We've been talking about this trip for years! I've been to New York City many times before and this is Jimmy's third visit. My parents enlisted me to be their travel agent and tour guide. Luckily they are pretty flexible with most things, but I still wanted to give them the best 2.5 days I could. This was the earliest flight I've taken in a while, but we were caffeinated and ready for our 6:30 departure.
We flew in to JFK and opted to take private ground transport to our hotel near Times Square. We dropped our bags and wasted no time heading to the metro station to start the adventure.
This giant escalator was not for the faint of heart. My mom did not want to look down.
Our first point of interest was The Edge Observation Deck near Hudson Yards. Jimmy and I have been to the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center observatories and this one was not open on our last trip in 2016. This is the highest open air deck in the western hemisphere at 1100'. The elevator ride up has a video showing the evolution of the island since the 1800s.
Jimmy isn't a big fan of heights and we tracked his heart rate before and after going up. It jumped nearly 20 beats per minute!
This deck also has floor to air glass panels that allow for nearly unobstructed views.
Another neat feature is a glass panel in the middle you can walk over. It gives a clear view to the street.
Even Jimmy walked over it!
I think this was the best view that I've had in the city.
We snagged an ice cream after getting our feet on the ground and checked out the Vessel across the street.
We headed north for lunch at another NYC legend, Gray's Papaya hot dogs. Our food plan was to share a lot of things and eat smaller portions so we could try more things.
Back on the train further north and we grabbed a slice.
Jimmy's #1 thing to do/see/try was cookies! No surprise there. Levain Bakery is consistently ranked one of the best in the city and was a must do.
We checked out Tom's Restaurant in the Upper West Side. This is the facade for the cafe in Seinfeld.
We took a stroll to the northernmost corner of Central Park and got some iconic tunnel pictures.
We took the train to the southern part of the park and did a horse carriage ride. This was a FIRST for me and was so enjoyable.
We stopped for pictures at Bethesda Fountain.
Our driver, Sam, and horse, Bobby, gave us a smooth ride and lots of fun facts about the park and surrounding buildings.
We headed back to the hotel to check in and grab some dinner. Jimmy and I got a panini at the bodega next door before heading to a Broadway show. My mom wasn't going, but got a tasty burger at Connelly's Irish Pub.
As soon at Back to the Future: The Musical was announced, I was looking forward to seeing it. This is my all time favorite movie and I had high expectations.
The slides before the show were hilarious.
This show did not disappoint! The actors who played Marty, George, and Biff nailed the voice and mannerisms of the actors in the movie which immersed me in a story I love so much.
Even my dad had a great time!
We stayed in a small boutique-y style hotel less than a block from Times Square. Hotel St. James was affordable and all we needed.
Jimmy made sure to close out the first night with a black and white cookie!
Next Up: Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, 9/11 Museum and more.
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