A few times, I have hit the pavement alone, ready to explore New York City. I'm a single girl AND a predominantly solo traveller, so time on my own is always necessary. Although I love to socialize... and I adore spending time with friends, I do need my ME time... and I know well enough when to take it.
While I've been in the city this week, I have often looked at my outfit and wondered if it was something a regular New Yorker would wear. Of course, my conclusion is always a harsh, harsh no, but it's fun to think of being thought of as a local.
Like today. I felt very Melanie Griffith from 'Working Girl.' A younger Melanie Griffith, of course, and not so blonde... and also slightly fatter. Deeper voice... smaller lips... not so sexy. Also I am slightly older than the Melanie Griffith 'Working Girl' I was metaphorically representing, with my skirt and runners on. Plus - her runners were white. Mine were blue. But why ruin a perfectly good story with the details?
Definitely Melanie Griffith intent. Right?
For the past week, we have all been roaming this city, ticking things off our own bucket lists as we go. There have been a number of significant landmarks visited, as well as many iconic encounters and silly things too.
Like what?
Hmmmm....
Food... for one.
It's not just hot dogs and pizza here! There was the obligatory NYC bagel... the cheesecake, the chomp of the apple IN the BIG APPLE!
* MUST TRY ~ Everything bagel from Tribeca Bagels. Jalapeño cheddar cream cheese & smoked lox.
* Cheesecake, actually NOT cheesecake at all. Deceptive! It was a chocolate marzipan cake. Although, to be honest, I didn't really know that until I had paid for it!
* Apple was the real thing. Wrapped in plastic too, which I thought was slightly excessive.
During my time in New York City, I have achieved a lot of things. I have managed to;
~ Visit the Ghostbusters headquarters.
~ Give Donald Trump the mandatory big ole bird.
~ Face up to Wall Street's Charging Bull.
* We couldn't find the Fearless Girl anywhere. Perhaps stolen?
* Line up to get a photograph with the bull's balls was beyond tolerable.
~ Stroll past Radio City Music Hall.
~ Indulge in a tasty beverage McGhee's, just to make Barney and the gang proud.
* The How I Met Your Mother pub...
#17 on the Bucket List!
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Do the emblematic Audrey Hepburn selfie in front of Tiffany's & co. Had to be done.
* You can hardly tell the difference. I think it's the iPhone that really gives it away.
The BIG Piano in Macy's
How can one come to New York and NOT seek out this gem?
This enormous piano is arguably the most famous keyboard ever... and all because of it's memorable scene in the Tom Hanks movie, 'Big.' It was apparently first installed in the toy store FAO Schwarz in 1982, but it was moved to Macy's recently. Macy's is arguable the most famous department store of all time, thought I can't figure out if it's because it's America's luxury store or if it's because of the historical wooden staircases. Maybe it's the Big piano! Probably. For some reason, it wasn't as big as I had envisioned it to be, but it was still cool... and step on the keys.
If anyone is looking for it... it's on the 0 level... where the food court is, directly around the corner (to the left) from the wooden staircase.
#4 on the Bucket List
Ride the Subway.
Done ✔️
A few times, we got lost and slightly spun around, but we always managed to make it to our destination. While we were here, the local news highlighted a few New Yorkers that happened to have been beaten up, stabbed and pushed into the tracks... so we figured it would be in our best interest to keep our head down and mind our own business. We survived. Lived to tell...
A couple of our NYC travel gang had commented that we hadn't seen any rats yet. Homelessness, yes. Excessive garbage on every corner, yes. Drug abuse, yet.
Oddly enough... no rats.
It wasn't until a rainy night in Harlem that the rats really started to come out to play. There was actually one moment, we had taken refuge from the torrential downpour and were waiting for the metro to arrive, that the rats reared their ugly heads. At one point, the lady behind the underground counter yelled at Stella, "MA'AM! MA'AM! Watch out, Ma'am!!!," as a big dirty rat bounded towards her!
*SUBWAY TIP ~ for anyone coming to New York. Download one of the apps before you get there! It comes in very, very handy... It works off-line and makes transit that much easier... although, for some reason, I always seem to find a way to make life difficult. App or no app. My problem usually lies with the blue dot... trying to navigate my way around the world, completely at the mercy of the stupid blue dot...
#8 on my Bucket List.
Hail a Cab.
Well... I didn't really hail a cab. Kinda. It was stationary.
I did TRY to hail a cab though, and then I turned around to discover a bunch of them lined up along the side of the road. Every single movie and show you ever see... someone hails a cab in New York City. I desperately wanted to live that moment.
I summoned an Uber... if that makes up for it? Kinda?
#9 on the Bucket List
See a play on Broadway.
Done ✔️
Now... I wouldn't normally consider myself much of a skit laugher. I'm not. Unless I really think something warrants a giggle here and there, my comedic appreciation vision is very narrow. I am not one for slapstick and I usually don't have the attention necessary to endure 2+ hours of songs and/or drama. Comedy included. Blame it a little bit on my fairly evident attention deficit disorder and a little bit of 'can't be bothered.'
This broadway play was spectacular. It was intended (as a show) to be a serious, murder mystery play, but it was intentionally riddled with faulty props, forgotten lines, blunders & bad acting. Very Monte Python-like, if I was looking for some sort of description. If you have the chance to see this masterpiece, do it. Although I think it's only live in London and New York at the moment. Throughout the entire production, I think I was either laughing or seated there with an enormous silly grin, smacked right across my entire face.
Recommended... all thumbs up.
More to follow ❤️
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