NEW YORK, NEW YORK
- ashleyrwhite259
- May 16
- 7 min read
QUICK LOOK:
Location: The W Times Square
Main Attractions: Columbia Circle, Wall Street, The Charging Bull, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, M&M World, The Guggenheim, Central Park, Greenwich Village
Food: Pick a Bagel, Joe’s Pizza, Junior’s Restaurant, Thai Hot Box, Dorado Tacos and Quesadillas
Transportation: The Subway, walking, Staten Island Ferry
Holidays:
NEW YORK — We made it to New York!!! Let me just be completely transparent with you. This was not a trip about finding the hidden gems of New York. This was Brad’s and the girls’ first time, so we were all about being the quintessential tourists (and we enjoyed every moment). Here is the list we started out with:
Must-see/do:
Times Square
Statue of Liberty
Wall St. and the Bull
World Trade Center and the Oculus
The Guggenheim
Central Park
Brooklyn
For must-eat:
New York-style pizza
Cheesecake
Bagel
For hope-to-see:
The High Line
Ritz Carlton Nomad (this is for the hospitality side of Brad)
St. Regis (same as above)
Falafels (possibly at Taim)
The big question: how much can we pack into 2.5 days? Well, let’s see how we did:
Day 1 — we arrived very late Thursday night around 11 pm. It took a little under an hour to get to Times Square where we stayed at the W Hotel. Such a great location for Brad’s and the girls’ first time in New York. It was, literally, steps away from the iconic image of Times Square. That being said, we were all tired after the journey. So, we walked through the busyness of Times Square and straight into bed.
The next morning, my friend Quinn (I am pretty sure we first met when I was 13 years old at the San Francisco Ballet School (SFBS) summer intensive program (my first time), and we eventually went on to be trainees and then in the company together) took us to a place called “Pick a Bagel” where we joined the long line of locals and tourists. Everyone has their favorite bagel spot, and mine was at a small deli in Brooklyn. I fell in love with the NY bagel for the first time in the summer of 2011 when I had spent a month there. I had been to New York multiple times and enjoyed their bagels, but that summer sealed the deal There is something extra delicious about New York deli bagels. These days, they do ones with rainbow colors, unique toppings, etc. For me, a simple cream cheese bagel or cream cheese and lox bagel is really all I need. That morning, we were completely content with our cream cheese and egg & cheese bagels. Both on plain bagels. No frill. No fuss.
After filling our bellies, Quinn guided us toward Columbus Circle at the SW corner of Central Park. We didn’t head into Central Park that morning, but it was a great location to catch the subway heading downtown toward our next stop—the Oculus. The Oculus, also known as the World Trade Center Transportstion hub, is a white-ribbed structure serving as a transit hub as well as shopping center. Like many buildings in New York, the structure itself is art and a sight to see.
From there we decided to make a stop at the nearby, but famous, Joe’s Pizza. It has various locations, but this one was just blocks away and heading toward our next iconic stop—Wall Street and the Charging Bull. When we got to Joe’s pizza, it was exactly as we expected—crowded, casual, and smelling of amazing pizza. We ordered two cheese pizza slices and one white before grabbing the few remaining stools by the wall. When we got our hot pizzas, the girls were amazed with how large the slices were and I was pleasantly shocked with how fresh the sauce tasted. Crispy crust, fresh sauce, cheesy cheese, and not dripping with grease. Sometimes I hesitate with the traditional favorites because they aren’t always what they used to be or our tastes have just changed over time. That being said, there’s a reason Joe’s has withstood the test of time and will no doubt continue for many generations.
After another successful food adventure, we set off for Wall St. and the Charging Bull. When we arrived at the Bull, there were two long lines on either end of the statue filled with visitors who either wanted to grab the Bull by its horns or by its…well, I guess you get the point. The latter line was longer. We opted to just take a photo by the front of the Bull and call it a day. Had I though of it in time, I would have taken the girls to the Fearless Girl. Maybe next time.
Bagels, Columbus Circle, the Oculus, World Trade Center, Joe’s Pizza, Wall St., Charging Bull—we already felt good about our day. So, we headed back home on the subway to take a little break.
*Note: our girls are their father’s daughters. They LOVE hotels. Not in a luxurious way. They just love traveling and exploring new places, which includes exploring hotels and seeing how they might differ. Having a father that works in hospitality allowed them to be little hotel goers.
