September 16, 2010

big lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York

Big news (if I haven't already told you - which is a miracle). David and I are going to New York City for Thanksgiving with his family! I. Can't. Wait. While it's a little sad that we're leaving William with my fully-capable sister in Arizona, I'm really excited to be in NYC for amazing things like:

orange and gold leaves on the trees in Central Park
the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
seeing Grand Central Station in real life
spectactular views from the Empire State Building (hopefully at closing time)
amazing food (especially excited for pizza and bagels)

no pie baking this year! this year, I'm hitting up New York!
Here's my question: any suggestions of must see/must eat/must do? We want to see another Broadway show but there's so much trash out there. I would love to see a classic, something "family friendly". We've seen Wicked, Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia (wish I hadn't). What do you think?

29 comments:

  1. I was just visiting a friend in NY for the first time over Labor Day. I saw Billy Elliot. Amazing show. Highly recommend it. Go to John's Pizzeria. The Margherita was so good. And Junior's if you want great cheesecake/red velvet. Both are in the theater district.

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  2. Hi Liz! I'm new to your blog, but couldn't resist naming a few of my favorite things to do in NYC. One of my all time favorites is taking a cab to the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge and walking back across the bridge to Manhattan. Amazing views of the city. As far as restaurants go, check out Joe's Ginger in Chinatown for the best soup dumplings in the country and Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Brooklyn (but be forewarned of the extremely long line outside - it's worth it though). I have to say I'm a little envious - I love New York. Enjoy your visit!!

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  3. We saw In The Heights, and it was amazing! I loved that the music was unique, not what you usually think of for Broadway. Have fun! I am jealous!

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  4. When we went to NYC last spring my brother took us to Sarabeth's on the upper east side (Madison & 92nd St.) for brunch. Oh my I fell in love!!! I am sure you would love it as well:):)
    After brunch take a walk through the tree lined streets (92nd) with amazing homes on your way to central park. It is a perfect NY "Jackie O" nieghborhood and a perfect way to start your day:):)
    (http://www.sarabethseast.com)
    (You can google maps (satellite) the location and get an idea of what the area is like, it's like taking a tour from your home:)):)

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  5. we always enjoy taking the staten island ferry- it's free and offers great views of the manhatten sky line and statue of liberty.

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  6. Living in Philly the last few years, we went a few times and my favorite is the bakery Crumbs. Huge filled cupcakes, need I say more? I also love the little shops like Purl (fabric store) and canal street. I bought the cutest purse there and get asked about it all the time. I also love the temple there, beauty among busy.

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  7. I'm very jealous.

    I have dreams about some of my favorite NYC restaurants. Here are a few off the beaten path (in case you don't want to wait in line at Grimaldi's :)

    Adrienne's Pizza (big "family/grandma style" cookie sheet pizza):
    http://www.adriennespizzabar.com/index.html

    La Esquina (the seriously most amazing tacos in the universe, though the platanos and grilled corn are exquisite too):
    http://www.esquinanyc.com/index.php

    Shake Shack ("fast-food" run by 5-star chefs. Their concretes, especially the "shack attack", are incredible):
    http://shakeshack.com/

    And lastly, if you want some live theatre/comedy/improv on a budget, don't miss The Neo Futurists: 30 Plays in 60 minutes. It's like someone put SNL and Whose Line is it Anyway in a blender with a heaping dose of caffeine and served it for only $10:
    http://www.nyneofuturists.org/site/

    Have a great trip!

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  8. Check out my friend Dana's blog:

    http://thethreejorgs.blogspot.com/2010/08/big-apple.html

    they just went to NYC and had a killer itinerary! She posted details all about it. She's in the food industry business so she's crazy about good food too! I hope you guys have a blast!

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  9. Don't forget to go check out 5th Ave, step into Tiffany's and the many great shops there. I also like FOA Swartch's toy store with the huge piano from Big. :)

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  10. I'm totally jealous, but excited to babysit Will!

    We did NYC on the cheap when we were newly weds, so I can't tell you where to eat.... we just looked for a little authentic looking place for pizza, bought bagels from a bakery, and hot dogs from street vendors. It was fun!

