New York

After checking into our cupboard (which they called a room) in Murray Hill New York it was time to go exploring.
After wandering up 5th Ave, we headed to the Morgan Library for a bit more history and culture (just incase Washington and Philly wasnt enough). A private collection of art and history by one very rich man (the father of J.P Morgan Bank) with way to much money in the early 19th century - no photos allowed. Then to the Turkish Kitchen for dinner for the most satisfying and flavoursome meal so far on our trip.

The following day was Dom's birthday - to spend it how ever she wanted. It started by shopping on 5th Ave (Saks, Tiffanys, Fendi, Abercrombie & Fitch, Cole Haan ...) before having high tea (and champagne) at The Plaza






After high tea is was off to a rooftop bar 230 5th looking up at the Empire State Building for a few, ok lots, of Cosmopolitans and Brooklyn Brews and partying the night away. This is the view from the bar (the red on the top corners are the glow from the heaters)


The following week was nonstop! Literally! Lots of walking (we bought a pedometer in Philly and Dom averaged about 20,000 steps/day!) and lots of Subway riding (which puts any other public transport system to shame). We either shopped, ate or drank in or around Soho (we found an Italian pasta place here so good we ate there twice), Little Italy, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Greenwich Village, Chinatown, Noho, Midtown, Fashion District, Times Square, the Battery/Staten Island Ferry, NoLita, Tribeca, Gramery, Flatiron District, West Village (where we stumbled on the Magnolia Bakery from SATC), Harlem, Rockefella Plaza, the Frick Collection, Grand Central Station... and so many more we cant remember right now. We have hundreds of photos that might help explain the magic of this place!

Click here to see this map even bigger

One night we saw The Lion King musical on Broadway at Times Square. "Best musical I had ever seen!" said Dom as we walked out of there theatre - it was pretty darn impressive!


Times Square after The Lion King


Shopping at the M&Ms store in Times Square


My birthday was a little more low key then Doms, but just as enjoyable! There was no baseball games on the the day so the day before we did a tour of the brand new Yankees Stadium, including on the ground and in the Yankees dugout which was really cool. Later that night we headed back up to the stadium in the Bronx to see the Yankees lose to the Tampa Bay Rays. It was tough going for the Rays because I would have been one of about 20 people in a packed stadium of 50,000 cheering (ever so softly) for them.

The following day (my actual birthday) we were up early to go up the Empire State Building before the crowds and queues started. We then had lunch at a Thai restaurant in Noho before heading to the very top of Central Park to walk thru what we hadnt already seen. We were a little tired by this stage and luckily we stumbled accross a patch of grass which resembled a mattress so a snooze was in order. That night it was dinner and lots of drinks at The Peculiar Pub in Greenwich Village. Which had over 300 varieties of beer (including Tooheys New which I had to have because I knew Dave and Matt were doing the same on my birthday too!) and it had the same kinda vibe as Dirty Franks... Just my scene!

The view looking south from the Empire State Building towards Downtown and the Financial District of Manhatten (the big white building bottom centre of where the rooftop bar is where we had Doms birthday drinks the week before


And with a bit of zoom...


Looking north from the 88th floor of the tallest building in NY (it used to be the third tallest...)
Times Square mid left, Central Park beyond that and Manhattan stretching out as far as you can see


Central Park. If you weren't in a clearing you would swear you could be in the Blue Mountains... No city noise, only animals and water!


It is incredible just how big this park in the middle of a city actually is!


Birthday celebrations at the Rockefella Plaza


The Yankees dugout on the stadium tour


Our view for the game


To finish off our time in NY, we ended up at the Comic Strip Live comedy club for a tearfully funny night. This place was the origins of some great comics... Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano, Drew Carey, Dave Chappelle, Robin Williams, Ellen Degeneres... and we were second from the front for $10 tickets! Check out these guys on Youtube to see what it looks like. It is very familiar.

And maybe because we were in New York and it was our birthdays, we lashed out and bought ourselves presents... A sterling silver and diamond ring from Tiffany & Co and a Nixon 51-30 watch...


Can you tell whose is whose?


All in all, we had the best time in New York! The location of our place, what we saw, where we shopped, ate and drank, the whole experience was unreal! It is definately a place we'll be coming back to. And as we both agreed, definately a place we could live and work in for a while!!!