Tuesday Day 29

So this is it....went for a long run this morning to say goodbye to my park....:( I have had the best time imaginable.....Thank you to everyone who has followed my blog....this was such a good idea...I will always have this to look back on....I truly feel blessed to have had these wonderful experiences and appreciate all of the people who helped to make this so wonderful!! I love you all.....see you in Arizona.....til next time!! :)

Monday, Day 28

So today is my last full day here...I honestly feel that i have done everything I have set out to do...I have some last minute things to buy, but other than that I am good to go. I miss my husband..:) my daughter and my beautiful grandbabies...I decided to make sure I saw every neighborhood in the city....So I started out at Riverside Park and walked up to 110th st then walked along the north end of the park to 5th avenue...then I cut over to the east side at 86th to Madison, Park and Lexington Ave. My feet really started to hurt...so I took the subway home to take a break, change my shoes and have something to eat....then back out to Bed, Bath and Beyond for some essentials...back home and then out again to buy Ella and Jonah some Crocs from the Croc store....Picked up dinner on the way back...a slice...paired it with some wine...and home again...Had to continue with the packing...it's getting a little scary....hope I can get this all home....off to bed....til tomorrow!! :)

Sunday Day 27

Woke up early and went for a great 5 miler in the park....it was pretty hot and humid but it felt great...Jimmy and Leighann got ready early to catch the 11:30 train out of Penn to the Island. For some reason the station at 86th is closed again so they just took a cab. Alone again...but this time it's for my last few days..........So today I started packing...and doing some laundry. Then I went to see Mary Poppins....alone..its was fun and all but sort of strange not having someone to share it with....I took the subway to 66 th st. and walked around checking out some discount stores and then headed home. I stopped along the way to pick up dinner....a chicken parmigian panini...yum....home, bed early......I'm tired....:) til tomorrow..

Saturday Day 26

I held off on my run because Jimmy and Leighann wanted to walk the park...I took them up to the fountain and then to Belevedes Castle....thee are such wonderful views from up there. We then headed over to Debbie's to let her son Kevin's dog out. We headed home so they could get showered for their show....It has been extrrmely hot and humid here..So just a few minutes outside and you need a shower. We tried to take the subway to 50th st, but for some reason the stop at 86th was closed....I knew there was also a stop at 79the so we started walking....we got there is few minutes walked down the stairs only to find that it was closed also....The next stop was at 72nd and we were all tired of walking so we hailed a cab. Jimmy actually told the cabbie to step on it....which wasn't really necessary since we weren't late....lol....i dropped them at Promises, Promises at 1:30 and hung out in Times Square for a few hours. At 4:30 I went to pick them up and thought it would be fun to show them how to get autographs....well imagine my surprise to find hardly anyone waiting at the stage door....So we had a great place and sure enough Sean Hayes came right up to us and Leighann got his autograph and I got his photograph and then a few minutes late Kristen Chenoweth came out...It is amazing how incredibly little she is. After getting photos...we walked thru Times Square and they actually bought souveniers...funny since they live in New York..lol..I took them down to Battery Park so they could see the statue and then over to Little Italy...Unfortunately in order to get to our restaurant we need to go on Canal St and go thru Chinatown...which was especially nasty...and smelly yuck...We made it to Puglis's in Little italy and were shown to a table where you eat family style...so we had another family of 4 at our table..The waiter took quite a while to take our drink order which should have been a sign to us of things to come.....they service was not exactly the best...but we were entertained by a man playing the keyboard and singing Italian songs....the whole place was joinging in, waving napkins and signing...so much fun.....I could actually pretend we wer in Italy for moment...but...it took over an hour for us to get our food......so of course they compensated with 2 carafes of wine.........I felt sorry for the family next to us with 2 small kids......but we did enjoy visiting with them...great couple from the upper east side....Once we finished dinner we were off to check out a bakery that was around the corner...and then off to the subway.....for some reasonthe trains were not running properly...which was par for the course this night and they kept sropping in the tunnels...for as long as 15 min at a time...it was taking forever to get home, so at one point we just left the station and took a cab home....long day....good night !! til tomorrow!! :)

