Tag Archives: East Coast

New York City 2016: A Whirlwind Weekend in Manhattan

New York City 2016: a whirlwind spring weekend in Manhattan. A reunion with long lost friends, riding the Staten Island Ferry, seeing the sights, good food, drinks, and dancing.

 

All of the three times I’ve been to New York City have been quick, whirlwind trips not lasting longer than a weekend, and this trip was no different. This trip was a bit spontaneous, as some long lost friends of mine planned a quick reunion in New York City where our mutual friend Keith lives.

In high school I was an AFS exchange student in Denmark for a year, and while on exchange made some very fast and close friendships with other exchange students in the program from all over the world. With the exception of my good friend Keith, most of us have not seen each other since we parted ways 18 years ago.

Our friend Busi from South Africa was in the states and kicked off the reunion in New York City idea, and when three other friends joined in, I decided I had to go. I was able to stay with Keith in Brooklyn, which helped with expenses (and was a lot more fun than a hotel). Our primary focus was hanging out with each other, but we were able to get out and experience a little of what the Big Apple has to offer.

 

Day 1:

I arrived at 8:00 AM on a very uncomfortable Delta red eye night flight from Seattle, with the tiniest seats, most constricted leg room, and a screaming baby and toddler two rows behind me.

Slightly delirious and ecstatic to exit the plane, I found my way to the air train to Jamaica Station. (The air train goes to two destinations and alternate stops at the terminals. Be sure you get on the one you want). Upon arrival at Jamaica Station, you buy a metro card at the machines when you exit the train. The Sky Train costs $5.00, and subway fare is $2.75 per trip. A new metro card is $1.00. Once you have your card with enough funds to exit the station to the subway trains ($8.75 for a new card), you can swipe it to go through the turnstile and head to the trains.

New York City subway map
New York City subway map

I found the J train towards Brooklyn/Manhattan, and in about 45 minutes made it to Keith’s apartment. I crashed out for a few hours while he was at work.

Once refreshed, it was time to meet up with my friends, who were all arriving in early afternoon. I’ve used the New York City subway before, but not by myself. I found it to be extremely easy with Google Maps app on my phone. Just put in the destination, choose the public transportation option, and calculate your route from your current location. Had I not had a smart phone, it probably would have been significantly more challenging.

New York Subway
rarely empty New York Subway

It took about an hour to get to the Times Square Marriott where most of my friends were staying (there are two Times Square Marriott hotels, by the way, I found that out the hard way). Once we all met up and caught up a bit, I was starving. I wasn’t the only one, so we walked a ways and ended up at the Martinique Cafe in Greeley Square. It was pretty late afternoon, so they had lots of tables available. The lunch menu was pretty average, with burgers, salads, pizzas, and pasta and everyone was able to find something they liked. I had the salmon BLT which was good.

When we finished lunch it was already 5:00, and we wanted to squeeze one touristy thing in that day so we subway towards downtown to see the 9/11 Memorial.

9/11 Memorial New York City
9/11 Memorial
9/11 Memorial New York City
9/11 Memorial

The 9/11 Memorial is comprised of two fountains in the original locations of the Twin Towers. The square fountains are in the footprints of the original towers, with water running down the sides and into a smaller square hole in the middle. Around the edges of the fountains are names of people lost that day. Many trees are planted around the fountains.

The 9/11 Memorial website states that its design “conveys a spirit of hope and renewal,” but that’s not the feeling I got from it. While the trees around it could symbolize renewal and growth, the main focus is two giant black holes with water disappearing to small drain-like holes in the middle. It looked more like two big, black, sad fountains of death with water (often seen as a symbol of life) going down the drain. I suppose that isn’t exactly inappropriate considering the tragedy that the fountains are a relic of, but if the intention was to give a spirit of hope, I think that they missed the mark a little bit.

Design interpretations aside, it was a sobering spectacle seeing the footprints of the towers and remembering the news footage from that day. I can only imagine what it was like to be there at that time.

It was getting late, and Keith was off work. We took the subway uptown to the East Village to meet up with him for a drink.

We found Keith at the Boiler Room, a very dark gay dive bar in the East Village. There wasn’t much light or anywhere to sit, so we decided to move on in search of a good place to have drinks and catch up.

