Eventully I will insert things that I want to do while I am here in the state of New York. (I figure that since I'm here, I might as well take advantage of it. Don't be mistaken, I would not put my roots here, this is simply a "pit stop" and not my final destination.)
So far, I have done the following things since my arrival last year. These are in no particular order:
- Visit the Bronx Zoo
- Regional wine tasting
- Visit the Finger Lakes (saw one of them...WOW!!! Amazingly clear!)
- Visit Central Park
- Visit Time Square
- Visit Battery Park (saw Statue of Liberty from afar)
- Visit Grand Central Station
- Take the Subway and MTA train
- Go to a Broadway Musical (Ma Ma Mia! EXCELLENT! / also Beatlemania Now! at Emelin Theatre...Delightful!)
- Ate Chinese food in China Town (drove through Little Italy too)
- Ate New York pizza
- See the holiday lights, skaters. and Christmas tree at Rockerfeller Center
- Apple picking in the orchards
- Beach trips to Robert Moses and Jones Beach, also walked to top of the Fire Island Light House
- Accidently visited a nude beach (when I walked too far and happened upon it...E-GADS!!!)
- Circle Line Cruise with guided tour along the New York Sound
- Visited Ground Zero
- Ate a New York "Dirty Water Dog" (hot dog from the vendor)... also pretzels.
- Ate New York bagels (from world famous H&H, and other bakeries)
- Been to a New York Deli
- Street Fairs in NYC
- Weekend trip to the Hamptons
- Got lost in Yonkers (very easy to do I might add)
- Toured New York City (by a former NYC taxi cab driver)
I am sure I will think of other things I've done and will post them here as time allows, also when I do more things in the future. It is fun (and a good idea) to be a tourist in one's own back yard from time to time. I highly recommend it!
11 comments:
Very cool list! Thanks for sharing this. It sounds like you're definitely taking full advantage of all the city has to offer. I totally agree about being a tourist in your own backyard. I wish I'd done it more in the past, but taught my Girl Scouts that lesson for our final event...we did a bunch of touristy stuff in Eureka before I left and it was really cool!
I think the highlight of your experiences must have been the nude beach, rofl. Gotta love it! ;0)
Yeah, that about freaked me out. I was simply strolling along my merry way, looking at the interesting red, powdery sand, and beach combing for shells. All of a sudden I look up and see a naked man in front of me. I looked away, trying to act composes...no biggie (no pun intended here, but I assure you you it would be appropos were it intended)...but everywhere I looked more naked people. I moseyed my way to the dunes, determined to look like my presense there was deliberate and that I was not affected. Soon, i had an old weirdo approach me (thankfully clothed) who told me that I would get fined if I were to go up there. I ended up getting to witness to the man and soon found out he was on his way to soak up the sun (au natural)...well, it was an "experience" to say the least, and a good lesson to be had for my very first visit to the NY beaches, particularly those along Long Island. It helps to have a good sense of humor in order to laugh at oneself later!
ROFL! This is so hilarious! I've had it happen on two occasions myself. First, fresh out of high school visiting Portland, and the other was just north of Eureka when we unfortunately had taken the kids to whale watch. Oops! ;0)
I visited two wineries on the southern fork of the island with friends this weekend. We did wine tastings of varieties grown from vines in their own vineyards on site. It was lots of fun.
We made it to the furthest east-most end of the Island near Montauk and there saw the light house. We also observed some seals bobbing up and down in the ocean not very far from the shore. It was SO COLD with the wind chill factor, I can only imagine how cold the seals must get, but then again, they were wearing seal-skin leather coats! They might have been warmer than I was!
I rode the Staton Island Ferry and have now officially laid foot on all five burroughs of NYC. I couldn't help but break out into song (I sang it softly, but did it none-the-less), Carly Simons song from Working Girl "Let the Rivers Run" as we passed the Statue of Liberty.
Did I ever mention having spent a day in Harlem? We had a leader's meeting in a fellow believer's home (the traditional brownstones like you see in the movies). To look at it from the outside, you would think such a place too scary to enter (add to that the rough looking neighborhood), but after getting passed the entry and long hallway, we finally entered into a beautiful and very chic apartment with amazing architectural detail and natural lighting. I was so surprised that beauty could be in the heart of the notorious Harlem! It just goes to show...