Friday Day 25

So we are off again on a wonderful adventure....Joann and I woke up at 5:15 and left the apartment a half hour later to walk across the park, to see Sheryl Crow.....GMA Summer Concert series. This was a totally differnt experience than seeing Lady GaGa. There were very few people there at 6:10. so we quickly found a place close to the stage. The place gradually started to fill up, but we were set. Sheryl came out early to do sound checks...so she basically performed from about 7:15 on and off til 9.....At first she came out in jeans....but she got really warm and even asks the crew to shut off some of the lights...One of her people came out with a huge fan and was fanning her,,,,but I think she thought that was weird because she kept making fun of him...it was cute...Later she came out in an orange dress that I think was much cooler. She played a nice mixture of old and new songs from her most recent album. 100 miles from Memphis, which is where she grew up. After the concert we went and had breakfast at the Boathouse...one of my favorite places to eat in Central Park...a yummy eggwhite omlet with spinach and feta, and coffee....perfect..a nice walk back to the apartment so Joann could get ready to go give a talk at one of the local hospitals and then she was off to Albany...great time with the sista..
I started some laundry...sheets and towels again because Jimmy and Leighann were scheduled to come in later that evening..I also ran to the corner fruit stand for some bananas and blueberries...
They arrived close to 7, so we headed up Amsterdam for dinner...We ate at an Italian restaurant called Lisca....it was really delicious...but while we were dining a storm came thru.....we watched the terrenticial downpour and wondered how long we would be wholed up there since we neglected to bring umbrellas.There was quite a light show outside........Jimmy checked his phone and found out there was a tonado watch in effect.....wild....well the storm only lasted about a half hour and then we were fine leaving and actually went for a nice walk since the storm had cooled things off.............sat up visiting for awhile ...then off to bed :) til tomorrow.

Thursday Day 24

Yea I am caught up.....Jo and I got up this morning and went for a walk around the resevoir in the park....came right home to get ready for our day....So excited because today we are going to the Met......The Metropolitan Museum of Art...We headed up to Central Park West to get a cab....didn't think we wanted to walk that far and then be on our feet all day...There were no cabs to be had....we tried and tried and tried....then we tried the bus but I needed to refill my metro card...so no bus...we finally gave up and decided to walk..which wasn't too bad because it was a beautiful morning...cool lovely breeze..maybe 75...fabulous. We started the museum with the gift shop where a bought a watch that few people will have....great!! We then started the viewing...Picasso, Renoir, American Women, Tutankhamun's Funeral, The New American Wing....unbelievable exhibits....we had a great time.....Waldorf salad for lunch......It was all perfect..Then we decided that since we were in the neighborhood that we would check out Bloomingdale's for sales.....needless to say we spent the rest of the afternoon there....only bought a shirt...actually we bought the same one...which really never happens...but they are cute..a wild cab ride back home....or not home to the wine store....and then home... waiting for friend Debbie to come back to the city from the island...she called and is stuck on the LIE in Queens.....going to dinner with her soon...if we don't drink too much pinot..:) til tomorrow..:)

Wednesday Day 23

Started the day with a run in the park...I usually run to the Bethesda Fountain...and run the stairs....but this morning when I got to the stairs a strange man stopped me....apparently they were filming a movie....Friends With Benefits....and I couldn't run the stairs....bummer..so I hung out for a bit until someone asked me if I was an extra...I should have said yes...but I didn't so I headed over to the resevoir and ran once around that....home to spend sometime alone...only to realize I needed to color my hair..ran to CVS...got color and had a leisurely morning...this has been the first day..really that I have spent alone this whole trip....wow..but then the sista called..Jo.."hey I am in the city...meet me and my friend Ginny for lunch at Lincoln Center at 2" It is restaurant week in the city so lunch is only $24.07.....What a bargain...that didn't include cocktails...cause you've gotta have cocktails at lunch..come on....So first i needed to scope out some white watches....they are the rage here....do I want to be like everyone else....we will discuss that later. So rode the subway around town I got the text that they were in Lululemon....again...didn't want to miss that so headed to Lincoln Center..found the 2 of them spending lots of money...and we headed to Bar Boulud. Lunch menu included appetizer, entree, and dessert....but with these girls we had to start with French Fries....God help me....We ordered our cocktails...Ginny a mojito, Jo a pear rouge, and me a watermelon martini.....Ginny hated her mojito which was ladened with mint and ginger....yucky...sent hers back thru a very understanding manager...thanks Phil.....she ordered the same drink as me because it was so yummy....We ordered lunch I had the smoked pork, steak and chocolate......We had a wonderful time ...Ginny is a riot....She has a house in Maine and a Maple Sugar Farm in Mass......we can visit her anytime...After lunch Jo and i went to macy's to check out white watches....no go...so we went home....hung out for the evening .....What a fun day!!Did i also say that we had rose` at lunch too.....these people drink .....a lot....til tomorrow :)