We walked around the corner to the Fish Bar at 237 E 5th St, which had a nice perfect-sized table for all six of us in the corner. The Fish Bar is tiny, and they don’t serve fish, just drinks. There is a fish theme, however.

The Fish Bar in the East Village New York City
The Fish Bar in the East Village
The Fish Bar in the East Village New York City
The Fish Bar in the East Village

There is a big fish mural on the wall, colored lights and hanging lanterns around the bar. It’s casual, ambient, and a fun little spot to have some beers and talk.

The Fish Bar in the East Village New York City
The Fish Bar in the East Village

The East Village is probably my favorite part of Manhattan that I’ve seen so far. There are lots of funky little bars and restaurants, all oozing with character and ambiance.

After several rounds of beers and lots of catching up and reminiscing, it was getting later and time to find some food. We made our way down 2nd Ave and stumbled upon a little tapas restaurant called Bar Virage. They didn’t have enough seating inside, but it was a weirdly warm night for March so we decided to eat al fresco on the sidewalk tables.

The small-plate tapas were perfect, so those of us still semi-full from lunch could get a small bite, and those who were hungry could order a bit more. I had the chicken shwarma sandwich with a side salad, and it was delicious.

Bar Virage in the East Village, New York City
Bar Virage in the East Village

Bar-Virage-New-York-City (1)

Bar Virage in the East Village, New York City
Bar Virage in the East Village
Bar Virage in the East Village, New York City
Chicken shwarma pita sandwich at Bar Virage in the East Village
Bar Virage in the East Village, New York City
Bar Virage in the East Village

We called it a night at 11:00, so that we would have energy for some sightseeing the next day.

new-york-city
Flower shop in the East Village

 

Day 2:

Keith had to go hunting for a new apartment that day, so we made breakfast together and then parted ways. I took the J train from Brooklyn down to the end of the line at Broad Street to meet up with everyone else at the Staten Island ferry terminal. When I exited the subway, I found myself right in front of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street.

New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange

Wall Street New York City

new-york-stock-exchange-wall-street-new-york-city (4)

We had decided we wanted to be tourists and see the Statue of Liberty, and Keith suggested taking the Staten Island ferry instead of the Statue of Liberty boat. The Staten Island ferry is free, and the Statue of Liberty cruise costs around $18-$21 depending on if you want to climb up to the crown or just stand on the island and look up at Lady Liberty. As I was walking through Battery Park towards the Staten Island ferry terminal, I saw a gigantic line winding through the park to get tickets and another gigantic line to get on the boat. No thanks.

If you aren’t hell bent on going up in the crown or seeing the Statue of Liberty up close and personal, you can get a great view including the Manhattan skyline from the Staten Island ferry, which departs every half hour on the half hour. And it’s FREE.

When we got on the Staten Island ferry, it was clear that everyone else seemed to have the same idea we did. Getting a spot on the outdoor viewing deck on the right side of the boat to see the Statue of Liberty is at a premium. We were able to get a spot.

Staten Island ferry viewing deck
Staten Island ferry viewing deck–snag your spot fast!

You do get a pretty great view of the Statue of Liberty. Not super close up, but good enough for us. The view of Manhattan in the background is great as well.

Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty from Staten Island Ferry
Manhattan from the Staten Island ferry
Manhattan from the Staten Island ferry
Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty

The ferry ride took 30 minutes. You can’t stay on the boat and ride back, you have to exit. Most people seemed to exit and try to get right back on, but we’d never been to Staten Island and were hungry for lunch, so we thought we’d walk around a bit and find a bite to eat.

Staten Island isn’t really set up like a typical touristy island, so there wasn’t a whole lot to see right near the ferry. A couple restaurants were even closed and open only for dinner. We ended up at Steiny’s Pub on Hyatt St. The food was average, and the homemade chips were greasy, but it was a nice little place to hang out with a friendly bartender.

Steiny's Pub Staten Island
Steiny’s Pub Staten Island

On the ferry back to Manhattan, I was able to get a couple good shots of the passing ferry going the opposite direction from the main level front of the boat. There weren’t as many people on the main level, everyone seemed to want to be on the upper decks.