Following Christmas we got an miraculous deal on a two-night apartment/hotel stay in the heart of the city at the Manhattan Club. We had an exceptional view from one of the penthouse suites on the 26th floor. Down the road was the Letterman Show studio, and right outside the main lobbby the first building on the corner was Carnegie Hall.
We walked the fashion walk of fame and tried to cut through Macy's (big mistake with the after Christmas sales bring in every tourist - you might recall Macy's in Miracle on 34th Street, and yes the window displays are eye-popping!)
We had wanted to catch a Broadway Show, but anything worth seeing was already sold out, so we opted for The School of Rock performance at BB King's. These were the All-stars from the famous music school from which the movie with Jack Black was based upon. The performance disappointed me, not because these young kids are lacking talent, far from it! They were packed full of talent, most playing several instruments with exceptional ability! But what talent they had was overshadowed by their egos. They were so into themselves and tring to be int the lime-light, that they failed to ever connect with the audience or express any emotion in the singing. The music was so loud you couldn't hear the singers, and all the jumping around and trying to outshine each other was the greatest impression I was left with.
Finally, we walked to Central Park and found a little solace from the madness of city life. I can understand why people love this place...after getting bumped into by pedestrians, hearing constant honking by cabbies and other drivers, and then all the smells, the bums, and street vendors trying to peddle their wares, the advertising everywhere with endless suggestion...it is wearisome. The park is a great get-away from the noise and bussle and one can find a bit of solitude and nature.
It never ceases to amaze me how much they can pack into such a tiny land area!
I never did mention having visited PepsiCo when we first came to New York. This is named for the Pepsi Corporation and here they have beautiful gardens and pathways with fine sculptures by some renowned artists. I am still wanting to visit Rehs Art Gallery where the largest collection of Julien Dupre's paintings are on exhibit and available for purchase. (He's my favorite artist.) And I'm still anticipating several visits to the Metropolitan Museum. It's probably best to do a year membership, as it's costly for each visit and they way you simply cannot see everything in one or two visits!
Oh my gosh! I almost missed these comments. I didn't even think to look for new comments, just new blog posts. I'm glad I saw them though, this is what I've been looking forward to, a glimpse into NY life through the eyes of a resident tourist. Thanks for posting these! I almost feel like I'm there experiencing them myself. Keep 'em coming, it sounds crazy, but exciting.
You know, all planes come into New York and we'd be happy to house you and your family if you should come out to visit. Maybe a tight fit, what with blow-up mattresses and all, but fun never-the-less...plus, you'd have a tour guide. Just let me know a little in advance when you're coming...everyone should see NY and especially the Statue of Liberty. I still want to visit Ellis Island and see the records of the immigrants who came in via this port. It's not a place to live unless you get energized by being among the throngs of people, but it is amazing to visit!
I vivsted Playland within my first couple of months living in NY, which I forgot to mention. This is where the movie Big (starring Tom Hanks) was filmed. Here is a little bit of historical info:
Playland has the distinction of being America's first totally planned amusement park and prototype for today's successful theme parks. Dedicated as a National Historic Landmark in 1987, Playland has provided family fun since 1928. Often referred to as "Rye Playland", it is America's only government owned and operated amusement park.
I should also mention that I have been to Palisades Mall (which was once noticed as the largest mall in America). I have been to Bera Mountain, Kensico Dam and the varied reservoirs in the area (very beautiful).
Sorry gang for all the typos in my last post. I was very rushed to get out the door, but wanted to get my experiences written down while they were still freshly impressed upon my mind. (Already, I had forgotten about Bear Mountain, Pallisades Mall, Kensico Dam and Playland.)
No apologies necessary sis! I'm just glad that you posted it while it was still fresh in your mind. I love reading this stuff (and would love even more of it, lol, keep it comin'). I'm so glad that you started this blog to share your life with us. We've been separated too much over the years and it's time to bridge that gap and those miles. ;0)
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