Tuesday day 22

This is my last day with Adam and Katelyn. We have had such a wonderful time. I can't remember when I have spent this much uninterrupted time with my son. He is such a wonderful guy and really is devoted to Katelyn. I also think they have seen New York in a way that they will remember forever. We took a walk down Columbus Ave so they could get some last minute things. We walked down 59th and decided to have a light lunch at Mickey Mantles. Thought we would save some money by ordering appetizers, but the $7.00 beer put us over the top.. Since Adam wanted to go to Quicksilver we had to venture on over to 5th ave.....After getting what they needed we headed home by way of the park...It's funny how we are all drawn to this beautiful piece of heaven. Their Super Shuttle showed up a half hour early and they were off to the airport at 4:00.
After resting my feet a bit, it was off to the market for me to pick up some essentials. Back home to finish some laundry...sheets and towels...Went for a walk around the neighborhood and then home to be for an early night.....next....til tomorrow :)

Monday Day 21

Got up early and headed to Ground Zero. Took the subway and went to the Trinity Church first. No matter how many times I go there it takes my breath away. Walk pasat ground zreo and headed for the promenade on the Hudson. Got word from the cruise director last night to go to the second floor of the financial building and you can see into ground zero. Pretty impressive. Oh yea there is also a new museum across the street that shows what the Freedom Tower will be like. Made our way out to the plaza where everyone was eating lunch...it was packed and a beautiful day to eat outside. After walking aways on the beautiful promenade we stopped at Steamers for lunch. We sat on an the patio and had seafood....yum....I have the clam chowder and Adam and Katelyn had the mussels...finished the walk and went over to Wall St. from there we walked up to SoHo. Quite a long walk but worth it to see the city. We got our shopping in and then decided to go over to the meatpacking district to go see Highline Park. The Highline (as they call it) is an old elevated train track that is no longer in use. The city converted it into a park with a pathway down the middle of it. We ended up taking a cab there because it was way too far and we never would have found it..We strolled along and found a cart that sold gelato and sherbet......yum....the milk chocolate gelato was scrumptious.....nice treat on a hot humid day.
On ward on our marathon walk....I think my son just loved to wear us out....we were pretty tired....jumped on the subway at 34th and 7th...and it was home again....We decided to stay in and have left over Carmines from the night before....did I say we had take out!! Some stuffed artichokes and penne a la vodka.....great the second night too....til tomorrow :)

Day 20 Sunday

Got my wake up call at 7:15 from my sister who was ready to go for a run. Her boyfriend, Andy, picked me up and we headed to Northport to run the route that we will be running in September for the Cow Harbor 10K Race. Started at the junior high and it was off thru the streets of my home town. I must admit I have never really run these streets as an adult before.....It was really very exciting for me. We ran Scudder Ave to the end of Main st and then over Bayview along the harbor. Very narrow streets and bumpy sidewalks...but its an old town. Then we needed to tackle James st. This hill is so steep you can barely walk up it.....forget running it....but of course I tried...and tried...wow..Luckily I asked Andy to place some water not far from there....it was also extremely hot and humid....We recovered from the hill and the rest of the run went very well..along Ocean, (Beefy passed us by) down Eatons Neck to Waterside ( Beefy passed us again)....I think he was spying on us....and then up and down Main st ( where he passed us again). We finished our run of 6-7 miles at the dock...We were met there by Andy, Kelli, Joe and Rob....fun family times. Off to Donna's where she promised to make me a spinach omelet...
After a delicious breakfast she drove me home and I got cleaned up. Of course the kids, Adam and Katelyn were up and waiting for me....their activity director... They wanted to hang out in town for a while before we had to take the train back to the city. Northport is such a beautiful town and it was hard to leave....but I will be back for the big race in September.
Back to the city where we had just enough time to change and catch a cab to Pier 83 for the Harbor lights Cruise around Manhattan. Ship left the dock at 7 and we enjoyed 2 hours of enjoying the cool ocean breeze and a wonderful gentleman giving us a guided tour of Manhattan and neighboring areas....New Jersey, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Roosevelt Island, Governors Island etc...fantastic tour...the lights of the city came on and it was breathtaking...The Statue up close and personal....beautiful.....walked to the subway...and home again...long day!! til tomorrow:)

