The Barry family just took New York City by storm. The trip was decidedly hard core. We took a red-eye in to save money and hit two Broadway musicals the next day--we saw four total on the trip. We walked so much that I had to swallow my pride and wear running shoes with shorts (SUCH a fashion faux pas).We were forced to eat organic peanut butter, another venture outside our comfort zone. And despite those things, and the stench of garbage, and the disconcerting sight of three trannies out on the town, I fell deeply in love with the City That Never Sleeps. For Christopher it was a much-anticipated return journey. Here are some trip highlights. Not pictured below was one of the best things we did: the Colbert Report!
Museum of Natural History. A shout out to Will with this one--we thought he'd like it.
Yankees Game. Christopher is a long-timeYankees fan, and I converted for him. Honestly, the Yankees were not playing their best that night, but we heartily enjoyed watching the New Yorkers boo an obnoxious Rockies fan. I won't reproduce the taunt they used here in order to maintain a G rating.
St. Paul's Chapel. This place was very moving--it is right next to Ground Zero--the firemen rested here and the volunteers coordinated efforts. In addition, this is the oldest building still used in New York for its original purpose; unlike many original buildings, it survived the fire of 1776 because devout church members formed a bucket line all the way from the Hudson River. George Washington had a pew here and came to pray after his inauguration. I loved the layers of history in this place, like a palimpsest.
Times Square. We spent a lot of time here standing in line at the TKTS booth--half price tix to Broadway, baby! We saw: Phantom of the Opera, Catch Me if You Can, Lion King, and The Addams Family. It caught us by surprise, but Addams Family was our favorite. It was HILARIOUS. Of course, all of them had highlights. The costumes in Lion King were insane, Phantom of the Opera was gorgeous, both in terms of sets, costuming, and the performance of the music. And Catch Me if You Can featured an incredible orchestra that played big band/smooth jazz (similar sound to the movie soundtrack) was up on stage so you could watch them play.
Central Park. I'm the tiny purple person, and Christopher is the tiny yellow person.
Top of the Rock. If you are deciding between the Empire State and the Top of the Rock, we recommend the Rockefeller. Why? The Empire State Building is the best thing to see at night, and you can't see it when you're on it! We came up just before sunset and stayed for a couple of hours. The city lights were beautiful.
Statue of Liberty. My favorite part of this excursion was the Ellis Island museum. It helped me appreciate how blessed I am to be an American. I found this quote from an Italian immigrant both amusing and sad: "When I was in Italy, I heard the streets of America were paved in gold, but when I arrived, I realized two things. First, the streets were not paved at all. Second, I was expected to pave them." I found it inspiring how so many people had to work across generations to emerge from poverty and into the better life they had dreamed of.
Washington Square Park. We adored this place. When we arrived, a jazz ensemble was playing--they were really good! We sat and listened for a whole set. Then we dipped our feet in the fountain and watched little kids run around in the fountain. Swimwear turns up in odd places in New York--there were several sun-bathers in Central Park, and the parents brought their kids to the Washington Square Fountain in their swimsuits.
Wall Street. I was thrilled to see Trinity Church--the original building was the oldest house of worship in New York. The lower picture is Federal Hall, where George Washington was inaugurated as president. We also saw the stock exchange and some cops with BIG guns!
