Saturday morning we didn’t have to be anywhere except the Memphis box office at 10am to buy student tickets. So, we took advantage of this and slept in a little.
After the ticket purchase we went to Times Square and did a little shopping (Levi’s, H&M, Forever 21, etc.) We quickly tired of that and headed back to the hotel to meet M&J. They had an early tour of the NBC studios. Today is their last day in the city so they also had to pack and get their bags on the bus. Our show was at 2pm and it was wonderful. Student tickets for this show are always in the first row which sounds great except that the seats are almost against the stage and you kinda get a pain in your neck craning to see what is going on . . .but for the price, no complaints. I love this show.

We rented bikes and mom waited for us somewhere on 5th near central park. We were gone only an hour. John lost us twice on this ride and the second time I didn’t try to find him! Bailey and I worked our way through part of the park and rode out of the park to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art and then back in to weave our way back to mom. We returned the bikes and I had decided earlier that I wanted to rent a horse and carriage to take mom through the park since she didn’t get to see any of it.

The driver was nice and knowledgeable about the points of interest in the park and I thought it was a nice, relaxing way to end the tour of Central Park. I still haven’t seen the entire park. Another item to add to the to-do list. Next time I want to rent bikes for 2 hours and take a leisurely ride through the park. 🙂

Today we walked a couple of blocks east to 5th and then south to the Empire State Building. The Chryslter Building is in the distance behind mom and john. We arrived at the Empire State Building and the crowd had not yet formed. Riding the escaltor up to the ticket floor.

We bought our tickets and worked our way through the displays on the way to the elevator. This is kind of a staging area for when the place is packed. Lots of facts to read, photos to examine, etc. We then boarded the first elevator which takes to you the 86th floor I think. Then you get on a second elevator to the viewing area.

That pointy building in the center of the photo is the Chrysler Building again.

Finally a photo of me with the parental units. I bet you were beginning to wonder if we were really on vacation together, huh.

Bailey loves mirrors and the reflective glass was perfect. 🙂

Some views from the top:

After we left the ESB, we took the train to the World Trade Center site. The construction is in process and the site is surrounded by chain link fence. We didn’t stay long. Mom and John wanted to go to Yankee Stadium so we sent them on the orange train north which I learned later did not go all the way to the stadium for some reason but the conductor helped them transfer and get off. Then, they discovered that the dang museum wasn’t even open because Paul McCartney was in town and for some silly reason they had to close it. weird. They then took the green train south to central park and waited for us.

We headed to Chinatown and then walked to Little Italy. I wanted to see the tenement museum but we didn’t have enough time. Something to add to my list for the next trip to the city. I wanted to eat at Ferrara Cafe www.ferraracafe.com and we found the place a few blocks away. The food was wonderful and I had my first chocolate covered cannoli. The third cannoli of the trip. It was worth every dollar.

We then headed to SOHO to meet a friend for a snack. My first Pink Berry ice cream (or is it yogurt?). We also did a little shopping while waiting. SOHO is pretty once you get away from the store fronts! Back to Central Park to meet the Penneys and go for a bike ride through Central Park.

After dinner, and a pit stop back at the hotel for Bailey’s shoes, we took the subway to Coney Island. The ride took about an hour and it was nice to just sit for a while instead of walking. The train emptied out at every stop and by the time we reached the end of the line, we were the only riders! I was worried for a few minutes that Coney Island would be closing soon or that we’d be the only people there. But we used google (of course) to check the hours of operation and the park is open until midnight. Before we left the station we tried to use the restrooms. GROSS. One of the dirtiest restrooms I’ve ever seen. We left the station and stopped in the Dunkin Donuts hoping for better. A little better but not much. We walked across the street to the park and this was our view: The full moon over the park was beautiful. The photo does not do it justice. Of course we had to ride the Wonder Wheel. I think it was $3 for the ticket.

Sign above the entrance to the Wonder Wheel.Sign with history of the Wonder Wheel.Bailey in our car on the ride.
View from the top of the Wonder Wheel. It was very cool being there at night. Next time I will go during the day so I can see the beach and boardwalk.Moon over the boardwalk.On the way out I spotted the Zoltar machine. Bailey has not yet seen the Tom Hank’s movie BIG. I told her if she started acting like an 8 year old I’d be bringing her back to Coney Island immediately. She loved the fortune Zoltar provided. We stayed about an hour between the ride, the walk on the boardwalk, and just looking around and then headed back to Manhattan. Fun.

