NEW YORK NEW YORK

I'm not the best airplane traveler - not nerves…small planes and my tummy do not mix :/

What a trip!  We used the excuse that Stephen had to work one day up there to get away for a few days ourselves.  Our anniversary {among other things, as in 2/3 of my children's birthdays} falls in December, and we've always wanted to New-York-it in celebration.

oh you know, just Stephen hanging out with his shooting gloves on.

we had a little too much fun with the flight attendant ;)

We traveled Friday through Tuesday and I highly recommend traveling this way, if possible, vs. leaving mid week and coming back Sunday.  The hotels are cheapest Sunday and Monday nights, the flights were cheaper, and we only had a few days left of the work week when we returned!

The sad truth is all I had the entire trip was my iPhone for pictures.  My generous parents let us borrow their amazing pocket sized digital camera {the Canon PowerShot S95 - since replaced with updated models, just as crystal clear} instead of me attempting to lug my huge Nikon around town.  Crazy truth is, we {I} lost it minutes into our New York arrival.  We were hastily getting out of the cab, in the 6pm rush hour dark and cold rain, several blocks from our hotel. while a man was trying to get IN the cab, and the camera must have fallen out of my purse.  I realized it seconds after entering the hotel and wanting to snap pictures of the gorgeous decor.

Long story short, I had to wait all weekend for the Taxi commission people to open but on Monday, since we still had our receipt and information, they located the cab and driver and I was able to talk to the driver on the phone.  He thought it must be long gone because he shares his cab with a day driver and hadn't seen it, but fifteen minutes after getting off the phone with me he calls back to say his wife just walked in from work and asked him about a camera she found in her purse - turns out his five year old daughter found the camera in the back of his cab the night we rode in it and stuck it in her mom's purse thinking it was hers.  The driver then made a special trip over to our hotel late Monday night to return it.  Amazing people!  They exist!  In New York!  Who drive cabs! Praise the Lord and praise Vic the cab driver for being so honorable.

All of that to say is we left and returned with the camera, but all of our pictures are off my phone!

Trip details:
Hotel: SoHo Grand - beautiful, dark, great location for local SoHo shopping/dining, convenient to subway, small but pretty and comfortable rooms, the bar gets a little lively with locals at night but we never heard it from our room

Meals: Standard Grill - recommended to us for breakfast, but we went for dinner.  Quintessential New York subway tile décor.  Radishes and parmesan cheese served as a complimentary aperitif.  Food was good.

Jane – quaint and delicious Sunday brunch.  Need reservations!

Almond – found by accident while shopping, waiting on the Auburn game.  Sat at the bar and had an amazing B.A.L.T. and mimosas.  One of our favorite dining experiences.

Tavern on 3^rd – Auburn bar in NYC where we watched one of the FOUR most amazing Auburn games so far this year! War Eagle!

Toloache – Mexican in theater district.  We had small tacos and salsa and it was everything you love about fresh Mexican food.  And it helped that the architecture was amazing and it was snowing when we arrived!

Locanda Verde – AH MAY ZING.  Delicious Italian in a beautiful warm setting downtown.  Must have reservations! We went on a Monday night and did not have reservations and had to wait a little over an hour.  Still worth it!

Shops: 

Soho – great local shopping really close together.  Not as “big New York” as uptown, but most of the same specialty stores.

Fishs Eddy – so cool.  I could have stayed in there forever and bought them out if I didn’t have a husband who was antsy, ready to go to the Auburn bar! He is a good sport :)

Lillian August - pretty Home store

ABC carpet and home – Actually seemed to be more of a Christmas market while we were there.  Wasn’t super-ly impressed, sadly.  I was really looking forward to this visit! ABC Kitchen looked amazing though.  Again, need reservations!

Beretta- Stephen really wanted to go here and I have to admit I loved it as well! But hey, I'm sucker for anything Filson-Beretta-Boyt Harness related :) Gorgeous

Attractions:

Rockefeller Center/Tree - awesome both day and night! 

Tiffany's

Matilda – we were late thanks to the Auburn game and ridiculous traffic but it was still great.  Cute, witty show.  Amazing kids.  Still not up to the Wicked and Lion King level in my opinion, but excellent.

Jersey Boys – Awesome show! So fun and the music really does get you singing.  Must see!

The Subway - you just have to do it

One of our most memorable outings was to the 9/11 memorial and museum. It was absolutely frigid that day so we opted for the museum, inside in the heat.  It was quite moving and seeing testimonies and items from the towers really brought everything home.  My family and I were in NYC for New Years directly following the attacks in 2001 and honestly the "we're in this together" feeling I felt among New Yorkers then, Stephen and I felt on this trip.  We had such an amazing trip and everyone we met and dealt with were so kind and generous and FUN! Can't wait to take the kids one day.

One day in the quite distant future I might add :)

and just a completely random side note, but I wore these shoes from Old Navy almost every day and they were surprisingly comfortable! great all day walking boots and cute, to-boot :) haHA
{they don't seem to have the same colors online as in stores - mine are a taupe-gray suede.  Love them!}