Day 19 Saturday

Woke up to a house full this morning, but we all got out pretty early. Headed to Northport with Dale driving. I really like taking the train, but this was definetly more convienent. We stopped off at the Deli again and picked up egg sandwiches to eat at the dock.....again...Then made our way over to the marina to board Beefys boat. Took the boat over to the dock and visited with nephews Willy, Joe and Dale. I just love seeing all these guys. After visiting we made our way from the harbor to Northport Bay. We moared the boat out at Sand City and hung out for the day. Good food, good friends, good times.
We headed over to Centerport to attend a benefit clambake put on by the Centerport Fire Department. We visited with my brother Jim, his wife Leigh Ann, and nephew Chris. We spent the night at their lovely home just up the hill....I think we had the most relaxing day so far....til tomorrow!! :)

Friday, Day 18

Up and ready early....bagels for breakfast and off to the Museum of Natural History for the day. What a wonderful place to spend the day...I would highly recommend this to everyone going to the city. I think my favorite rooms were the dinosaur exhibits....so interesting.. We left the museum about 3:30 and headed over to Central Park. I wanted to show Adam and Katelyn Strawberry Fields, which is the memorial set up across from the Dakota Apartment Building where John Lennon lived and subsequently was killed. Upon entering that area of the park a guy was playing John Lennon songs on his guitar and everyone was singing along. Then a guy came along with a bouquet of flowers and with a lot of flourish placed the flowers on the Imagine sign in the shape of a peace sign. He said that he has done that everyday for the last 9 years and on the anniversary of his death completely covers the Imagine sign. Beautiful!!
Dale and Molly came in to the city to hang out and after some wine at home we went over to the Firehouse Restaurant for dinner. We put Adam and Katelyn in a cab to see The Addams Family and we stayed and visited. We met them at the theatre when the show was over and since the bars were so crazy busy came home and hung out here. Molly and Dale spent the night instead of driving back to the island....great day!! til tomorrow:)

Thursday, Day 17

Adam called at 7 am to say that his plane had landed at Kennedy, so I went for a quick run in the park. They actually passed me on the street as I was running home, cool. After a brief time getting ready we headed out to explore the city. We headed down Columbus to check out the boutiques and the details for the museum. We were then on a search for some new sandals for Adam. That was probably the only problem we were all having, finding comfortable shoes. We went over to 5th avenue and found a comfy pair at Niketown. We then headed over to Times Square to meet my brother and friends at the Marriott Marquis for a drink on the 8th floor....Unfortunately on the way we encountered the Singing Cowgirl.....Yuck, nothing like a 70 year old topless woman to ruin your evening.:(...After a drink we headed out to dinner to the Red Eye Restaurant.... a bit pricey for us...but good otherwise. Adam and Katelyn wanted to walk home, which was 30 blocks so we took a shortcut thru the park. Great idea....it was hopping!! There were kickball tournaments, softball tournaments and then we actually got to see a croquet tournament. Everyone was dressed in white....it was like being sent back to the 20s...pretty neat. Headed home...the kids had been up for more than 24 hours...til tomorrow:)

Day 16 Wednesday

Said goodbye to Molly, who needed to go to the fashion district to buy fabric and meet a friend. The girls, Nicole, Amanda and I headed to the park to walk around the reservoir. Beautiful walk, with a few drizzles.....ha ha...We noticed how foggy it was getting downtown...but quickly realized it wasn't fog, but rain.....So for the third day I got caught in torrential rain. We ran and we laughed and we got soaked all the way to the bagel store...ordered some breakfast and made our way back home.....We cleaned up, had breakfast, and decided to check out the boutiques on Columbus Ave...after a great walk for about 20 blocks we had lunch at Stack Shack, burger joint. A walk back home so the girls could finish packing..but..they needed one last walk thru Central Park with cherry Italian Ices before the Super Shuttle showed up to take them to JFK for their flight home...Very sad to see them go.....:(...
So .....cleaned the sheets, towels, bathroom and floors....ready for another round of company...My son, Adam and Katelyn arrive at 7 am...Whew.....better get some sleep:) til tomorrow :)

