Exploring NYC: A Photo Diary

It’s been three years since I was last in New York City and nearly five years since I made the move from the Big Apple to the Big Smoke. Still, NYC will always be home. It’s the place I grew up, after all! This trip was long overdue, and it was so nice to do a little exploring, play tourist, and reacquaint myself with the City That Never Sleeps! I definitely appreciate it a lot more, now that I live somewhere else!

Playing Tourist…

This time around, my mother-in-law came with us, so I was able to play the tour guide and see some classic NYC sites! Things I probably didn’t do when I lived here, but that I loved all the same.

We got up early and went to Top of the Rock, after feasting on fresh bagels in the cool morning air. Wandering the High Line, and doing a drive by around the Statue of Liberty were particularly fun. We got our steps in by wandering through Grand Central Station, and strolled Central Park… all the classic things you do when you’re in NYC!

Pizza Pizza

One of the things I’ve always missed about living in New York is the pizza. Well, the pizza and the bagels! Naturally, we indulged in a bit of both! My favorite bagel place is Absolut Bagels on 108th and Broadway. It’s a dingy hole in the wall that is well worth the queue. Sometimes, the best places are like that! Nondescript and totally amazing!

Nothing beats an NYC slice, and while I visited my usual haunt (Koronet’s Pizza), we also went to Joe’s Pizza which had much more of that classic slice-to-go vibe! Honestly, though, it’s all so good!

City Slickers…

One of the advantages of visiting with people who are not from New York is that you want to share things that aren’t touristy, but that are unique to NYC. Like visiting a classic diner!

One morning, we headed to Lexington Candy Shop for a classic diner experience with some friends also visiting New York from London. Big portions, no fuss or frills, and very tasty! We also headed to Veniero’s for some classic Italian cannoli! Off the beaten track but so worth it!

There’s something about the food in NYC that is just so good! It was nice to have some time to indulge in some of my favorites! The whole trip was really great, and I’ve come away from it with much more of an appreciation for what an amazing place it is!

The things I loved most about being home? Going to the movies with some friends and having buttered popcorn, a cherry Coke, and a pack of Twizzlers. Wandering through Strand Bookstore, which I would go out of my way to spend time in when I lived in NYC. Walking the High Line, which wasn’t actually finished the last time I was home, but was one of my favorite places to go.

NYC will always be a special place for me!