The penultimate post about my trip to New York and as much as I've tried to cut down the photos and not make the post not too photo heavy..photo's are the best part right?
Plus I promise I'm not in them all. It did make me laugh slightly when choosing which photos to add for the post. I don't know quite why I have 3 photos of a bakery and yet only one uploaded of the Statue of Liberty. Blogger problems at it's butter cream coated finest there.
So as the 3 photos tell..errmmm 3000 words? We started the day by strolling round the corner from out hotel (Row NYC) to Carlo's bakery. AKA cake boss cafe. Don't act like you don't watch the food channel a little like a travel show too, it really can't be just me who does this. I mean it's not quite been featured on diners, drive in's and dives, but its the cake boss cafe! (going off on a little tangent making little sense now, I know).
Selecting breakfast a baked treat was hard! They all looked so nice. In the end I opted for a classic cheesecake. It would have been rude to be in New York and not try their cheesecake after all. Plus cheesecake for breakfast always tastes nicer than cheesecake at any other time of the day. This particular cheesecake for some reason tasted like birthday cake. It was a weird heavenly combination but paired with freshly roasted coffee, gave me just the perk I needed for the morning ahead.
We took the subway to Grand Central Station, I'm sure the New Yorkers might not see the fuss about a "train station" but with stunning architecture, windows beaming in light from the New York skyline, the American flag hanging with pride and even the hussle & bussle of the commuters make this such a beautiful attraction. After leaving the station we took in the sights of other stunning landmarks such as the Chrysler building and maybe did a little shopping in Bath & Body works.
After walking around with our eyes high in the sky marvelling at the skyline of New York, it was time for my stomach to lead the way. It lead me all the way to the well know New York eatery Katz's Deli, for one of their famous ruben sandwiches. I'm saving this for a post of it's own.
With a full stomach it was time to brave the cold on-board the Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. Sailing across icy water and chilly winds, I kept hold of my hat as we sailed closer to Lady Liberty in the distance. It's such a iconic landmark and one that gave me little butterflies to actually see in person.
Arriving back on land, we warmed up with a cocktail at the rather quirky dead rabbit cocktail bar. An unassuming little bar with such charming character. I ordered a Sweet Jane (gin, dolin Blanc, apple, lemon, pink grapefruit, anise and bitters) it was strong but I certainly wasn't complaining.
After warming up we again set of to explore more of the big city. (I'm starting to read this back to myself in a pirate voice now, I think I keep saying the word exploring too much). Arrggghhh-fter the drinks, we headed down Wall Street.
The streets of Wall Street had a slightly different feel about them, they seemed more relaxed and casual. Maybe as everyone was at work, it was Monday afternoon after all. I enjoyed the charm of wall street and the landmarks to be seen. The charging bull statue, the New York Stock Exchange and Trinity church. It was a nice stroll wandering in and out of shops (and Starbucks) on the sunny morning.
We ended exploring the financial district by paying our respects at the 9/11 memorial. It's hard to write in words the feeling of seeing the memorial and taking it all in. I've chosen not to add the pictures as it feels a little wrong to categorise a memorial the same way you would any other tourist attraction.
We ended the days sightseeing with a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Luckily we timed the day perfectly and strolled back from Brooklyn to New York as the sun set. The city looked ever so picturesque as the twinkling lights of the skyscraper windows looked almost like fairy lights winding their way around the city.
Finally back at the hotel for a quick freshen up we headed out for the classic taste of NY in the form of pizza. It was a personal highlight of the trip to be sat next to the two most "new york" sounding guys I had ever heard (not heard many) talking about there day.
The pizza was washed down with a drink or two at Rudys bar. $8 pictures of beer...take me back!
Does the day make you want to plan a visit to the Big Apple?
Sammie