Staten Island Ferry
Staten Island Ferry
Staten Island Ferry
Staten Island Ferry

My friends staying in Times Square wanted to go back to their room to change before we went out to dinner, so we headed back to their hotel to charge phones, chill, and let them change clothes. But first, obligatory cheesy Times Square mini Statue of Liberty tourist pics.

cheesy tourist pic in Times Square
cheesy tourist pic in Times Square
Artist near Times Square
Artist near Times Square

Keith texted us to meet him at Nurse Bettie, a bar on the Lower East Side. Nurse Bettie was a tiny and adorable little bar with a pin-up/burlesque theme to it and a surly bartender playing 80’s goth hits.

Nurse Bettie Bar New York
Nurse Bettie Bar
Nurse Bettie Bar New York
Nurse Bettie Bar
Nurse Bettie Bar New York
Nurse Bettie Bar

After happy hour at Nurse Bettie, we ventured out in search of sustenance. Finding a table for a group of 6 on a Saturday night at  7:00 without a long wait was most likely going to be a tall order, but we got lucky down the street at Sauce, an Italian restaurant where another group of 6 was just finishing up.

Sauce restaurant, Lower East Side New York City
Sauce restaurant, Lower East Side
Sauce restaurant, Lower East Side New York City
Sauce restaurant, Lower East Side

Sauce had nice ambiance, and good service. I had the arugula salad with a simple dressing of salt, olive oil, and lemon with some thin sheets of parmesan cheese laid flat on top, and the porcini mushroom raviolis with truffle oil and brown butter sauce (a special that night). Both were delicious. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals as well, although my friend Ginger said the chicken parmesan was a little mediocre.

Arugula salad at Sauce
Arugula salad at Sauce
Sauce restaurant, Lower East Side New York City
Sauce restaurant, Lower East Side

After dinner, we went out in search of another spot for drinks. We wandered uptown and into the karaoke bar Sing Sing on Avenue A, deciding to see what the people at the bar were singing. There wasn’t much singing going on at the bar, mostly in the private karaoke rooms for rent. After my friend Kevin stood at the bar for close to 8 minutes waiting for service and kept getting ignored (it wasn’t even that busy), we decided to move on.

Just a half block down from Sing Sing we came upon the Pyramid Club, which Keith was trying to steer us towards. Pyramid Club is all 80’s, all the time. It was early, but people were starting to trickle in. There was a very random mix of people dancing to some very eclectic 80’s new wave on the main floor, with another dance floor downstairs playing techno. We had no problem getting drinks from the friendly bartender, and danced the night away. As it got later and more packed, the music get less eclectic and the DJ started busting out all the hits. I wound up with a pair of bunny ears. By 1:00 AM, we were exhausted from bustin’ moves to “Billie Jean” and “It’s Raining Men,”  and belting out lyrics with the crowd to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” It was a cheesy good time.

Pyramid Club New York
Pyramid Club New York
Pyramid club New York City
Outside Pyramid Club after dancing the night away. Complete with photobomber

 

Day 3:

It was all too short of a visit and it was time for me to go home on Sunday. Keith and I slept in a bit and then had breakfast at Little Skips, a hipster coffee shop near his apartment in Brooklyn. He had a grilled cheese sandwich and I had a burly “Philly Bagel” sandwich with lox, tomato, avocado, and cream cheese. It kept me full all morning and afternoon.

Graffiti in Brooklyn
Graffiti in Brooklyn
Graffiti in Brooklyn
Graffiti in Brooklyn
Philly bagel sandwich at Little Skips, Brooklyn
Little Skips, Brooklyn
Philly bagel sandwich at Little Skips, Brooklyn
Philly bagel sandwich at Little Skips, Brooklyn

I flew back on a 2:00 PM direct flight to Seattle on Jet Blue, which is now my favorite airline. If Jet Blue flies to New York from your city, I highly recommend it. So much better than the cramped Delta flight I had on the way over.

There is so much more of New York City I want to see. I left this trip feeling like a pro at the New York City subway system, which I’m pretty happy about. Paddy and I are hoping to get back there next year on the way to Europe. Stay tuned for more of our adventures.

 

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New York City 2012

Our weekend in New York City, May 2012: Brooklyn flea markets, an East Village speakeasy, Art galleries in Soho, cannolis in Little Italy, Ground Zero Memorial, and dinner at Les Halles

 

A visit to Keith, one of my oldest and dearest friends in New York City was long overdue. So we decided to stop off in New York  for a weekend visit on our way to Ireland in May 2012.

