Week 16 - New York City (The Big Apple)

Hello Family and Friends,

I love this city! I really tried to resist being a groupie and loving New York. However, everytime I come to this city I fall a little bit more in love with it. It's not because it is perfect. Some of the sharp corners of New York include that the subway isn't all that stroller friendly. All stations have stairs and only some stops have elevators. We just fold up the stroller and carry it with us through the often crowded subway while we hold Atlas' hand. Essentially it takes two of us to navigate the subway with Atlas.

Riding on the Subway

It's like this city calls to me. I was talking to my cousin, Tiarra, and she reminded me that my father's whole side of the family is from New York City. I forget that my dad is from New York as he never really talks about the city like a New Yorker (with a lot of pride and a heavy accent). Also, almost everyone has moved out of the city and to North Carolina. I truly forgot this is where my blood comes from. No matter, what nurture did not put in me, nature brings out of me. I wouldn't say NYC feels like home, but everytime I visit, I'm a little baffled why I love it so much! It think part of it is that it just doesn't sugar coat anything. I was raised in the south, where everything is delivered with a little bit of sugar. Even a "no" is delivered as "going in a different direction" or "we may consider that at another time". In NYC, they don't waste time with niceties and no one is offended or takes it personal. For example, this homeless guy helped Brett find the right subway station he needed. Brett didn't have any cash and told the guy he was sorry he didn't have anything for him. The man told him that there is an ATM around the corner. Brett responded by letting the guy know that under no circumstance was he going to an ATM with the dude. The man just sucked his teeth and walked away. What's so NYC about this is that the guy gave Brett a solution to not having any cash, which is very bold and Brett told him straight up "Naw I don't trust you" and every one went their separate ways. Another very NYC story is when Atlas and I were heading into CVS to buy some milk. There was this little girl, probably about 3 or 4 years old, spinning her umbrella in the doorway. Atlas and I literally couldn't get through the door without major risk of our eyeballs being stabbed. So I put my hand right on her umbrella and held it while we walked through the door so that we could safely get through. That little girl yelled "hey!" Even though she was just a toddler she already had that NYC spice. I just love it!

Riding through the Lincoln tunnel on our way into the city.

Just happened upon a free concert in the plaza while getting lunch near our hotel. Atlas finally figured out how to unlock the wheels on his stroller. We are in trouble now!

Besides enjoying the attitude of the city, we got to check some things off our bucket list. We took a bike ride through central park, saw 2 broadway musicals and got to be apart of the live audience on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (you can hear Brett on last Thursday's recording).

Atlas fell asleep on our bike road through central park and had just woken up.

The first broadway musical we saw was the Book of Mormons. The talent was out of this world! After leaving that show, we felt as if it couldn't get better. Then we saw Hamilton, and it's hard to believe but it was ten times better! The Book of Mormons was a standing ovation, but Hamilton was a standing ovation and I need to see this again, because I wasn't able to catch everything. As Brett says "take my money!"

Being a live audience member on the Colbert Show was surreal. He is our favorite late night host. In a complete surprise for that taping he was interviewing Bernie Sanders, who also happens to be one of our favorite politicians. It was such a special experience!

Brett and I waiting in line to get into the free taping of the Colbert show.

Now I already told you guys that my family is from New York. Most have moved out of the city, but not all. My two great aunts are still in the city. We went out to Brooklyn to meet them for lunch at the famous Lindenwood Diner. Brett and I don't like to eat at the same place twice, but we requested to go back to Lindenwood Diner. We had been their on a previous trip to NY. It didn't get past my Aunt Butta, that this was our 3rd time to NYC in the last year. I corrected her and let her know it was actually our 4th time to NYC in nine months. We still think DC is the best place we've been thus far to live, but we love NYC.

Eating at the Lindenwood Diner in Brooklyn with Aunt Butta, Sweet Aunt Rensa (not pictured) and Uncle Bill (not pictured).

We only spent 5 days in NYC, which of course was not enough time. There are so many other things that are just hard to document about NYC because it is a vibe. There are big over the top things like what it feels like to be in Times Square at 9 PM at night with all the lights and all the people. Also, there are smaller things like finding a local, authentic NYC chinese restaurant where the majority of the patrons are actually Chinese, the food is delicious and the lady at the table beside strikes up a conversation where you find out that she was just eating with the owner, is a non-profit lawyer in the city and just got back from traveling to Japan with her son. I mean we ended up sharing our blog link with her so that she could keep up with us! (Hi Heidi!) Eventually I might stop saying it is the best place on earth, but I doubt it!