Christmas in NYC: A Jen Bucket List Trip

For whatever reason I was nervous coming to New York City. So many visions in my mind from the trip when I was a kid. The envisioned trashy streets and horrible smell were still available in my mind to draw on. Fearful of the nighttime ride through Central Park and certainly the inevitable ride on the subway, but man has the city changed and has become an incredible city to visit and proved my memories wrong.

When we landed, we gathered our bags and headed outside for the Uber and Lyft lot, and any other ride services running. Coolest setup I’ve ever seen. Our driver told us what lane to go to and we waited less than 10 minutes. Had a totally stress-free ride to Mid-Town Manhattan. We were staying at a new MVCI enterprise called The Pulse. We were put on the top floor with our room facing the Empire State Building. Felt like you could almost reach out and grab it although it was a few blocks south. Checked into the room and freshened up a bit and decided to go find something to eat of local flavor. Happened to get on the elevator with a hotel employee that was very local and told us to check out Franky Boys Pizza. Very cool and very NYC versioned pizza joint. Order by the slice, grab a drink and share a table with others. Met up with some guys from Georgia in town on a tow truck convention. Funny and personable, we really enjoyed our visit and conversation, but now needed to head out and walk off the one slice too many pizzas. We were on Broadway, so we headed in the direction of the crowd and dancing lights ending up on Times Square. The sights and sounds reminded me of Las Vegas. Every five steps different music, different character in costume, and street shows. We stopped and watched one street performance of guys break dancing and displaying their acrobatic skills. Moved on when they started grabbing folks to volunteer for some part of their act. Made it up to 49^th Street and decided to head a block over and head back, but ended up in Bryant Park where Christmas vendors were set up, a huge tree was lit, and a skating rink was in full use. In a short bit of time, we took in the full flavor of NYC!! Time to get some rest as we knew we were going to be walking a great deal over the next couple of days.

We slept in the following morning and decided that we would like to try a typical NYC diner for Sunday breakfast. Found a place recommended a few blocks away called The Red Flame Diner. Now fully fueled for a day of walking, we came back to the hotel and dressed for the play “Book of Mormon”. Oh my goodness, hilarious sums it all up. If you haven’t seen it, do go and experience firsthand. Leaving the theatre, we headed to meet Bettie’s (Jen’s cousin) son, Cullen and girlfriend Lisa, for dinner. We were following google maps and got turned around and ended about 15 long blocks in the wrong direction. These were East/West blocks which are about three times longer than the North/South blocks. Amazingly, we were only 15 minutes late for the reservation, but right on time with what we had told them we could be there. We did admit finally to the compass blunder and we all had a good laugh. Great dinner provided at a 1920’s retro restaurant called Valerie. After a couple of hours dining, we had the urge to walk off the dinner, so we headed on foot for our Central Park horse and buggy ride. What a treat of an experience! We quickly realized there was nothing to fear of the park after dark. The cityscape at night from a vantage point that lets you see it was beyond comment. We left the park and decided to walk 5^th Ave back to the hotel. Twenty-two North/South blocks, no problem. What we forgot was what the heavy foot traffic adds to the walk. It did allow us to enjoy the store fronts with the holiday window displays and the fully sided light and music display at Saks. Reached Rockefeller Plaza and decided to see the Christmas tree and ice skaters. Again, moving at half steps and jockeying for position to take photos were draining us of any remaining energy. Only ten more blocks, we can do it!! Finally, our home away from home! We checked our days steps, 16,700 steps or roughly eight miles covered for the day. Whew, and we haven’t even done a walking tour yet.

