NYC 2021: Part 2

 Welcome back to part 2 of my New York City trip! 

Let's just dive right into day 2 of my wonderful vacation.

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I have start out with the question I'll probably get asked: Did you visit the Empire State Building? Yes we did. And yes it was closed. I heard a lot of buildings and observation decks were closed, but the Empire State Building wasn't something we were dying to see, anyway. 

Day two started off with a recommendation from a friend (I have no idea who anymore) to eat at a breakfast place called Sarabeth's. I learned to look up dress codes while in New York because Sarabeth's was fancy and I wore jeans. Oops. It was located right across from Central Park and it seemed like such a long walk from the subway (but was it really a long walk or was I being dramatic?) The restaurant itself was not great. My eggs benedict was pretty much hard boiled and we had a tea cup of coffee (cute) but it only got refilled twice (not cute). Noe's French Toast wasn't amazing either. I got a side of bacon for $13 and let me tell you, not worth that amount. So, no recommendation from me for this restaurant. 

After breakfast, it was onto Central Park. I had been excited for the Central Park row boats since I started planning this trip. But first, we had to tackle the giant that is Central Park. Holy COW is it big. 

Tip: Wear comfortable clothing while exploring Central Park. It's big and you'll get sweaty and jeans was not the best option for me.

We had to use Google Maps because there were no signs of which way was which. Once we saw that there were legit roads in the park for bikers, with stoplights and all, we were like "ok this is massive."

  Tip: Bring your charged phone so you can used Google Maps to find your way around.

The row boats were $40, but $20 was a down payment that you get back at the end. I found out that I was TERRIBLE at rowing, so Noe rowed for us. I felt bad about it!

We took a lap around the lake and the lake itself was so gross. That just means you have all the more reason not the fall in...they have life jackets if you are nervous, though!

Don't forget to stop and see the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park! 

Next stop: The New York Public Library

A definitely big library that you can lost in (heck, I got lost, too.) Stepping off the subway, the first thing I noticed that there were about 10 police officers standing around, wielding assault rifles. They were laughing with each other and not paying anyone attention, but it was honestly extremely uncomfortable. 

We passed those officers and went inside the library. Chandeliers and marble were everywhere. It was beautiful. 

They had some education info about people I've never heard of, but I kept thinking "I wish I could write something that would end up in this library..."

I bought some souvenirs from the gift shop and off we went! 

Here's me outside of the library!

 We went back to our hotel to rest (I definitely took a quick nap), then headed out to Little Italy for our dinner reservations. 

TIP: The pictures online are most likely better looking than the restaurant. 

The Little Italy restaurant was just okay. A little tacky, even though I thought it was going to be a fancy place. The waiter forgot about us and it took forever to pay. I got seafood and it was pretty good. I hate tomatoes and didn't know it came with sauce (it didn't say that on my menu), so I didn't eat the pasta. But it sure looked pretty.

Noe and I looked on our Google Maps for a bar nearby. We found one called Home Sweet Home that looked promising. 

AND IT WAS. We were the only ones in this little dive bar and it was so much fun talking with the new bartender (she had only been bartending for 3 weeks) and I had her make me a new shot that we named the Pin Shot (Pineapple, vodka, and simple syrup). I didn't catch her name but she had awesome curly blue hair and was super pretty. So if she ever sees this: THANKS FOR BEING SO KIND TO ME IN NEW YORK!

I definitely recommend this dive bar for people who are near Little Italy! Take those steps down to the bar and turn right. There, your Pin Shot awaits. 

The last thing of the night: TIMES SQUARE BABY!

It was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel. We didn't go deep into Times Square the first time, but we got the gist of it!

I also tried some ice cream from a truck because I was hungry for dessert. The ice cream was a definite 4/10. Not great. Too melty. But it was fun!

After sitting on a stone riser and eating my ice cream, we went back to the hotel and slept for the night. __

The next post? The Statue of Liberty makes an appearance. STAY TUNED FOR PART 3 IN NYC!