I spent the 4th of July weekend in New York City and enjoyed every minute. I lived in NYC a few years ago and missed the excitement and thrill of the city. We managed to visit all of our favorite restaurants and catch up with some old friends. I also had to get used to the extensive amount of walking- I had forgotten how exhausting that can be! It definitely showed me that I needed to work out more frequently just to keep up! My husband describes our whole weekend as a "culinary tour" of Manhattan. As a result, I have shared the names of all the restaurants we visited this weekend.
On Friday, we met up with my former coworkers in Downtown Brooklyn. It was great to see everyone - it seems like forever since I last spoke to any of them. They shared with me all the new drama going on in their lives, and the changes to the hospital. We also were able to pick up tickets to see a Broadway show. My husband is not a huge fan of musicals, so we opted for the play, The Normal Heart. We had seen an interview with Jim Parsons (from the Big Bang Theory) promoting the play which was about the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s. It was quite a touching story, and I learned more about the discovery of the virus. I recommend checking out the play if you are in NYC.
Saturday morning we met up with our former roommates for brunch at a cute French place, L'Express. I still miss the incredible views of downtown Manhattan from our high rise apartment in Brooklyn, but it was good to see them and share our adventures since leaving the apartment.
The afternoon was spent shopping in SOHO, although the heat and crowded streets made me want to go back to the hotel room. We also visited the Tenement Museum found in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It was interesting to learn about immigrants who traveled to America decades ago. We were able to tour the inside of an apartment that had not been inhabited since the 1930s and was discovered in the 80s. Everything was kept in its original condition.
In keeping with our culinary tour, my brother-in-law recently moved to NYC and wanted to visit Little Italy. With recommendations from friends, we abandoned the idea of Little Italy since it was too touristy, and tried Otto Pizzeria, an Italian restaurant near NYU, owned by Mario Batali (Food Network Chef). The food was outstanding, but the ambience was loud and sometimes we were unable to hear our own conversations.
Sunday morning, the rain altered our plans somewhat, but we were still willing to wait in line for one of our favorite brunch places, Good Enough to Eat. As a dietitian, I feel guilty recommending this, but the restaurant has the best strawberry butter and biscuits. It's a good thing I no longer live in the city!
In the afternoon, we visited the new High Line park. Living on the West Side near Hell's Kitchen for a year, I was disappointed that the park was not developed until after I moved away. The High Line was created in the 1930s to prevent freight trains from traveling the streets of Manhattan. In 2009, the High Line opened as a public park, gradually opening sections of the park where it will eventually be a mile and a half long. We started at 30th street and walked a mile throughout the park. Check out the views from the High Line below. This was definitely a great way to work in some physical activity while still enjoying NYC without the traffic and noise.
We also picked up a tram in Midtown Manhattan to travel to Roosevelt Island. Decades ago it was inhabited by a prison, but since then the island has been gentrified, now offering high-rise condos and co-ops. The island has a spectacular view of Manhattan, and is a definite must see for any tourist.
We ended the weekend with our SECOND stop to Buttercup Bake Shop . This is one of my all time favorite places for dessert. We first stopped in on Friday for sweet treats, specifically the banana pudding because it is the BEST that I have ever had....maybe one day I can get the recipe from them, unless any of you know it, please share!!! On the train ride back to the airport on Monday, we savored every last bite of banana pudding. Who knows when I will have a chance to go back?
To sum it all up, I miss you NYC, but I always look forward to reuniting!
On Friday, we met up with my former coworkers in Downtown Brooklyn. It was great to see everyone - it seems like forever since I last spoke to any of them. They shared with me all the new drama going on in their lives, and the changes to the hospital. We also were able to pick up tickets to see a Broadway show. My husband is not a huge fan of musicals, so we opted for the play, The Normal Heart. We had seen an interview with Jim Parsons (from the Big Bang Theory) promoting the play which was about the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s. It was quite a touching story, and I learned more about the discovery of the virus. I recommend checking out the play if you are in NYC.
Saturday morning we met up with our former roommates for brunch at a cute French place, L'Express. I still miss the incredible views of downtown Manhattan from our high rise apartment in Brooklyn, but it was good to see them and share our adventures since leaving the apartment.
The afternoon was spent shopping in SOHO, although the heat and crowded streets made me want to go back to the hotel room. We also visited the Tenement Museum found in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It was interesting to learn about immigrants who traveled to America decades ago. We were able to tour the inside of an apartment that had not been inhabited since the 1930s and was discovered in the 80s. Everything was kept in its original condition.
In keeping with our culinary tour, my brother-in-law recently moved to NYC and wanted to visit Little Italy. With recommendations from friends, we abandoned the idea of Little Italy since it was too touristy, and tried Otto Pizzeria, an Italian restaurant near NYU, owned by Mario Batali (Food Network Chef). The food was outstanding, but the ambience was loud and sometimes we were unable to hear our own conversations.
Sunday morning, the rain altered our plans somewhat, but we were still willing to wait in line for one of our favorite brunch places, Good Enough to Eat. As a dietitian, I feel guilty recommending this, but the restaurant has the best strawberry butter and biscuits. It's a good thing I no longer live in the city!
In the afternoon, we visited the new High Line park. Living on the West Side near Hell's Kitchen for a year, I was disappointed that the park was not developed until after I moved away. The High Line was created in the 1930s to prevent freight trains from traveling the streets of Manhattan. In 2009, the High Line opened as a public park, gradually opening sections of the park where it will eventually be a mile and a half long. We started at 30th street and walked a mile throughout the park. Check out the views from the High Line below. This was definitely a great way to work in some physical activity while still enjoying NYC without the traffic and noise.
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| Rainbow City (AOL sponsored at High Line Park) |
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| Water Fountain in High Line Park that offers friendly advice |
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View from High Line Park |
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| View from tram to Roosevelt Island |
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| View of Manhattan from Roosevelt Island |
We ended the weekend with our SECOND stop to Buttercup Bake Shop . This is one of my all time favorite places for dessert. We first stopped in on Friday for sweet treats, specifically the banana pudding because it is the BEST that I have ever had....maybe one day I can get the recipe from them, unless any of you know it, please share!!! On the train ride back to the airport on Monday, we savored every last bite of banana pudding. Who knows when I will have a chance to go back?
To sum it all up, I miss you NYC, but I always look forward to reuniting!
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