Day 15 Tuesday

Said goodbye to my sister Jo this morning. She had to go to work up in Albany, but she'll be back next week. We let Amanday sleep, while Nicole and I went for a run in the park. Pretty hot and humid, but there are a lot of drinking fountains in the park....the water here is great, and cold.....On the way home we stopped at the corner deli and picked up bagels....yum!! Got all cleaned up then headed to the verizon store to see if they could fix my phone that i had dropped the night before....30 seconds...done..off to walk the Brooklyn Bridge...Well you know the old saying, "When it rains, it pours" wow....the train was delayed upon arriving at the City Hall stop, which was unusual....as we left the train we noticed everyone looking up the stairs as if something was going on....oh there was....the rain was coming down in sheets.....Nicole and I had umbrellas, but not Amanda.........but of course there was a very smart man at the top of the stairs selling them for $5....great purchase...Well silly us we thought that would be enough....not quite........the driving rain immediately soaked us and we ended up in a Starbucks. We sat there for a bit and decided to stake our chance to get a cab...not an easy task in NYC in the rain...but we scored a cab and took it to Macy's. Where else do you go in Manhattan on a rainy day?
Molly, our good friend, who is also my nephew's girlfriend came in from the Island, so she met us in Macy's too.
Then off to the apartment in order to get ready for the show. We saw "Promises, Promises" at the Broadway Theatre, with Sean Hayes and Kristen Chenoweth, and it was fantastic...what a fun play...I would and did recommend it. We even waited outside the stage door for the stars and got a glimpse and some pics....We hung out in Times Square for a bit and then took the #1 train uptown for a vanilla cone with chocolate sprinkles. Funny, we stayed up to watch Letterman because Kristen was on....it was taped in the afternoon, but when she came out after the play she had on the same outfit...sort of cool....she is probably one of our favorite stars..off to bed...late again..til tomorrow :)

Day 14 Monday

Today we had a great time in the park. Nicole and I ran, while Joann, Amanda and Kelli walked. We stayed for about an hour and saw all the sites. After a stop at home to get beautified..We took the 1 train to the Time Warner Building where Nicole relived her childhood by going to the Espirit store and purchasing a tote bag that she used when she was in the 5th and 6th grade. After checking out some of the other stores we headed east on 59th to eat lunch at Mickey Mantle's. Since this is Nicole's husband's family name it is always a stop that we have to make in our travels. We enjoyed steak burgers, which were crazy expensive, but delicious. We then headed over to 5th avenue and FAO Swartz, where Amanda needed to see the giant piano. Great time in the toy store. Off to Bloomingdales!! What a wonderful store....after a lot of hemming and hawing...I made a really big purchase.....Yes I bought a beautiful LV.....love it!!!! No more spending for me....
Jumped in a cab and it's back to the apartment so Kelli can get her bag and head to Penn Station. After dropping off Kelli we ventured over to Macy's, where the girls enjoyed the shopping and the wooden escalators..We closed the store at 9:30, took the subway home and hung out before bed....another fun day!! til tomorrow:)

Day 13 Sunday

Up early and on the 8:49 to Northport....getting 5 women out of the house at that time is quite a feat...Joe picked us up...Thanks again Joe... and we were off to Donna's house for a minute and then down town to see my niece Kelli, who is the dock master..we walked over to Main St in search of breakfast and found Skippers Pub getting ready to serve brunch with tables on the side walk....very quaint...After breakfast we headed up town to check out the stores and make our way to my nephew, Dale"s, apartment.....Visited with Dale then back to the dock to meet my brother, Beefy. We piled into the cars and made our way to Bellport, with a few stops along the way...My cousin Patty's house was the site of our family reunion with my cousins. My dad and Mary came up from North Carolina and it was great to see them after 2 years...everyone looks very well.......2 of the younger kids were running in the Bellport Clipper Classic 5 K so at 5 we made our way around the block to the village....the kids did a marvelous job....Yea !! Michael and Gabriella!! The food was amazing....especially the mussels!!! You were so right Maria!! Thank you Patty for hosting this year....You have a beautiful home!!! We were going to travel by train back to the city from Patchogue, but instead went back to Northport to visit some more with my dad, and pick up Kelli. Back on the LIRR at 9:15....Kelli needed to eat so we went to get her a slice and even went to the market at 11:00..........off to bed!! til tomorrow :)

