Monday, April 16, 2012

The Big Apple. Subways, Friends, Skycrapers.


Wednesday March 21 2012:
We took a midnight bus from Columbus Ohio last night that was to arrive in NYC the following morning at nine! Well let's say that our tickets were $30 each for a nine hour bus ride to the big apple. It was definitely the cheapest option we could find and we were quite skeptical after reading reviews. Let's just say we had really low expectations, kept our valuables on us and would be happy just to make it there for the price we paid. The bus station downtown was nice, not many sketchy people and the bus pulled up and already impressed us! We were thinking worse quality than an old greyhound bus! Bus with TVs and decently comfy seats!! Definitely a full bus though! We grabbed the two seats in the very back of the bus and were happy to be on the bus and get going.

Not bad huh?

  A Russian girl sat next to us who was very nice. Slept 90% of the way there! Woke up entering into NYC traffic and about 45 mins after nine we arrived in the city! Got our bag from under the bus and we were on our own in the city!

Bought two metro passes for all week to use on the subways and made our way to my friend Emily's apartment who I met while studying abroad in Innsbruck! She lives right off Central Park in a penthouse apartment! The place is extremely nice!!! So thankful that she is letting us stay for a night and that I get to see her and catch up with her! She was working so we dropped our bags off, freshened up, and went out to explore the city!!

Emily's Balcony

View from her place
We saw a lot of the sites today! Had a cappuccino muffin and wrap! Walked by Columbus Circle, by Central Park, to Times Square, Grant Park, Empire State Building, and just kept exploring! Had a chicken sandwich for lunch. !
Columbus Circle

Are we in NYC?

Times Square

New Years Resolutions

Smallest Starbucks ever!

The NYE Ball!

Times Square

And again

Walking to Byrant Park

Amazing architecture

Empire State of Mind. I mean Empire State Building.

This just says NYC completely.
What a bargain!

Cathedral
We went to the apple store which is insane!!! Walked through central park and back to Emily's apartment to rest our feet and meet Emily before going out to dinner! Going to meet my friend Chris from UCF who lives in the city now as well! Excited to have so Thai food for dinner!

Apple Store Entrance
Stairs up and back onto 5th Avenue

Bubbles in Central Park! We were very entertained!


POP!

Walking through Central Park
Spring is on it's way!

So pretty
Caught up with Emily which was so great!!! Took the subway down to Union Square and went to Spice restaurant and met Chris there! A great amazing dinner with awesome conversations and catching up with old friends!!! Couldn't stop laughing and smiling! Always great to hang out with old friends! We walked around more and eventually ended up at a bar with karaoke and grabbed a drink. 
Occupy Wall St

The gang!

Emily Chris and I!
 Loved walking around the city at night. Came back to the apartment and met Emily's mom who is amazing!!! So nice, funny, welcoming! She gave us cookies and frozen yogurt and had great conversations with her as well. She's so technologically advanced! She knows more about Iphone aps then I do! Took a shower and freshened up for bed after a great perfect first day in the city!

Thursday March 22:
Woke up in the big apple again!! Refreshed and well rested!! Enjoyed the views!!


Obsessed.
Never-ending.

 Then we went to 72nd Bagels to have some authentic NY bagels! 


Got a little gift for our hosts!


Can't believe I found these!!! Oh Austria- I miss you so much.

Jeremy leaving the Penthouse!
 Went to Times Square again- then to Grand Central Station. Walked around and explored. Had lunch at a Lebanese restaurant.
NYPD

ABC

So much sensory overload
And then we became famous

Don't mind the truck! Haha!


Hyatt!


Grand Central Station

Gorgeous

Big Apple!


Really like this sign!

Then we went to Rockefeller Center and met Clara!!! I met her while backpacking through Central America- so great and lucky to meet friends in the city. 

I was wearing shorts and people were ice skating!

Hilarious

Flagssss!!
Then we decided to grab some Sangria with Clara! 
We laughed a lot here.

We climbed to the top of Clara's Apt!
Freedom Tower being constructed!
Clara invited us to join her on a gallery hop in the city so we did that next!

