Edge of Glory

My amazingly talented husband singing an acoustic cover of Lady Gaga's Edge of Glory

"These streets will make you feel brand new..."

I really enjoy the change of seasons but I am especially enjoying that the beautiful spring weather is finally here! We have a lot of great stuff planned for the spring and summer and it's so nice to be outside in the sunshine!! One of our trips I am looking forward to the most is getting back to NYC! I love New York so much and have so many great memories.  I thought I would share some of my favorite places with you. 




Central Park

Of course this refuge in the middle of the greatest city in the world needs to be mentioned first and foremost.  Central Park provides a vast oasis of tranquility from all the hustle and bustle of the fast paced streets of New York.  You can walk the trails for hours, climb the huge boulders, take a carousel ride, see a concert, feed the ducks, people watch, take the kids to the playground and admire the tall buildings peaking out from above the trees.  On the way back from the carousel stop at Ballplayers' House and sit at an outdoor table for a drink and a snack.  Jeff and I loved going to Central Park when we lived in NY and now bringing our kids back here to play is amazing! Interactive Map of Central Park

The Pink Pony

The Pink Pony is a cafe on the lower east side of Manhattan that serves French, American and Moraccan food.  It's a casual place great for conversation.  This is where Jeff and I had our first "date."  We talked for hours in this little cafe on Ludlow Street. 

Ferrara Bakery

Ferrara Bakery is known in New York as "the" Italian bakery in Little Italy.  I cannot visit NYC without stopping here on the way out for some amazing deserts! They have everything you could want in Italian deserts and their cheescakes are unbelievable! The service here is also exceptional!

CBGB

I almost didn't mention this place because sadly it is no longer there but my list of favorite places in NYC would not be complete without it.  CBGB is the infamous place where the Ramones got started and has a long punk rock history.  It's significance for me though is a little more personal.  My husband Jeff played his first show with the band Astronaut here on my 23rd birthday.  This is the infamous place where we had our first kiss :) Read about the history of CBGB and what it is today here.

The Coffee Shop

The Coffee Shop is a restaurant located in Union Square.  I love this place! There is always a wait to get a table but it's a great place to take the kids for lunch.  Try the fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomato and olives on tuscan bread with basil pesto, it's amazing! The food in NY is so good!!

Yaffa Cafe

Another one of my favorite restaurants! Yaffa Cafe is located in St Marks in the east village.  The decor is very eclectic, the food of course amazing, and the service is superb!  They have an awesome outdoor courtyard in the back with tables to enjoy outdoor dining.  If you go for brunch have a mimosa and the eggs benedict.  Love this place! Also a great place to eat with the kids.  Ava loved it here and all the decor was a great distraction for her. :)  While you are down here take a stroll down St Marks for a unique shopping experience and some great people watching.

Street Fairs

One of the greatest things to see in NYC when the weather is nice is the street fairs.  You can find so many unique things that only NYC can offer!  From spice markets, $5 pashmina scarves, jewelry, and dresses to crepes, empanadas, sweet corn arepas and falafel.  Street fairs are easy to come across when walking around the city all day but if you want to find one before you head out this is the source I always use...NYC Street Fairs

The Living Room

Another lower east side favorite of mine, The Living Room is a music venue on Ludlow St.  Once located on Stanton St this unique village hang out moved to it's current location in 2003.  The place where I got to hang out with Norah Jones is definitely one of my all time favorites with a lot of great memories!

Baked by Melissa

Baked by Melissa is a recent "find" for me.  I found out about it only in the last few times I visited and had no idea this place existed when I lived there.  This is definitely not your ordinary cupcake place! These are mini bite sized cupcakes in the most unique flavors.  Forget the boring chocolate or vanilla cupcakes, these bite sized pieces of heaven include chocolate chip panacake, cookie dough, peanut butter and jelly, s'mores and tie-dye.  Again an amazing and unique part of the enjoyment that can only be offered in NYC! They also deliver outside of the city if you really need your fix!  





I really could go on and on about the places I love in NYC but I will leave you with this for now...it will give me an excuse to write again and share some more pieces of the greatest city in the world!

"Concrete jungle where dreams are made..."



The White House

I have been slacking on the blogging but wanted to mention that I did receive a response from my letter to President Obama a few months ago.  Well, not sure if it was from the big man himself but the email was from "The White House."  Here is the previous post... My letter to the president
Getting a letter from the president brings back some memories for me...my grandmother, someone I have looked up to my entire life, had a framed letter from Nancy Reagan hanging in her bathroom which I read every single time I went in there.  She had written to her about having both lived through breast cancer.  I admired my grandmother so much for battling cancer. But, as a child reading that letter I thought my grandma was so cool because she was "friends" with the president's wife. :)
Not as cool as my grandma but I was glad to at least get a response and be reminded of this great childhood memory.

March 10, 2011 Dear Friend: Thank you for writing.  I have heard from many Americans concerned about environmental issues, from recycling and pollution control to the well-being of our national parks and wildlife.  I appreciate your perspective. America's natural resources and landscapes are among our Nation's most precious treasures.  We have an obligation to be responsible stewards of our environment and to protect these resources for future generations. My Administration is taking action to protect and restore our land, water, and air.  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which I signed in 2009, provides funding for hazardous waste cleanup, wastewater infrastructure construction, and projects that improve our Nation's parks and wildlife refuges.  In March 2009, I also signed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, the most extensive expansion of land and water conservation in more than a generation.  It designates thousands of miles of trails under the National Trails System, protects more than 1,000 miles of rivers, and secures millions of acres of wilderness. As individuals, we can all take steps to reduce our impact on our environment.  Americans can walk, bike, and use public transportation; buy products with less packaging; recycle and reuse paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum; and teach young people about environmental preservation.  Families can save money by purchasing energy-efficient products, turning off lights, and unplugging appliances.  These small changes in our daily lives help build a cleaner, safer planet.  To learn more about our environment and how you can make a difference, I encourage you to visit www.epa.gov or www.WhiteHouse.gov.  For more information on ground water and drinking water, please visit: water.epa.gov/drink.  To learn about America's Great Outdoors Initiative, visit AmericasGreatOutdoors.gov or read my 2010 Great Outdoors Month proclamation. Thank you, again, for writing. Sincerely, Barack Obama