Hanging out in NYC

As much as we love our city, we really love having visitors to show around.  So when my college friend and former roomie Maggie suggested bringing her daughter Anna for a little girls weekend, I was more than game.  It had been over two years since our last visit on their home turf in Downers Grove, IL, and I think Elisa and Anna have both done a lot of growing up in the meantime.  It was a good time to meet again and see how they would hit it off.  Of course, this weekend was a long time in the works, and the summer passed without us making plans. But fall is perhaps even a better time to see the sights and so they made the trek from Chicago on Saturday and left Monday afternoon. It was a whirlwind weekend in the city and I think we did a pretty good job of hitting the highlights... 

Yes, Day #1 was a good introduction to things. We met Maggie and Anna at our local park for a little time at Oktoberfest before heading home to drop off their suitcase. With just a few minutes to rest and refresh ourselves, we dived right into the city catching a bus to Central Park. It's one of my favorite ways to greet the city and I think Anna was impressed with all the rocks. She's a natural climber and showed Elisa a few tricks about how to get back down (not our strong suit).  After a little wandering around through the zoo area and Billy Johnson Playground, we grabbed some ice cream and made our way out towards the Plaza and our final destination--FAO Schwarz.  The best toy store in the world? Who knows, but to these two girls it was a definite world unto itself. After playing the Big Piano and picking out a few new toys, we headed back home to rest up for the marathon of fun I promised them on Sunday. 

You never really know what the weather will be on any given visit, though the fall can bring some pretty dreary, wet days occasionally. So seeing rain in the forecast on Sunday wasn't great, but we had a city to conquer.  With Nacho off work and staying home with Carolina, we prepped the girls for a day sloshing around and it turned out to be better than expected. The rain stayed light for the most part, and we spent the morning at The Met running around the Egyptian rooms and Modern Art wing.  There was a fair amount of moaning from Elisa, but luckily Anna was a good sport throughout the museum.  Maybe this is due to the year and a half difference in age? I'm hoping so, because Anna was a trooper all weekend. Either way, it's a lot for little bodies to be walking and standing all morning, so we wrapped things up around 12:30 p.m. and headed to a nearby diner for lunch. You know it's really the Upper East Side when you pay $19.95 for chicken tenders and fries (yikes!), but hey, the lox and bagels were delish according to Maggie and Anna tackled her cheeseburger like a pro.  With food in our bellies, we took advantage of a stop in the rain and crossed through Central Park on our way to Magnolia Bakery on the Upper West Side. The park was still quite green and lush and it felt like a little oasis on such a gray city day.  Stopping briefly at Bethesda Fountain was a nice backdrop before cutting through the Ramble on our way out. You really do need motivation to keep kids this age on the march so the cupcake treat awaiting them at Magnolia provided just the right incentive.  And let's be real, I was more than happy to oblige Maggie's request for a sweet something there. I mean, I've never met a cupcake I didn't like and Magnolia is a New York institution.  We made Times Square our last destination of the day and it was just a brief walk up Broadway for a few blocks to see the lights and feel the energy. I definitely understand the need to see Times Square as a visitor--there really is no other place like it--but as someone who lives here, it's always a bit annoying to me. Too many people, too many panhandlers. Too much going on. Which is why I think Anna loved all the hubbub and Elisa screamed bloody murder about a man dressed as Batman who seemed to be following us. Only in New York, kids.  We rounded out the evening with a quick dinner and early bedtime for the girls and sushi take out for us. Not a bad way to cap off a rainy ol' day in the city.

Our final day, Day #3, with Maggie and Anna was really just a morning, but we still had to make the most of it. We got up and ready and headed back into the city and straight to the highest spot--the Empire State Building. It's such a landmark and deservedly so. The girls were a bit impatient about the whole process of lines and multiple elevators, but they hung in there and by the time we made it outside on the 86th floor, I think they were happy to see the city from such a bird's eye view. It's not one of the most kid-friendly places in reality--the views are almost all obstructed for kids and we were admonished by security a couple of times for helping them sit up higher or stand on the viewers.  I don't get it, but I suppose the idea is not to let anyone look like they might climb the insanely high fencing. Luckily, there are a few spots that provide a lower railing and so Elisa and Anna were able to get a good view until the next tourist bumped them out of the way. Something about these spots filled with so many people makes everyone a bit more rude.  Having Carolina in a stroller made me more sensitive to the jostling, no doubt, but really, I'm just always amazed by how much you have to fight your way into places like this.  We packed it in after just a little while and scampered back down to the ground for a quick coffee and some macaroons before catching the bus home. Ahhhhh...another successful outing and one I hope Anna remembers fondly (without all the lines and waiting). 

Yes, it was a short weekend filled with lots of amazing sights.  And sharing it with two people we don't get to see nearly enough made this very special.  Thinking back to when I met Maggie during my junior year of college in Kirksville, MO, I don't think I could have ever predicted I would be meeting up with her again in New York City with our daughters in tow. She has been not only a friend to me but also a great support in the early days of motherhood and beyond. She began her parenting journey just enough ahead of me that I could always look to her to see what was next. And she's done it all with more grace than I could muster.  We also share a love of blogging and of seeing how connected the world can be with just a few pictures. I'm grateful that we continue to make time for our friendship and I hope we will do this kind of trip again in the near future. Only I think it's our turn to travel and meet them in Chicago.  And maybe we'll let the boys join too.