Heavenly New York City — Part One

Judging from the view out of the hotel window, today was going to be a perfect day to cross the Hudson River and head over to New York City.

My job was easy this morning…walk 0.6 miles on a busy highway with no sidewalk. Get to the temporary bus stop. Wait twenty minutes for the bus. Hop on to NYC.

I can do that! Especially since the bus only costs $4.25 to get over from New Jersey, where my hotel is, to New York.

This was a beautiful shot that I took on my walk to the bus stop. Because taking a picture on a busy highway with no sidewalks makes perfect sense to me!

(Don’t read this, Mom).

There is where I waited for the bus to NYC, along with several non-English speaking locals. I felt out of place.

I love this picture. It looks so city-ish.

The New Jersey Transit Authority sends large charter buses from NJ to NYC throughout the day. I paid my fare and stood in the aisle for a few stops until an open seat became available.

One nice young man offered me his seat. I politely declined but was impressed.

The bus wove in and out of streets in New Jersey before allowing my first glimpse of New York City. I can’t wait to spend my day in that urban jungle!

This is the Port Authority Bus Transit Center. They’ve really done a lot of work to renovate and make it a more desirable place to be. There are lots of shops and eateries for people to grab a bite before or after work.

But I had lunch plans, so I headed outside for my first view of Times Square today. I’m pretty sure that it took my breath away. I love this place!

It was about noon by the time the forty-five minute bus ride was over, so the streets weren’t terribly packed. The morning rush was over, and I could enjoy some peace and quiet while I took some pictures of one of the most famous neighborhoods in the world.

But this explains why the Chevy’s by our house just went out of business…can you imagine how much rent would cost in Times Square?!

Look! If you squint, you can even see the Chrysler Building in the far distance! I know that I would get a closer view of all these incredible landmarks during my two-day visit to NYC this weekend.

The famous taxi cabs. None of them tried to kill me during my stay.

One of the things that I love about this city is the seamless blending of old and new. This early 1900s apartment building looks right at home among the countless modern skyscrapers.

But enough gawking…for now. I have to pick up my New York City Pass so that I can enjoy the things in the city without spending every last penny of Hubby’s retirement.

It was ready and waiting for me! This little guy is going to get me VIP access to so many prominent landmarks during my two days here in the city. It was a splurge but paid for itself before I had seen two of the seventy admissions that it offers.

With my New York Pass in hand, it was now time to walk to lunch. I passed a wonderful, beloved FDNY truck as I wandered. I admire this establishment so much for its dedication and loss during 9/11.

I didn’t hop on the Subway yet, since I wanted to enjoy the views as I walked. But I would ride this several times over the next few days. Getting around in NYC is so easy!

There were lots of gorgeous buildings to admire as I headed towards Central Park.

 

It was a humid day, which affected me more than most others walking along, I’m sure. We certainly don’t have 90% humidity back home in Phoenix!

Though I never really watched the show Seinfeld, I passed the Soup Nazi sign and recognized what it meant! No soup for me, though. I had bigger and better things in store for my belly today.

I must be getting close if there are signs for Central Park! Once I get to the park, I will turn east and continue my walk for lunch.

Ah, here we are! I’ve been to this beautiful park before, but it was about four years ago. I am thrilled that I get some time to explore the city while “working” this weekend.

This beautiful statue was living up to all its stereotypes by having numerous people lounging around the base. Maybe they are street performers?

Beautiful Central Park! It always startles me to see so much beautiful greenery in the middle of so much cement. Central Park is huge! Look at a map!

 

Right across the street from the park are the massive buildings that make this city famous. It’s a stark contrast between lush and urban…just a few feet apart.

I loved the detail on this beautiful, ancient building. Doesn’t it looks like it’s straight out of the 1930s?

The streets surrounding Central Park are packed with horse-drawn carriages, waiting for eager tourists to take a ride. As fun as it would have been, it wasn’t how I wanted to spend my money.

Besides, my belly was waiting for lunch, remember?

I passed this statue guarding one of the many entrances into Central Park.

And I loved this picture, since NYC is famous for so many pigeons. Not something that I would be proud of, but it doesn’t matter to my camera.

Another guardian statue. These are all just stunning!

Ah, the Plaza Hotel. One of my favorite movies was filmed here back in the eighties. Have you seen Big Business? It is wonderful. Watch it some time soon.

 

I passed Madison Avenue, then Park Avenue on my walk towards lunch.

Wouldn’t it be fun to live here? For just a short time…I think that living in New York City would give me a headache! It is always wonderful to visit, but I’m not sure how much I would want to live here.

I mean, I could do it if someone twisted my arm.

We passed Bloomingdales, which might excite some readers who love spending incredible amounts of money on clothing. Not for me, but it was fun to see.

Hey, that rhymed.

At last! My 2.5-mile walk for lunch is over! I got to see some pretty things along the way, but I’m ready to get some lunch on.

Have you heard of Serendipity 3? I was told to go here by several people, including my boss.

And when the words, “Frozen Hot Chocolate” were dropped, I knew immediately why everyone had mentioned this place.

You have to pass through their gift shop on the way to a table. It helps to eat alone in places like this, since I had no wait at all.

Isn’t this charming? They must have gotten a killer deal on Tiffany lamps when they opened in 1954. What do you think?

The menu was mind-boggling. Luckily, I already knew what the drink was going to be. I just had to decide how much to eat after slurping on a Frozen Hot Chocolate for lunch.

In addition to Tiffany chandeliers, there were plenty of other items of interest on the ceiling. Some of them, like this hanging doll to the right, were downright creepy.

Ah, here we are. Just what I wanted! It’s so good that they had to patent it!

Oh my goodness. It all makes sense to me now.

The table next to me had five gals, who ordered one of these to share.

Sissies.

So I’ve had lots of delicious non-alcoholic drinks in my day. But this. I’ve never had anything like it. And that’s a good thing, since it made me truly appreciate the one-of-a-kind flavor found in Frozen Hot Chocolate.

If you are ever anywhere near New York City, please come try this. You will never regret such a decision.

I decided to order some nachos, which were even more plain than I expected. But they weren’t the star of the show today…I drank the star of the show.

Isn’t this place wonderful?!

Tomorrow, we will continue with our on-foot exploration of New York City.