Day 12 Saturday

Today we started off with a run in Central Park. It was pretty humid, but we got 5 miles in. Nicole and Amanda flew in and requested bagels, so after our run Donna and I headed to the bagel store to fullfill their requests. The girls arrived and after getting settled the 5 of us headed to SoHo and Little Italy. We statred off with a slice from Pompadoros and then off to the stores. We had a blast shopping in discount designer stores that carry one of a kind items............After a long day on our feet we headed back to the apartment for wine and Italian ices. Then off to dinner ....salads at Nonnas....Nicole and I ordered the endive salad.....which we sent back....yuck...but the Honeydew and pineapple soup was fabulous....off to bed...Long Island tomorrow!! :)

Day 11 Lady GaGa

OMG!!! Woke up at 3:17...Put on our cute "Save the Tatas" shirts that Donna bought for us to wear....out of the house at 4...caught a cab on Columbus and it was off to Rockefeller Plaza to join 18000 other spectators to see Lady Gaga....We had 4 1/2 hours to wait...and wait ...and wait. We spent the time hoping to be moved closer to the stage. Finally 8:30 arrived and she made her appearance...and so did the rain....then the sun ..and then more rain...and then it started to pour....hard, cold rain...We were soaked and so was she but she kept on performing and I think she actually enjoyed the rain.....We left there at 9..grabbed a bagel and some coffee and took the train home...After a quick bite, showers and fresh clothes we set off again to do what else....shop. Oh did I mention that the shirts that Donna bought us were black and the rain caused them to run all over our white pants....what a mess...but they came clean..so no worries. We will forever remember that concert...and the wonderful time we had together!! Thanks GaGa!!
Spent the day on Broadway and 5th ave......and had Chinese take out for dinner...its early to bed for these 3 wild women!! til tomorrow...:)

Day 10 cont....

Spent the day with my sisters...shopping of course..Donna and I went to The Running Company up on 13rd and 6th ave....i helped her buy new running clothes and shoes. The salesperson actually offered me a job lol....We then traveled to Macys and then off to Penn to pick up Jo and then Macys again...What is it about that store??? It was absolutley mobbed again...go figure?? We got back to the apartment about 8 and opened a bottle of wine. We didn't go to eat until 10:30....I would never think to do that at home...We went to CArmine's on Broadway and had a wonderful Italian meal....took half of it home!! off to bed at 12:30...big day tomorrow..:)

Day 10 Sistas

So I finished my day off yesterday with a little shopping down Broadway..took the subway to 72, but found the same stores as in my neighborhood..Gap, Banana...did go to Loft, which is so different from our Loft...Anyway walked uptown a bit too.. Very quiet evening, spent a lot of time on the computer. After going to Ellis Island and looking up my family I found quite a few members there and continued my search last night..I called my parents and they were able to give me more names. So interesting.
Up early today...The plan is to meet Donna at Penn at 12, she comes in on the LIRR and then we will go back and meet Joann at 7 who comes in on Amtrak. Have to find a fun place for dinner....I did pass Carmines yesterday....more Italian?? Sure...I will add to this later.:)

Day 9

Went for a long run in the park this morning and then had Italian Ices on the way home...What a great way to cool off in this heat. Yesterday they say was 100 degrees, but I today should be a couple of degrees cooler. After coming home and getting cleaned up Wayne headed for the airport and I headed for the market. I only spent $27.00 because that is all I could carry. I want to go back for some watermelon and cantalope..Now home for some much needed alone time. I think I will go for a walk a little later....til then :)

