Once Upon a Time in New York City

New York City; the greatest city on earth! It’s hard to believe, but my husband and I visited New York three years ago this week. Millions of people love New York. I happen to love it for the city it is and also for the special place it holds in my heart. My husband is a big-time New York Yankees fan, and once upon a time when we had just started dating, we discussed how it would be a great once-in-a-lifetime experience to see the Yankees play at Yankee Stadium. The idea stuck with me and I surprised him with tickets for Christmas. This would be our first big trip together and our first time really experiencing traveling together. You see, this trip to New York would not only set the stage for all of our future travel adventures, but also for our future together as a couple.

On a particularly cold day of our 4 day trip, we found ourselves darting from bar to bar as we made our way through the streets and sights of lower Manhattan. I’m not a coffee drinker, but it was so cold that day I became a temporary fan of Irish Coffee. In the last bar we stopped at before visiting the 9/11 Memorial, he started talking about our relationship and future together. The next thing I knew, he mentioned the possibility of getting married in September. Of course I really wanted to go scream from the rooftops with joy, but September?!? It was already mid-April and we weren’t engaged. How in the world could we possibly pull off a wedding by September?!? Little did I know, that when he took a phone call at the airport a few days prior, it was actually the jeweler calling to discuss the order he had placed for my ring….

Our conversation continued a little while longer, and then we decided it was time to continue with our NYC adventure. Now, if you want to hear about the rest of our engagement story, you’ll have to wait with baited breath for a future post on that adventure. But, because I will always have such endearing memories of New York City, I just had to share the backstory on why that city is so near and dear to my heart.

So, now that I have the sentimental part of my love for New York City out there for the world to see, you may also be wondering how in the world we managed to navigate the largest city in the United States in just a few days. This trip would also set us up to master the art of maximizing our time during our travels, allowing us to see a lot in a little time. The best way to pull this off – plan and bust… As in plan what the top things are that you really want to do and then bust your butt off doing it. Isn’t that how life should be anyway? On a whirlwind trip like this, there is no time to sleep in, no time to dawdle. Plan where you want to go and what things you want to see, then find the most efficient routes to get there, and start moving! By staying at a relatively central hotel a few blocks down from Times Square, here’s everything else we managed to pull off in between a Thursday night arrival and a Sunday afternoon departure in New York City.

Visit Times Square! I know, I know… it’s Times Square. But, it’s so electric! We loved the people watching and the energy. I was also able to do a little shopping here and it’s a good central area to grab food before heading out.

Watch the Yankees play at Yankee Stadium! We spent a little time before the game hanging out in the Bronx and had a great time watching the game!

Take a Harbor Cruise of Lower Manhattan! This was one of the top two coldest times of our lives. It was 40 degrees, with wind and sleet, we were already soaked from all the walking, and being on the water was even more freezing, but it was a great way to take in the city views! This also allowed for a great photo opp. of the Statue of Liberty (which was still closed after damages sustained from Hurricane Sandy), and spending time at Pier 15.

Visit the 9/11 Memorial! This was a very somber experience, but I’m so glad we were able to spend time here. We walked here from the pier and got to see a lot by doing this.

Visit the top of the Empire State Building! The views are breathtaking and the building itself is just so beautiful. I love its art deco décor and design.

Eat! We felt a trip to NYC was not complete without trying two things: Pizza and cheesecake. We had many other impressive meals, including some great Italian and innovative breakfasts!

Stroll through Central Park! It’s huge and we only got to see a fraction of it. But, we had a plane to catch later that afternoon.

We chose to either walk or take cabs most the time we were there which also allowed us to get a glimpse of SoHo, Harlem, Chelsea, Battery Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the financial district. There were several other things we would have liked to have done during our time in the city.  However, we covered a lot of ground and we now have a great reason to go back!