New York City Stopover

          I recently visited New York City on my way from Chicago to Rome.  I stopped over in N.Y. because I flew Norse to Italy and they only fly out of the East Coast.  The reason I did this is because it saved me money on flights but I’m always happy to go to New York.  I hadn’t been in almost 10 years so I was wanting to return.  I also stopped in New York on the way back to Chicago from Rome as well.  The second time was rainy and we just shopped most of the day and sat in restaurants.  Here is how I spent my 2 days in New York. 

         

     My favorite thing to do in N.Y.C. is to visit Central Park.  I love parks and Central Park is one of the best.  It’s so big and has no shortage of things to see.  When I visited in 2014 I saw a ton of Central Park but of course I couldn’t see all of it.  I had been wanting to return to see Belvedere Castle.  I had not even heard of it the first time I went.  When I saw a friend post about it online I was shocked to learn that a castle could so easily be hidden in a park.  We also walked through the Ramble, which was so fun.  You can’t visit Central Park without stopping at the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain.  

          Another park we briefly visited is Washington Square Park.  I’ve always wanted to see this arch.  I really liked the arch but the park in general wasn’t really for me.  

         If you go to New York you need to see the Grand Central Terminal.  I have been to this but it was actually just the most convenient stop to get to where we ate breakfast.  I’m always happy to come back.  This terminal is beautiful.  

          I wasn’t planning to visit Time Square on this trip but it was super convenient.  We basically needed to cross through it to get someplace else.  Time Square doesn’t really require an explanation.  It can obviously get super crowded and is very touristy.  I still think everybody visiting New York should visit it at least once.   

          We did some shopping.  You can’t go to N.Y.C. and not shop.  We went to the Disney Store, T.J. Maxx (so I could buy a coat), and the Nintendo Store. 

          Another Park that we visited is Little Island.  I thought it was really unique and fun.  The landscaping is super nice and the layout of the park is fun to explore.  It’s a bunch of little cement islands that are risen up to form one larger island.  The only real downside is that it was extremely crowded.  I think it will get better once it’s not so new.  It was build pretty recently.  

          Of course we ate some amazing food in New York.  We had a new York bagel, Chinese food, This Thai Chicken, dollar pizza, and truffle french fries.  My favorite things were the pizza and Thai Chicken.  

Just a fancy lobby by the Nintendo Store

A pretty door.