Wednesday, July 15, 2009

NYC Volume 1: The Sights



Mark and I have done a lot in just the past week and a half. There are so many fun (and free!) things to do here over the summer, so I'll try to hit the high points of what we've experienced so far.

The Sights:
Rockefeller Center - This is one of my favorite places. Maybe because of my love for 30 Rock, but mostly because it is just a really cool place to sit and people watch. Something I didn't know before is that during the warmer months, instead of an ice rink they have a fancy outdoor restaurant and bar in the middle. Mark and I came here one night with cupcakes from the Magnolia Bakery and sat for a while.
Columbus Circle - We take the subway here everyday and we usually make a transfer underground to get to Mark's work, but its another great place to sit. We came here after the fireworks on the 4th and sat by the fountain while thousands of people walked by.
The Metropolitan Museam of Art - I went with my friend Bethany (from Camp John Marc) last week. Even just the building itself is incredible, and it is filled with so many different types of art. Some beautiful, some thought provoking, and some really creepy. I really liked the sculptures and the European paintings.
The Museum of Natural History - Mark and I went here this past weekend. It was interesting because most of the museum is scenes of stuffed creatures behind glass. We could only go to one "special" exhibit (kind of disappointing because it is pretty expensive in my opinion), so we picked the Planetarium which I haven't been to since junior high and it was really cool.
The Hudson River - We have been here a few times, once for the 4th of July fireworks and twice to see different shows on a pier. Both shows were pretty overcrowded though so we didn't end up staying. Thats the tricky thing about fun events here, sometimes you have to show up about 4 hours early or you can't see much.
Columbia University - I went here with Bethany because she's applying to a program here and it was beautiful!! It made me excited to start learning again.

Battery Park - This is where you get on a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, so we had a great view of it. We are planning on going sometime soon to see the statue. They had a big metal sculpture there that looked pretty beat up, so we read the plaque for it and it was a sculpture that used to be in front of the World Trade Center that stood for World Peace.
Ground Zero - We went to a small church called St. Paul in front of the site that did a lot to help during 9/11. They had an exhibit up with pictures and writings about what it was all like. It was great to read about how the church represented Christ through their tremendous acts of service and love.
Wall Street - We went on Sunday, so there was no action, maybe for the best.
Times Square - A little too busy for me most of the time, but its still fun to see it. Did you know there is an area in the middle where people just set up lawn chairs to sit and watch? I didn't believe Mark at first when he told me they weren't waiting to see something in particular, just lounging in Time Square.
Central Park - Mark and I spent a lot of time in Central Park on Sunday and it was wonderful. We brought lunch and watched a few baseball games, saw people playing cricket and tennis, musicians, boat riders, fountains, baby ducks, what more could you ask for?
Greenwich Village/The Meatpacking District - One of the more expensive parts of town, so not my favorite place, but we went to a cool glass art exhibit there.
The Flatiron District - This is where Mark works, so we spend most of our time around there. Its pretty typical, shops and deli's and restaraunts. There are some fun parks around it and I like walking here.
Chinatown - Pretty much exactly what you are picturing right now. Flags with Chinese lettering and shop after shop with a lot of Chinese food places. Bethany and I went here and she got ginger-flavored ice cream which was very surprisingly delicious.
Union Square - I sit here quite a bit, its pretty close to where Mark works and a subway that goes pretty much anywhere. Lots of musicians and artists usually, and a Farmer's Market on Fridays & Saturdays that I'm planning on visiting this week.
Stay tuned for volume II, our personal favorite....the food!!

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