Sometimes you have to be spontaneous and that is how this trip happened. With a couple days off and literally no major plans we decided to check out a part of the big city that we have not seen before, Central Park. Being a New Yorker, we have visited the Big Apple countless times but never to place were there is actually grass.
It was also a new experience to actually drive to Manhattan inside of taking the train, subway or bus. It took me a few minutes to understand the maze of one way streets and avenues but its rather simple. I also picked up some taxi "illegal turns" that actually worked.
Our last minute hotel, the Salisbury, proved to be in a great location (57th Street), only one block from the park, 10 blocks from Times Square and surrounded by great places to eat and shop. The building itself is elderly and not worth a star but our idea of hotels in the city, is for sleep only and not hanging out. We got upgraded to a suite, which was really nice and accommodating for the kids. They provided great parking, $35 for 24 hrs, one block over (56th Street).
The kids were media (more specifically TV/movies) starved for 2 months and so at first they spent more watching then actually eating. But they binged for 30 minutes and off we went to explore the city.
CENTRAL PARK
The massive rock throughout the park was very impressive. It added great character to entire place, as well a great views and cool opportunities for kids to scramble up the rock.
On the way to Central Park Zoo we passed some colorful cherry blossoms. The aroma was inviting for a few photos.
CENTRAL PARK ZOO
Although the zoo itself is small, it did however have some cool attractions that captivated the kids and adults alike. The sea lions put on a great show and it was very interesting.
The stroller was used for clothing and bags, as my youngest daughter did a lot of exploring on foot. It amazed me how much she walked and still remained awake for most of the trip. She is also a master copy-cat and it was often seen at the zoo, repeating everything she could after her older sister and brother.
On the way to the Kids Play Zoo, we came across a man playing a saxophone under a bridge, creating some beautiful sounds. He even managed to play a couple children tunes during which the youngest dancer had a little performance.
BACK TO THE PARK
From the zoo we went further north into the park. We took every opportunity to climb the higher rocks and check out the views.
The central section of the park is lined with statues to respected individuals with plenty of benches to sit, relax and enjoy the views. As we continued to explore into the afternoon, some sections of the park had strong cold wind whipping through and other areas had no breeze and warmer air.
On our way to the playground we passed an open field with visitors and city folk hanging out and enjoying the much needed vitamin D.
HECKSCHER PLAYGROUND
A great place to hang out if you have children. Our kids enjoyed the swings, slides, and simply climbing things. The entire walking surface of the play area is covered with a rubber material and some parts have sand.
Its also a great place to sit back and enjoy the views, if you don't have children. Umpire Rock had several college students and adults throughout just hanging out.
TIMES SQUARE
We didn't didn't realize how close we were to Times Square, 10 blocks took us about 15 minutes with a stroller and 3 kids. The driving force for the older two was having the opportunity to check out some toy stores and get some souvenirs. The excitement on my sons face is priceless (right before that he asked if we were there yet).
After about 45 minutes of shopping at the Disney Store and Highline, we were all ready to get back to the hotel and relax before bedtime. We had mercy on the poor little feet of our kids and took a quick cab ride back to 57th Street. NYC Tip: Don't tell the cab driver where you are going until you all get into the cab. They can't refuse to bring you to a location, even if its close by.
Once back at the hotel, I asked a bell boy if there are any good pastry places near-by. I was directed to the Maison Kayser one block away (on 6th Avenue between 56th and 55th Street). When I saw the goodies in the displace case, I quickly realized I had a problem, I wanted to try everything. And lets say maybe we did. We went back the next morning for breakfast because it was really good. Worth every penny and calorie if you are counting.
TRUMP TOWER
I'm not trying to be political but we like and pray for our president. And since Madison Avenue was 1.5 blocks away, we said rain or shine lets see the presidents second home. As we headed out that morning under very overcast skies, it stopped pouring, and we enjoyed a rain free walk.
Once at the tower we had to get cleared by security and then we walked around checking a few displays. On the ground level there is the Ivanka Store where we picked up a few souvenirs for the family.
On the way back we had to stop by and check our the Tiffany's Jewelry Store near Trump Tower. The ladies of the family were particularly fond of the sparkly beauties so we checked out a couple different floors at the store.
We were blessed to not encounter any major traffic on the way into Manhattan and out as well. Our overall trip time was 4.5 hrs in each direction. Overall it was a 24 hrs well spent hanging out with family and see some new sights.
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