Carlo's tip: Order online the day before you go if you want to see people drool as you stroll up and they hand you your order (Although, they won't let you come in!) The line to get in wraps around the building even at 8am on a Sunday morning!
We compiled a list of must sees from my Facebook friends that would have taken a month to accomplish. We put a good dent in the list and I have to say we had almost no regrets!
Here are the highlights:
Times Square
What a sight to be seen! The walls of TVs on the outsides of buildings are electrifying! Gawkers galore stand mesmerized by the spectacle. And when I say gawkers galore I mean thousands and thousands! There are grand red steps that people just sit and gaze out on. It is a sight to behold! Dozens of characters dress up for you to snap pics with for a few bucks. This is one of many spectacles of this tourism mecca.
Broadway shows
We only got two shows in during our short visit but wow they were fantastic. Clearly I need to diet, as the seats and leg room seem much smaller than I have ever experienced in a theater... but the show must go on! We saw Newsies and Jersey Boys:
Jersey boys is the story of the Four Seasons group and their colorful ride to stardom with Frankie Valli as the catalyst. PG14 for the colorful language and "coming of age" moments. Slightly awkward with your 14 year-old, but I guess I can't shelter her forever. It was a couple scenes and a truck full of F-bombs ... all in all not too terrible.
The best bang for your buck is to go to the TKTS booth under the famous red steps (47th and Broadway) and stand in line for the deals of the day. Shows that don't sell out will sell for up to 50% off. ***The BIG tip: If you want to see more than one show you can get a fast pass (It's just your ticket stub) to the front of the line to buy your second show tickets. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TKTS. So just tell a worker you have your ticket stub! And I absolutely LOVE that they have an app so you can see what shows are out there from the convenience of your smart phone or ipad.
We only got two shows in during our short visit but wow they were fantastic. Clearly I need to diet, as the seats and leg room seem much smaller than I have ever experienced in a theater... but the show must go on! We saw Newsies and Jersey Boys:
Newsies was a Disney production. Great for the kids. Tons of dancing and acrobatic newsboys fighting in a "David vs Goliath" themed show. Be prepared for the busloads of children on their NYC outings. Personally, I felt it was still worth it.
Jersey boys is the story of the Four Seasons group and their colorful ride to stardom with Frankie Valli as the catalyst. PG14 for the colorful language and "coming of age" moments. Slightly awkward with your 14 year-old, but I guess I can't shelter her forever. It was a couple scenes and a truck full of F-bombs ... all in all not too terrible.
Dining
We had an extremely eclectic dining experience in NYC ... it was varied to say the least: I will list them in order of price range but EACH one had it's GREAT NYC points.
We had an extremely eclectic dining experience in NYC ... it was varied to say the least: I will list them in order of price range but EACH one had it's GREAT NYC points.
Hot Dog Cart: Location: Everywhere. Don't you have to do that once? Pretzel? Dog? Fresh Fruit? They had them all and on probably every corner you passed.
Baked by Melissa Location: SoHo. bite sized cupcakes Baked by Melissa Mini Cupcakes 577 Broadway between Prince and Houston, New York NY 10012. This was a tiny treat. And yes, I mean really tiny. But it was really a fun treat. And the detail on these was crazy cute.
Shake Shack: Location: 691 8th Avenue (44th) Most wonderful Peanut Butter Shake there. Could have gotten a meal and I definitely would have gone back had time permitted for those cheese fries... they looked soo good. But this was an after dinner stop for us.
Pershing Square: Location: across from Grand Central Station. We had breakfast with Bill & Robin & Kylie Shalz who we NEVER have had breakfast with in Aurora! HA! We live 1 mile away from Bill and Robin and we stayed about 1 mile away from them when we went to NYC. This restaurant was a great place though. But get there early by 830 am there was a long line out the door.
Carnegie Deli: Located at 854 7th Ave (55th street). Super fun spot with the celebrity visitor pictures wallpapering the place. Lightening FAST service and the portions were fit for a GIANT appetite. Do yourself a favor and split something. You don't want take a doggie bag in to the theater with you.
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| Ellen's Stardust Diner |
Cafe Bari: 529 Broadway SOHO. This was the stop we made on the way from World Trade Center to Greenwich Village when Madeline said "I am READY to eat lunch NOW!" HAHA. We were all thinking it but were trying to hang on. So we caved in and thank goodness suddenly this place seemed to pop out and reveal itself to us somewhat like 12 Grimmauld Place (Sorry... Harry Potter fans will get it.)
IFC: Italian Food Center, Location: Little Italy: 161 Mulberry Street. ***** This was my favorite spot. Amazing people watching and fantastic food. The bartender was Australian, the waitress was Russian, the waiter was African, the model sitting next to us was Norwegian, the Photographer was an NY local and the place was just really cool. Maddy and her Grandma Kathi had ditched Karen and I to take a nap back at the hotel, so Karen and I were here solo for QUITE some time... it COULD have been the drinks talking... but we didn't want to leave and we didn't ... we were there for a very long time.
Circo, Location: 120 west 55th st. Family owned Italian restaurant sophisticated, whimsical, and decorated like the old style European circus tents. Only slightly creepy. Just don't stare at the clowns and instead keep your eye on the Ravioli di mamma egi which was a hand made pasta with buffalo ricotta, spinach, butter and sage that I ordered. I gave a bite to my 3 companions, and hands down my dish won. Everyone was dreaming of this ravioli and talking about it for the rest of the trip.
Other Favorite things:
World Trade Center Memorial - this is a must see. I would have felt un-American if we hadn't gone. Visitor passes are no longer needed and the Museum is now open.
Greenwich Village NYU Campus - Stroll through Greenwich village/NYU campus with a memorable visit to Washington square park. It was wonderful and heartwarming to see so many enjoying the sounds from the street trained musicians beating their buckets to the NYU students and their violins adding some fresh air to their strings.
Cirlce Line Boat Tour: http://www.circleline42.com/new-york-cruises/home.aspx We did the FULL island tour. It was a bit too much. Try the half island tour. It was very cool and the view was fantastic. Remember your layers though. Because depending on the day it can get soo cold on the water.
Today show - Get there early and bring your cup of coffee, cause you will be there for a little while. Can you tell by my "I"m not quite awake yet" face? (I'd say 630?am). On Fridays they often have a musical group so get there even earlier those days (530am they suggested) if you want to get in the first row of the fence. Have your clever sign made up ahead (they have poster board for you on the week days) but not on Fridays. But they have a convenience store across the street you can get some supplies.
We did a lot more, China Town, Brooklyn bridge, Strolling around all over the place, took a subway, took a lot of cabs... overall we had a WONDERFUL trip and we can't wait to do it again. LOVED LOVED every bit of it.