We slept like rocks and woke sore but rested. Just coffee and a couple of muffins is all we could muster to find onsite. But we were ready for our 8:45 walking tour of Central Park. Walked to the nearest subway line entrance and got our lesson on the subway MetroCard, how to understand which entrance we needed to pass through, thanks Google Maps for this, and how riding really boils down to how many stops you make and counting in your head or even easier, just use Google Maps which updates with every stop and shows where you are on the map. Cheating I know, but made the whole process so much easier. Made it to Central Park and started with an explanation of Yoko Ono’s endowment to the park, seeing where John Lennon was shot, remembering the feelings I had at the knowledge of it and then crossing the street and seeing the tile mosaic in his honor and Strawberry Field. Raining lightly but with low lying clouds making for incredible photo opportunities, we were inspired by the beauty of the park and the history. Couple of tidbits, one, there is absolutely no duplication of any bridge, detail design, water line, etc. The park was meant to enjoy on a stroll and discover something new each and every time, 860 acres with this vision in mind. Way ahead of its time on how to create something for the enjoyment of all. Second, we found out that during the times when we were kids and remembering the trash in the city, the graffiti in the park, and the danger of being there after dark all was resolved by making the parks private via donations. This was done throughout the city and provided the endowment the city couldn’t afford in upkeep and security. Numerous pictures taken and tour over, we decided to have lunch in the basement food court of the Plaza Hotel. Great food yet again and I’m starting to expect every experience to be better than the last. Wishing we had more time, we had to catch the subway for our walking tour of the 911 Memorial.

Wished it wasn’t raining, we are definitely coming back sometime this week, none the less, a very sobering moment that put us both right back into the remembrance of where we were at the time of the attacks on the World Trade Center buildings. We decided we would fit into the day at Battery Park, Staten island, Ellis Island, and Statue of Liberty day. The infinity falls flowing into each building crater, the names of all of the people, the art from twisted metal, and the museum all provide for a very real picture of 9/11/2001. If you can leave the memorial dry-eyed, I should think you were born without a heart. Along with the Oklahoma City bombing memorial, these two sites provide a real picture of the evil man is capable of causing. I’m glad we make the landmarks in remembrance of these tragedies, I just wished we never had too.

As I’m writing this Jen is out on a Garment District tour with supposedly numerous deals available at extremely low costs. I suspect she will have a blast, but now has started to rain. Hopefully it won’t dampen her good time. We see the Nutcracker Ballet tonight with the NYC Ballet. In my mind is the ultimate of ballet troupes. I will write more as we complete the week, but for now, we are enjoying Jen’s Bucket List Christmas in NYC trip. Although coming along for the ride, I’m enjoying all the experience too, but, more important, enjoying Jen living out her vision of a perfect Christmas experience. I suppose the only thing that would be better is to finish off with a train ride north into Vermont for the retired General’s resort Christmas Show with Gene Kelly and Danny Kaye singing White Christmas to her.

Well. it’s more than a year later, I’m finally picking up from where I left off and finishing this article.

The Nutcracker, outside of being an annual event for Jen, was amazing. Getting there proved a little more of a challenge. We had no problem navigating the subway, but when we came up to street level we were turned around. Again, Google maps saved us with our lack of knowledge of local landmarks. We still made it in time for a pre-performance drink and was able to dry off from the slight rain. I’m not sure we will ever see another performance of the Nutcracker without reminiscing having seen it at the NYC Ballet. We got back early enough in the evening that we could sneak in a late-night bite to eat and coffee at someplace that escapes me, but was on Times Square..

The next day, we woke to a chilly but sunny morning. Jen was excited for the day because we were headed to Soho district. I had no real idea of the neighborhood and how uniquely different it was to all the other boroughs on the island of Manhattan.  Of all the places seen on this trip, it was the one place that I could see living. I’ve been to some pretty cool places, but this was the first city district that was cool and chill enough to desire to experience for longer than a few hours. From the crooked streets, to Washington Square Park, to the mom-and-pop shops and diners, this place exudes a difference and local friendliness not felt anywhere else in the city. The Stonewall National Monument would not have meant anything to me twenty years ago, but as most of my enlightenment has occurred in my late years of life, I understand the significance of this park. The Stonewall riots of 1969 was the start of the modern LGBT rights movement in the United States.  From the dancers I came to love as family with Erica to the close friends and family that have had the courage to come out and fight for their right to exist as they were meant to be. This ended up being one of the more meaningful moments on this trip for me. Laughingly, the other meaningful part to this day was the don’t be nice to people moment in the subway. I forgot about the lockout of the gates and swiped my unlimited card for someone having trouble getting through. My tour guide (Debbie) was none too happy with me. She insisted on buying me a one time ticket to get me through so I could stay accounted for in the group.

