This week’s writing prompt from Mama’s Losin’ It is to pick a word that someone else used for their New Year word and let it inspire you. It couldn’t be more perfect for this second part of my trip. I chose Explore from Farewell Stranger.
I am not a city girl. I watch shows like Sex and the City and Friends and not even a small part of me wants to live in the city. I spend every New Year’s at my sister and brother-in-law’s condo in downtown Chicago and still, there is no desire to walk around and explore the city. When I am there, I feel like a bumbling idiot that is one wrong turn away from ending up in a rough neighborhood. Maybe it is that I have lived here my whole life so it doesn’t have the same exciting feel to it. I think it has something to do with finding out that Nico had CF while we were down there. It’s forever tainted in my mind. I went to Texas a few times and if money were no object and I could take my friends and family with me, my dream would be to live in a big house with acres and acres of sprawling land (and afford someone to take care of it since we can’t even seem to get a patio built-in our dinky yard). I fell in love with Texas many, many years ago over the course of a few trips. I didn’t think it was possible to fall in love in just two days but I am completely in love with New York City!
We landed in New York with the weather at a wonderful 57 degrees. Not a windy, blustery 57. Just 57…which honestly felt like 70 here. We checked in at our hotel, The Omni Berkshire and the first thing I noticed was across the street, there were a few office buildings that looked like fashion design studios (me being the Project Runway fan that I am was instantly giddy to see some in real life). We didn’t want to waste one minute of exploring so we headed out to Central Park.
Taking pictures like this makes me realize how small I am.
I just know this was the site of one of the Law & Order SVU scenes. I just know it because I have seen all 200 episodes.
I was just in awe of how cool it would be to live near Central Park. On a warm day, I could sit on a bench or on top of a hill and write or read all day. It was inspiring all sorts of scenes for books that are swirling around in my head. We walked around until we came to the ice rink. It made me think of the movie Serendipity and we were this close to ice skating ourselves but I didn’t want to explore the ER in New York so we passed.
Central Park was the first thing I wanted to do. Going to FAO Schwartz was the second. When I was little, since my birthday was in June, my family would go to Kiddie Kingdom. The best part was that there was a castle that was a toy store and my parents would let me pick out my birthday present. I am a lover of toy stores. Let’s face it, I am a lover of most stores but book and toy are my favorites. I wanted to be able to say, I was where they filmed Big. It was hard but I walked out of there feeling satisfied that I had seen it and without spending one dime. That even impressed me.
Then next thing I really wanted to do was have a slice of New York style pizza. It had been a while since we had eaten and without the kids, we were planning on having a late dinner so with Leo’s trusty GPS, we headed to Ray’s Pizza. Now, pizza is my favorite meal. I could eat it all day everyday so I was really skeptical since Lou Malnati’s is my favorite here. I was expecting it to be different and it was and it was amazing! I think I loved it so much because it wasn’t my dinner. It was the perfect thing to eat at that time. It was sooo good.
After that, we headed over to Magnolia’s Bakery. It was the bakery featured in one of the Sex and the City episodes and has been in a few movies as well. Leo is not a sweet-eater (yeah, I don’t get that either) but was such a good sport to humor me while I ordered flourless chocolate cake (would have been sooo good if I had been able to heat it), a lemon bar (I am still dreaming of it right now it was that good) and a s’mores cupcake that was worth every bit of the walk to get there. I swear it tasted like a real s’more.
Total deliciousness!
After that, we headed back to the hotel. Leo had to do something for work and I wanted to change before heading back out for dinner. To be honest, I needed a break from eating. I said I was going to eat my way through New York and that was pretty much what I was doing. I took a very small nap and then we headed out again. We had several suggestions from friends, Ashley from The Dose of Reality and Kimberly from Reflections of Now as well as from our friend Jerry. We planned on hitting them all and then deciding but when we stepped outside, it was raining. I was bummed that there was not a drugstore anywhere on the way to Times Square from our hotel? I felt like that Seinfeld episode where Jerry tried to buy and umbrella from someone on the street.
I should interject here that we had to do some business with the FedEx/Kinkos across the street before we could go to dinner. Kimberly from above sent me a design for business cards (on a side note, if you have any design needs, click on that link, she is awesome!) but with all the craziness leading up to leaving, I didn’t get them done nor did I think I’d need them. Leo thought differently so we had a wonderful guy there help us and I left with 20. It’s just the best feeling to have someone believe in you.
