Tag Archives: New York City

New York City – what a wild ride!  I joined hubby partway through one of his business trips in New York in 2005, and had a blast.  Though I was only there for four days it was long enough for me to take a bite of the Big Apple and know that it tasted very sweet.

Not that it was perfect, mind you.  It was hot that July, and so humid that the air seemed to both surround and smother me.  Traffic lanes are mere suggestions, and though most of my taxi drivers seemed to have a death wish, I survived unscathed.  Some of the smells were less than charming as well, but the few drawbacks were eclipsed by the city’s charms.

From the white-knuckle taxi rides to the incredible variety of people, cuisines, and things to do, New York City is a thrilling destination.  And for this California girl, a trip there was a chance to see and do things I’d only read about or seen on a T.V. or movie screen: hailing a cab, ambling around Central Park, getting a hot dog from a street vendor, and visiting mind-blowing museums like MoMA and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  It was a thrill, and a pleasure, and my trip was all too brief.  I hope to see you again soon, NYC – I’d love for us to get better acquainted!

Chinatown, New York style.  I did some shopping, and was treated to the sight of some silvery, scaly beauty.

Riding the subway for the first time was a treat, and as we came out from underground, and rode along the tracks in the sunlight, I spied the iconic brick buildings and fire escapes I’d seen so many times before on T.V. or in a movie.

The Empire State Building was incredible.  It was amazing to see the city from above – the taxis and cars looked like little ants down below.

Hubby and I – 102 stories up on the observation deck of the Empire State Building.

Our trip to MoMA touched my heart.  An art major in college, and a big fan of van Gogh, I was thrilled to see Starry Night in person.

We just took in a fraction of the work at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The collection is so vast, it would take days – maybe weeks- to enjoy it all properly.  It was surreal, and a joy, to see works of art I’d only seen in textbooks and in slideshows in person! This photo was taken on the second story of the museum, looking across Central Park.

Central Park was the place to be – it was full of people enjoying the summer’s day, and it’s truly a haven in the midst of all the concrete, glass and steel.

Times Square – talk about sensory overload!  All the people, the lights, signs, and traffic!  Oh, and all the horses – pulling tourists in carriages, that is.

We visited Carnegie Deli in Times Square, and shared a mammoth, delectable piece of cheesecake.  Yuuuuumy!

Our trip to Ground Zero was solemn, and it didn’t surprise me that it started raining as we left the site – it was as if Mother Nature was trying to cleanse the wound that had been opened nearly four years before.

French restaurant Les Sans Culottes was scrumptious!  I had the Shrimp Provencal…

One of my favorite meals and experiences from the whole trip was a meal at Dominick’s out in the Bronx.  There was no set menu, and it was a delicious, authentic, charming experience.  We were with a group of locals – a very friendly group – and were so busy eating the food that hit the table (antipasto salad, stuffed mushrooms, and much more!) that I failed to take any photos.  Dessert?  The most fabulous strawberry gelato from a place a few doors down.  The experience was deeply satisfying on every level.

We also had great meals at PJ Clarke’s (where I had the best corn on the cob I’d had in decades!) and Little Johnnies – a pizza place (we dined on a white bean salad and a scrumptious thin crust pizza).

Though I crammed a lot of wonderful experiences and meals into my short stay, what I fit in barely scratched the surface of all that New York City has to offer.  The city is so diverse and so densely packed, there are literally wonderful things to do, see, and taste around every corner.  It’s like they say in the musical On the Town: “New York, New York! It’s a helluva town!”  I hope I’m able to entrust my life to one of those fearless taxi drivers and make my way onto the island of Manhattan again soon…

Warm regards,
Melody