The Big Apple!

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Shannon and I had the best vacation in NYC.  It was truly wonderful - such a perfect blend of history, culture, and beauty!

I picked up a copy of Chronicles of Old New York: Exploring Manhattan's Landmark Neighborhoods by James Roman while on 5th Avenue.  If you haven't been - or if you're planning a return trip - I highly, highly recommend it.  With 25 chapters on New York's history and nine walking tours, it's the perfect guide to help you truly appreciate what you're seeing.  And it's small enough to fit in your purse - or man-bag!

Incidentally, we just missed the UFO by one day...

We stayed at the Hilton on 6th Avenue and Broadway, across the street from the Empire State Building and Macy's and just a few blocks down from Times Square.

The Empire State Building as seen from our hotel room.  Props to Shannon for being a Hilton Diamond Club member!

Another view from the 29th floor of the Hilton.

The first day we explored the Wholesale District, Madison Square Park, Union Square, the Finanial District, Ground Zero, Soho, and Times Square and saw "The Lion King" on Broadway.

Shannon enjoys the world's best pretzel stuffed with feta cheese, rosemary, and olives in Madison Square Park.  (I had one too!)

The Flatiron Building by Madison Square Park

The farmer's market in Union Square

Beautiful architecture...

McDonald's in the Financial District has a pianist!

The beautiful and historic cemetery at Trinity Church which received it's original charter from King William III of England in 1697.  Members of the First and Second Continental Congress worshipped here, and Francis Lewis, signer of the Declaration of Independence, is buried here.

Trinity Church as seen from Wall Street in front of Federal Hall

Federal Hall, America's original Capitol where George Washington was innaugurated in 1789.  The Bill of Rights was signed here in 1791.

The view of Federal Hall and Trinity Church from Wall Street.  Can you imagine a time when Federal Hall and the church were probably the most grandiose buildings in town?

Construction at Ground Zero

A picture taken by sticking my hand through the chain link fence.

Mmmm... New York City pizza!

The So Good jewelry store in Soho - fun jewelry at great prices!  It was sensory overload!

Check out this gold bathtub in Soho.  I was going to get one for my house, but it didn't include a built-in t.v.

The second day we went to the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, the Meatpacking District, and Chelsea.

The beautiful Statue of Liberty.  It's almost enough to make you respect France.  Almost.

The Brooklyn Bridge.  The footing of the bridge rests on the same site where George Washington rented a house when living in New York while serving as our first President.

"The Sphere" in Battery Park originally stood in the plaza of the World Trade Center and was meant to symbolize world peace through world trade.  It was damaged in the September 11th attacks and is now displayed in Battery Park.  (Click on the link to see what it used to look like.)

Note damage to "The Sphere"

Chillaxing in Greenwich Village at 7th Avenue and Grove Street just around the corner from Marie's Crisis Cafe where Thomas Paine and other colonial patriots used to unwind.

A peaceful tree-lined street in Greenwich Village.  Hey, is that Carrie Bradshaw??

The smallest house in New York at 75 1/2 Bedford Street.  It is 10 feet wide and sold in 2010 for just over $2 million.

"Door art" on Cornelia Street in Greenwich Village

Catching a ride on the subway...

...with the dead rats.  Rodenticide.  Who knew?

The third day we went to the Empire State Building, Macy's on 6th Avenue & Broadway, Central Park, Park Avenue, Rockafeller Center, and Hell's Kitchen.

Views from the Empire State Building.  Note the Chrysler Building to the left side of this picture.

Cool shadow.  Our hotel is in the sunlight at the bottom of the picture just to the right of the Empire State Building's shadow.

The view looking up the Empire State Building from the observation deck.  I think it looks like some kind of futuristic capitol buidling from this angle.

Macy's had cool, old wooden escalators on the upper floors.

Pretty view of Central Park. 

"Where are the people jogging?  That's what you always see in the movies.  I want to see some people jogging!"

What Shannon remembers most about our visit to Central Park!

Hmmm...  This led to a classic Shannon-on-the-go moment involving a pair of wet flip-flops.

I guess I shouldn't laugh considering I bit the dust on the set of Salem's Place when we were out in L.A.!  Anyhow, this was consumed at The Mean Fiddler in Hell's Kitchen earning us our street cred before we left.

Cool cityscape

What a fantastic trip - I can't wait to go back!  Thanks to Mom and Dad for the airline miles, and thanks to Shannon for the free hotel rooms - you guys are the best!!!