My NYC 20 (Part I)

Rather than a day-to-day recap, I thought it might be more useful to share with you 20 things I really enjoyed during my trip, so it can help you in your future planning, should you ever decide to visit my favourite city in the world. :)

(Note: This list is not in order of merit.)

1. Fall in love at the top of the Empire State Building

So it’s touristy and a complete cliche. And that long meander to the top was a little bit of a mood-dampener at first. But all that got thrown out of the window as soon as I got to the top and took in THAT VIEW. I had to take a deep breath and tell myself I wasn’t dreaming. That I really was standing atop my favourite building, and I really was looking down at the glittering lights of New York City. It was then, when all the stars seemed aligned that my eyes welled up. I had a moment, and promptly fell in love.

2. Take a musical trip back to the 60s and 70s with the Jersey Boys

I’d heard from the cousin that Jersey Boys was really, really good. We were just looking forward to be able to sing along to a jukebox musical featuring the legendary Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Little did we know that the production and cramazing cast would be that spectacular. All the leads were real standouts in their own right, with special mention to Jarrod Spector and Quinn VanAntwerp (who played Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio respectively); they had voices that could melt the coldest of hearts (unless music has no effect on you). I dare you to not stand up during the finale and dance along with everyone else in the audience. ;)

3. Enjoy a stroll through Central Park

An 843-acre park in the middle of Manhattan? Complete with a castle and an ice-skating rink amongst many other attractions? It was without a doubt a great escape from the urban jungle and another reason for me to love New York City even more. Central Park, in all its fame and beauty, was indeed the perfect place for a picnic with family and friends, or for a mere wander across the sprawling greens or over the many gorgeous stone bridges. And because of its sheer size, it never felt crowded, something that I greatly appreciated. The only exception being at Strawberry Fields, where everyone (including yours truly) wanted to pose for a photo with the John Lennon tribute. But really, who can blame us? Heh.

4. Indulge in all the Christmas revelry at Rockefeller Plaza

We had an “interesting” time trying to catch the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. I wouldn’t say it was the most unpleasant situation I’d ever been in, but it was certainly an experience. Rockefeller Plaza was PACKED beyond belief so we ended up catching only a glimpse of the tree (before light-up) and had to watch the ceremony on an outdoor screen about a block away from the real action. It was quite laughable, but the fact that there was a genuine Christmas spirit surrounding us and we could hear all the musical acts “live”, kinda made the occasion rather memorable. We went back the next night to get photos of the tree and boy, was it gorgeous.

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Song of the Day

Riverside, by Agnes Obel