Keith is a New York native, and the two of us met as American exchange students in Denmark back in 1997. He grew up in upstate New York and now lives in Brooklyn. I had visited him in New York once back in college when we were 19, and we took a couple day trips to NYC during the visit. Being dirt poor college kids who were too young to go to bars and too poor to go to them even if we could, we spent our time in the city visiting all the standard New York tourist attractions: The Empire State Building (with an hour long line to the viewing deck), the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Chinatown, etc.

This time around as an adult, I was looking forward to seeing the real New York City (or as much as we could in two days). Paddy had never been to New York but was perfectly okay bypassing most of the tourist traps and letting our now New York City local tour guide lead the way. Keith gave us the best possible tour anyone could have given us in the short amount of time we had, and left us wanting to return and spend some more time in the future.

Click on any image below to view larger

Day 1:

We flew to New York on Jetblue, which is now our favorite domestic airline. The flight was non-stop, the service was excellent, personal entertainment screens were available and the snacks were unique and delicious. We arrived in the afternoon on Friday, and Keith met us at the JFK subway station to take us back to his place in BedStuy, Brooklyn, only a few minutes away on the subway.

After we were settled and refreshed, we were ready to head into Manhattan to start the evening. Keith took us to the East Village and showed us Japantown, where we poked around in funky punk rock thirft shops and ate some delicious $3.00 falafel gyros from Mamoun’s. I was hoping to go back later that night for round two at the weird and extremely enticing Japadog, but alas we didn’t make it back. Next time.

Joe Strummer mural New York City

Big Gay Ice Cream Shop New York City
Big Gay Ice Cream Shop

We bought some beers at a 7-11 and Keith took us to his work building in Chelsea where we took the elevator to his office and then climbed up the fire escape to the roof. The fire escape ended up being a bit more terrifying than I expected, as you can see right through the steps to the dizzying drop to the alley below.

Fire escape New York City
Fire escape view
fire escape New York City
Yikes!

We hung out and drank beers and looked out at the city. The Empire State Building lit up bright blue in the distance, and roof top water tanks were in our line of sight for miles on top of all the old buildings.

New York City night time rooftop view
Night-time rooftop view in Chelsea
New York City empire state building at night
Night-time rooftop view in Chelsea

After a couple beers we carefully climbed back down the fire escape and walked around the corner to catch a glimpse of the famous Chelsea Hotel, where Sid stabbed Nancy and a whole slew of artists and musicians lived in the 1960’s and 1970’s, including Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, and Leonard Cohen. The hotel was under renovations so we didn’t get the best photos, but I took a few anyway.

Chelsea Hotel, New York

Chelsea Hotel, New York
Chelsea Hotel, New York
Chelsea Hotel, New York
Chelsea Hotel, New York
Chelsea Hotel, New York
Chelsea Hotel, New York
Chelsea Hotel, New York
Chelsea Hotel, New York

Finally, we thought we’d at least take a moment to visit Times Square. I suppose it’s worth a looksie, but we didn’t stay long. It’s a pretty huge tourist trap. Lots of flashing electronic billboards, street performers and people in costumes looking to pose with tourists for photos to get tips, TGI Friday’s, Red Robin, and all that American processed chain restaurant grossness. We stopped for a photo op for approximately 10 minutes.

**Note: When in Times Square, watch (and hold onto) your purse or bag. It’s a common spot for purse thieves and pick pockets to prey on tourists who are dazzled by their surroundings and not paying attention.

Empire State Building
Empire State Building
Times Square
Times Square
Times Square
Times Square
Times Square
Times Square
Times Square
Times Square

We called it a night after that and headed back to Keith’s apartment in Brooklyn.

 

Day 2:

 

Saturday morning, we slept in a bit and then Keith took us to one of his favorite brunch spots in the Ft. Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, Chez Oskar. Delicious eggs benedicts, crepes, and bloody marys.

Brunch at Chez Oskar, Brooklyn
Brunch at Chez Oskar, Brooklyn

After brunch, Keith took us to a nearby flea market where you could find art, furniture, vintage toys and Star Wars collectibles, clothes and random odds and ends.