Walking to some galleries!

Cool restaurant back here
View from one of the galleries


Really like this

And this one
Interesting art

Whoaaaa!
Then we were hungry so decided to eat at an Indian restaurant for dinner. Ate A LOT of food! Then Jeremy met up with his friend Aaron from OSU in Times Square to watch the OSU game for March Madness.
Times Square at night

After another OSU win, we went to another bar, had some drinks and didn't get home until four am?!? What!! We didn't even get  drunk! Too busy talking I guess!

Friday March 23:
Woke up and made our way to Clara's apartment to drop off our bags!


Grabbed some coffee and pizza! 

Not too bad
Then Jeremy and I decided to walk across Brooklyn Bridge! I had never done this before, really great! Especially on a beautiful day! Be prepared for a lot of photos!

On the bridge!

Art? I think so!

So awesome!

Manhattan behind me!

Both of us!
Love it
Before...

And after! HAHA!

Amaazing!

Walked around in Brooklyn and had a good veggie wrap! Took the subway back to Manhattan and went to see the 9/11 Memorial and Freedom Tower. 

Freedom Tower under construction

Memorial Area

Memorial Pool

So sad

Way too many names

Another view

Other pool

Reflection
Next we went to Hells Kitchen for dinner! Went to a BYOB restaurant and then went out later. 
Waiting on the subway- don't ask why we were on the ground.

Love this a lot!
Had a fun late night though! 

Saturday March 24: 

It was a bit colder today, but the weather has been perfectly lately!! So lucky! You never know what the weather will be like in March! 

Grabbed some lunch and iced coffee and explored some more. Went to Fao Schwartz.


Entrance



We found the big apple in "The Big Apple!"

Hung out with Clara again!! Never enough time to hang out with this girl! Decided to go and see High Line which is around 30th and 10th! An old rail they have recently turned into a park! Amazing!
NYC Parking Lot!

On the High Line!

JUMPING!

So cool

More views from High Line

Enjoying the walk!

I love it.

Awesome building!

Grabed coffee again. Kind of required in the city! We were SO tired from walking so much!!
Feet are so sore! I'd love to know how much we have walked this entire trip: A LOT!! Went to Clara's to change and then had dinner and watched the OSU game!
  After the game we went to Brooklyn where Clara's friend lived and hung out and crashed there.

Head scratcher!

Hilarious!

Got some much needed sleep for our last day in the city!.

Sunday March 25th: 

Taking the subway to Broadway!

Had brunch at Vinyl. Emily decided upon it and not until on our way there did it hit me that I had eaten there the last time I was in NYC with Kat and AJ! Delicious as always!


Entrance
 
We had ticket to the Sunday matinee showing of Rent!! Was a great show!!Really loved it!

Drinks, iPhones, and our tickets.

At intermission!
 
After the amazing show, guess what we did? Grabbed coffee again! It kept us going! Went to a giant bookstore in Union Park with Clara and then Jeremy and I took subway to Battery Park. Great sunset with views of the Statue of Liberty. 

Nice view!

Nice with the sunset
Came back and had sushi with Clara! Had Green Tea ice cream. Delicioussssss.

We then grabbed our bags from Clara's and walked to the bus station for our ride back to Ohio.  


Absolutely great trip. Nothing went wrong, love the city, great to spend time with friends and explore the city even more. Still debating if I would ever want to live here. Of course if the opportunity came up I would!

Can't stop thinking about how much fun the trip was. Laughing all the time being with friends in a wonderful city. Couldn't have asked for better weather.

I'm really going to miss the subways. Freaking love them. I have this obsession for efficient public transportation. By the end we knew our way around easily, and had explored many many parts of the city. I don't even want to imagine how many miles and miles we walked. Okay honestly I really want to know how many miles we walked! 


Memories:
Photo bomb with Clara
Oh wow.
Expect the unexpected.
Rest your heeeeaaaadddd on my should....er.
New York New York.

Looking at artwork.... Mmmeehhhhhh!