absolutely tasty!

They also had a cool jazz band. The place you ask? Hotel Chantelle

New York - Part 2

Our first day was filled with food! On our second day we decided to see the sights. Our first stop was a bus tour. What's more touristy than a bus tour. I know it may seem a bit cliche, but if it's your first visit to NYC, then it's a good way to get acquainted with the neighborhoods.

 My wife and I had used The Ride on a previous trip to the Big Apple. I recommend you try out The Ride for a one of a kind experience. It was well worth the price. 

We enjoyed it so much that we decided to try out their other offering, aptly named The Tour.

The Tour was better than other bus tours I have taken, but don't go into it expecting a one of a kind experience that you get with The Ride. While I enjoyed both, if you pick only one choose The Ride. If you chose to do both, do The Tour first. 

We enjoyed the sites like Rockefeller center:

We also had made advance reservations to visit the Statue of Liberty. You can buy your tickets here. There is only one official site. You will need advance reservations during heavy tourist months. If you want to visit the crown, you will need to book well ahead , they sell out in advance. Keep in mind, the Statue is on an island. 

You will be taking a ferry to Liberty Island and then continue onto Ellis Island. We visited in April and it was cold , so bring your coat! It was a surreal experience.

After arriving back in battery park we took a walk over to the financial district. I was able to see a unique side of the famous bull :

Next stop was Wall Street:

We were close so we decided to pay ground zero a visit:

The new Freedom Tower opened in May 2015. You can take a ride up.

We stopped by Century 21 for a little shopping.

 Next we took a walk up to the high line:

We did lunch over on the west side in Murray Hill at SMAC. Oh my it was delish! We got a macroni and cheese sampler:

It was a cold day so we thought soup would be the best way to warm ourselves. Hell's Kitchen wasn't far so we jumped a train. ( BTW - if you're staying for at least 3 days, go ahead and buy a week pass for the metro, it will save $)

My mother in law indulged my wife and I and we got to try some serious Ramen at Toto :

We ended our night at the Cake Boss bakery in the NYC Port Authority building. We waited about 20 minutes to place our order. Nothing against the place, the treats weren't bad but they weren't anything to write home about. I preferred the bakery in the East Village I mentioned in Part 1 (Veniero's).

Click here to read Part 3

New York - Part 1

New York, New York

Start spreading the news

I am leaving today

I want to be a part of it

New York, New York

-  Frank Sinatra                                               

Frank once said "I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps". His words describe New York City to a tee. 

My wife and I take another approach; we appreciate the value of a good night's rest and the occasional nap. So the majority of the activities we did in the city that never sleeps took place during the daylight hours.

The picture above is a view from our room at the Double Tree Suites in Times Square. This wasn't our first time visiting the Big Apple. We shared this visit with my mother in law and it was her first time,so what better place to experience her first time than in the middle of the action?

Now most experienced New Yorkers will most likely tell you that they avoid Time Square at all costs. However I think there is no better place!

We flew in LaGuardia, which is about a 20-30 minute ride to Times Square depending on traffic. There are other options such as JFK which is a bit farther out or Newark.

Getting to and from Manhattan to LaGuardia? We've taken both a car service or a cab. The car service is hit or miss as far as quality. It will run you between $60-$100. A cab runs between $35-$60 and the quality can vary as well. My advice is to take a cab. There are also public transit options as well, even though the subway doesn't run directly to LaGuardia.

Now to the good stuff :) We arrived early ; around 11am, so we dropped our bags at the hotel and decided to take a walking tour of Chinatown and grab a few eats. I found a guide on Pinterest (yes I use Pinterest)  that peaked my interest. It's title you ask? Eat your way through Chinatown for $15. Some might think that eating for less means skimping on quality. Not so I say!

We began our culinary foray at Prosperity Dumpling on 46 Eldridge St. where you can get 4 pork fried dumplings for $1. Try a Sesame Pancake for $1.25.

We paced ourselves and didn't order too much. Next we were off to Golden Steamers for some Sticky Buns just a few blocks away. 

Not sure about Sticky Buns? There a many varieties to choose from; stuffed with Pork, Pumpkin, or Egg Yolk. There is something for everyone! When in Rome , right?

Next we took the subway up to the East Village and decided to get some real New York Cheesecake at Veniero's. We didn't stop there we shared a lobster tail and a cannoli.

We needed a break so we took the train back up to Times Square. We found our room was ready, with some fantastic stroke of luck we got upgraded to the penthouse; what a view!

After resting our feet  for an hour we decided to walk a bit and see take in the sights and sounds of Times Square. We decided to grab a slice at my favorite place Abitino's - not more than a stone's throw from Times Square proper.

I know it sounds like all we did was eat on the first day.

Well our 2nd day was an adventure across the entire length of Long Island. Click here to read about it!