Travel: NY Photo Diary

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Abril

I got back from NY a couple of weeks ago but I’m still very much in a New York state of mind, so today I bring you my photo diary from this last trip to one of the most exhilarating cities in the world.
For the first time ever, I ventured out of Manhattan into the increasingly popular Brooklyn, and I am very pleased I did. It’s funny how just crossing one bridge can feel like entering a completely different world, despite their similar old time charm. I only got to roam thru a bit of Prospect Heights and its beautiful Prospect Park, which you can almost consider the Central Park of Brooklyn, before heading straight for some famous Brooklyn pizza right under the Brooklyn bridge and then taking a ferry back to the city. All I can say is, I’ll be back Brooklyn, I’ll be back.
As for Manhattan, I got to finally see the 9/11 Memorial since on all my trips over the last few years, it had always been under construction. It is beautiful and touching as it should be. I also got to see another Broadway classic that has been on my list for a while, Mamma Mia! and I loved it, which I knew I would because I love the movie version just as much. Still, I gotta say Wicked continues to my favorite among the several musicals I’ve been lucky to see.
Another first on this trip was visiting Central Park during dusk. I’ve been there many times before but never when the light is fading and the park is significantly less busy. You get a completely different feel for it without all the hustle and bustle going on. I gotta say I did miss the street entertainers and artists one can usually find on The Mall walk during the day, and I wasn’t very happy to see some rats starting to come out to look for their dinner.
Anyway, after not being able to visit the Top of the Rock on my previous 2 trips because it was so overcast, I decided to make up for it by hanging out there for a while…that while turned into 3 lovely hours of admiring the city from all angles, enjoying a beautiful NY sunset, and getting delighted by all the twinkling city lights. It felt so good to stop for longer than a New York minute to take it all in. Whenever I’m in New York, I’m always rushing trying to make sure I get to see as much as possible, so slowing down was nice for a change. Note to self, remember to do that more often on my future trips.
Oh, New York, New York, how I miss you already! I guess for now I’ll have to settle for looking at these pictures and going over all the memories in my head (and my heart!) time and time again.

Travel: Concrete Jungle

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Abril

Finally, after 12 weeks on the road, I arrived home last night feeling like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz: there’s no place like home!! Unfortunately, it turns out that 12 weeks of not sleeping in your own bed means you have to get used to it again. In other words, I didn’t get great sleep last night, but I’m still very happy to be home. Granted, I’m also a tad overwhelmed with my long to-do list, so it’ll take a few days before I’m actually comfortably settled in again. However, I can get started on that to-do list right now.

“Post my NYC photos on the blog”, checked! Since this is what this post is really about. It was merely 5 weeks ago that I was in New York City enjoying everything the concrete jungle has to offer. This was my third consecutive year to visit NY during Labor Day weekend, and though I love the idea of making it a tradition to visit the big apple at least once a year, I may need to pick a different holiday to do so. Early September is still pretty hot over there; in fact, this year, it was the hottest I’ve ever witnessed, and being a woman of the desert, this humid heat is definitely not for me.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I might go take a nap while you scroll down to see the photos. Have a lovely weekend darlings!

Look of the Day: Central Park and More

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Abril

I can’t think of a better way to spend a beautiful Sunday than to hang out in Central Park, and that’s exactly what we did when we were in New York. After having a nice little brunch on the Upper East Side, we arrived to the park and spend a few hours there. I love everything about this landmark. Bethesda Fountain and the Literary walk are two of my favorite spots within the park, not to mention all the lovely tunnels and bridges. I of course visit the park every time I’m in the city, but this time I got to do another first, take a carriage ride around the park, which was lovely.

After the park, I decided I wanted to check out the iconic Plaza Hotel, and so we did. It is be-a-u-tiful. I can only imagine what staying there and having a room with such a view of Central Park would be like. We got there just in time for tea, and I would’ve loved to sit there for an hour sipping on tea, eating tea sandwiches and scones, but that’s not precisely at the top of the list for a 13 year old boy, so I decided to leave ‘tea at the Plaza’ as something to look forward to on my next trip.

Then we hopped in the car and headed south to downtown and Wall Street area. Because it was a holiday weekend, and so many New Yorkers flee to the beach to say goodbye to summertime, the city didn’t feel as crowded as usual and traffic wasn’t terrible. However Soho was buzzing, there were people everywhere, coming and going and shopping and eating. Chinatown was pretty busy too, but Wall Street area was understandably mostly dead. Except for this tiny corner of the actual Wall Street where there was a movie shooting with none other than hottie Chris Pine. The movie crew obviously didn’t allow people to get close to the scene or the actors, but I did manage to take a picture from across the street showing a glimpse of his good looking face.

Next we headed to South Street Seaport because I was determined to get a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge. I had seen it before and even drove on it on my past trips, but surprisingly I never took a picture of it. South Street Seaport provides a pretty good view of it, and I snapped away as many pictures as I could, because it takes many for me to find one or two that I’m happy with. We hanged out there for a little while, and sat at one of the cafes for a snack, but the food was terrible.

Finally we ended our day right where we started it, in the Upper East Side. We had planned to have dinner at the famous Serendipity 3, but I was so naive as to think I could just walk in and get a table. Turns out you better make a reservation or you might end up waiting over an hour and a half. Which was our actual wait, although we decided to put our names on the list and then walked to a little brasserie on the corner to have dinner there, and we got back just in time to get our table at Serendipity 3 if only just to have one of their infamous desserts. I can see why this place has become so popular, it is quite charming and their desserts are a sight in themselves. I am not particularly a fan of such a sugar overdose but it was nice just to sit there, and enjoy a few bites with loved ones.

As usual, I leave you with the pictures of the day, outfit included. Enjoy!

In Central Park

Literary Walk

My actual smile

Favorite sunnies

New statement necklace

Bridge in the park

Saxophone player in tunnel

Light at the end of the tunnel

Bethesda Fountain

New Yorkers at the park

The Plaza Hotel

Flatiron Building

Washington Square Arch

NYSE

Cutie Chris Pine

Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge from the FDR

What I wore
Top: H&M
Skirt: vintage
Belt: H&M
Statement necklace: from Macy's
Neon bracelets: Target and Charming Charlie
Yellow handbag: H&M
Black flats: Crocs
Sunnies: $5 from street vendor in Mexico City

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Tag Archives: Central Park

Travel: NY Photo Diary

Travel: Concrete Jungle

Look of the Day: Central Park and More