After we enjoyed Hairspray and our awesome backstage tour, Ari and I said thanks and goodbye to Travis and headed back to the subway. We traveled down to South Ferry so that I could see the Statue of Liberty. Honestly, I was a little disappointed. I think I expected it to be larger and much closer to Manhattan. It was kind of small and far away… I think the movies just make it look a little different than it actually is. I’m sure I would have been more impressed if we had hopped on the Staten Island Ferry and rode past it.
There she is - Lady Liberty
After my Statue of Liberty disappointment, we walked through Battery Park, browsing the park vendors and grabbing a pretzel. We jumped back onto the subway and rode into Chinatown. I was really hoping to find a cute (cheap) purse, and Ari was shopping for a clutch, so we spent a few hours shopping in Chinatown. There are a million little shops selling sunglasses, jewelry, handbags, t-shirts – you name it! Most of the owners/salespeople were pretty assertive about what they had to offer. I ended up without any purchases, but I just didn’t find the “perfect” bag.
We made our way from Chinatown, through SoHo, window shopping while we walked. Our destination: Little Italy. I really wanted to have dinner in Little Italy – Yum! So we walked down Mulberry Street to where the cobblestone streets are cordoned off and restaurants and vendors spill from the sidewalks into the streets.
We walked from restaurant to restaurant, trying to pick a place. My only criteria were that it be outside and that we not have to wait too long for a table. Almost every place had outdoor seating, and almost everywhere had a hostess stationed right at the street, trying to “encourage” people to patronize their restaurant. In some cases, we were a little put off by the hostesses, and chose not to eat there because we were feeling a little bullied! We ended up at a great little café, seated next to a very “boisterous” group of older adults. We both ordered the gnocci and a glass of Riesling, and both were fantastic! I love great Italian food! After dinner, Ari and I bought gelato from a little booth on the street (another great Italian treat!) and headed home to regroup. On the way, we made a quick pitstop at Times Square, so that I could join the tourists in visiting such a famous site. I couldn’t visit New York without stopping there!
We walked from restaurant to restaurant, trying to pick a place. My only criteria were that it be outside and that we not have to wait too long for a table. Almost every place had outdoor seating, and almost everywhere had a hostess stationed right at the street, trying to “encourage” people to patronize their restaurant. In some cases, we were a little put off by the hostesses, and chose not to eat there because we were feeling a little bullied! We ended up at a great little café, seated next to a very “boisterous” group of older adults. We both ordered the gnocci and a glass of Riesling, and both were fantastic! I love great Italian food! After dinner, Ari and I bought gelato from a little booth on the street (another great Italian treat!) and headed home to regroup. On the way, we made a quick pitstop at Times Square, so that I could join the tourists in visiting such a famous site. I couldn’t visit New York without stopping there!
Times Square
At Ari’s place we met up with her roommate, Paul, who joined us in a venture to the Upper West Side for an evening out. We decided to make it a little belated birthday celebration, since I had a relatively quiet birthday dinner. It was so much fun! We even stopped by a late-night pizza joint and grabbed a pie to take home. This super-sized pizza had the largest slices I have ever seen! HUGE! And tasty! :)
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