NYC 2013 Part 1

We took a weekend trip to NYC, June 15-16, and had such a great time! Andrew and I drove to the big city, for the first time, together. We've each visited the city separately, on different occasions. I had so much fun two years ago with my gal pals. This time, we were going on an adventure together, with hopes of successfully navigating our way around the city and doing as much site seeing as we could.

We stayed at the Sheraton Tribeca, which was conveniently located on Canal Street (A.K.A. knock off purse street) and close to Little Italy. Have I ever mentioned that Sheraton's are my favorite hotel? I've always had wonderful stays there, in different cities, AND they have the MOST comfortable bedding and pillows. For real. I want to replicate it in my bedroom.

Once we arrived, and our car was safely parked, we headed to Little Italy for a late lunch. I absolutely loved it! I was on cloud nine the moment we walked under that "Little Italy" sign. I felt like I "belonged," (I'm Italian) and I could only imagine what the real Italy would be like. 

My handsome date and I dined at the Italian Food Center, a new restaurant (just 4 days old), and shared an unusual white pizza with shaved Brussels sprouts and pancetta. It was delicious. I really enjoyed the atmosphere. We were seated at a table with an old metal sewing machine base. Made me like the place even more.

I met Mr. Cannoli, advertising the "World's Best Cannoli". Poor guy. It was a hot day! He didn't have much to say. 

I found myself some hazelnut gelato to get the full Little Italy experience. 

We did a lot of walking. I mean A LOT. It allowed us to see the city first hand, appreciate the history and architecture even more. The buildings and streets really are amazing.  

Later on, we visited the site of the new One World Trade Center or Freedom Tower. No photo can do this towering skyscraper justice. The 104-story building is absolutely magnificent. We could see it from wherever we were in lower Manhattan. 

We came across the Irish Hunger Memorial, a "hidden garden" with stone walls, grass and a meandering path. Underneath, are quotes and writings about the history of the great Irish famine. An interesting and peaceful place in the middle of it all.

We walked around Battery Park and admired the view of the harbor. What a beautiful and bustling park. I've never seen so many people walking dogs in one place, bicyclists, joggers, kids, people just sitting on benches. If I lived nearby, I'm sure I would frequent it.

Look closely, can you see the Statue of Liberty? There she is. And a cool Mayflower looking ship. 

We had to take a stroll down Wall Street. 

I think my favorite part was walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. It's such an icon. Even though our feet were beyond exhausted, I absolutely loved the view and the grandness. It wasn't what I expected - in a good way. It was way more crowded than I expected, with people on foot and on bicycles. We weren't sure if we would make it all the way, but we went for it, embracing the "YOLO" motto!

This was the view of the Manhattan Bridge from the Brooklyn Bridge, which we later crossed to exit the city. The sun was shining with blue skies. It was an absolutely beautiful day. 

The reason we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge, was to arrive at the Barclay Center to see The Postal Service perform in concert. David gave us a pair of tickets to their show, which prompted our weekend trip. We were The Postal Service fans in college, so it was a lot of fun to see them perform. I was especially glad when they played "Such Great Heights," my favorite, and their most well-known song. Our seats were high above the floor and we could see the entire stadium. What an impressive venue.

When the concert was over, we took our first (and only) cab ride (which I successfully hailed - I was quite proud of myself), back to the hotel. Which means, we walked the entire distance, throughout the day, from our hotel, all over lower Manhattan, through Battery Park, over the Brooklyn Bridge, and then to the stadium. I. could. barely. walk. seriously. But it was worth it. Maybe I'll wear sneakers next time.

Takeaways:

The city isn't that scary to walk around, and I love that so much is within walking distance.

Wear comfortable shoes, even if they look ridiculous with your outfit. Your feet will thank you.

You have to have a hot dog on the street. It's non-negotiable. 

My iphone 4S takes amazing photos. 

When you're with the one you love, everything you see and experience is that much better. 

We took a lot of photos and there's more to come, so stayed tuned for part 2.

New York City: Day 3

Our last day in New York, we slept in a little, then checked out of our hotel. We were ready to take a much anticipated trip to Hoboken, New Jersey to visit a certain bakery....

