NYC CHRISTMAS DIARIES

NYC NYC

Casually over two months late on this post- but hey, better late than never. So before we jump into my time machine and head back to December, grab a drink or something. This is going to take a while.

What I will say is after visiting NYC three times now, I wouldn’t call myself an expert but I would say I know a fair few things, interesting facts, places to go and something I find very important when I visit any city.. places to eat. SO… Come back shortly and I’ll have an updated Do’s/ Don’ts/ etc all ready for you to read. Anywho, providing you’ve got your drink and snack of choice… I’ll Begin.

December 1st 2015
Early morning flights at Heathrow are not the one, especially when you live on the other side of London and your mother has an UNREAL obsession with travelling by the tube. Now, I’ll tell you this. Sitting on the tube at rush hour with a suitcase is no picnic. Door to door and a 2 hour round trip later a not so warm return welcome to Terminal 3 at 7am. After dropping our bags off and in great need of a coffee we headed to Pret for that and a baguette. Not my usual choice of food at at that time in the morning but after being awake for around 4 hours it felt more like lunch time. After a browse of duty free and the new terminal we boarded our Delta plane and took off on time. This is actually the third time I’ve used delta. Now, I’m not overly impressed with Delta, not to say that I’ve ever received bad service, but perhaps not the sharpest. Regardless of plane snobbery and two glasses of red wine down we both decided to try and have a nap and do our best to avoid jet lag upon arrival.
No need to go into detail about US customs but the taxi from JFK to our hotel was unbearable. This time, as I had the mother with me we chose a hotel in Mid Town, or more specifically – Times Square. ( or just off it) Anyway, if you are looking for a nice, modern hotel with all amenities including a bar then the TRYP Wyndam is your hotel. ( link at bottom of post) No sooner had we been in the hotel for around a hour had mum broken the shower… sigh. It was raining but we headed out to Times Square in search of dinner at around 6pm (EST)/ 11pm ( GMT). Ruby Tuesday was the easy option and I was presented with the worlds biggest salad. Absolutely exhausted and after taken a few photos ( moody vibes ) It was time for bed.

December 2nd
After a rather disturbed nights sleep it was time to start another day… In the rain. Regardless of the weather we headed to Bryant park to grab some breakfast/brunch at Le Pain Quotidien ( which is pretty hilarious as they actually have quite a few of these in London, but naturally I’ve never been.) Anyway service was a little slow but when they finally arrived food and drinks were more than acceptable. At around 12pm we once again braved the rain and the first stop was the NYC Public Library which was decorated beautifully ( naturally, it was Christmas Time). With no sign of the weather improving we decided to avoid the major attractions such as Top of the Rock and Central Park in hope that a sunny day would come soon. Instead we explored the shops of 5th Avenue popping into Saks, Ralph Lauren, Hollister etc. After this we strolled along to Bloomingdales and after buying a new ornament for my Christmas Tree we made pilgrimage back to the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM to pick up a Red Velvet.

After a very much needed nap we headed towards the celebrations at the Rockerfeller Center. Worst move, streets crowded beyond any imagination. No chance of getting anywhere near the tree. O well. Instead we did take a couple of photos on 6th Ave and made tracks on route to dinner. We had an absolutely amazing Thai at V{IV} ( linked below) a delightful place in Hell’s Kitchen. It was the best meal that we actually had all week and the best Thai I’ve had in a very long time. Big Thumbs up.

December 3rd
Very busy day but finally some sunshine. First stop something I’d actually never done despite being here twice before… An actual Statue of Liberty Cruise. I was actually extremely impressed considering the price was only around $14. Despite the weather being pretty chilly, I practically forced my mum to stand on the top deck for the duration of the trip. Upon arriving on Liberty Island we first headed to the cafe to find some coffee ( we’d skipped breakfast) That was actually a bit of a challenge in itself and seemed to take about 20 mins. Next to actually take some photos of Lady Liberty herself and then it was back on the boat to Ellis Island. I actually really liked Ellis Island ( probably because I have become a little obsessed with America) There was a really good video about US immigration which lasted about 45 minutes which I definitely would not have spent my time on this time a year ago. Anyway, absolutely freezing we headed back to Manhattan in search of Lunch.
It had been a while since I’d visited the 9/11 memorial but it had all completely changed. Completely open now, once it had been all boxed in and security heavy. Anyway after a quick walk by Wall Street we lunched at Bills Burgers . THEE BEST Chilli Cheese Fries. Welcome home Kate, welcome Home. Actually it was a good job that we didn’t order two portions because the two of us couldn’t even stomach one. After a delicious lunch it was time for us to make our way up to Greenwich Village. If you’ve known me for at least 2 years you should know that I have a bit of an obsession with F.R.I.E.N.D.S… Naturally had to go and grab an obligatory photo outside ‘the building’ This was followed by a general meander around the rest of the village ( showing the mother the non skyscraper parts of the city) – This included a visit to Washington Square Park and Carrie Bradshaw of SATC’s house. Then it was back to the hotel for a rest. Dinner was certainly not needed after the fries.

