Spring Break in NYC

Last week, my family and I spent Spring Break in NYC.  It was our first ever spring break vacation, first airplane flight for my son, and our longest family trip ever.  I think I came back more exhausted than when I left, but we had fun!  The whole trip was planned via travel hacking, but I think it was the nicest vacation we have ever had.

We stayed at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan, and it did not disappoint.  Oh my word...

I mean, there were robes, slippers, and lovely scented toiletries.

             

There were doormen, a concierge, and a house car with a driver waiting to take you anywhere you wanted to go that was near the hotel.  And their service and kindness was as amazing as the hotel.  

The hotel was 2 blocks from Central Park, so we had to go there first.  Even though spring hadn't quite hit the city, the park was still beautiful and we came back several times.  

Later in the week, we went to the MET, 

and visited the Empire State Building,

where we could see Central Park in the distance.

We also toured Brooklyn and Wallkill Bethel, and went to Times Square, where we met up with friends from home.  

 

Being at Rockefeller Plaza, where the Today Show is filmed, was awesome.  We went to rent a car, and saw all of the flags literally right around the corner.  So many iconic sights were right around the corner.  

 

This artist was creating this amazing picture of Grand Central Terminal.  

We ate at several restaurants and I observed something about New Yorkers that I really admired.  I think we know they move fast and we often hear that they are rude, but I noticed in all of the restaurants we ate at there was a lot of conversation.  No one, and I mean no one, was on their phone or tablet scrolling thru a screen, unless they were dining alone.  They seemed to value conversation when they had the opportunity.  

One restaurant we ate at several times was called Le Pain Quotidien.  It was right around the corner from the hotel, and the food was AH-MAZ-ING!  We had waffles from there that were so good, I had to hunt down the recipe when we got home.   I have still got to order the special sugar you need to make them.  It turns out they were Liege waffles which are made from what I am guessing is more like a dough than a batter.  It's funny because the first day we had breakfast there, we all ordered waffles.  And when they came to the table, I was so disappointed because they were so small.  But they did not disappoint.  They were the best waffles I have ever had in my life.  I told my husband, I have never had a Cronut, but this is what I imagine they taste like.  Everything we ate there was so good.  

Another place we ate at several times was Angelo's Pizza, which was a few steps from the hotel.  It was everything you would expect from New York Pizza--a thin, chewy crust + delicious toppings.  For some reason, I only have a pic of my salad, but it was just as good!

On our last day in the city we made plans to go see The High Line.  On our way there we came across  a beautiful public plaza.  I love being outside in nature, and the fact they New York has all of these public areas is lovely.   

The High Line is this public park built on an abandoned railway line that had become naturally overgrown after sitting unused for many years.  The city was going to demolish it, but two men decided to fight to have it repurposed.  What is there today is a beautiful park that is, again, open to the city.  I really want to come back and see it again when it's in full bloom.  

There was a sign I saw that said "The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding."  I found it to be hilarious.  While I would love to live in New York, the marathon Bravo is playing of Million Dollar Listing-New York, tells me that I would have to be kidding to think I could live there.  

New York, it was fun while it lasted, but we had to say goodbye.

It feels great to be back home and to have my space to myself again, but we'll be back!