Today was our first full day in New York City (this trip), and we made the most of it!
We took our time getting ready and visiting with Cathy. But, at last, we were ready for a long day out.
We walked a few blocks to the nearest subway. Mary Teresa was soooo excited about going on the subway. You have to hold your nose a bit - it's not as pristine as the DC Metro, but it sure beats paying for a cab everywhere. And, you certainly get the REAL New York feel.
We took the subway to midtown, and went to Blessed Sacrament for Mass. It was a GORGEOUS church. Stained glass, marble everywhere, sculptures, the works. A choir sang a high Mass - Kyrie, Sanctus, incense. It reminded me of the church that I went to when growing up in Denver. It was a beautiful moment for me to expose the girls to the kind of high liturgy that I fell in love with as a child. The priest gave an excellent homily about how church is for people that are not perfect - that we all need to come. Even Peter denied Christ three times, but he came back. And that's what we need to do. He was a lovely priest.
When we got out, we enjoyed seeing that there was a street fair going on. The girls got more exposure to what can be sold on the streets of New York. There was a socks and underwear stand next to a bed sheets stand next to jewelry, next to Greek food. I love the diversity here!
We got some smoothies there, and they were delicious. Cathy introduced us to Thai Bubble Tea. ?????? It was surprisingly great. It was cold tea with coconut milk and large tapioca bubbles throughout it. So, when you took a drink, a squishy "bubble" came up with it. Who knew? It is actually something that I would order again.
We grabbed lunch at a nearby deli and headed a few blocks to Central Park.
On the way, we passed the building where John Lennon was killed, and we passed the Museum of Natural History. This is the exterior of where "Night at the Museum" was filmed, and the girls were very excited about that. We were across the street, but Gina really wanted to go inside. She, Mary Teresa, and I went over just to see the lobby. We were greeted by the spectacular sight of three dinosaurs on display. One of them was several stories high!!!! They girls were stunned by the magnitude of it. I tried very hard to get the girls and the tall dinosaur in one picture - I even laid down to try to get a good angle, but I couldn't get that darn head in! It was just too tall.
We're going to go back and do the whole museum on Tuesday.
We walked on to the entrance that we needed at Central Park. It was a GORGEOUS day, and there were lots of people in the park. Cathy took us to her favorite spot at Turtle Pond. We had a picnic lunch. I laid Vincent down on a blanket, and he fell asleep almost immediately. What a great place to fall asleep! If I didn't have to keep a sharp eye on roving Mary Teresa, I could definitely have fallen asleep, too.
There were lots of families around. Gina made friends with one girl, and they spent a lot of time doing cartwheels in the grass.
We walked around the corner to a dock that overlooks the turtles - there were so many that we couldn't count them. Gina enjoyed taking pictures, and has declared several times she wants to be a nature photographer.
Cathy's friend, Kevin, met us, as we had hoped that he would. He had never met the kids, but had heard all about them from Cathy. Claire found him to be a very receptive audience to her conversation and passion about all things tv/movie.
Cathy and Kevin took the girls to the nearby castle, and we took pictures of them above from down below.
Cathy also tried holding Vincent in the sling, and she loved it! He was happiest today when he was in that sling with her. I enjoyed the little break.
We were all tired after our day in New York, but we decided to extend the day a little more.
We hopped on the subway again and went to Times Square.
There is such a blend of emotions in Times Square. The sheer size of the billboards, the electricity, and the excitement of Broadway shows always around never ceases to capture me. However, it is mixed with crowds, noise, smells, and hustle and bustle.
We got there just as matinees were getting out, and it was quite crowded. We saw Alison Janney outside of the theater showing "9 to 5".
Our main destination is the Marriott Marquis. It has very fast glass elevators, and we knew that the girls would get a big kick out of them. I am deathly afraid of heights, which has only gotten worse as I've gotten older, so I just couldn't ride the elevators like I used to. I sat in the lounge and got them on tape. Mary Teresa was ELATED with the ride. They want to go again on Thursday when we are back for "The Little Mermaid".
We ate some dinner on the eighth floor in a lounge that looks right over Times Square. We were one table away from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Claire spent some time alone at a little table right by the window. There was something so touching about seeing my little entertainment queen wistfully and earnestly observing everything around her.
Claire particularly enjoyed a sign for the new Pixar movie, "Up", which was 28 stories high!!!! We saw advertisements for lots of shows - "West Side Story", "Chicago", "Shrek - the Musical", and "South Pacific".
We walked past the Majestic, still showing "The Phantom of the Opera". This was my first Broadway show, at that theater, 20 years ago this month!
Just last week, New York City closed Times Square to auto traffic, and it is now an urban pedestrian area - with lawn chairs!!!! This is not a Times Square that I ever expected to see. Instead of lots of pushing and shoving, there was so much SPACE for people. It was like one big block party, with people from all over the world.
We finished the evening by taking the subway back to the upper tip of Manhattan, where Cathy lives.
