Well friends, today’s the day!  I’m off to New York City to meet up with some blogger friends and attend The Nate Show on Tuesday thanks to an extra ticket provided by the very gracious Janell.  I’m flying out and bunking with fellow Bay Area blogger Cristin, and we are going to have a ball!  I haven’t been to New York City in four years, so today I’m absolutely grinning from ear to ear because I get to spend a few days in one of my favorite places on earth! 

My first trip to NYC was in 2001, just two months after 9/11.  What I still find eerie is we had plans to be in NYC during that fateful week in September, but for various reasons switched our plans at the last minute and postponed our trip until November, not knowing that NYC would suffer the incredibly tragedy it did that day.

I have loved NYC ever since I first set foot in this marvelous metropolis.  On our first trip, we did all the touristy things.  We visited all the museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art; we walked Fifth Avenue and browsed at Tiffanys; we visited Times Square, the New York Stock Exchange and Greenwich Village, we ate a famous restaurants; we visited Radio City Music Hall and climbed to the top of the Empire State Building.  

Central Park in fall is like living in a Nora Ephron movie!

I remember how often I would crane my neck to the sky.  I couldn’t believe so many skyscrapers stood next to each other, block after block after city block.  San Francisco has its financial district and its own landmarks, but there’s nothing quite like the famous buildings of New York.  Such history, such architecture!  From left to right, Empire State, Flatiron, Chrysler buildings. 

We saw several Broadway shows our first year, like the original ‘The Producers’ with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, what a show!  We loved how magical the city was all decked out for the holidays.

We had cocktails at the shmancy Plaza Hotel ~ of course this was before the munchkins came along, when I actually drank martinis and wore high heels on Friday nights.  

We loved New York so much, we went back the very next year in 2002 for a few days of holiday shopping.  That year, it snowed the last week of November, which turned the City into a a winter wonderland, compared to the beautiful autumn we experienced the year before.   

Central Park is oh-so-magical when covered with snow. 

In 2004, we traveled to NYC with my parents and with my infant daughter on our way to New England.  In hindsight, I realize that traveling with a baby is ten times easier than with a wiggly toddler.  Oh my word, I barely remember her being that small.  And I so miss those squeezable cheeks and that double chin! 

My last visit to NYC was with my sister in 2006, when I was just pregnant with my son, but ya can’t quite tell yet!  I’m four months pregnant and strutting around in boots, but hey, it’s New York !   I may or may not have suffered several blisters for the sake of fashion. 

I took my sister to Tiffanys where she was seduced by the dark side and therefore handed over her credit card.  Let it be said, that robin’s egg blue bag is a powerful force indeed.

Through the magic of travel websites, that year we scored cheap rooms at The Waldorf Astoria, which was amazing because it was where all the diplomats from the UN were staying for a conference and security was tight!  

And the fashion. . . oh the fashion of NYC!  I have to physically restrain myself at all times.   To quote Rachel, “I die”. 

sister and I had so much fun that year that my cheeks hurt for weeks from laughing.  Does your sister have this effect on you?   No one can make me laugh out loud till I cry like my baby sister. 

I highly recommend a ferry ride around Manhattan for a view of the skyline and the Statue of Liberty.  It gives you that ‘proud to be an American’ feeling. 

So for the next few days, I’ll be running around The Big Apple with some blogger friends, getting my NYC fix.  And this week is my birthday, so I couldn’t ask for a better present than a trip to New York.  I just hope I don’t see anymore thermal underwear/fanny pack combos on the streets.   I’ve left my kids and my laptop for a gal pal week in the City!  It’s a little bit “SATC” but without all the “S”.   Bonus points if you know of what I speak. 

Have you ever visited New York City?  If so, what did you love most about it ?

.

Tags: new york city

This entry was posted on Monday, September 20th, 2010 at and is filed under Out & About. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.