Experiencing NYC

I think there is a piece of my soul that lives in New York City. Weird, I know...seeing as I've only ever been there twice. But something about that city just speaks to me. It's more than just the culture and history of the place...more than the theatre and museums, although that's certainly a huge part of it. I can't even explain it without sounding more silly than I already do, but I simply love that place and feel like I could live there. Oh, not right now. I wouldn't want to raise a family there. I can't imagine a better place to be in the life phase that I'm in right now, than right here. But if Bryan and I didn't have kids, or if I was single...I'd so be there!

Or so I think. Who knows...maybe if NYC was my normal, I'd find myself yearning for less of the hustle and bustle and more of the slower and quiet and wide open spaces. A house rather than an apartment, a car rather than the subway. All I really know for sure is that though I am not at all discontent with where I am and how I live here and now, oh...how I long for Manhattan!

Broadway was the main reason for our trip, but it certainly wasn't the only thing that we experienced. Is it weird that I use the word "experienced" rather than "saw?" Because somehow saying that we saw lots of things in NYC doesn't seem right. NYC and all that it has to offer is an experience. I didn't just see the theatre advertisements in Times Square, or the cherry blossoms in Central Park, or the crowds in the subway....I experienced them.
Yeah, see? I'm incapable of truly expressing myself in an intelligent and straight-forward sort of way when it comes to describing NYC. It's all about feelings and yearnings and speaking to my soul and other such mind/body/spirit New Age-ish hoo-haw. Whatever. I'm prepared to own it.

So...giving up on any other attempts to express more rationally what exactly it is that draws me to this city, here are some other pictures of our experiences and adventures.

Julianne adored the wide window sill in our 17th floor room at the Omni Berskshire Place in Midtown. Partially because of the view but even more because it made a great place to read. She took advantage of this spot every single day...often reading late into the night after Bryan and I had climbed into bed, the city lights being enough to see by.

The famed St. Patricks Cathedral was right near our hotel. When we were in NYC three years ago there was scaffolding surrounding the outside of the building. Now, the scaffolding has moved inside. Still functioning (there was a mid-day mass being held in the back of the building while we were there) it was rather amazing that you could still see the awe-inspiring beauty through the construction.

Rockefeller Center is always interesting...but on our first day in the city we were surprised to find the place completely surrounded with Easter eggs all decorated in unique ways. It only took me a few minutes to realize that what we were seeing was the Faberge Big Egg Hunt. Decorated by famed artists and designers, the eggs were placed throughout the city during the month of April. Locals and tourists alike were invited to download an app that allowed them to "hunt" for these eggs, scan the bar code on the base and more or less collect them into their virtual egg basket. Prizes were given to those who collected the most eggs, and an auction was then held to purchase said eggs...the money given to various charities. This day at Rockefeller Center all the eggs had been gathered to display in one location before being delivered to their new owners. Creative, unique, beautiful and fun...I'm so glad we got a chance to see them! (They were gone by the next day.)

And now we have a tribute in pictures to Times Square...because even as crowded and even somewhat Las Vegas-like as the place can be, it has a fascination all its own. And really, what is a trip to NYC without wandering through Times Square? Especially considering Times Square makes up a very large portion of the Theatre District....

My favorite was wandering through at 11:00 Saturday night after "Newsies." Still plenty of people milling around, but nowhere near as crowded as earlier in the day. Somehow in the dark of night with the lights bright and welcoming the place had a sort of otherworldly beauty about it.

Just down a side street from the heart of Times Square....Cake Boss. Ever tried one of their Lobster Tails? Scrumptious!

Did I mention we walked pretty much everywhere? What better way to really experience NYC than on foot? Because though riding the subway is an experience in and of itself...other than people watching (which granted, is something I quite enjoy) there's not much to see when you are riding in a hole in the ground. We gave our feet a bit of a break in Bryant Park. But though beautiful and relaxing there, it was slightly chilly so we took refuge in the New York City Library next door. Can you imagine doing research in a place like this? Wow.

My favorite picture of the trip....
I kind of loved that Bryan kept grabbing hold of Julianne's hand so as to not lose her in the crazy NY sidewalk crowds...and that she let him.

And also...if you have a chance to get a lamb gyro from a sidewalk vendor outside of Central Park, I highly recommend you do so. We lunched at one originally just for the ambience and experience of it all...but wow if it wasn't super yummy!

Up next...one last NYC post, this time revolving around Central Park and the Statue of Liberty....