Day 8

Tuesday...So Rick, Deb and Ashley left today, and I spent the day doing laundry and getting ready for the next crew to come in. We finished early enough to take 4 different subway trains to the Brooklyn Bridge. We walked across into Brooklyn but decided to go back over again to watch the city lights come on. What a beautiful site! We sat on the bridge for an hour and watched all the people....that's always fun..We were then going to head to Pier 17, South Street Seaport to get a bite to eat and instead followed an older man down a stair well and ended up talking to him about the area. I love talking to the locals. He parks his car in Brooklyn and walks the bridge home every night. We asked about places to eat and he told us that the SS seaport is a tourist trap. We walked with him to Front street as he educated us about the fish market that was driven out of the area. He talked about how much the neighborhood had changed. He told us about a wonderful Italian reataurant called Barbarinis...So that's where we had the most amazingly authentic meal. I had the ravioli and Wayne of course had the lasagna. It was on a dark cobblestone street that was very old world....very beautiful and romantic...After that a bit of long walk to the subway and home again. til tomorrow :)

Day 7

Monday...Got out for a long run this morning...6 miles in the park. It was very hot and humid...Home for a quick shower and then off to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Very hot sitting on the ferry, but it got moving and gave us a cool breeze..Statue was great of course...I was looking foward to going to Ellis Island to look up my ancestors and i wasn't disappointed. You pay 5 dollars and they assign you a computer where you put in all of the info that you know....We had a wonderful woman help and I was able to locate my great-grandfather from Italy....I think...I will add more later..off to dinner

Day 6

Sunday...Up at 5 to get out of the house by 6...On our way to Northport for the day which is on Long Island...going boating and seeing family..Needed to take the 1 train to Penn....the funniest thing happened...We all passed thru the turnstyle....all except fot Rick whose metro card wouldn't work...well we jumped on the waiting train and he missed it........I'm sorry but I laughed and laughed........so when we got to Penn we waited and waited for him and it took a good 20 minutes. He did finally make it so we went off to buy our tickets for the LIRR and have some coffee.....Got on the train and headed for Huntington where we had to switch trains to Northport. Joe (my nephew) picked us up and we went straight to the deli for some egg and cheese sandwiches...the guys ordered "Heart Attacks" which contain all the meat groups....bacon, susage and ham....yuck!.We took them down to the dock and met my sister and niece, Kelli....after a walk on the dock it was off to the marina to meet my brother and Jeanne for a day on the water...We went out to Sand City and dropped anchor and hung out with 3 of my nephews, their girlfriends and various friends....They tie their boats up together and we just went from boat to boat visiting. The food was crazy, shrimp, scallops, chicken, steak...wonderful...also lots of beer, wine and sangria.....and sun...we were going to go back to the city for the fireworks, but we were having so much fun we decided to stay.We took the boat over to the bay and watched probably 7 firework shows 360 degrees around us....so awesome....took the 10:44 train out of Northport and made it home by 12:30....funny the subway was packed at midnight........need some sleep.....!!
til tomorrow :)

Day 5

Saturday, Took the subway up to Yankee Stadium...right before a game. It was a bit crowded...Then went south to Little Italy where we ate in the same pizza place as always. Pomadoros at Spring and Mulberry Streets. Best pizza in NY...at least that's my opinion. We then ventured south to China Town and Canal Street. Ashley wanted a Louie Vuitton bag and presto...out game the sly guys wanted to sell their wares...we had to take a liitle walk off the beaten path and she found just what she was looking for...enough said....We had a great time checking out the venders, but then had to head home to get ready to see Chicago...great musical. We were starving when we got out and actually just went over to an Applebees in Times Square...quick and easy and then home to get a few hours of sleep. til tomorrow :)

