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For the keys to my New York City Part II






A few of my favorite places

·      Get and read the New York Times- I always get the major paper of the place I am visiting. It makes for a great understanding of that place and also as a great souvenir.

·      Broadway plays- see previously blog, For the love of the theater and what it means to me.

·      Ellis Island- Sadly only the main building is open to tourists but to walk through the same way our ancestors did and see what they went through will never leave you. I still wish the old mental ward was renovated but that’s just me.






·      Statue of Liberty- You can take the same ferry from Ellis Island to the Statute of Liberty and do both in the same day. Lady Liberty is so much larger up close and wonderful. Be sure to look up for the inscription of 1776 on the book she is holding. I hope you don’t have to ask why because I am tempted not to tell you but, 1776 is the year America won her independence from the British. The ferry ride there and back is also a great way to view the city and take amazing pictures.






·      Times Square- Congested, yes, but worth walking through. There are now pedestrian walkways and even some stairs to sit on and take it all in. Those stairs also provide an excellent vantage point for taking 360 degree pictures.



·      Discovery Times Square- A great place to see some of the best touring exhibits. In the last year alone there was Titanic and King Tut. Currently on display is Pompeii (see previous blog, For those who love history and artifacts) and Harry Potter The Exhibition which just opened.

·      Museum of Modern Art- Van Gough’s Starry Night is here and a love of mine. Plus the incredible modern art and the bonus of being smaller and easier to get through than the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

·      Fraunces Tavern- George Washington gave a farewell address here during the revolutionary war!! Small but great to see and the tavern below where he ate and drank is newly renovated and just reopened.




·      Ground Zero- So much construction has been done lately and it’s impressive to see the views and progress. To preview the future of the site: http://www.wtc.com/about/





·      St. Paul’s Chapel- Known as the 9/11 church because that is where many firefighters, police officers and first responders stayed during the first few weeks. There are memorials to many of those we lost here.





·      Trinity Church- Robert Fulton and Alexander Hamilton are buried here.







·      92Y- Great cultural center for a meeting authors, actors, singers and so much more.

·      Brooklyn Bridge- You must walk over this once in your lifetime!!! No excuses!! It is such a breathe taking experience and the exhibits at the top are so interesting, plus there the view is unlike anything else. Plus like all good things in life it’s FREE!!






·      Truman Capote’s townhouse (technically he only lived in the bottom level)- This is where he wrote Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It is gorgeous and so worth a drive by (not that kind of drive by). It looks like a house you would see on a plantation in the South and not in the middle of Brooklyn.



·      Brooklyn Farmacy – Every Saturday there are most amazing doughnuts here from the Greenpoint bakery, Peter Pan Donut and Pastry Shop. Tina Fey told the NY Times that upon filming an episode of 30 Rock in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn she fell in love with these doughnuts. The soda shop also has old school egg creams and other homemade yummy treats. If you go for the doughnuts look out for Bavarian crème (Tina’s and my favorite) although I could go for a jelly, chocolate, or coconut right now too.



·      One Girl Cookies- For delicious “one-bite” cookies that are a favorite of Travel Channel host and travel God Samantha Brown. Check out Samantha Brown here: http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Samantha_Brown?intcmp=hp_nav_shows


·      Coney Island- In this landmark neighborhood you need to do 3 things: have a Nathan’s hot dog, ride the cyclone, and go to a minor league baseball game at MCU Park (formerly Key Span Park).





·      Flight 001- This is another great tip I swiped from the all knowing Samantha Brown and conveniently located around the corner from One Girl Cookie. This travel store has anything you need and more importantly stuff you just plain want. I got a package of hysterical luggage tags and a picture book of everything you can think of: food, locations etc. that you can just point to if you are in a country where you don’t speak the language. It’s a lot of fun to look through and even more fun when you splurge on something you didn’t know you couldn’t live without.




Stayed tuned Part 3- where I love to eat in NYC is tomorrow!

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