Category Archives: new york city

Piece O’ NYC: Christmas in July

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It’s July! Happy 4th! Jeff and I don’t usually do anything unique for the 4th other than make a good southern meal. This year it’s home fries with pulled chicken sandwiches and a fruit salad. I miss my parents’ ribs and bbq, but this is a nice substitute when you don’t have a grill…
July is hot as heck in the city. I miss the Texas heat this time of year, because Sherman always had downright dry heat. NYC has humidity along with heat. It’s gross — it’s makes the subways smell gross, it makes my hair do gross things … everything.is.gross.I run like a banshee in the mornings to work so I can get there before the humidity meets the sun and they claim subways and then me. Enough about heat though, let’s take a minute to think about a colder time of year (which we’re really familiar with in the Northeast) and talk about the holidays! I LOVE Christmas. I could keep holiday decorations up all year ’round. No joke you guys, I’m a Christmas freak. I have a bazillion Christmas quilts to request of Becky … though I think she’s essentially put up her white flag after making me that last Christmas pillow.

Fortunately, the city really sparkles and transforms during the holidays. You’ll spot random Christmas trees up in places, even on the sidewalks, and tons of holiday decor everywhere. So, if you ever visit during the holidays (starting from Thanksgiving to January 1), this is what I highly recommend you do — please note, they’re super touristy things, but I love doing them all!!!

  • See the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade. Jeff and I act like kids on Thanksgiving morning: we wake up excited for the food we’ll he’ll make and then we drink lots of coffee and head over to the parade to at least catch the Hello Kitty float go by (I have no float preference but that one because, you know, it’s a cat and it’s cute). Then (here’s the best part!), we come home and I put up my (fake) Christmas tree — YAY!!!!!!! *insert pity face for Jeff who hates helping me with this while we he cooks everything*IMG_8236 IMG_8228
  • Go see the Christmas Spectacular. I thought I’d hate it, but in fact, I’ll go for the rest of my life if I can. Nothing beats floating snowflakes, mass amounts of sequins, and ‘happy’ holiday singers! If you can’t deal with the Rockettes (like Jeff), go see the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center (even he likes this one). Here’s a good, and SUPER easy, way to locate cheaper tickets or discount codes – Google them! I just typed in ‘discount code for Christmas Spectacular’ last year in Google and BOOM, cheaper tickets (who knew!)!

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  • Go to Rockefeller Center to see “The Tree.” The biggest tree in America comes to town, and across the street from it Saks Fifth Avenue will usually do some sort of light show as an accompaniment. Here’s a tip – they put the tree up around Thanksgiving and even if it’s unlit, it’s still great. Go see it the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving at like 8 to 9pm after you’ve gone up the Top of the Rock for a night view of the city. No one is around!

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  • Go ice skating. But I recommend you doing it at the ice skating rink that pops up in Bryant Park each year. It’s quieter, often cheaper, and the Park hosts a fun Holiday market. We grab hot apple ciders from a booth close to the Library and head to the ice (well, Jeff does because I’m too scared to skate…I’m also clumsy, so it works well for me).
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Jeff and Ella testing out the rink back in 2013!

  • Grab the only souvenirs and gifts you need from the Holidays Markets. One of the best ones is at Grand Central – pretty venue, lovely gifts. Another good one is at Union Square.

Piece O’ NYC: An afternoon in Brooklyn and Resources!

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Jeff and I spent a little time in Brooklyn last Saturday. I had an event with iMentor (which I highly recommend you join or share with your friends to join) and met with Jeff afterwards to kill a little of the afternoon at the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

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Click on all the pictures for greater detail (and quality!).

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This is the face of a man who did not want his picture taken :P.

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an afternoon in Brooklyn

If you’re traveling with kids, take them to Jane’s Carousel.

Jeff and I rarely visit Brooklyn. I generally only venture out that far for meetings and this really ended up being the second time for me to explore this borough. The last time we were there though, we visited Smorgasburg...which if you’re a foodie you must go to too! Definitely the easier way to get to the park is to take the A/C to High Street. Once you get out of the station, walk towards the bridge – it’s really that simple. While we were walking around, Jeff and I were honestly stunned. Brooklyn is like a different planet! The sidewalks are wide, the restaurants are much bigger than those here in Manhattan, and even the people are friendlier. We walked around feeling weird and oddly foreign. The weather was amazing though. It was windy enough sail boats got great wind and the kids with their families were roaming around. There was also a neat water art exhibit on display at the park, Jeff had a really great time with it ;p. If you’re in town and you want to catch a site of the bridge and East River, go to the Brooklyn Bridge Park!

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The park is also a great location to catch a glimpse of this lady!

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This is the face of ‘mischief.’

Also, I mentioned resources in this post’s title. Many people reach out to me to ask how to do this or that in the city. And below are some resources I usually share. I hope they help you too and encourage you to visit the city soon!!!

  • A Google map that Jeff and I constantly add things to. We’ve been to a lot of the restaurants pinned on it and it has helpful information about airports.
  • I’ve found this NYC Guide to be both cute and informative about different neighborhoods.
  • Each neighborhood seems to have their own blogs or sites with relevant news and information. I follow the West Side Rag since I live in the UWS. It has good information about the Thanksgiving Parade too.
  • Bicycle rental! Rent one and ride along one of the many bike paths in Central Park!
  • Also, I really encourage the use of Uber or Lyft when you’re in a transportation bind. It’s more costly, but at least it’s often a quick fix.
  • If you know you’re going to take subways or buses while you’re visiting, be sure to look at the maps and schedules on the MTA website. The fares for a metrocard is also listed on it so you know how much to charge your card. The weekend schedules are different than the weekday and holidays usually operate on a Sunday schedule.