On Sunday November 15, 2015, I embarked on my final trip of 2015- to New York City!
I was invited and applied to attend the American Express Leadership Academy, which was put on by the Center for Creative Leadership. The 4 day Academy was intense and amazing. I learned so much about myself and how I can be a better leader. Since it was a long trip and my first time in NYC, I decided to stay an extra week and for mom to join me.
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I arrived on Monday morning and took the Super Shuttle from the Airport to the hotel, which was located in downtown, just a block from Ground Zero. I would never recommend the Super Shuttle! It was awful- took 3 hours to get to the hotel. My mom and Ian also had terrible experiences. Suck it up and pay the flat rate for a $50 cab ride! After checking into my room, I decided to wander around. I walked along the Hudson River, through Battery Park and down to the pier to catch the ferry to Staten Island. I would have liked to go to Ellis Island, but I'd heard that was an all day affair. I was happy to take the free ferry to Staten Island and back. I got a good view of the Statue of Liberty. That evening, we had a welcome reception and dinner at the hotel.
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Tuesday through Friday were jam packed. I didn't do anything but sleep and go to the Academy. It was very worthwhile, and I'm so glad for the experience and the new friends I met. "Life changing" is a very strong phrase, but I have to say, that's how I felt after (and even 6 months later!).
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The Academy ended at noon on Friday the 20th, so I set out on my own for the afternoon. I walked through Wall Street and found La Colombe Coffee- which Megumi got me hooked on in DC. I'd planned to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, but I miscalculated the route to get there, so I only got to the beginning of the bridge. It gets dark at 4:30pm in NYC! I went on the subway for the first time! It actually wasn't that bad (I'd heard stories about how hard it is to navigate). I went to the MoMA, which was free on Friday night. I ate my first street food- a chicken gyro. Then, I met up with a college friend and brother at Grand Central Station.
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On Saturday, I walked over to LeDistrict for a coffee and pan au chocolate and enjoyed the Hudson River before heading to my new hotel near Times Square. I decided to take the subway, which was challenging with all my luggage (I had to carry my heavy suitcase down the stairs- but found an elevator to go up). In the end, I was glad that I saved the $30 for a taxi. Our hotel- The Manhattan at Times Square was in a great location. It wasn't amazing, but it did the trick. The beds were comfortable and the rooms were clean and spacious. All we did was sleep there.
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Mom and I made a list of all the things we wanted to do, so Saturday was my day to do things that I knew she wouldn't want to do. I headed off with the plan to go to Muji, Eataly, and Trader Joes. That took a lot longer than I thought it would! I can see how NYC turns people into shoppers. I happened upon Times Square, and that was really cool when I realized it. I walked along Broadway for miles, stopping at stores along the way. Eventually I got to Eataly, which is where I'd planned to eat lunch- it was 4pm by then! I had an amazing pasta and glass of wine. Then I found the Trader Joes, which was the most crazy packed TJ I've ever been to. AND, they didn't sell wine! I ended up taking the subway back to the hotel because it was dark and I'd bought too many things to walk back.
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On Sunday the 22nd my mom arrived. We walked down to the Macy's store and enjoyed the Peanuts window displays. The inside of the store was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We also go to see the street area where they stop and perform for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We continued on to the High Line, and walked part of it. The weather was perfect and the High Line was so pretty. I saw Holly (possibly for the first time ever!) and we got some nice pictures. We went into Chelsea Market intending to eat there, but we didn't find anything we wanted. So, we went across the street to eat at Artichoke Pizza. After walking 10 miles, I let mom take the subway home.
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On Monday the 23rd, we met up with my Grandma's cousin Jane at the MET. I've never spent so much time in a museum (4 hours!). But it wasn't painful. We didn't even get through the entire museum after spending so much time there. Then Jane took us on a drive around the city. We just so happened to stop in front of Laudree and I was stoked! I jumped out and mom and I got a box of macaroons (the most famous in the world). Ian decided to fly over from San Diego for the week, and he arrived in the middle of the night.
--
On Tuesday morning we booked tickets to go up the One World Trade Center. The elevator ride was really cool and the view from the top was amazing. Then we went to look at the Reflecting Pools. We didn't go to the Memorial Museum because that would have been another $25 each, but I heard it was really good. After that, we walked over to the Brooklyn Bridge (the direct route this time!) and walked over part of the bridge.
We walked over to Times Square and got Ian half-priced tickets to see An American in Paris with mom and I. He ended up being in the same row with us! In the future, I don't think I'd buy tickets ahead of time, unless it was for a really popular show and I didn't want to miss it. I loved the show! The storyline was great and it was full of wonderful dancing.
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Wednesday morning we got up early to get in line to try to get tickets to the Jimmy Fallon show. While we were standing in line, Adele was on GMA just across the street. We took turns and walked by the window and got to see her profile. That was pretty cool. Ian and mom were pretty far back on the list, so it was unlikely they would get into the show, but had to go back at 3pm to find out for sure. We walked through Bryant Park (and didn't go ice skating) and then we walked through the NYC Library. The library was beautiful!