Brooklyn Flea Market New York
Brooklyn Flea Market

Above: Brooklyn flea market

brownstone apartments in Brooklyn New York City
Typical brownstone apartments in Brooklyn
brownstone apartments in Brooklyn New York City
Typical brownstone apartments in Brooklyn

Next, we hopped on the subway into Manhattan for some sightseeing. I couldn’t help but notice that there seem to be very few fat people in New York. I’m pretty sure that can be attributed to the fact that there are no escalators or elevators in the subways–you have to go up and down multiple sets of stairs to get to the trains, and also to the amount of walking New Yorkers do. Driving and parking anywhere is expensive and ridiculous, so most people walk, take the subway, or take a cab. The subway is an extremely efficient way to get around and trains run very frequently.

First, we walked around the upscale SoHo neighborhood and looked at a couple art galleries and one very fancy expensive guitar store (Paddy had to stop and drool for a minute or two).

SoHo New York City
SoHo
SoHo art gallery New York City
SoHo

After that, we made our way to Little Italy and Chinatown. It was 80 degrees out and we were getting a little hot and tired, so we stopped in for some  refreshments at Cha Cha’s in Little Italy. It’s the kind of kitschy Italian place with celebrity photos on the wall– small, cute, and intimate. I had some refreshing peach sorbetto and Paddy and Keith had some outstanding homemade cannolis.

Cannolis at Cha Chas Little Italy New York
Best cannoli ever
Cannolis at Cha Chas Little Italy New York
Cha Cha’s in Little Italy

Little Italy is almost entirely engulfed by Chinatown these days, but there’s at least a block or two left and it’s worth a visit.

Little Italy New York City
Little Italy
Little Italy New York City New York City
Little Italy
Little Italy New York City New York City
Little Italy
Little Italy New York City New York City
Little Italy

We walked through some of Chinatown too. Interesting place, but we’ve been to a lot of Chinatowns in our lifetime, and they are all pretty much the same. (Side note–the best Chinatowns I’ve ever been to are in San Francisco and Victoria B.C.)

Chinatown, New York City
Chinatown, New York
Chinatown, New York City
Chinatown, New York
Chinatown, New York City
Chinatown, New York
Chinatown, New York City
Chinatown, New York

By this time we were pretty tired and it was time to head back to Keith’s place and freshen up a bit before dinner.

After we’d changed and gussied up a bit, we took the subway down to Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial for a visit before dinner.

The first time I visited New York City with Keith was in 2000, before 9/11 changed the city’s skyline forever and New York was left with a wound so deep that for many it will never fully heal. I was prepared to feel something when I went to the memorial museum, but I wasn’t quite prepared for exactly how choked up I got. What got me the most were the photos and possessions of the firefighters, surviving and dead, giving up their lives or their health that day to try and save their fellow New Yorkers.

New York City twin towers
Me and Keith in 2000, the Twin Towers in the background

 

Ground Zero New York City
The rebuilding at Ground zero
Ground Zero New York City
The rebuilding at Ground zero

 

For dinner I had made an advance reservation at Les Halles, as we are big Anthony Bourdain fans and that was the restaurant he was the head chef at for many years before his career on the Travel Channel. We are also big fans of French food, so we had to try it out. We had the escargot, beet tartare, and pate appetizers, Paddy had the beef bourguignon, Keith had the steak frites, and I had the moules frites in white wine, shallots, and garlic. It was all fantastic.

Dinner at Les Halles New York City
Dinner at Les Halles
Dinner at Les Halles New York City
Dinner at Les Halles: Escargot and Beet Tartare
Dinner at Les Halles New York City
Dinner at Les Halles: Pate
Dinner at Les Halles New York City
Dinner at Les Halles: Keith with Steak Frites
Dinner at Les Halles New York City
Dinner at Les Halles
Dinner at Les Halles New York City
Dinner at Les Halles: Moules Frites
Dinner at Les Halles New York City
Dinner at Les Halles

After dinner, we headed back to the Lower East Side and the East Village to get some drinks. I became aware that I seemed to be the only woman in Manhattan wearing tennis shoes on a Saturday night. Every other lady on the street was limping around in 4-6 inch heels. I pitied their poor feet. The casual, practical Seattlite in me would never be able to conform to New York fashion standards.