After the business cards were picked up, we started walking. Now, I will tell you, I wanted very much to be a “wind in my hair” kind of woman. I wanted to say, “Screw it! I don’t care if my hair gets wet. Let’s be that romantic couple that runs through New York City in the rain laughing and giggling the whole time.” I wanted to but you see, I only had my flat-iron with me. Straightening my hair would have eaten up a lot of time in NY so I opted to wash it that morning and only bring my flat-iron to fix it before the luncheon the next day. Getting caught in the rain would not make for a good look for me the next day. However, I was a good sport until Leo wanted to get a picture of us in Times Square and there was a huge crowd waiting and doing it so he took one of me freezing. It came out dark and it’s on his phone so that is why it isn’t here. Me looking like a drowned rat has nothing to do with it.
We went to one restaurant, Joe Allen and we were warned and sure enough, we needed a reservation. We were heading to Carmine’s when it started raining really hard. There was an Italian restaurant called Sofia’s and that is where we ended up eating. Again, we were not disappointed. I think Leo licked his bowl clean.
Just give me shrimp and artichokes and I am happy!
Did I explore New York? Absolutely. Was it mostly the food? Why, yes, yes it was. Was it also the surroundings of where we were? Definitely! I fell completely in love with the city. It might have been where we were (Midtown Manhattan where Carrie Bradshaw did all of her shopping), why I was there (someone read my blog, liked it and invited me there…that is a high in and of itself) or who I was with (a husband that went above and beyond humoring me making sure I loved every minute of our exploring the city).
This is me being excited at being in New York.
It doesn’t matter. I can’t wait to go back! Hopefully next time, it will be to meet with a literary agent! A girl can dream…
What about you? What is your favorite city?
Linking up with Mama Kat:
I am a stay at home mom, married to my college sweetheart, Leo. We have four kids, Nico, Tommy, Isabella and Gia. We have a son, Rocco that is an angel in Heaven.
So fun!! I LOVE New York City. I was absolutely giddy when I first visited in 2008. I remember being in a cab going from La Guardia to Manhattan, and crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, and it was night time. I was like a little girl, I was so squealy excited!
I had a Magnolia cupcake (and a photo of me eating it, ahem) because I went on the SATC bus tour. One of the highlights of my trip. I also spent an exorbitant amount of time at Central Park.
So glad you had fun!!
Alison recently posted..Tasty Thursday: Gingerbread Loaf
I wish we would have had time to go on a tour like that. I was so surprised by how much I loved it but I totally did! Hey, aren’t you coming to Chicago?
Jealous! I’ve never been to NYC and I’m not a city girl either, but exploring it would be just the thing. Sounds like you hit all the highlights! And I would think of Serendipity when visiting the ice rink too.
Robin | Farewell, Stranger recently posted..Exercise 30 Days Straight: An Update
We kind of amazed ourselves with how much we did in such a short time. Thanks for stopping by, reading and commenting! It means the world. Looking forward to heading to your place.
YAY!! I absolutely LOVE reading every detail of your trip…I totally felt like I was there with you!
You, Lisa and I should meet there someday for a girl’s weekend…I’ll get us into Joe Allen! 
It is so wonderful and exciting that this experience happened for you, and I feel so grateful that you are sharing it with all of us!-Ashley
thedoseofreality recently posted..It’s All Fun and Games Until Your Child’s Head Itches During A Lice Outbreak
Hey!!! What about ME!!!!??? I wanna come! I wanna come! (Is this the “awkward silence response?” LOL SO happy that you embraced this amazing opportunity AnnMarie!!! Loved reading ALL about it!!!
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Thanks Chris and of course you can come!
Aw, thanks Ashley! I will definitely take you up on that girls’ weekend. Just say when!
As a Texan with many dear friends a few family members sprinkled in NYC and Brooklyn, I completely understand loving both. The next time you return I HIGHLY recommend a stop at Alice’s Tea Cup. They have three locations but I have been to the one in the Upper West Side. It’s like a little NYC fairy tale! http://alicesteacup.com/
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That sounds awesome and now I want to hop on a plane and go back! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Love the title of your blog post so I’ll be sure to check that out.
I love NYC! The hubs and I are headed there for Valentines Dat and I can’t wait. Several years ago my friends and I did a SATC tour of NYC and went to Magnolia bakery, yum!
