Friday Favorites:: NYC Top 3!

Today I'm linking up with Andrea at Momfessionals.com and Erika at tabanderika.blogspot.com for Friday Favorites! (My links keep quitting. I'm not sure what's going on.)

We travel around a lot, moving to various places and vacationing in our favorite spots whenever we get the chance. During our travels, we've come up with some definite favorites in different areas, so I'm going to start highlighting our Top 3 favorite things to do in different places.

Today is all about New York City, the place I've traveled to more than any other place. My first trip there was in 2000, so I have some pictures of the Twin Towers. I'll have to dig those up and share them when I have a chance. Next up I was there in 2003 with some of my family. In 2006 I moved to Connecticut and being only 42 minutes from Grand Central, we went into the city almost weekly for that year. Since 2007, I've traveled there a lot with with family, friends, and Dave. 

ONE 

My absolute favorite thing in New York City is the Brooklyn Bridge. I love the story of the bridge and I love that it was built for horses and pedestrians and today hundreds of thousands of cars cross it. 

They don't make bridges like this anymore! 

It was finished in 1883, after more than ten years of construction. The bridge has two levels. The top level is in the middle and is for pedestrians and bikes. The lower level is for traffic and is on the outside. 

One time when I was there, the NYPD was doing a drill. Imagine climbing up to the top. Eeek! 

If you go to the outside deck of the Southstreet Seaport Mall, you'll have fantastic views of the bridge. In 2009 I was in New York with Julie and some friends. I love this picture of Julie! 

In October 2009, Dave and I went for a day date to New York City. When we first started dating I might've mentioned that'd be my "dream date." Lucky me, Dave was all-in for something fun like that! We flew in at 9am and flew out at 7pm. When we landed, we got a taxi and asked to be dropped off at the Brooklyn Bridge. This was the first picture we took that day. 

A year later we were back in New York City on our honeymoon. This is at a park in Brooklyn and I loved the views of the bridge! 

Again in 2010 on our honeymoon. The Brooklyn Bridge was needed in the middle/late 1800s because there was basically no more room in Manhattan. The only way to get to Brooklyn and back was on a ferry, so in 1870 they started the bridge to solve these problems. It was a monumental under haul. 

In 2011 we returned to NYC for our first anniversary and of course we walked across the bridge! We found an artist who made these shirts and I had to have one. :) 

I love how it was built to solve specific problems in the 1800s, and it is still so completely functional today. The automobile didn't even exist when it was built and today it is so busy with vehicle traffic. When it was finished in 1883, it was the tallest structure in all of the Western Hemisphere! 

Last fall Dave and I returned to New York for the first time in a few years. The Brooklyn Bridge was number one on my list. I just can't get enough of it!  

The views up there are great! 

Lower Manhattan from 1/3 of the way across the Brooklyn Bridge. 

TWO

I love the food. We have had some excellent food in New York City. I love that you can find whatever kind of food you're looking for, and there's a good chance it's going to be very good. 

My friends and I discovered Little Thai Kitchen when I was living in CT and going to the city pretty often. They have some of the best Chicken Pad Thai I've ever had. Little Thai Kitchen is on the Upper East Side and so small, it's easy to miss. 

We stumbled upon the Pad Thai Noodle Lounge in Chelsea last fall and it was a great find. More excellent Chicken Pad Thai! Can you spot us in the mirror? 

I highly recommend Junior's in Times Square. The food is really good and the cheesecake is even better. Sometimes we will eat there and get cheesecake to go to eat at a table in Times Square or Bryant Park or late at night back at the hotel. Or sometimes we'll eat somewhere else and go to the takeout line in the alley to get cheesecake. The raspberry swirl is my go-to. Yum!!! 

Last fall we stayed on Central Park South and right next door was Sarabeth's. We tried it for breakfast and it was excellent.

I love eating outside in New York City so even though it was a little chilly, we ate outside. Eat a good meal and watch the city walk by. Perfect! 

One of the best meals I've ever had in New York City was at this tiny joint in Soho. Taquitoria serves Taquitos many different ways and they have drinks. Those are your options. :) Lucky for them, their Taquitos are outstanding! Another mirror selfie, haha. 

THREE 

For me the absolute best day in New York City is one where we just walk around and take in the city. I don't need a specific itinerary or special places to go. There are so many different cool neighborhoods, parks, sights, museums, street fairs, and shops to check out. 

Here's a shot from my favorite place to sit and watch the city go by. Stop at a coffee shop and get your favorite drink, then find a place on the sidewalk (or a bench - if you can find one!) and watch NYC. 

On your walk you'll find cool little fountains, 

Outdoor markets,

Indoor markets (Chelsea Market),

And parks like Rockefeller Center, 

Columbus Circle, 

Bryant Park 

(Bryant Park at Christmastime!) 

and a park right at the World Trade Center. 

You can find famous, well-known places like the steps of the NY Public Library, 

and the Financial District, including 

Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange. 

Finally, you could spend all day walking around Central Park. There's this huge field with a nice view of the midtown skyline. 

The Mall in Central Park is a cool place to walk or sit and people-watch. 

There are rocks to climb all over Central Park. 

The park has lots of pretty bridges to photograph. 

This was in 2009 on that day date. Young and falling in love! 

Same people and same spot, six years later. 

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! That was a lot of pictures! I have hundreds more I didn't share, and there are so many more cool sights around New York City that I didn't mention. If you get a chance to go, I really encourage you to spend some time walking and looking around you with no real itinerary in mind. As long as you find some good food and see the Brooklyn Bridge, it'll be a fantastic trip!