    As for shows, I would go see "Promises, Promises," "Billy Elliot," or "West Side Story."

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  11. Delurking to give you my NYC recommendations! I found you through your mac and cheese with spinach (DELICIOUS) recipe, and stayed! I just got back from a (rather doomed) week in NYC (stomach virus), but I wanted to second someone's recommendation for Shake Shack. It's delicious, it's so fun to eat in the middle of a park, and is wonderful on the pocketbook!

    You could try seeing Lion King, but don't wait to buy tickets. That was our strategy and it totally backfired. Tickets almost never go to the discount ticket sellers, and when I got to the box office at Minskoff looking for cheap, last minute tickets, the next 2 shows were totally sold out and beyond that all that was left were the premium seats. Um. No thanks! If I could redo our trip, I would buy online in advance so we could lock in more affordable seats. Have fun!

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  12. NYC is one of my favorite subjects, so pardon my potentially long comment. :)

    I second the recommendations to walk the Brooklyn Bridge and take the Staten Island Ferry. Amazing views, and a great way to see the Statue of Liberty without actually going to Ellis Island.

    And although you've already seen Wicked, I have to say, seeing it again and in NYC is definitely worth it. I've seen it 3 times, and it never disappoints. In fact, it was a completely different experience each time because I was in different phases of my life and related to and found different characters, songs, and parts of the story more touching/revelatory each time, (if that makes sense).

    I also recommend the Metropolitan Museum (AMAZING), and checking out the Top of the Rock (the Rockefeller Center)--when I was there, the Empire State Building lines were so long that we found going to the top of the Rockefeller Center was a lot better use of our time, and it still provided spectacular views of the city. I love the Empire State Building, but I was only in NYC for a four-day trip and wanted to make the most of my time there. I didn't want to spend tons of time waiting in line.

    The best meal I had while I was there: brunch at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. The queso fundido and sixteen spice chicken were unreal AND reasonably priced. And the place I plan to go next time: Mario Batali's Babbo.

    I'm sure I have more to share, but I'll cut myself off now. I believe I'm spouting like a faucet. :) I'm so excited for you and Dave!!

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  13. LOVE NYC.

    Check out "In the Heights" We loved it!

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  14. I'm totally jealous that Alice gets William! Did you even consider me? We want him bad!!!!!

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  15. oh my Radio City you will love the rockettes!!!! You must take a carriage ride with hubby and pray for snowflakes~~~~

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  16. Hi LIz, We blogged about our experience in NYC and you can find it here: http://kellyandkimberly.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html. It's easier than telling you all the many wonderful things about NYC. What a wonderful place. We're hoping to go together in Oct. but we'll see. Enjoy!

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  17. I went to NYC 10 years ago this thanksgiving with a really LARGE group. My children's high school marching band. I got to see Phantom of the Opera and was on the edge of my seat in awe the entire time. LOVED IT!

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  18. OMG I LOVE NY!!! It was so much fun when we went! UGh. Wish we could come with you guys! haha actually can we tag along with a new born? lol. Okay well if you haven't seen Lion King that is a MUST SEE!

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  19. Have brunch at the Stanton Social (make sure to try the donuts - they are amazing!).

    Hale & Hearty for wonderful soup and salads.

    Patsy's Pizza in the Upper East Side or Adrienne's in the financial district (I saw someone already mentioned it.)

    Brio Italian in the Upper East Side is also yummy.

    Churrascaria Plataforma for a nice night out.

    "Beauty and the Beast" is an amazing and wholesome Broadway show.

    One of my favorite things to do is a scavenger hunt through Watson Adventures. It's a great way to insert a little history into your sight-seeing. http://watsonadventures.com/

    Have fun!

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  20. ok- here's the deal. I agree on the mamma mia - sadly a waste... if it is still there, i HIGHLY recommend Drowsy Chaperone. Completely family friendly - and sooo funny. In fact, there is a "narrator" and I believe it might still be Bob Saget which could be a whoot. Other than that, there is one with Kristen Chenowith that I hear is pretty great, but I haven't done any reason on it yet. Oh I am so jealous slash way excited for you!