The news showed that the President and Prince Harry were in town. Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Welcome to New York City!
We're here!
We had a very early morning flight out of San Antonio and into Minneapolis. We were flying on Northwest. After having purchased the tickets, several people told me how much they disliked that airline. So, I wasn't expecting much. However, everyone that we encountered, from beginning to end, was wonderful.
We particularly appreciated the steward, who was very attentive to the kids. When he found out that it was Vincent's first flight, he came back later with a "First Flight Certificate" that he had the captain and the flight crew sign. Vincent also got a set of wings.
We arrived in Minneapolis and the girls debated on whether this trip to Minnesota "counted" as one of our states. We like to keep track of all of the states that we travel to. However, considering that the closet thing we saw to Minnesota was the tee shirts in the airport shops, so it didn't count. I guess we'll have to go back someday!
The kids were great. Even Vincent slept most of the time. On the flight to New York, one woman commented to me that we had the best behaved children that she's ever seen on a plane - including her own. That is always music to a mother's ears!!!!! Thankfully, the girls have always been outstanding travelers. I love seeing them wheel their carry-on baggage through an airport. Vincent was an angel, too - he slept the whole time.
We flew into La Guardia, and Gina gave up her window seat so that Mary Teresa could see New York first. Mary Teresa has been looking forward to this for YEARS. The last time that we were in New York City was when I was pregnant with her. So, she likes to say that she's been, but she says that "it was dark" and she "didn't get to see anything".
The highlights of this trip for her are going to be the Statue of Liberty and the "Vampire State Building". As long as there are no vampires.
We saw a lot from the air. Gina spotted the Statue of Liberty, but Mary Teresa could never see where she was pointing. The Empire State Building was an obvious site, and Mary Teresa was so excited when she FINALLY saw it. It's all that she's been talking about for weeks. I was saddened not to see the twin towers, which used to dominate the skyline so elegantly.
Our cab ride took us through Harlem, and then up to Washington Heights, where my sister lives. This is a lovely area, very neighborhood-like. It is a Dominican neighborhood. (As in, people from the Dominican Republic, not the nuns. I guess the Catholic in me wanted to clarify that.)
Cathy was on the steps waiting for us with open arms. Her roommate, Brennan met us at the door. They proudly showed us around their apartment. The entryway features marble walls and mosaic floors. ("Features" - I have been writing a lot of real estate descriptions lately. I guess that word comes naturally!)
The apartment is very cute, a size up from the matchbox that they used to live in on the Upper East side. Believe it or not, six of us fit pretty comfortably, in addition to Cathy and Brennan.
Starving, we decided to order some food. When Cathy and I are on the phone, she always seems to be eating Indian food, and then telling me how GOOD it tastes. Well, I was ready for some of that! She pulled out the delivery menu, and I was SHOCKED at the prices. I really expected New York prices here, but dinners were starting at $5.95. Cathy explained that since this isn't a tourist neighborhood, they have normal prices.
The food was DELICIOUS - very authentic, and I am certain that we are going to have our fill of Indian food while we are here. The girls tried it for the first time, and they liked it. Mary Teresa, my carb addict, only ate her na'an. Then, she wanted dessert, and reluctantly ate her chicken vindaloo so that she could have it. It's not that she didn't like it - she did - that girl is just stubborn, though, and wants to eat on her own terms.
After dinner, we walked to the grocery store. The girls saw a taste of something that I'd described about New York - people selling items outside on tables. On the walk to the store, we saw a table with someone selling rosaries and Buddist incense sticks. Across from that, there was a person selling Guess shoes. Claire and Gina have saved their money for this trip, but were concerned that New York prices would be too much for them. I told them that the street tables are the place to buy knock-offs for less. I bought a Hard Rock Cafe tee shirt for $4 on the street 20 years ago, when the official ones inside were $26. They were really excited to hear that.
The neighborhood prices continued to hold in the grocery store, as prices really weren't much higher than I'd pay at HEB. We had packed all sorts of snacks and cereal just in case, but I saw that it wasn't necessary. (On the Upper East side, cereal is $7 a box!) Oh, well, now we'll have lots of room in our suitcase on the way back.
I took a stroll down the pasta isle, and was pleased to see several kinds of pasta that I'd never heard of. Gina and I were drawn to the kinds of pasta that are good in soups. I bought a few boxes of TINY tubes - about the size of an ant. And, even smaller than that, Gina bought a box of pasta stars. I guess our suitcase won't be empty after all.
We played Scrabble for the rest of the evening, and Gina and Mary Teresa colored pictures of everything that they want to see.
Today, we will be going to a high Mass at Mount Sacred Heart, and they spend the rest of the day in Central Park hanging out. Cathy's friend, Kevin, whom we all went to York Catholic School with, will meet up with us. I haven't seen him since he and Cathy ran for student council and Rob and I stayed up late making campaign signs for them. (Yes, our grassroots politicing wasn't always presidential.)
We have lots of plans for the trip, but no set agenda. We'll see where each day takes us!