In the afternoon we went to the Float Prep for the parade at Central Park. It was really cool! We only saw a handful of the floats, but it was enough to get the idea of how they are inflated. Ian left us to try to get into another evening show (which he didn't) and mom and I took a short walk around Central Park. I got some great photos, and the park was everything I thought it would be!
That night, mom and I went to see the Rockettes at the Radio City Music Hall. The dancers were great, and the nativity scene was really cool (I won't spoil it). I felt like it ended abruptly, and I was still expecting to see more of the Rockettes dancing!
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Thanksgiving Day- the whole reason we were in NYC! We woke up at 5:30am, got dressed in layers and our gear and got to the parade route on 6th Ave. at 6:20am. Apparently a lot of people got there before us, and we had to take 2nd row seats across from Radio City Music Hall! I left mom and Ian and got us Starbucks coffee. The time actually went by pretty fast, and we really lucked out on the weather. It was in the mid 50's. The parade started at 9am at Central Park, and got to us at 9:30am. We stood up and gathered all our stuff around us. People were quite pushy, and some mom and her kids managed to push their way to the front. That was annoying, since we'd been there for hours! Luckily, we still had a great view and the parade was so much fun! It took 2 hours for the entire parade to go by. No one performed in front of us, but the bands played some song as they walked by. After the parade we were exhausted and passed out for a few hours in the hotel.
I'm going to make another post for all the awesome parade pics!
We went to Grand Central Station and took a train to Bronxville to meet Jane. She took us for a drive into the Hudson River Valley and we got to the top of a mountain just in time to see the sun set. After that, we went to her house for dinner. We had a delicious dinner and ate a ton of food and drink. We didn't get back to the hotel until after midnight!
--
Friday was our last day in the city and we only had a few things on our list to do. JP met us at our hotel and we took the subway down to Chelsea for brunch at Cookshop. Then we walked part of the High Line, since it was another beautiful day and Ian and JP hadn't been. We had 2 tickets to the NYC Ballet for that night, but 4 people. So we went to the cheap ticket place again and got 2 tickets for mom and Ian to "A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder." After that, we walked part of 5th Ave to see the expensive shops and ended at Central Park. We wanted a 40 minute carriage ride, but no one wanted to give us one. Coincidentally, the same guy that we'd been talking to a few days before drove up with his horse, Josephine. He agreed to take us on a 40 minute ride. We saw lots of famous landmarks from movies, including the fountain from Friends (which was off for winter) and the ice rink. It was a perfect ending to the week!
I was invited and applied to attend the American Express Leadership Academy, which was put on by the Center for Creative Leadership. The 4 day Academy was intense and amazing. I learned so much about myself and how I can be a better leader. Since it was a long trip and my first time in NYC, I decided to stay an extra week and for mom to join me.
--
I arrived on Monday morning and took the Super Shuttle from the Airport to the hotel, which was located in downtown, just a block from Ground Zero. I would never recommend the Super Shuttle! It was awful- took 3 hours to get to the hotel. My mom and Ian also had terrible experiences. Suck it up and pay the flat rate for a $50 cab ride! After checking into my room, I decided to wander around. I walked along the Hudson River, through Battery Park and down to the pier to catch the ferry to Staten Island. I would have liked to go to Ellis Island, but I'd heard that was an all day affair. I was happy to take the free ferry to Staten Island and back. I got a good view of the Statue of Liberty. That evening, we had a welcome reception and dinner at the hotel.
--
Tuesday through Friday were jam packed. I didn't do anything but sleep and go to the Academy. It was very worthwhile, and I'm so glad for the experience and the new friends I met. "Life changing" is a very strong phrase, but I have to say, that's how I felt after (and even 6 months later!).
--
The Academy ended at noon on Friday the 20th, so I set out on my own for the afternoon. I walked through Wall Street and found La Colombe Coffee- which Megumi got me hooked on in DC. I'd planned to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, but I miscalculated the route to get there, so I only got to the beginning of the bridge. It gets dark at 4:30pm in NYC! I went on the subway for the first time! It actually wasn't that bad (I'd heard stories about how hard it is to navigate). I went to the MoMA, which was free on Friday night. I ate my first street food- a chicken gyro. Then, I met up with a college friend and brother at Grand Central Station.
--
On Saturday, I walked over to LeDistrict for a coffee and pan au chocolate and enjoyed the Hudson River before heading to my new hotel near Times Square. I decided to take the subway, which was challenging with all my luggage (I had to carry my heavy suitcase down the stairs- but found an elevator to go up). In the end, I was glad that I saved the $30 for a taxi. Our hotel- The Manhattan at Times Square was in a great location. It wasn't amazing, but it did the trick. The beds were comfortable and the rooms were clean and spacious. All we did was sleep there.
