Lincoln Center…UWS, NYC

After my visit to LBI and Cape May, I spent 21 hours in my home away from home, NYC!  I arrived by train at 8pm on Saturday and was at the airport the following day by 5:15pm for my flight home.  It’s amazing how much activity can be packed into a day!

First stop was The Smith Restaurant on the UWS for some people watching, a glass of wine and these amazing hot potato chips with bleu cheese fondue….totally wrong, exceptionally good, get it!

Next stop was Empire Szechuan, meeting my sister and her family for a late night dinner of sesame noodles and crispy prawns.  Always a must do restaurant when in NYC.Started Sunday bright and early with an Uber ride over to my son & daughter-in-law’s apartment in Brooklyn to drop off my very heavy bag and then breakfast at Cafe Mogador, an adorable little place right around the corner.

Kate recommended I take the water ferry/taxi over to Wall Street and what a fun ride it was! It’s like a mini Circle Line Tour (which I highly recommend if it’s your first trip to NYC) of the east side of Manhattan with great views, going under three bridges.

I got off at Wall Street and meandered lower Manhattan for my 11:30 reservation at One World Observatory.  It’s a bit pricey at $32 a pop but it’s pretty spectacular!  The line was crazy long (I assume those were people who didn’t have a timed reservation?), but I went up to the usher at the front of the line and showed him my ticket and he opened the rope and let me go through…I felt so important!  Shout out to my very talented nephew, Brian Egan, who worked on the 3D animation that you’ll enjoy throughout the experience….he also worked on the animation for the new Disneyland Paint the Night Parade….so talented! It took about an hour from the time I entered to the time I left.  There are really interesting displays and exhibitions to watch as you wait for the elevator…then a cool elevator ride and finally the breathtaking views from the top.  You can also stay a bit longer at the top and dine at the cafe or restaurant....but I had other plans for lunch.

On a clear day you can see forever!

My next stops took me across the street to Hudson Eats and then the Irish Hunger Memorial right around the corner.  Hudson Eats is a glorified food court type of eating establishment with yummy, trendy choices for eating with great views of the Hudson River.

They have concerts next to Hudson Eats.

The Irish Hunger Memorial is just what it sounds like, a memorial to the Irish people who lost their lives during the Great Famine….as well as present day hunger around the world.  It looks like a mini landscape of Ireland with stones from each of Ireland’s 32 counties (although I couldn’t find Mayo, where my grandmother was born.)  It’s a small, but moving memorial.

I continued my meandering up the Hudson via the River Terrace walkway, stopping in Nelson A. Rockefeller Park with it’s whimsical bronze sculptures and people playing games of all kinds.

 

 

I took a right on Houston, a left on Hudson, then another right on Grove to make it my destination…a little French bistro called Buvette.  I’ve had it on my “places to go” list since it opened in 2011 and it didn’t disappoint.  It’s adorable…with the charm and crowded ambiance you’d expect from a French bistro and includes a little outdoor garden too.

 

Yummy Country Pate

So, basically I ate my way through NYC in 21 hours…but I walked for miles and miles (actually, around 4+ miles total), so it really doesn’t count, right?!!  I then hopped on the subway and Austin & Kate took me to the airport.  Can’t wait to see what adventures NYC has in store for me next time!

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!