Once we rested enough, we headed back out to enjoy Times Square at night. We headed to the famous Junior’s Restaurant for their cheesecake. I didn’t remember this about NY cheesecake, but it was dense. Thick, creamy, and dense. I read later that NY cheesecake tends to be thicker due to its high cream cheese content. I, honestly, had never thought about it before, but I definitely noticed this time. Thankfully, it was a nice night to walk around Times Square. So, we walked around enjoying the sites and crowds of people. Our girls, as timid as they appear, never seem too phased by large city crowds. Marrakech—fine. Bangkok—loved it. New York City—enthralled. Since our hotel was right in the heart of Times Square by the now famous Red Stairs, we had to take a photo. So, we caught our photo and then quickly headed out before all the street characters, performers, and photographers stopped us.
It was a fun and successful first day in New York.
DAY 2 — On our second day in The Big Apple, we were determined to see the Statue of Liberty and Central Park. Since we got free passes to the Guggenheim from our stay at the W Times Square, we planned to start our day there. However, we got sidetracked by the nearby M&M store. The massive M&M store is such a colorful and sweet experience for both adults and children. If you know me well, you know I try to instill a balance and a healthy relationship with treats for our family, but I definitely air on the more restrictive side (i.e. yes to sweets at birthday parties, but no to candies with dyes). I am sure I will be judged for that, but that’s okay. You might also know that M&Ms found in Europe are made with natural fruit coloring. However, in the USA, we have somehow managed to keep dyes (like Red 40) in our candies, treats, and even chips (yes - even chips have dyes that have been banned elsewhere). That being said, I didn’t want to bring our girls to the M&M store and not let them buy something wit their own money. Like I said, balance. It’s all about balance for us. So, we left the store with colorful treats and big smiles (Brad got a customized bag with PB&J and cold brew flavors).
After our colorful experience, we headed toward the Guggenheim. Last time I was in New York for a month in the summer, I went to the Copper Hewitt Museum and really enjoyed it. I can’t say our family is what you would call a “museum going” family in that we don’t seek them out or go on tours. That being said, we do enjoy one or two, especially during our travels (i.e. British Museum, Museum of Natural History, Beethoven’s latest home, Glazer Museum, etc.). This time, we chose the Guggenheim because 1) our girls love art, 2) the museum is not very large, and 3) we were surprised with free tickets through our hotel (we had planned to go regardless, so it was a pleasant surprise). We all really enjoyed our experience. The girls especially liked the more three dimensional art that progressed as you climbed the spiral building. Noe got a cut toward the end and headed down early; but, Vienna was very proud to have climbed the whole spiral.
After enjoying a more relaxing and enlightening visit to the Guggenheim (very different than our fun time at the M&M store), we were ready to head back out (into the cold). We, first, needed some lunch. So, we got Thai food at Thai Hot Box and it was delicious. We definitely miss the more authentic cuisines after having moved to FL, so it was especially nice. We got our usuals—fried rice, pad see ew, and pad Thai. We also got fried eggs (these girls love their eggs, especially Vienna. She even enjoys soft boiled and very yolkey eggs), which the girls ordered a second order of. The location was perfect for our plan to go to Central Park. So, we headed over and managed to spend hours just walking though and playing. The girls haven’t lost their sense of wonder and creativity when it comes to nature, so the many sticks and acorns managed to keep them very entertained. Plus, Central Park really is active and beautiful. I think it is a good reflection of New York’s beauty that comes from both the nature and its people. Okay - no need for me to get sappy on you.
After all that walking, we were ready to head back for a break. We went back to the W for some R&R and then headed back out to explore a new neighborhood. Our original intention was to head to Brooklyn, but it seemed a bit late for that. So, we opted for Greenwich Village instead. It worked out well because The Ritz-Carlton Nomad was on the way, and we all know Brad loves his hotels. So, we explored the Ritz a bit and then decided to walk the whole way to Greenwich Village (Brad’s idea), adding to our five or so miles that day. We ended up at Dorado where we got Mexican food (how we have missed Mexican food). It was quite late when we were done, so we took the subway back.
Day 2 wasn’t quite done for me because I got to meet up with Quinn (my dear friend) one more time at the hotel lounge before heading out the next morning. It was a great way to end our second and final day in New York.
I will always have a soft spot for New York—so many memories from childhood and adulthood. I am so glad I got to experience it with Brad and the girls for their first time. I have no doubt we will make it out there again in the future.
Bye for now!
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