Day 4

So, I have to back up to the way Day 3 turned out. After Rick, Deb and Ashley arrived we walked 4 blocks over to my friend Debbie's house to give her some keys she had left at the apartment. They have a beautiful Brownstone which they have owned and renovated in the last 10 years. It is one of the last single family brownstones in the city. We ended up giving our family a tour of the home, drinking wine and ordering kosher pizza from up the block. What a great evening talking with people who have lived here for so long. They told us about how 9/11 affected them and it was like reliving it ourselves.
Day 4 was another busy (walking) day. We spent many hours exploring Central Park, brunch at the Boathouse, more exploring and then off to 5th Ave. After having fun window shopping in many high end stores we walked down to Rockefeller Center. We then made it our mission to find a famous cupcake bakery called Crumbs, which turned out to being just north of Times Square. Lunch at the Stage Deli was made more fun with a wonderfully grouchy waitress, who wasn't a day younger than 75. We then traveled north to see Carnegie Hall. I hit the Gap and Rose Shoes while the guys were trying to figure out why there were police in full riot gear in front of the Russian Tea Room. They were told it was a show of force for the holiday weekend.
My brother and Jeanne came in from the Island and we took a cabride over to 61st and Third to a fabulous old world Italian restaurant called Isle of Capri. Thought we were back in time in Italy, and the food was marvelous. We needed to walked off our heavy meal so we started exploring the East side. We were amazed that there was a Home Depot in the middle of the city. We then jumped on the subway to go see Times Square and left Beefy and Jeaane as they went to Penn Station to head back to the Island. The night ended with a couple of icecream cones and a walk home. Til tomorrow!!

Day 3 Kelly and Regis

So..up at 5:15 throw on the clothes and catch a cab at 87th and Columbus. Make it t0 R and K by 6 only to find just 2 other people in line. So you would think we were in, right? Later a couple of hundred show up. The folks from the show give us our numbers (3 and 4) at 8 and tell us to come back at 8:30. We go to Starbucks with our new friends, numbers 1 and 2. Go back, wait some more this time inside, did I say it was chilly... Almost 9..they take 1 and 2 in....and say sorry no more....:(....but wait the kind lady comes back and says ok..I have 2 seats, not together, one good and one bad....we'll take it SCORE!!! we're in..for 2 shows...One aired today...the other tomorrow...where we are on camera taste tasting and voting for the Firehouse Cook Off....What a blast...got out of there at 11:30....
Walked to the Hudson and enjoyed the boardwalk....revelling in our good fortune...then decided to do something for Wayne...the Intrepid Naval ship tour............fun but we were exhausted once again.Ggrabbed a cab and made it home at 5:30 in time for quick showers before Wayne's brother, sister-in-law and niece arrive and it's off to the Original Ray's pizza....but first some wine while I post my day..:) til tomorrow!!

Day 2 Central Park and Macys

What a wonderfully exhausting day. We set out about 9 to run in the park. It was a beautiful morning and the park was very busy. Apparently Al Pacino was going to be doing Shakespere in the Park this evening and the tickets were about to go on sale.. The park was also full of many runners, walkers, bikers and tourists. We saw parts of the park that I never knew existed. The highlight was Strawberry Fields across the street from John Lennon's apartment house. We then ventured to 67th and Columbus where they tape Regis and Kelly hoping to get a glimpse of some stars. But instead we found out how to go to the show tomorrow morning. After walking the 20 blocks back home we cleaned up. had lunch (egg sandwiches) and then embarked on the subway. We rode to Penn Station and then my husband (who is always the shopper) wanted to go to Macys....Yes, all 16 floors, and a basement. We shopped, had makeovers, were spritz with every new cologne and perfume on the market and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves....to exhaustion. I left empty handed because I just couldn't part with $80.00 for an amazing pair of crazy shoes. Maybe tomorrow..Back uptown to the apartment for a quick freshing up and a glass of vino and then off to dinner at a sidewalk Italian restaurant (Nonna's) on C0lumbus Ave. It's off to bed now...because we have Regis and Kelly at 6 am....til tomorrow!!

Day 1

Well we made it to the city...flights were great. With a 15 minute cab ride from the airport we met Debbie outside our apartment with a bottle of champagne, only to find another one waiting for us in the frig with a nice note. After picking her brain about all of the wonderful places to eat and shop in the neighborhood she left us on our own to explore. Which we did...trying out the local pizza place, market and wine shop. Also got to know our doorman Russell....It's a little warm so we turned up the air and are looking foward to a good nights sleep....It's suprisingly very quiet...til tomorrow..

Tomorrow is the big day!

We leave tomorrow - June 29th at 7:30am for my month long vacation in New York City. I am still busy packing and getting last minute items. My daughter is setting me up with this blog so I can chronicle my trip day by day....