More New York Fun! — Patti Part Two

Lots to catch up on! My friend Cheryl arrived on Thursday and we had lots of fun things planned. First up, dinner and a Broadway show. The show started at 7 PM so we needed to eat early. Jack’s Wife Freda had been recommended and I had walked by a number of times and thought it looked good. Cheryl was up for it and we had no trouble getting in. The dinner menu wasn’t available yet but there was plenty to choose from on the lunch/happy hour menu. It’s in the West Village and there are so many great little places to try. The service was excellent and everyone was so nice.

Cheryl tried the special watermelon drink and loved it. Top right is Haloumi which is a kind of cheese you can cook and it doesn’t melt. Delicious. And we shared a great chicken sandwich and fries.

Off to the show! We had tickets for Dear Evan Hansen in the Music Box theater. I have been wanting to see it since it came out a few years ago and then even more after it won the Tony for best musical. We both loved it! Everyone in it was incredible and a really unique interesting story. Highly recommend! There are so many great shows to see and if you don’t care what you see you can usually get discounted tickets through either the Hot Tix booth or Broadwaybox.com, but if you have something specific that you want to see I think it’s best just to buy the tickets in advance. It’s still hard to see Dear Evan Hansen so we bought the tickets about a month ago.

No pictures during the show but took that one before the show started. The set was very cool also. Absolutely loved the music.

We were so close to Times Square and Cheryl hadn’t been there in a long time so we walked over. It’s always quite an extravaganza of humanity. I think I can guarantee that it’s 100% tourists. A local would not go unless they worked there, but it’s still something to see.

It was pretty packed so I can’t imagine how it is on  New Year’s Eve! — It was pretty packed so I can’t imagine how it is on New Year’s Eve!

We finished up the night with some amazing gelato from Grom, also in the West Village on Bleecker St. Sorry no pictures. We had Penny with us so I was trying to hang on to her and not let her eat my gelato 😊

Next day we were up and out and on our way to Washington Square Park. It’s a beautiful park right in Greenwich Village and kind of the center of the NYU campus. The arch was built in 1892 and was modeled after the Arc de Triomphe. The fountain was actually built first in 1852 and replaced in 1872. It was named after George Washington.

A beautiful day at Washington Square Park!

We had a lot on our list for the day so we were off to the Freedom Tower and the 911 Memorial area. I have already toured the museum and Cheryl was ok with not going inside so we saw the reflecting pools which is a memorial to each of the victims. Something new that has opened since I was there two years ago is the Oculus. It looks like something from Star Wars and it the entrance to the transportation center and mall under the area. The museum is extremely well done and if you’re interested in reading about my visit there two years ago look in the Archive Tab for October 2016.

Oculus, Freedom Tower and reflecting pool.

We made an unplanned stop next at Trinity Church. It’s just a few blocks from the 911 area and we found out that it is the burial site of Alexander Hamilton. Having just seen the broadway show Hamilton in Chicago I am intrigued by him. His wife Eliza and son Phillip are buried right next to him.

We hopped on the subway and headed up for a lunch stop at Chelsea Market. I was just there Monday with Tom and Tracy but it’s such a great place and I wanted Cheryl to see it. Still no Food Network chef sitings, but since I don’t watch the shows how would I know? So many great places to eat! I couldn’t decide and it was very crowded so went with pizza again - never a bad choice for me.

Cheryl and I both went with meatball. Great crust!

I almost went with the crepes. The Mediterranean street food looked interesting too.

Who remembers that old metal saltine container? Me!

Next up a stop at the Whitney Museum of American Art. When I was there Monday I knew I would be back. One of their temporary exhibits was very thought provoking so I needed time to reflect and wanted to see it again. It’s called An Incomplete HIstory of Protest and it looks at how artists from the 1940’s to the present have confronted the political and social issues of their day.

Another temporary exhibit that was interesting was by Mary Corse: A Survey in Light. Since the 1960’s Mary Corse has pioneered investigations into light and perception, experimenting with a range of unconventional materials. I really liked it and found it to be both interesting and peaceful.

Way more interesting in person. Each painting looked different depending on where you were viewing it from. Each piece was very large.

Wow we’ve been on the go since early morning - time for a glass of wine on the 8th floor terrace of the Whitney with a beautiful city view. That might be my best tip of the day!

Walking home we happened across the original Magnolia Bakery. Made famous by the show Sex and the City. I haven’t been there in awhile but they do have great bakery items. This location is in the West Village.

We stopped to change our clothes and freshen up, and then headed to Soho for a little browsing and dinner. Soho has a wealth of cool stores. Definitely worth a trip to the area if you are looking for the latest fashions, and also lots of great little restaurants. I had been to a cute place with a friend called Epistrophy and was hoping we would be able to get in. We lucked out and were able to snag two seats at the bar. Now what should we have?

We shared a burrata and beet appetizer, a salad with sugar snap peas, asparagus and pecorino cheese in a lemon vinaigrette and a pasta dish with orecchiette in a light cream sauce - all fantastic.

For dessert - a trip across the street to Rice to Riches, the only rice pudding restaurant I’ve ever heard of and always a stop for me at least one time when I’m in New York. Cheryl’s maiden voyage - she loved it! So many flavors to choose from and they will let you sample them all.

Chocolate chip for me and traditional with cherries for Cheryl.

A fun and action packed day in the books! More fun planned so check back soon! I ❤️New York!