Still My Favorite Place... NYC (Part 2)

So, where were we?

Oh yes... the best city in the entire world, New York City!

If you haven't read the first half of this post, you can find it here: Still My Favorite Place... NYC (Part 1). For those of you who have read the post, you're just more awesome than most.

I left you somewhere in F.A.O. Schwarz, perhaps playing on the Big Piano or wandering among the stuffed animals. As for Becky and I, we spent a glorious 15 minutes in the Schweetz Shop, gathering our favorite confections. With a bag full of candy, we left the greatest toy store in the world to wander Central Park, munching on swedish fish and M&Ms.

Central Park
       

Central Park is one of my favorite places to see whilst in the city. I love how two worlds seemingly collide, lush grounds surrounded by towering skyscrapers. Even if you've never been, Central Park is featured in so many television shows and movies that it's a familiar sight to most.

The Park is 843 acres of trees, lakes, and lawns. Around each corner is a new experience; and for someone like me, a new photograph. I love spending an afternoon just moseying along (that's right, I said mosey!), stopping for a hot dog at lunch, or taking a ride on the carousel when the mood strikes me.

Unfortunately, for first time visitors, there usually isn't enough time to simply wander the paths. The park is so large, it's impossible to see it all in one visit. Unless, of course, that is your only goal. However, Becky and I were primed to see the Met (The Metropolitan Museum of Art), so we picked a few key spots to see as we walked in the general direction of the museum.

One of those key spots was Bow Bridge, featured in many, many movies. Not only a beautiful spot, but also a very romantic one. So, if you happen to be in Central Park with your Hubs, be sure to stroll by! As for Becky and I, we spent our time with our cameras, the other great love in our lives.      

Bow Bridge

Another romantic thing to do in the park, and one I've done before (with the Hubs, not Becky!), is enjoy a carriage ride. Just outside the park, near the Plaza Hotel, horse and buggies await you. The prices are fair, the drivers are knowledgable and funny, and any opportunity to snuggle with your love is a good one. Naturally, Becky and I did not snuggle up together (sorry to disappoint you)... BUT, we did take photos!  

Horse and buggy outside Central Park

There are many, many, many, many things to see in the park. A buggy ride gives you the opportunity to see some of them without wearing out your legs, and it also puts a time limit on your visit through the park. Otherwise, you could wind up like Becky and I, spending hours wandering around. Of course, that was mostly because we lost our way a few times, but still.  

Eventually we stumbled upon the Met. 

The museum is yet another spot where you could literally spend days. For the art lover, NYC is chock full of experiences just waiting to happen. Because we were already a little tired (all that wandering around Central Park!), Becky and I chose a few key exhibits that we wanted to see. 

Of course, once you start down the hall looking for one exhibit, you also start looking at the others you pass. Then, before you know it, 3 or 4 hours have gone by, and you're not even halfway through your visit. The Met boasts works from Monet, Rembrandt, Picasso, O'Keeffe, Tiffany, and Seurat. It's nearly impossible to walk by and not stop for a few minutes at each display. 

Somehow, we managed to limit our time. This was mostly due to our grumbling stomachs, but you gotta go with whatever works. 

After an incredibly risky cab ride, in which my life passed before my eyes several times, we arrived in Times Square.

Times Square

Times Square... the name conjures up images of New Year's Eve, screaming crowds, and confetti. I've been once to see the ball drop at midnight, and it was truly an unforgettable experience.

Luckily, Times Square isn't just about New Year's Eve. The bustle and the lights, the noise and the crowds... those are there all year round. I love to see the city after dark, when the lights are so bright it feels as if the day never ended. 

Dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, New York was the perfect ending to our first day in NYC...

 ... or so I thought, UNTIL we saw this on our walk back to Grand Central Station:

 The Empire State Building lit up the night, surprising us as we turned the corner. The colors of the building change, based on what's happening at that time: 

When the Giants won the Superbowl (woot!), the building was blue, blue, and blue. 

For Valentines Day, the colors became red, pink, and white. 

As Becky and I crossed 5th Avenue the evening of April 20th, the green, green, green shone into the night in honor of Earth Day. 

The day was a long one, but well worth it. After all, it required two posts just to talk about it! We managed one more great day in NYC before embarking on our next adventure... but that's a story for another night, as it's now my bedtime. I hope you're enjoying the ride so far!