A small bite out of a Big Apple…

I’ve just returned from New York City, where I haven’t been since I was a teenager. Each time I’ve gone it has been to visit with family, so this experience (visiting the city as a tourist) was quite different. I didn’t know I could pack so much of a big city in during the course of a weekend, but if you plan ahead and keep an open mind you can experience so much. I thoroughly enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city, the people watching, the countless multicultural businesses and restaurants, rumblings of different languages around me. I stumbled about the city all weekend looking like a small town tourist in the big city. We stayed at the Marriot directly in front of a small black hole where the massive WorldTrade Center used to tower over the city. In 48 hours I admired the fashionable windows of Fifth Avenue, spotted the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge and all 4 of the New York City Waterfalls, ran through Rockafeller Center in the rain, walked down Wall Street and through Grand Central Station, shot pictures of the Naked Coyboy in Times Square, took a carriage ride through Central Park, visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Bryant Park, took the subway to the Mets/Yankees game at Shea Stadium and even ran smack dab into New York’s annual Heritage of Pride Parade. Among all of the sightseeing there were several stops that I have to mention and recommend to anyone traveling to New York. After settling into our hotel room the first afternoon we walked from our hotel over to Battery Park. The public park faces theNew York Harbor with a distant view of the Statue of Liberty. The 25 acre space includes several war memorials as well as Hope Garden, a memorial to AIDS victims. We visited the park at sunset and even though the area was busy with activity and saturated with tourists, an inexplicable serenity still existed on the grounds. We were on a time constraint because it was late in the afternoon and we had dinner reservations, but I would love to return to this part of the city with more time to explore the grounds. Another place that would be a sin to miss while visiting New York is a somewhat new restaurant on the Lower East Side of the city called Allen & Delancey. It’s a small, dark, candlelit space that feels more like walking into a restaurant in old England. The food was simple but sophisticated and begins with soft, warm rolls that melt in your mouth and ends with a list of desserts that are hard to dismiss…so instead I indulged in a sweet cream french toast with oatmeal ice cream and carmelized banana. It was just enough to leave you craving more. Another place that would be a sin to miss while in New York is Pinkberry’s. Being the ice cream lover that I am, I was happy to have the opportunity to try Pinkberry’s famous frozen yogurt. Pinkberry can only be found in California and New York. The tart, almost sour, natural taste of its three flavors (Green Tea, Coffee, and Original) and the wide array of fresh fruit toppings could lead you to believe that you’re actually eating something truly healthy. Of course you have a choice of other toppings like candy, chocolate chips, coco puffs and fruity pebbles to indulge in too. Lastly, you can’t leave the city without dropping by New Amsterdam Market. Dozens of local vendors join restaurant chefs, wineries, pastry chefs, and bakers to sell and offer tastings of their goodies in the weekly outdoor event in the old Fulton Fish Market space at the South Street Seaport. So much to do, so little time. But i’m confident that we made the most of our weekend in the city. Can’t wait to return take another bite out of the Big Apple soon.