New York Part 3: Running Around Town!

Tuesday started off as a rainy windy day. What's a girl to do? Head to Macy's of course! To our surprise we came during their annual Flower Show! What's the Flower Show you ask? Imagine that the Rose Parade barfed on Macy's. They have flowers everywhere! On top of display cases and coming down the aisles. I definitely recommend seeing it if you're in the area during spring!



After our day of shopping we headed to the Jimmy Fallon show! Sorry no pictures :(

We checked out Rockefeller Center on our way out.



We headed up the street to have dinner at a place we had heard about. It's called "The Joint" and it's located in the Le Parker Meridian Hotel. Behind a curtain. Hidden in a corner. And the only sign it's there? The smell of yummy burgers and a tiny neon sign.



As it's name implies, it really is a joint. It's cash only, there are only a few tables, and there are signatures covering the walls. If you're looking for somewhere that's very "New York", definitely check this place out.



The next morning we got up bright and early and headed back to Rockefeller Center, but this time to check out the "Top of the Rock"!



If you're going to pick a buliding to go to the top of in New York, this is the one to do! You have perfect views of the Empire State Building and Central Park. We got so lucky with such a beautiful morning!



My mom asked this random Irish guy to take our picture. He made us pose like this!





I'm slightly obsessed with these.... they were just so vintage looking!





We headed back to Central Park to check out parts that we didn't check out the last time. We walked through Strawberry Fields, walked by the boat house, and stopped by the (empty) fountain.















The next morning we took a ride on the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. When I was in 7th grade we actually went up to the crown of the Statue of Liberty, so viewing it from a distance was fine with me (and it was free!).











We walked down to Wall Street and checked out the Bull. The kids were having a little to much fun with his backside....





We made our way towards Ground Zero and stopped by St. Paul's Chapel of Trinity Church. Outside is The Trinity Root which is from an old tree that got blown down on 9/11. The amazing part of the story is that the tree shielded the building from being damaged and when it fell, it fell in such a way that it didn't damage anything.



They have a old cemetery on the side of the church. Don't be fooled by the pictures... it was packed with people!



Next we headed to the Brooklyn Bridge. My mom was such a good sport. We hadn't planned on going there until we were right next to it and I begged her to go with me! I couldn't pass up a photo opportunity like this!



Next we headed to Washington Square Park.



This might be the coolest view of the Empire State Building.



We finished that day by walking through the Washington Mews, a little alleyway that's a complete throwback to how the city once was.



Up next.... Chelsea Market, Highline Park, and the Flatiron Building!

New York Part 2: From Alice in Wonderland to Harry Potter!

We arrived in New York City on Monday afternoon. After dropping off our rental car (that was an adventure in itself!) we headed to our hotel. When we got to our floor I was surprised to see that it only had 6 rooms! The entire hotel only had 6 rooms on each floor. And our room? It was tiny! Barely enough space to walk, but I must say it was very well done for the size (Hampton Inn Times Square if you are interested!)!

After we put our stuff down we headed out to see the sights! First up, Times Square! I was so turned around the whole time. I thought when we entered that the ball was in front of me, but instead it was behind me. So if you're wondering where the ball is in the picture... it's not there!



If you know anything about me, you would know that I'm a HUGE Harry Potter nerd. Like, seriously. I own a wand and a time turner....
But moving on... after we planned our trip it was announced that Harry Potter: The Exhibition was going to be making it's final North America stop in New York City and it was opening the week I was going to be there! But it didn't end there. The week before our trip they announced that there would be a red carpet event for the DVD launch and opening of the Exhibition with some of the stars, and it was going to be the day we came into New York! How random is that? The Exhibition was on one of the side streets off of the main Times Square. We went over to check it out before the mayhem of the red carpet later in the day. I couldn't believe my eyes. Standing outside two feet away from me were the actors that play Dumbledore, Lupin, Mr. Weasley, and Hagird. The picture is totally blurry, but please understand my hands were shaking like crazy!



After the actors headed back inside and there was really nothing to see, we headed back to Times Square. We checked out the Visitor's Center which my mom had never been to! They have a wall covered in confetti from New Years that people have written wishes on and the old ball that was used in 2007! I was rather impressed with how nice the Visitor's Center is and highly recommend it if your looking for some cool history of Times Square and Broadway, or if you're just looking for a clean restroom!





After Times Square we headed towards Central Park. We checked out the LOVE statue and the Apple Store on our way over. (Why do I always pose like that? I swear it always looks better in my head...)



When we got to Central Park we took a quick break on one of the many benches lining the walkways. There are plaques all over the benches dedicated to various people. We were lucky enough to sit next to the plaques dedicated to those who were lost on September 11th.







I apparently have no concept of where things are in New York. I had seen the Conservatory Pond with the model sail boats on it many times, but never realized that right next to it was the Alice in Wonderland statue!




After taking the bus back towards Times Square we had dinner. We were only a block away from the Exhibition red carpet, and it was going to start in a little over an hour, so I begged my mom to let us go (my wonderful mother stood out there for 2 hours in the cold with me to see people she doesn't care about. Isn't she the best!) The setup was really strange. The red carpet was on the sidewalk on one side of the street, there was a walkway made in the street for people who were walking down that side of the street to walk down instead, then cars were still passing by, and then on the other sidewalk was a walkway, and then the fans were allowed to stand and watch.





I pretty much stood there the entire time with my camera above my head trying to snap pictures. Thank goodness for the live view feature on my camera or I wouldn't have a single good picture! After the first hour we decided to try walking the pathway next to the red carpet. I couldn't believe how close I got to some of my favorite stars like David Thewlis (Lupin), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy), and Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)!



Next time... Macy's Flower Show, Top of the Rock, Statue of Liberty, and Wall Street!

New York Part One: New Haven & Yale

I'm finally ready to show you my photos from our trip! After sorting through all 800 them, I've finally narrowed them down enough to show you :)

We started our trip by heading to New Haven, Connecticut. Why would we do that? My brilliant sister is there studying at Yale! I haven't been back to see her yet, so since we were so close we made the 2 hour trip up from New York.

We were starving by the time we got there, so we headed straight out to dinner! And what better place then the place that created the hamburger! Louis Lunch is a TINY little joint in the middle of New Haven. And by tiny I mean TINY. There is only seating for 10 people at most.



They still use the original ovens (is that what they are? I have no clue what to call them!) that they have always used!



These burgers are a little different then most. The bun is just white toasted bread, and they only come with tomato and onion! No ketchup! In fact, they have a sign that tells you you can't put ketchup on it!



The next day my mom and I walked around Yale before we met up with my sister. Yale totally reminds me of Oxford. It's almost creepy how similar they are!





Apparently if you rub the foot of the statue of Theodore Woodlsey it's good luck. Couldn't hurt!







After we met up with my sister, we got to check out the lab that she works in! It was fun looking at all the test tubes and chemical formulas that I will never understand.



Then we headed to East Rock Park. From the park you can see all of New Haven.



The next day we headed into New York City.... which I'll have for you next time!