Last but not definitely not least! Day three of NYC was PACKED full of goodies and sight-seeing. There is so much to see in Manhattan alone, we didn’t make it to a single other borough. But we definitely maximized our time where we could, starting with coffee at my fave place: Bluestone Lane (come to Seattle PLEASE!)
We ventured on to try to see the Central Park carosel, which was sadly closed. But, we trekked on a little further and got to take pictures next to the Cherry Hill fountain, which is similar to the F.R.I.E.N.D.S. fountain!
After a walk in Central Park (and getting lost looking for an exit,) we hopped the train and headed down to lower Manhattan. One of my absolute favorite stops of the trip was the 9/11 Memorial. We intentionally did not get any photos here, out of respect for those who were lost and the families still grieving them. The memorial is beautiful, though and a must-see in New York. To walk those same paths, touch the names of the fallen, and see the World Trade Center rebuilt, is extremely moving.
We also visited the grave of Alexander & Eliza Hamilton, which was really cool!
A chilly walk uptown brought us through a street fair, past Wall Street, and to the best Italian sandwich I have ever had at Pisillo Italian Panini. Nicole said it tasted just like she was in Rome (and I can’t wait to find out if she was right on our trip next Summer!)
We finally made it to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked its length. These are by far the most amazing views of the city I could have imagined. The sun was perfect, even though the day was so cold. It was so very beautiful up there!
A fun tip that we found before the trip is to see the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry instead of the Ellis Island one. The Staten Island Ferry takes the same route as the one to Ellis Island and is FREE! There are also little to no lines. The only downside is if you actually wanted to go TO Ellis Island, you should take that ferry instead. We lucked out and caught the ferry right before sunset, so we got to see Lady Liberty with the sun setting behind her. The sun was completely down on our way back to the city and we loved seeing the city at night. The wind and cold was insane, though! We had to keep running out to the deck, snap a quick picture, and run back inside.
We finished off the day by walking through Bryant Park, right by our hotel. In the evening we donned our ice skates and took to Rockefeller Center! What a freaking dream! The magic of Christmas was just coming about and it was like something straight out of a movie.
Nicole and I took a late night adventure to the Lower East Side for some food. My failed attempt to take us to Beauty & Essex (man that place was packed,) ended with us eating at the Stanton Social. Our only way of describing it was “swanky!” We definitely ended NYC on a high note in regards to our dining. The french onion soup dumplings were to die for!
With only four hours of sleep, we got hopelessly lost on the trains, hailed a cab to the airport and caught our flight home. Word of wisdom – subways are not as reliable on weekends…
Em & Nicole – thanks for taking trip of a lifetime with me!
Let’s hear it for New York,
Ariel
SISTER LIVES 