The Empire State Building is clearly one of the top symbols people associate with New York, right up there with The Statue. I have been talking for years about how as a connoisseur of all things NYC, I’m embarrassed I haven’t been yet, but I’ve always thought since it is so quintessentially New York, it should be a special occasion of sorts.
Just over three years ago in a P.F. Changs in Delaware with my frousin Christie and her frousin Elizabeth, an idea was hatched. I had just turned 24 and was reaching a turning point in my life. I was getting over my first breakup, attempting to find a job in New York City, and trying to figure out how I would move up to the area. Because I’m never one to do just one thing at once, I decided I would also start a project where I would come up with a list of “25 Things To Do Before I Turn 25,” which I’ve alluded to a few times on this blog.
Happy Winter! I just wanted to write a short post to remind you of all the fun things to do in the city this time of year. I have clearly been too busy to actually *do* any of them yet, but luckily, all the holiday stuff will still be here next week when things calm down a little bit, and the rest of the winter will last another few months so I hope to fit it all in. In the meantime, catch up on some of my favorite winter posts from last year.
This weekend, Nicole, Mendy, and I went to Katz’s Delicatessen. This was my first time eating at the Jewish deli on the Lower East Side which has been in business since 1888. That’s kind of a long time ago. You may also know Katz’s from *that* famous scene in “When Harry Met Sally”, one of the best New York movies of all time.
Happy New Year! Here are some views of Times Square around noon yesterday. Yes, I was crazy / curious enough to check it out, thinking it might not be so bad 12 hours in advance of the holiday. No worries, I didn’t start any fights with the millions of slow-moving, annoying, loud tourists.
Two weeks ago, Emily and I indulged our inner 5-year old slash 90-year old selves and went to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. I thought the show was going to be more like a Broadway show, with Playbills, strict ‘you will get kicked out if you have a camera’ rules, and an intermission, but it had a dinky little program, was actually very casual, with cameras flashing everywhere, and was a lot shorter and wouldn’t have needed an intermission.
Here are a few ways I would recommend to watch the Tree Lighting in Rockefeller Center:
Perform in the ceremony on NBC (one of these days…)
Camp out from 8:00 am.
Somehow get yourself invited to a VIP party on the ice rink so you can mingle with Real Housewives, Yankees Players, and actors from”30 Rock” (I am currently jealous of a particular friend of mine who sent me the following picture of his front-row view).
My friends and I have decided that the new Friday night is at Sweet Caroline’s Dueling Piano Bar in Times Square (46th bt 6th & 7th Avenues). Two piano players and one drum player perform song requests from tourists (and the occasional New Yorker). The song slip tells them what you want to hear, the amount of money you give with the song slip tells them how badly you want to hear it…and if you don’t like a song they are playing, you can request a new one with a higher bid. The first time Mendy and I went to Sweet Caroline’s, we were apparently in the wrong crowd with the lowest payments for songs being $20. This time, people were requesting songs for $2, so we were actually able to participate (and, in some cases, dominate).
One of the top things on my NYC To-Do list (not to be confused with my Holiday To-Do List in NYC for 2010, my 26 things to do before I turn 26 list, or my rappers I’d like to face in a freestyle battle list) was to do an Ellis Island / Statue of Liberty trip which I finally got to do on this absolutely gorgeous Sunday! I know most people probably did this on school trips when they were in elementary school, but I grew up just two hours too far from the city for that. My sister tells me that I actually have been to Lady Lib but I just don’t believe her as I have no recollection of this NYC trip.
The Christmas season seems to come earlier and earlier each year. My personal opinion is that the holiday season should start at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade when Santa comes out. But maybe, because there are so many wonderful things to do in New York City during the holidays, I can let it start a little earlier. And so I give you, my Holiday To-Do List in NYC for 2010.
Today, Nicole, Dave, and I decided to go to Pop Tarts World in Times Square. Yes, you read that correctly. Someone, somewhere, thought this was a good idea. The store is located on 42nd, in between Broadway and 6th.
10 miles behind me 