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  21. Cupcakes at Butter Lane, brunch at the Sunburnt Cow (East Village), the Museum of Natural History, the park.

    Have fun!

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  22. Cupcakes at Butter Lane, brunch at the Sunburnt Cow (East Village), the Museum of Natural History, the park.

    Have fun!

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  23. I just got back from New York and had a blast! You have some good recommendations-we had heard Rockefellar was better than the empire state building, we did the empire state building and it was the pits, next time we would do Rockefellar for sure. Sarabeth's is an amazing place to eat. We ate at the one on Fifth Avenue in Lord and Taylors. We also saw Wicked and In the Heights, both were good (I had already seen Wicked) and I wished we would have seen West Side Story. Shake Shak was yummy and Magnolia Bakery was disappointing (at least the cupcakes were). If you go shopping, you must check out Century 21. It is a department store that sells designer brands at a discount and it is amazing! I can't wait to go back to New York just for this store!

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  24. love that song...and so wish you were coming here or that i was going with you.

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  25. OH LIZ!!!! i am so excited for you! (and slightly jealous!) I've always wanted to visit NY in the fall---and for the Macy's day Parade!!! HOW FUN!! You are going to have a blast. Do you mind if I secretly pretend it is me and go over the trip in my head!? : )

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  26. Okay, when Chase and I went there last August, we wanted to see a few shows. We went to three....the last one was a great deal, but even still, we relunctantly went to it---due to the fact that I was not a big fan of the movie----SHREK! Liz I am not kidding, it was absolutely incredible! It is so worth it. Chase and I put it right up there with Wicked!

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  27. I'll second (or third) the suggestion to hit Top of the Rock instead of the Empire State Building!

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  28. How exciting! I went to school in Manhattan for a couple of years. I must admit, I didn't get out much. For me, it was all school work and no play. That being said, I do have a few favorite things to do/see in the city:

    Visit Brooklyn Heights (where I lived). It's so beautiful and so few people even know about it. Take the 2 or 3 train to Clark Street and walk two blocks down to the promenade. From there, you get the most gorgeous views of Manhattan, including the Statue of Liberty. So pretty. And from there you can walk down the street to Grimaldi's (believed by many to be the best pizza in the city; http://www.grimaldis.com/2/Index.htm)

    Visit Fort Tryon Park (http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/forttryonpark). Central Park is a must as well, but Fort Tryon is just so unique. You get off at the subway station and you swear that you're not in New York anymore. It's so quiet and so peaceful. And again, the views are amazing. Also, the Cloisters are located at Fort Tryon (http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/the_cloisters).

    As far as food is concerned, I would definitely recommend Max Brenner's (a must if you love chocolate; http://www.maxbrenner.com/) and Crumbs Bake Shop (my personal favorite cupcakes; http://www.crumbs.com/).

    I hope that you have lots and lots of fun on your trip! I'm pretty sure that you are going to love it:)

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  29. Congrats, girl! We LOVED New York. We went for a roommates wedding in the Hamptons right before I found out I was pregnant :) It was the perfect way to end our "young marrieds no kids" years. We had a lot of insider visits that were a lot of fun! The pizza was good pretty much anywhere, but we learned early on that plain cheese is the way to go! My favorite place for pizza was Artichoke. http://www.artichokepizza.com/
    I still crave it. SO YUMMY! We also went to a wonderful (expensive) dinner in Brooklyn at Bamontes. It is owned by the cousin of Grimaldi and the italian food is TO DIE FOR! Everything we had was out of this world. It is also not going to be as busy as some other places because its not so touristy. (Also, there is a Grimaldi's in Phoenix, if you really want to try it) For shows, we saw the Rockettes here in Phoenix when they came, and they were so good! I LOVED it! In NY, we saw Jersey Boys, and we were so pleasantly surprised! It is about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. A good option if you are looking for something not based on a Disney movie. The thing I loved most about NY was just wandering around and seeing everything we could possibly see. There is so much to take in! I hope to go back someday at Christmas time :) Have so much fun!

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