A week ago I was in New York with my oldest’s choir/drama group from school and it was BITTER COLD! Seriously…. COLD… but boy does sunshine make a difference! We were armed for the cold weather and so very grateful to have the sun shine on us! Crazy, wonderful New York experiences were our goal… we scored!
Check out Day #1 and Day #2 here. We knew Day #3 was going to be a good one with the rain clouds gone, tickets in hand for our second musical in 24 hours (what the what??) and plans for more shopping! But first, we were invited to start our day with some Jesus-lovin’ folks and THAT was AWESOME!
- The Brooklyn Tabernacle– When we pulled up we were a tad confused…wondering where the church was located… already dreading a cold/windy walk. To our surprise, it was right in front of us…not in a free standing building but right there nestled in the buildings housing a cafe and the Gap Outlet. We were so happy that our walk was short…and even more impressed upon entering. It really was a lovely sanctuary, full of beautiful art and smiling faces. The website describes this church as a “multicultural, non-denominational church in the heart of downtown Brooklyn”… with a congregation of about “10 thousand weekly”. We LOVED the energy and choir (A BIG Choir!!). It was a fantastic way to celebrate our Sunday! As we were leaving some of those 10 thousand were standing outside, in a line, waiting to get in. The bitter cold wasn’t keeping them from the celebration going on inside… it was a great experience!
- Times Square– Once we crossed the bridge back into NYC, we headed to Times Square for a few hours of shopping and lunch. Because our hotel was right off of Times Square (Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square Central), we were familiar enough to head around the corner for lunch and ended up at The City Kitchen where all 8 of us were totally happy with our food! If you are in the area…go! The vibe is great, and a bar seat overlooking the city streets below is truly New York tourist nostalgia! My kiddo (and her mama) wanted to try the tacos and so we chose to order at Gabriella’s Taqueria and loved everything we ordered…rotisserie chicken, pollo asado, chips and salsa (and guacamole, duh)…we were hungry! It was the perfect stop for a great meal! Vegetarian and Vegan options too. Definitely one of my favorite food stops!
- Come From Away– GO SEE THIS SHOW!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t stress it enough. Go! It was not at all what I was expecting, yet everything it was described as (which I knew would be great!)..but it was SOOO MUCH MORE! LOTS of talent, great music, humor, story telling at it’s best..there were a few F bombs and may have been some bras revealed… but seriously that didn’t distract from the honest, deeply moving atmosphere and story that was being shared. GO SEE THIS SHOW!!
- Ellen’s Stardust Diner– This trip was all about the teens and a trip to Ellen’s (now I know) was a must! We were entertained from beginning to end. The food is diner food, and I opted for a Chicken Caesar Salad…which was ok. I’d definitely go for a burger and fries next time. One of our servers was none other than the original Flotsam in the original cast of Broadway’s Little Mermaid musical. Lots of Broadway talent…all for the price of meal. Winning!
- One World Observatory – As promised from Day 1, we rescheduled our tour of the observatory and tonight was the BEST night to view the city..and beyond! This was, again, so much more than I expected! (this was the theme for almost every experience we had!) This is truly the best way to see the city lights, it is beautiful!! And for additional $ you can rent an iPad that is interactive with your experience.. point it in the direction you want to know about and it will identify what you are looking at. Click on an icon, and you can learn more about that building/area. Pretty awesome stuff!! We didn’t splurge for this option..but we definitely will next time. So much to see! A perfect way to end another great day!
We headed back to the hotel, to pack up…tomorrow would be our last day and we would end it back in Nashville, in our own beds. We were ready! Before packing, I ran to Carlo’s Bakery with some other mamas to surprise my kids who were waiting for me at home with sweets from NYC. Cake Boss was one of our faves to watch, so they were excited to say they had a treat from Buddy’s bakery. And, seriously, I wanted to try a Lobster Tail… which did not disappoint. That extra sugar rush gave me just the boost I needed to pack up. Totally worth it!
Hill Life Inspired 