Bailey rows for Tampa Catholic and she wanted to see Columbia University’s boathouse. So, we took the red train to almost the last stop uptown. This train was elevated for part of the way and it was neat seeing parts of the city I’ve never visited. We got off the train and walked a couple of blocks north. After walking west for a few minutes I couldn’t figure out where this dang place was located. Based on the address provided by google it should have been right THERE! There was a lady walking her dog so naturally I asked her for directions. Of course she didn’t speak English. LOL So we walked back towards the Columbia athletic building on the corner. Meanwhile, a golf cart was approaching us from behind and we were in the way. The men were driving into the drive way of the athletic building . . .so. . . naturally I asked them if they knew where this place was . . .well, of course they did and one of them gave us a tour in that golf cart. I was very happy because again, it was HOT and it was a long walk to who-knows-where. He had fun chatting with us and I think Bailey enjoyed seeing the boat area. After the tour we got back on the train and headed south a few stops to the Columbia campus. We walked through the campus and shot a few photos. On the other side of the campus is Morningside Park.

We walked through the park and continued a few blocks over to Harlem and to the train station. In Harlen, across the street from the station, nestled between two buildings, we spotted this green space.

We took the train to our usual stop and walked north a block or so to a restaurant for dinner. The Zen Palate is a vegan restaurant and the food is fabulous. www.zenpalate.com

Today the parental units and their tour headed to the Statue of Liberty. I took Bailey to the Staten Island Ferry for a ride on the water and a cruise-by of the statue. This is a free ferry that goes back and forth all day between Manhattan and SI. The launch is next to Battery Park, where the boat takes you to the statue, so we all rode the same train down. Well, we were supposed to ride the same train but the group was a little slow getting on. Bailey and I hopped the first train and just waited at the end of the line for them to catch up with us!
Lady Liberty is over her shoulder and looks tiny. In real life you can really see her and also Ellis Island. Here’s a zoomed shot of her:

We left the village and headed uptown to meet Mom and John. The four of us walked south on 5th Avenue and stepped into St. Patrick’s Cathedral. After that we stopped for lunch at a little pizza place and headed towards the hotel. They had show tickets for that night and I had other plans for us. I wanted to see the Apollo theatre so we headed uptown again on the train and then walked a couple of blocks to the theatre. It was lightly raining so we didn’t stay. We got back on the train and got off a few stops south because I wanted Bailey to see the Museum of Natural History. Unfortunately the entire facade was covered with scaffolding and net as you can see below. We couldn’t go in because it was after hours!
We continued our walk south to the Dakota and after a pit stop at the Starbucks we arrived just in time to see the sunset. The Dakota is the building to the right. Standing at this point, if you turned around you’d find yourself at an entrance to Central Park. In this location you find a part of the park dedicated to John Lennon. This 2.5 acres is called Strawberry Fields.

This tile memorial is found in Strawberry Fields. I’m told that the offerings and the display pattern change every day.We then headed east through the park and heard music in the building across from Bethesda Fountain (photo below). We didn’t have tickets to the show so we had to trudge on. Still heading east, we made it to 5th avenue (again) and headed south. I’m getting tired at this point.When we got to the southeast corner of the park I had to stop for a break. We were across the street from the Plaza Hotel. We rested for a few minutes and then continued our trek towards Times Square and our hotel.

Bailey wanted to see the campus of NYU and I love the village so I planned some time for us to explore this part of the city. I located a couple of thrift stores and she found a pair of shorts, jeans, and sunglasses in one store and you will see those sunglasses soon after this post.
Fountain in Washington Square Park

The gardens everywhere were in full bloom but the gardens in Washington Square Park were especially beautiful.

More fountain shots.

The kids were having fun splashing and an occasional adult too. It was another very hot day in the city.

We walked over to the information center of NYU and she picked up some literature. We then walked to the thrift stores and back to the train station. We were meeting Mom and John at the Rockefeller Center for some site seeing. They were taking a tour of the Top of the Rock.

One of my many things to see in Manhattan is the Chelsea Hotel or Hotel Chelsea, depending on your mood I suppose. This hotel is rich with history and I am going to stay here someday. The train station is just steps away and from that station you can get anyplace you want in the city. It’s quiet and off the beaten path. My kind of place in more ways than one.

I enjoyed just sitting in the lobby and thinking about the many people who stayed at the hotel. If you are interested, here’s the site: www.hotelchelsea.com