December 4th
Another early morning in the City that Never Sleeps and first stop to book tickets for sunset at Top Of The Rock ( The best view in the world if I say so myself) After a stroll around we stumbled upon Rue 56, a French, American themed restaurant and settled down for some brunch. Opted for French toast because you know, when in NYC.. okay maybe you don’t. Washed down with a mimosa. Delightful. Apparently my lunch was a little expensive and mama got mad. Anyway, after a brief argument we headed to central park. Weather was more than delightful today but not enough to get my mum onto the ice rink… darn. Still we got to watch the other people happily skate around… After the park we had a quick trip back to the hotel to prepare for the evening up The TOTR. … REALLY LONG QUEUES. Missed the sunset- Still. Sunset or no sunset I can never complain about the view. The Mother and I stayed up top for around 30 mins, giving us a chance to take in the views and get cold…. ha. After descending we had a really horrific meal at TGIs…

December 5th
Such a bright and beautiful day ( and still surprisingly warm). Mother and I made our way out of Midtown and down to the Chelsea Markets for a general meander and in search of brunch. And so on this beautiful day we ended up at Bubby’s. Decent portions, decent food, service average. Its weird having since worked in the ‘hospitality’ industry for over a year now I can really notice when service is good and when it could be better… Anyway, after a delightful avocado, bacon sandwich and a coffee it was time to take on the HighLine. ( not actually part of my plan, but hey)

Decided to walk the whole thing… something which Liz and I somewhat failed to to last time. But whatevs. After our long Highline walk we decided to walk a little further, passing by Macy’s at Herald Square and then along to Times Square. ( somewhat avoiding the FLAT IRON BUILDING)… I cant believe I’ve done this 3 times now. As it was such a sunny day we decided to stop at the red steps, take some photos and have some drinks, watching the world ( or what literally seemed like) shuffle their way by. NYC, literally. SO BUSY IN DECEMEBER.
And so with my drastic timing error of TOTR, I was determined to get some Golden Hour shots of the Brooklyn Bridge. I am pleased to say that my mission was that of a success. Back on the old Green Line and bringing back memories of Summer we arrived in good time for our sunset walk. For a city that seems to be popular with walkers and at this time of year tourists, the bridge wasn’t at all too busy. 7/8 of the way there theres a side pass which leads down to the Brooklyn Piers and Dumbo were we were greeted by most probably my second favourite view of Manhattan. Also in need of the toilet and a hot drink we headed to The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. And then it was back, back, back the long way across the bridge to get our waffles ( dinner) from Wafels and dinges ( the best place- linked below!) … Back to the hotel. Exhausted. Time for bed.

December 6th
Our last morning. Last mornings/ days are always the worst- especially when you have a late flight. Regardless of spirits being low it was time to treat the Mother to Shake Shake experience at Grand Central. Such a beautiful station and such a nice burger. Nothing much else of any importance to report form this day only we had a really nice drive through NYC to get back to JFK. Kinda annoys me greatly that Terminal 5 or whatever has no wifi.

Peace.

I hope you all enjoyed my delayed account of this trip. More Photos coming soon.

Kate x

On this particular trip I camera-ed with the Canon Compact G7 X. Whilst the camera is far superior to his compact brothers and has some pretty snazzy features, it can in no way replace a DSLR camera.

Hotel:
https://www.tryphotels.com/en/our-hotels/united-states/new-york-city/tryp-new-york-city-times-square-south/

All links for cafes/restaurants and attractions listed below.

https://www.rubytuesday.com/
http://www.lepainquotidien.co.uk/finder/locations/?lat=40.7127837&lng=-74.00594130000002&location=New+York%2C+NY%2C+USA#
http://www.vivthai.com/
https://www.statuecruises.com/#/
http://www.billsbarandburger.com/