The East Village was becoming my favorite neighborhood. Every block had a plethora of tiny, quaint, hole-in-the-wall bars and restaurants you could duck into. New York City in general is the quintessential American cultural melting pot, and you can hear three different languages being spoken in the span of a single block on a regular basis. Buildings are old, the culture is rich, and there is something to see around every corner.

In the Lower East Side, Keith took us to a dark stairwell guarded by a man who for whatever reason approved of us but denied access to some 22 year-olds trying to head down at the same time. We descended the stairs and down a dark, dirty basement corridor to The Back Room, a 1920’s style speakeasy co-owned by actor Tim Robbins. Keith said that they probably denied access to the disappointed kids back on the street due to their age, they like to keep it more of a classy place for people who are a little bit older. Or maybe we were just hot. Who knows. Note: if attempting to get in, go earlier in the evening and dress sharp.

The Back Room Speakeasy New York City
Speakeasy

We were there at 9:00, pretty early for a Saturday night. There were a few people in the bar, which had 1920’s style furniture, decor, and dim lighting. The antique couches were all reserved but the waitress said we were welcome to sit there until the reservation party came in at 10:00, which was nice. (To reserve some couches for you and your friends, you have to pre-order a whole 5th of booze for the table area and/or there is a very high beverage minimum. I can’t remember the amount, but it was somewhere between $500-$1000.) We ordered some very tasty albeit very expensive craft cocktails all served in coffee mugs just like they were during prohibition.

The Back Room Speakeasy New York City
The Back Room
The Back Room Speakeasy New York City
The Back Room
The Back Room Speakeasy New York City
The Back Room
The Back Room Speakeasy New York City
The Back Room
The Back Room Speakeasy New York City
The Back Room
The Back Room Speakeasy New York City
The Back Room

Paddy was investigating a suspicious-looking globe near a book case in the corner when it opened and a security guy told him he couldn’t stand over there or touch the globe. There was clearly a secret entrance to a VIP room back there. I can only imagine how much you have to spend to reserve that for your party.

At 10:00 the reservation parties arrived and we paid our bar tab and moved on.

Keith then took us to one of his favorite spots, The KGB Bar in the East Village. The Bar has a Russian communist theme for whatever reason (there is a lengthy explanation on their website that I didn’t have the patience to read all the way), but the atmosphere was cool and the Russian beers were tasty. There wasn’t anything going on that night but their website mentions poetry readings, open mic nights, and burlesque shows. We stayed there until we were ready to call it a night, talking, drinking Russian beer, and people watching.

The KGB Bar New York City
The KGB Bar
The KGB Bar New York City
The KGB Bar
The KGB Bar New York City
Tasty Russian Beer at The KGB Bar
The KGB Bar New York City
The KGB Bar

 

Day 3:

We woke the next morning very sore from all the walking the day before. Keith wasn’t phased. I think he actually got up and went jogging while we slept in, then came back and made a smoothie. Maybe I should move to New York.

When we were ready to go, we headed over to Williamsburg, Brooklyn and got some brunch at a Mexican restaurant (Sorry, I can’t remember what it was called). After brunch,  we went to another flea market in Williamsburg in a park with a great view of the Manhattan skyline. Keith bought some antique ceiling tiles to hang as art in his apartment.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn New York City
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg, Brooklyn New York City
Manhattan view from Williamsburg, Brooklyn

New York City

Williamsburg, Brooklyn New York City
Graffiti in Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn New York City
Graffiti in Williamsburg
Williamsburg flea market Brooklyn
Keith with his antique ceiling tiles

We were flying out to Dublin, Ireland that evening so we went back to Keith’s apartment in the afternoon to relax a little and get ready. When it was time to go, we said goodbye to Keith and got on the subway back to JFK airport. What should have been a quick, easy, straight shot to the airport ended up being a long, hot, sweaty, confusing ordeal as they were doing work on the track that day and we were re-directed onto a bus for part of the way in a not-so-great neighborhood. But we made it. Lesson learned though–it’s always good to check the New York subway service advisories.

New York City is an amazing place and we can’t wait to go back for a longer period of time next time. Another friend of mine just moved to Brooklyn as well, so now we have another excuse to visit.