--
Mom and I made a list of all the things we wanted to do, so Saturday was my day to do things that I knew she wouldn't want to do. I headed off with the plan to go to Muji, Eataly, and Trader Joes. That took a lot longer than I thought it would! I can see how NYC turns people into shoppers. I happened upon Times Square, and that was really cool when I realized it. I walked along Broadway for miles, stopping at stores along the way. Eventually I got to Eataly, which is where I'd planned to eat lunch- it was 4pm by then! I had an amazing pasta and glass of wine. Then I found the Trader Joes, which was the most crazy packed TJ I've ever been to. AND, they didn't sell wine! I ended up taking the subway back to the hotel because it was dark and I'd bought too many things to walk back.
--
On Sunday the 22nd my mom arrived. We walked down to the Macy's store and enjoyed the Peanuts window displays. The inside of the store was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We also go to see the street area where they stop and perform for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We continued on to the High Line, and walked part of it. The weather was perfect and the High Line was so pretty. I saw Holly (possibly for the first time ever!) and we got some nice pictures. We went into Chelsea Market intending to eat there, but we didn't find anything we wanted. So, we went across the street to eat at Artichoke Pizza. After walking 10 miles, I let mom take the subway home.
--
On Monday the 23rd, we met up with my Grandma's cousin Jane at the MET. I've never spent so much time in a museum (4 hours!). But it wasn't painful. We didn't even get through the entire museum after spending so much time there. Then Jane took us on a drive around the city. We just so happened to stop in front of Laudree and I was stoked! I jumped out and mom and I got a box of macaroons (the most famous in the world). Ian decided to fly over from San Diego for the week, and he arrived in the middle of the night.
--
On Tuesday morning we booked tickets to go up the One World Trade Center. The elevator ride was really cool and the view from the top was amazing. Then we went to look at the Reflecting Pools. We didn't go to the Memorial Museum because that would have been another $25 each, but I heard it was really good. After that, we walked over to the Brooklyn Bridge (the direct route this time!) and walked over part of the bridge.
We walked over to Times Square and got Ian half-priced tickets to see An American in Paris with mom and I. He ended up being in the same row with us! In the future, I don't think I'd buy tickets ahead of time, unless it was for a really popular show and I didn't want to miss it. I loved the show! The storyline was great and it was full of wonderful dancing.
--
Wednesday morning we got up early to get in line to try to get tickets to the Jimmy Fallon show. While we were standing in line, Adele was on GMA just across the street. We took turns and walked by the window and got to see her profile. That was pretty cool. Ian and mom were pretty far back on the list, so it was unlikely they would get into the show, but had to go back at 3pm to find out for sure. We walked through Bryant Park (and didn't go ice skating) and then we walked through the NYC Library. The library was beautiful!
In the afternoon we went to the Float Prep for the parade at Central Park. It was really cool! We only saw a handful of the floats, but it was enough to get the idea of how they are inflated. Ian left us to try to get into another evening show (which he didn't) and mom and I took a short walk around Central Park. I got some great photos, and the park was everything I thought it would be!
That night, mom and I went to see the Rockettes at the Radio City Music Hall. The dancers were great, and the nativity scene was really cool (I won't spoil it). I felt like it ended abruptly, and I was still expecting to see more of the Rockettes dancing!
--
Thanksgiving Day- the whole reason we were in NYC! We woke up at 5:30am, got dressed in layers and our gear and got to the parade route on 6th Ave. at 6:20am. Apparently a lot of people got there before us, and we had to take 2nd row seats across from Radio City Music Hall! I left mom and Ian and got us Starbucks coffee. The time actually went by pretty fast, and we really lucked out on the weather. It was in the mid 50's. The parade started at 9am at Central Park, and got to us at 9:30am. We stood up and gathered all our stuff around us. People were quite pushy, and some mom and her kids managed to push their way to the front. That was annoying, since we'd been there for hours! Luckily, we still had a great view and the parade was so much fun! It took 2 hours for the entire parade to go by. No one performed in front of us, but the bands played some song as they walked by. After the parade we were exhausted and passed out for a few hours in the hotel.
I'm going to make another post for all the awesome parade pics!
We went to Grand Central Station and took a train to Bronxville to meet Jane. She took us for a drive into the Hudson River Valley and we got to the top of a mountain just in time to see the sun set. After that, we went to her house for dinner. We had a delicious dinner and ate a ton of food and drink. We didn't get back to the hotel until after midnight!
--
Friday was our last day in the city and we only had a few things on our list to do. JP met us at our hotel and we took the subway down to Chelsea for brunch at Cookshop. Then we walked part of the High Line, since it was another beautiful day and Ian and JP hadn't been. We had 2 tickets to the NYC Ballet for that night, but 4 people. So we went to the cheap ticket place again and got 2 tickets for mom and Ian to "A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder." After that, we walked part of 5th Ave to see the expensive shops and ended at Central Park. We wanted a 40 minute carriage ride, but no one wanted to give us one. Coincidentally, the same guy that we'd been talking to a few days before drove up with his horse, Josephine. He agreed to take us on a 40 minute ride. We saw lots of famous landmarks from movies, including the fountain from Friends (which was off for winter) and the ice rink. It was a perfect ending to the week!
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