We had a very early morning flight out of San Antonio and into Minneapolis. We were flying on Northwest. After having purchased the tickets, several people told me how much they disliked that airline. So, I wasn't expecting much. However, everyone that we encountered, from beginning to end, was wonderful.
We particularly appreciated the steward, who was very attentive to the kids. When he found out that it was Vincent's first flight, he came back later with a "First Flight Certificate" that he had the captain and the flight crew sign. Vincent also got a set of wings.
We arrived in Minneapolis and the girls debated on whether this trip to Minnesota "counted" as one of our states. We like to keep track of all of the states that we travel to. However, considering that the closet thing we saw to Minnesota was the tee shirts in the airport shops, so it didn't count. I guess we'll have to go back someday!
The kids were great. Even Vincent slept most of the time. On the flight to New York, one woman commented to me that we had the best behaved children that she's ever seen on a plane - including her own. That is always music to a mother's ears!!!!! Thankfully, the girls have always been outstanding travelers. I love seeing them wheel their carry-on baggage through an airport. Vincent was an angel, too - he slept the whole time.
We flew into La Guardia, and Gina gave up her window seat so that Mary Teresa could see New York first. Mary Teresa has been looking forward to this for YEARS. The last time that we were in New York City was when I was pregnant with her. So, she likes to say that she's been, but she says that "it was dark" and she "didn't get to see anything".
The highlights of this trip for her are going to be the Statue of Liberty and the "Vampire State Building". As long as there are no vampires.
We saw a lot from the air. Gina spotted the Statue of Liberty, but Mary Teresa could never see where she was pointing. The Empire State Building was an obvious site, and Mary Teresa was so excited when she FINALLY saw it. It's all that she's been talking about for weeks. I was saddened not to see the twin towers, which used to dominate the skyline so elegantly.
Our cab ride took us through Harlem, and then up to Washington Heights, where my sister lives. This is a lovely area, very neighborhood-like. It is a Dominican neighborhood. (As in, people from the Dominican Republic, not the nuns. I guess the Catholic in me wanted to clarify that.)
Cathy was on the steps waiting for us with open arms. Her roommate, Brennan met us at the door. They proudly showed us around their apartment. The entryway features marble walls and mosaic floors. ("Features" - I have been writing a lot of real estate descriptions lately. I guess that word comes naturally!)
The apartment is very cute, a size up from the matchbox that they used to live in on the Upper East side. Believe it or not, six of us fit pretty comfortably, in addition to Cathy and Brennan.
Starving, we decided to order some food. When Cathy and I are on the phone, she always seems to be eating Indian food, and then telling me how GOOD it tastes. Well, I was ready for some of that! She pulled out the delivery menu, and I was SHOCKED at the prices. I really expected New York prices here, but dinners were starting at $5.95. Cathy explained that since this isn't a tourist neighborhood, they have normal prices.
The food was DELICIOUS - very authentic, and I am certain that we are going to have our fill of Indian food while we are here. The girls tried it for the first time, and they liked it. Mary Teresa, my carb addict, only ate her na'an. Then, she wanted dessert, and reluctantly ate her chicken vindaloo so that she could have it. It's not that she didn't like it - she did - that girl is just stubborn, though, and wants to eat on her own terms.
After dinner, we walked to the grocery store. The girls saw a taste of something that I'd described about New York - people selling items outside on tables. On the walk to the store, we saw a table with someone selling rosaries and Buddist incense sticks. Across from that, there was a person selling Guess shoes. Claire and Gina have saved their money for this trip, but were concerned that New York prices would be too much for them. I told them that the street tables are the place to buy knock-offs for less. I bought a Hard Rock Cafe tee shirt for $4 on the street 20 years ago, when the official ones inside were $26. They were really excited to hear that.
The neighborhood prices continued to hold in the grocery store, as prices really weren't much higher than I'd pay at HEB. We had packed all sorts of snacks and cereal just in case, but I saw that it wasn't necessary. (On the Upper East side, cereal is $7 a box!) Oh, well, now we'll have lots of room in our suitcase on the way back.
I took a stroll down the pasta isle, and was pleased to see several kinds of pasta that I'd never heard of. Gina and I were drawn to the kinds of pasta that are good in soups. I bought a few boxes of TINY tubes - about the size of an ant. And, even smaller than that, Gina bought a box of pasta stars. I guess our suitcase won't be empty after all.
We played Scrabble for the rest of the evening, and Gina and Mary Teresa colored pictures of everything that they want to see.
Today, we will be going to a high Mass at Mount Sacred Heart, and they spend the rest of the day in Central Park hanging out. Cathy's friend, Kevin, whom we all went to York Catholic School with, will meet up with us. I haven't seen him since he and Cathy ran for student council and Rob and I stayed up late making campaign signs for them. (Yes, our grassroots politicing wasn't always presidential.)
We have lots of plans for the trip, but no set agenda. We'll see where each day takes us!
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