The Big Apple

Last weekend, we were in Manhattan.  It’s been a while since our last visit but the Big Apple did not disappoint.  It was a whirlwind with us taking over 18,000 steps daily which kept our fit bit pretty happy.  First stop, lower Manhattan.  We visited the diamond exchange to repair some jewelry then onto Chinatown and Little Italy.  In Little Italy, we stopped in a restaurant for dessert and had the most delicious crème brulee.  Worth the trip just to enjoy the smooth, creamiest of this luscious dessert.

The main reason for our visit was the many holiday markets throughout the city.  The biggest was housed in Bryant Park.  Little booths lined the park with a variety of food, crafts and a multitude of items for those seeking Christmas gifts.  Bryant Park also had an ice skating rink in the middle of the park which set it apart from the other holiday markets.

The highlight of the trip was a visit to Rockefeller Center in upper Manhattan.  The magnificent Christmas tree with its many lights brought back many memories for me.  My parents use to take us there and from a child’s perspective, the tree seemed to be one that touched the sky.  Saks 5^th Avenue put on a beautiful light display choreographed to music.  One would have thought they were in Disney especially with the crowds of people who also wanted to enjoy the wonderful feeling of Christmas.

There is no shortage of places to go or see.  We went to a German tavern that had the entire inside decorated with so many items you didn’t know where to look first. Another first was a visit to a rooftop bar with plastic igloos.  Each lighted a different color, only in NYC.  Another place that left us in awe was the revamped Wall Street station.  They did a spectacular job in building the new station after the tragic event of 9/11.  The architecture is unique and extremely impressive in all white marble.

Prices in NY were outrageous.  We made the decision to stay in an Airbnb in New Jersey and take the subway into Manhattan each day.  Not too bad of an experience but I will save those thoughts for next week.