Photo from Tackeff Photography
Carlo's Bake Shop! Home of Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro and his family. I think out of the entire trip, I was most excited about visiting Carlo's Bake Shop. Is that crazy? After watching the TLC show and falling in love with the idea of baking cakes and cookies all day and sharing it with a big Italian family, I couldn't wait to see it in person and have a taste! 

We took the subway to Hoboken, stopped at Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast, then walked until we saw Carlo's Bakery Way. 

We made it! We were actually standing in front of the classic store front that I'd seen hundreds of times on TV. Which happens to be sandwiched between a florist and Verizon on a cute street of shops.

We quickly got in line! Which apparently wasn't that long for 11am on a Thursday. After waiting outside for about an hour, the door guy summoned us that it was our turn to come inside, take a number, and wait some more. 

The walls were lined with photos, memorabilia, merchandise and cakes. It was a VERY tight squeeze in there! People filled every inch of the shop. When we entered, they were currently serving number 74. We were number 9. As in 35th. We decided to wait it out and that we weren't leaving without some pastries! 

We squeezed our way up to the cases to get a glimpse of the amazing desserts. There were cakes and cookies and their famous lobster tails. To my surprise and delight there were Pasticciotti! My favorite (rarely found) Italian pastry that I have only found at the Florentine Pastry Ship, in Utica, NY, near where my Mom grew up. I knew I would be trying one of those along with a mini cannoli!
 

It was every bit as wonderful as I imagined. Definitely worth the wait. The cannoli cream was so light and fluffy. I wish I could have taken a dozen home with me. My husband was very disappointed about that. 

I did bring home a pound of Italian cookies, which I have been rationing and enjoying every day! 

Photo from Tackeff Photography

Buddy, unfortunately was in Las Vegas. But we saw his sister Grace, cashing people out. 

And his sister Lisa helping customers.

Lisa was kind enough to take photos with us! She was so friendly. Now we know what she's the "favorite sister." 

We could see into the back where Frankie was leaning against the wall near the famous staircase, where some cakes have fallen to their untimely death. 

Here I am, in front of the tiny consultation area where people were meeting to order a cake. 

We left happy with our bags of pastries (2.5 hours later!) and walked down the famous back alley of the bakery. 

What an experience! 

We left Hoboken and headed back to New York. Since we got a later start on the day, and spent 2.5 hours at the bakery (yikes!), that didn't leave much time for shopping on Fifth Avenue like we had hoped to end our day. We grabbed some lunch (a rather disappointing New York hot dog) and feasted on our prized pastries. We had to decide what last thing we would be able to see.

Megan and Christy were gracious enough to grant my wish of seeing Tiffany & Co. for the first time. I had never set foot in one, and going to Tiffany's in New York City was on my wish list. Audrey Hepburn and Breakfast at Tiffany's were playing in my head. 

It was every bit as grand and beautiful and sparkling as I imagined. I could have spent a few hours roaming each floor and pouring over every case. 

I did make a purchase - a birthday gift and souvenir to myself. They wrapped it up so beautifully. Megan was right, it was like unwrapping a gift when I got home! 

I bought a pair of sterling silver Tiffany Bead earrings. I love wearing them! They will always remind me of the wonderful trip we had and the memories I made with two dearly loved friends.

Trump Tower was right next door to Tiffany & Co.

We passed Madison Square Garden on our walk back to the subway. 

Before we knew it, it was time to get to the airport to catch our plane home. We made it in the nick of time! We had a small moment of panic when we saw the line for security at the airport. But we made it onto our jetBlue flight. JetBlue is my favorite airline because they give you free snacks and there's TV's on every seat!

We said goodbye to the Big Apple as the sun started to set.

This was a fantastic trip that I will always remember! Riding the subway. Walking in the rain. Seeing landmarks and pieces of history. The food. The conversation. Time Square at night. Our possible 15 seconds of fame! I couldn't have asked for a better time or better friends to share it with. Love you girls!

Now I can really say I love NY. I hope to go back some day!