The Empire State Building was in our view almost constantly. Our room was flooded every night with the dancing colors, at times was even beaming through the low level clouds obscuring the the top. We had a half day to walk the few blocks and ride the elevators up to the 86th floor where the main observation deck is. Along the way, you go through a museum about the history from erection to present day. Very good self-guided tour. Once you reach the 86th floor, you get to go out on the balcony made famous by numerous movies such as “An Affair to Remember” and “Sleepless in Seattle”. But for the real fun, get the ticket that takes you to the 102nd floor. Grated flooring and glass walls made the experience almost comical watching Jen’s true fear of heights surface and her holding onto the steel girders as she navigating the circle was priceless. I say this knowing it was not funny for her, she was legit scared. It was amazing seeing the island city and surrounding cities in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. Sorry Jen for having at your expense, but it did add to the wonderful memories we’ll have. Try the brewpub restaurant, State Grill and Bar, below at street level for a good meal and brew.

One of the best tours for Jen and I were the two we took with Christina Ray Stanton. She is the author of the book “Out of the Shadow of 9/11” which is a personal account of her, her husband, and their dog surviving the 9/11 attacks. Christina and Jen hit it off pretty well and although we were part of a larger group at the 9/11 site memorial, she had a steady conversation going with Jen. Her accounts of the day were from the reality of being there. She showed us where they were living at the time, just a few blocks south of the Trade Center Towers. She also gave us a somewhat private tour, in that we were the only ones signed up for it, seeing the lights on 5th Avenue and listening more about her account of 9/11/2001. We met her husband and cherished every second we got to spend with her. If we didn’t experience any of the other things on this trip, she would have made it memorable for us by herself.

The last show we took in was The Rockettes Christmas performance. Amazing seats and when you watch this on TV, you have no idea how much you’re missing in the shadows of the camera. Truly a great show that everyone should see if on a pre-Christmas tour of New York. When we left this show, we met up with Jen’s cousin Tom Bow and his wife Karen at a great Italian restaurant called Osteria al Doge, where apparently our money was no good and we weren’t allowed to pay for anything. Super gracious dinner hosts and obliviously had a great connection with the ownership of the restaurant. Shouldn’t be surprised as Tom is one of the most successful commercial real estate leasing brokers in Manhattan and Karen a very successful interior decorator in NYC and Connecticut. It was wonderful meeting Tom and Karen as I had heard so much about them from Jen and Bettie.

Getting the scoop on lower Manhattan from Tom, we ventured south on our final day of a great week. We took the subway and exited in Battery Park where the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island departs from and docks on the return. A short ferry ride out to Lady Liberty herself and you get to spend as much time as you like as long as you catch the last ferry leaving. But really you need to plan for an all-day museum adventure between the two islands. Walking self-guided tour with the headsets is the way to go. You hear everything a real guide would tell you with the added luxury of extended viewing at each of the audio checkpoints. We spent so much time that we lost our opportunity to return to Ground Zero and feel more of the memorial.

Seven amazing nights in Mid-town Manhattan. Exploring all of Manhattan on foot and subway putting in over twenty miles of walking. Not an adventure I ever saw coming, but one I will never forget. Time to pack and say goodbye to NYC! Who knew we might have been some of the last to see NYC in it’s most glorious fashions. Only a few months later, everything began shutting down due to Covid-19, which we were in Hawaii mid-March when it finally hit the shores of the United States, but that is another story to tell. Who knows if NYC will ever regain its full luster of Christmas to Remember, but we hope so. The folks of NYC have proven more than once their resilience through tough times.

We worried at first about not having wheels, but when in NYC, do as NYC does, WALK and RIDE SUBWAYS! Flat out makes the trip and you save a bunch of money on the rental and parking. But do spend some time preparing before going, by walking at least three miles a day for a few months leading up to your trip. This bucket list trip for Jen was a trip I was dreading, but wanting to do for Jen. Under my breath though, I had a great time and even added it to my own bucket list, just so I could check it off for myself! New York, New York, what a wonderful town!