It seems like forever ago that my siblings and I spent the day in NYC. I blogged about our time at the Museum of Natural History, Central Park, Ellis and Liberty Islands and the Jersey Shore, but I've yet to post my pics of our bus tour. Last year Jason and I tried out the Grayline tours and we liked it so much we recommended Riss and Joel get to know the Big Apple the same way.
We did the Downtown Loop again, and I was surprised how much more we were able to learn. The tour guides are great about giving history, layout and stories of the city so you walk away with a ton of random information.
I would love to stay there one day.
The tour began in Times Square and went all the way down to the Financial District and back.
Parsons School For Design was home to some of the most significant designers in history including Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan. Even Norman Rockwell attended Parsons for a while. I couldn't believe how small and simple it was for being one of the most influential design schools. I just wish we could have gone inside!
This is another building I wish I could have gone inside! I was so happy to see the New York Times in person! As a journalism major I get the happys to see the Los Angeles Times, the Miami Herald, the Las Vegas Review Journal and the New York Times in person. I have even framed headlines from papers I have collected from travel. It was my dream for a while to work for the NY Times. What an accomplishment that would be!
Next stop was Washington Square Park. Joel had a short list of expectations for the city and seeing the Arc de Triomphe was one of the few. Or rather, "the arch outside of 'I Am Legend's' apartment." Haha. Apparently Washington Square is one of the most popular NYC parks as far as filming goes. Searching for Bobby Fischer, When Harry Met Sally, August Rush and Friends all took place here. Pres. Obama even held a rally there in 2007.
No wonder Hollywood loves it so much, it's a great place to hang out. People are encouraged to put their feet in the fountain on hot summer days, and vendors are all around with hot dogs and frozen lemonade. We had Jamba Juice though, so we were set. ;)
Joel knows I Am Legend so well he was able to point out the very apartment Will Smith lived in. Lucky number 11!
On our way through Greenwich Village I decided I could never go to NYU. Way too spread out. ;)
Check out the texture on this building! I love it!
At one point on the tour I turned back to Jason to point something out to find Jason fast asleep, and with a huge purple bruise right on his forehead. The tour guide had just warned us not to stand up on the bus as you could hit your head on a street sign, so Riss and I got in a good laugh that Jace must have gotten knocked out. We woke him up to ask what happened and poor, bewildered Jace had no idea. Finally we chalked it up to the map he was holding. He must have layed his head on the black and blue print. Oh Jace. He gets us laughing even in his sleep. ;)
The U.N. Apparently if you buy a stamp here you can only send it from here.
Love Rockefeller Center.
"Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times."
If Joel had only seen the Lego Store in NYC and nothing else he would have been completely happy. After I went there last year I told him all about the wall-to-wall Legos so when we planned his trip out, the Lego Store was a must. He was so happy, making the rounds to collect only the best supplies, as precise as a seasoned war veteran.
About 98% of his souvenier money was spent on Legos, but Joel would have it no other way. ;)
The Financial District of course.
Movie set...
After plenty of searching we found the 9/11 Museum. It was a lot smaller than I expected, but Ground Zero is in the middle of serious construction for the 10 year anniversary opening of the Remembrance Memorial. It doesn't look anywhere close to completion, but they still have a few months of work to do. I can't wait to see it finished.
Looks pretty ordinary, but it sure is haunting to see that much empty space in the middle of jam-packed Manhattan. Jason said when 9/11 happened everything south of 23rd street was blocked off. Can you imagine trying to find loved ones in a mess like that?
The M&M Store obviously. I like the one in Vegas better, but it's still a fun place to check out.
Displaying our favorite treats at the Hershey Store.
Back to Times Square. I was anxious to show them the HUGE Toys R Us, but we got distracted with a little bit of Naked Cowboy!
I think he brightens everyone's day.
To my right is an ad for the church! My mom had told me that the church is dropping a lot of money for advertising in New York and just a week or so later I saw it myself. And right in Times Square no less! If you haven't seen the I am a Mormon commercials go check them out. Pretty much they show nonmembers that Mormons are just like them- normal, working, playing people with normal families and normal lives. I'm sure that ad will catch some attention. Our leaders know what they're doing!
Sorry it's not much bigger, but it's right beneath the traffic light with all the people's heads. "I am a Mormon."
I love these street artists. They do AMAZING work with just a few bottles of spray paint and a putty knife. This guy deserved every tip he got.
We made it to Toys R Us at last. Joel wandered off to the Legos and Riss and I drooled over the giant Barbie house. Seriously if you ever get a chance to see this place go check it out. A gigantic ferris wheel welcomes you into the store, followed by lifesize Transformers, board games, Jurassic Park dinosaurs, Marvel superheros, etc. They even have an ice cream bar among the four floors of fun. Love that place!
The bus tour was over, but Larissa wanted to see Grand Central so we set off on our own. Along the way we found a fun little park where you can watch movies under the stars, compete in ping pong, play chess or get a hot dog. We hung out for a while watching a pretty intense game of ping pong.
You have to get a Grand Central pic. :)
My friend Megan gave me her copy of Zagat's New York Restaurants and I was on the hunt for some top-rated cheesecake. So when I spotted Juniors in Grand Central, one of the oldest and greatest places for genuine NY cheesecake, I begged Jace to stop.
SO good. Honestly it's never been so hard to share. :P
On our way to Pier 17 we stumbled across the Titanic Memorial when we spotted a group of people huddled around this lighthouse looking thing. Honestly I had no idea they even had a Titanic Memorial in New York, but it was cool to see anyway!
Okay I LOVED Pier 17. I'd never been there before, and from the Brooklyn Bridge it looked like a fun place to be when the sun goes down so I dragged everyone to the pier. With plenty of shopping and restaurants, I could spend all day there. In fact I figured it would be the PERFECT spot to see 4th of July fireworks. Yup, I'm still bitter. :P
I love the Brooklyn Bridge. Well, in all reality I just love New York. I'm so glad I got to spend time with my husband and my siblings there this summer. It was a blast!
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