Friday, October 21, 2011

Fun in the Big Apple

Addendum: I've added more photos!

After our monumental move, Andrew and I were ready for some fun in our lives. Of course, he's been in the city since May, so he's had much more time to get to know things, but that made things more fun, because he could show me around.

As you know, our 5 year wedding anniversary was only days after I arrived in New York. Andrew and I got dressed up and first went to Times Square, where we walked around, admiring all the lights, before having a delicious sushi dinner. I have to admit, Times Square is probably my favorite place in New York City. It's busy and crowded, but I really like all the skyscrapers, flashing lights, and crazy street performers.
Times Square

That night, Andrew took me to a showing of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," starring...Daniel Radcliffe (aka, Harry Potter)! This was our first Broadway experience, and I think we've got the bug now. Daniel wasn't super-amazing, but he was pretty good, and the sets, lighting, and music were all wonderful. Andrew had splurged and got us prime seats, so we were really close to the stage. It was such a fun experience, though pretty pricey. We're planning on seeing "Wicked" in February for my birthday.

That same weekend, we did a lot of exploring of New York City. With our trusty cart, we filled up on fresh potted herbs and goat cheese at the farmer's market in Union Square before walking all the way down to the tip of Manhattan, the South Ferry. On the way we passed the World Trade Center, Wall Street, City Hall, and Chinatown. From the South Ferry we could see the Statue of Liberty, New Jersey, and Governor's Island. We were exhausted after walking all that way!
Central Park
Downtown
George Washington Bridge

The next day we spent at the Discovery Center in Times Square. It was the last weekend to see the "Harry Potter" exhibit, and the "Pompeii" exhibit. Disappointingly, the HP exhibit was the same one I saw in Chicago in 2009, with a few minor alterations to include props from the newest films. The Pompeii exhibit was amazing, though, and almost better than seeing Pompeii in person. This museum is pretty awesome, and right now they have an interactive CSI exhibit going on where you can investigate different crime scenes and try to find the killer. We're planning on going before it closes in January.
In addition to that big weekend, we've spent nearly every weekend since then exploring downtown informally while we visit friends and attend events. Andrew's parents also came to visit for a few days, and I spent those days playing tour guide (albeit a very bad one). We explored a lot of lower Manhattan, and also made our way into Little Italy, where we feasted on yummy treats from Ferrara Cafe. We also visited Mark's old Columbia haunts and Andrew's school where he teaches.
Little Italy
Columbia Campus, Teacher's College
Andrew's School

We also explored a bit more of Washington Heights at a Medieval Faire at the Cloisters Museum. We dressed up in our old Lord of the Rings costumes and spent the day eating delicious giant cupcakes, watching jousts, and avoiding the rain. The setting was pretty perfect, with the medieval cloisters, forests, and river as a backdrop. And, it was free!

One other exciting thing we did was visit Occupy Wall Street. We wanted to see what all the fuss is about. While I agree with most of the sentiments expressed there, it felt a little silly and futile to see all the protests going on. I completely understand why they are there, but I don't see what it will accomplish. Andrew says it's important to be able to voice your opinion, and to let people know how you feel about something, and I guess there's something to be said for that.

This weekend Andrew and I are escaping the city. We're renting a car and driving four hours upstate to the New York/Vermont border for some lovely foliage-watching and apple-picking. I'll be sure to post with more pictures upon our return!

3 comments:

  1. This makes me overflow with smiling. Isn't this city amazing? Before I forget - I can get discount tickets to a lot of "attractions" through work. Students probably can, too, but you have me as backup. :) xox

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  2. OMG YOU'RE WEARING YOUR LONGBOTTOM T-SHIRT THAT IS SO AWESOME!!!!!!!

    Wicked is awesome too. I wish I could afford to see it again while we're there.

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  3. Yeah, I knew you'd notice that, Nicole!

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