How exciting to be there on VDay. I am really wishing I was there long enough to do a tour but so glad I at least had a Magnolia’s cupcake. Thanks for visiting!
Love, love, love NYC! The huz and I went there for our honeymoon in 2002 and are planning on returning this summer – this time with my inlaws and our two kids as well!
We *still* talk about the food we ate…and now your post has ratcheted up my cravings 10-fold!
Fab post!
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Thanks so much for the compliment! So jealous that you are going back in the summer! Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!
New York’s magical, that’s for sure. It’s a wonderful place to play
. To live there, though? I think my two years on a teacher’s salary in the city put a damper on what I would have wanted to explore.
I did, however, splurge on a gigantic sundae at Serendipity (chocolate cake mashed into vanilla ice cream with hot fudge drizzled over the whole mess) when it was still open there. Unforgettable.
Contemporary Troubadour recently posted..Scenes from around the table, part 3: needles and threads
That sundae sounds delicious! I agree with you on the living part. I think it would lose some of its magic having to deal with the low pay and how expensive everything is.
{Melinda} AnnMarie, I am so happy for you. It sounds like you guys had an amazing time. I’m so glad you went — and I bet you are, too.
Mothering From Scratch recently posted..The Perks of Being a Distracted Mother
I am! I couldn’t have asked for anything to go better. Well, maybe not to rain.
Hello, I’m back and so behind on reading but I really like your blog, and I have nominated you for the Liebster Award! Please check my post at http://lifesunexpectedblessings.org/2013/01/17/liebster-blog-award/
Charity! You’re back! I am really behind on reading blogs, too so don’t feel bad. Life seems to be a bit crazy for all of us these days. I love the profile picture and thanks so much for nominating me! That is very sweet.
OMG I absolutely love NYC!! I’m not a city girl either, but that city? Completely amazing. Central Park? So beautiful. I could spend hours there, just sitting outside, reading, writing, watching. Oh, and Magnolia’s? AH-MAZE-ING.
So when should we plan a weekend there?
(And thanks for the shout out!)
Kimberly recently posted..Essence of Now: Dreary Days
Let’s plan one ASAP! We would have a blast and I would need to go to Magnolia’s again because I am still dreaming of the lemon bar I had. You deserve a shout out…you do great work!
You should send this to the NY tourist bureau because there is nobody on earth that could read this and not want to immediately travel to NYC!!! I felt like I was right there with you, and your enthusiasm is contagious!! (and it’s REALLY hard to get me enthusiastic before 8am)
–Lisa
I am so glad you had such a fantastic time.
And I’m SO down with a girls’ weekend there!! (let’s get planning on that!)
The Dose of Reality recently posted..Friday Feast: OMG Please Tell Me There Is No Mayo In That
Aww…that is so sweet! And yes, let’s seriously get to planning! Can you imagine the fun we would have there?!
*Swoon*
This sounds like such a stunner of a trip! Love all of the exploring and loving and living and eating that you did!
One more time: *Swoon*
*Also, Serendipity is one of my favorite movies, and by far, my favorite word! <3
Galit Breen recently posted..Tiny Pieces
I LOVE the word serendipity. One time Nico said my name so many times that I was beside myself so I told him for the whole day, my name wasn’t mom. It was Serendipity. I figured if I was going to hear a word 1000x’s it should at least make me laugh each time he said it.
I want to go! I’ve never been there, and have always wanted to go at Christmastime. I need to see that tree! And YES, pretend to be Kate Beckinsale in Serendipity. I could watch that movie over and over and never get tired of it.
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I love that movie so much! I bet it is amazing at Christmas!
Yay! Yay! Yay! I am so happy you got to go, AnnMarie! It sounds like you guys just had so much fun and it was a perfect trip. And thanks for taking all these pics along the way so you could share it with all of us! Knowing it was so fun for you is putting a huge smile on my face
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Truthfully, each time I think of us being there, it puts a smile on my face.
I love that you are with me as I share.
My family loves NYC. When my little one was about 4 we must have gone a few times during the year and we always stayed at the same Marriott so she told her teachers that we had a NYC apartment! Oh how I wish!
And how did I not know that pizza is your favorite food. Pizza is my ultimate favorite food. I literally could eat it every night. Pizza is the perfect food.
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