Springtime in New York City!

 

 I absolutely LOVE New York City.

And New York City in the Springtime is the Very Best Time to Visit. 

My daughter and I headed east in May for a lovely birthday celebration - mine!

We stayed at the Renaissance Times Square. It's one of my very favorite hotels in New York City with a great location near all the live theatres. It is super clean and the hotel staff are helpful and friendly. The rooms are spacious and the beds are very comfortable. Everything you need is within walking distance ~ all the subway stations, bus stops, coffee, snacks, and bagels! 

Stay there yourselves; all the info is at www.marriott.com.  

New York City is bold and bright, large and gritty, beautiful and inspirational. 

I love it. 

But first...

Levain Bakery - the BEST cookies in the entire world. 

I found them when I was last in New York City with my husband. And I felt like this giant secret had been withheld from me for some time ... until I found these impossibly delectable cookies.

Big, HUGE actually, all buttery and flavorful, studded with chocolate chips (or not). So So Good.

Check them out at www.levainbakery.com and order some direct to your home. 

Or visit one of their locations in person. You won't be disappointed. 

Unless you don't like cookies, but that'd be weird, right?

First night in town and we decide to go to this little Ramen spot around the corner from our hotel. We ordered at the counter and then were sent to our counter space. There are four (or so) rows of numbered spots with little rattan curtains hiding your meal and your server on the other side. We had never seen anything quite so interesting, but oh wow ... everything that was delivered from behind this hidden curtain was all absolutely wonderful. 

Every ramen I sip from now until forever will be compared to this place. 

Ichiran Ramen located at 152 W. 49th Street in NYC. No reservations my friends. Just yum. 

Straight away after dinner, we accidentally passed this terrific looking speakeasy, 

cocktail space, bar-like place. And it was packed!! We were lucky to share one seat at the bar.

It is called Lillian's Victorian Establishment. 

Another little slice of heaven that does not disappoint. 

We went here twice. It could have been three times, and it should have been.

My favorite meal of the trip ~ Delicious Bronzino in a light curry sauce with forbidden rice. 

Life just doesn't get better than this!

Lillian's is located at 249 W. 49th St and they do take reservations. I suggest you do that!

We love New York City for so many reasons, but the shows are our primary reason for visiting. 
If you love the magic of live theatre, treat yourself to a show in the Big Apple. Just once if you can. 

This time around we saw "&Juliet", "Hadestown", "The Outsiders", and "Merrily We Roll Along".

All Tony winners either previously or just after we saw them. It was a treat to view every single one, but I am super partial to "The Outsiders." I sure hope it and "Merrily We Roll Along" travel and I can see them both again back home. 

What else do we love about New York City? The food, of course.

Here we are in line at Russ & Daughters, famous for their wonderful deli delights. 

Lox, Smoked Fish, Bagels, Salads, and treats galore. 

Anthony Bourdain loved them too. 

Smoked Fish Bagel Sandwich from Russ & Daughters.

You can get just about anything here and it's all wonderful.

There are loads and loads of delis and bagel spots in New York, but this one is something special. 

Take a number and wait, then watch them create and serve you something that is just 

Out Of This World Delicious!

Russ & Daughters is located at 179 E. Houston St. 

Lest you think we didn't try bagels anywhere else,

I present this photo of a Rainbow Bagel from Liberty Bagels.

We stopped in specifically for this bagel because it just looked too interesting NOT to try!

Liberty Bagels @ www.libertybagels.com with several locations around NYC. 

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream - it was right next to our hotel, and wasn't that a pity?! The line snaked around inside and outside and the wait at 20 minutes was not so bad for a damn decent scoop of ice cream (dairy-free options too) and ridiculously rich hot fudge. I think I've seen them in certain high-end grocery stores, so you may find it elsewhere too. See if you can locate some for yourself at www.vanleeuwenicecream.com 

I was really on a chocolate binge on this trip and sampled all kinds of delicious dark chocolate at 

Li-Lac Chocolates

Max Brenner Chocolate Shop

Laderach 

Maizel

Jacque Torres

Every single shop had something worth a try. 

But Laderach really stole my heart with their goodies. 

There are so many sights to see and places to wander in New York City.

Even after visiting several times, we still find new things to view.

This is the Museum at Eldridge Street, housed in the historic Eldridge Street Synagogue.

It was originally built in 1887 on the Lower East Side during a time of massive immigration. 

The Jewish population in this neighborhood purposely built this impressive structure for their own needs. It was a spiritual home for all Eastern European Jews arriving in New York City. 

As time passed, and the population of the neighborhood changed, this gorgeous structure fell into disrepair. However, a small group of focused restoration specialists took charge in 1986, launching a complete rebuild beginning in 1997. 

This gorgeous space is almost completely refurbished to its original sheen and it is glorious.

The light coming through the beautiful stained glass windows was incredible. 

The architecture is grand in scale and it was truly a marvelous space to view.

I kept going on and on about the lighting, because it was so spiritually magnificent. 

Also... my first synagogue visit in New York City. 

Plan your visit by checking out their website at www.eldridgestreet.org

Other sites to see...

The African Burial Ground Cemetery 

This sacred space was the final resting ground for over 15,000 enslaved Africans from 1690 to 1790. 

The grounds were lost to urban renewal and development until 1991. At this time, developers unearthed African bones and artifacts. Recognizing the importance of this land, the Department of the Interior designated this space a National Historic Landmark in 1993. The grounds are small, but beautiful. 

It is quietly contemplative and I encourage anyone wandering the city to stop here for a 

reverential moment. 

It's located close to Foley Square in Lower Manhattan, and you can find information on the 

National Park Services Website. 

Do you recognize this space? We didn't know about this NY surprise??

The New York Fire Department Hook & Ladder Company #8

Ghostbusters!! 

This Fire Department is a working department for the TriBeca area, but

you can stop by for photos and merchandise too. 

I don't know if they have a website, and I couldn't even tell you where this place is again, but

we found it. And if we found it, you can too!! 

We also spent a good amount of time wandering through Central Park taking advantage of a rainy day, fewer people, and unobstructed views of the lovely sculptures. 

Women's Rights Pioneers

Hans Christian Andersen

The world's teeniest pinecone

Alice in Wonderland

And us... We had a Blast!! 

Until Next Time 

:) Deb

I almost forgot the beautiful flowers in Shakespeare's Garden, which I have NEVER walked through previously. My daughter found us some really wonderful new spaces this trip and I cannot wait to go back with her again sometime soon.