Empire State of Mind

“Yeah, I’m out that Brooklyn, now I’m down in Tribeca / Right next to DeNiro, but I’ll be hood forever / I’m the new Sinatra, and since I made it here / I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere” – Jay Z featuring Alycia Keys

Six hours of sleep and we are off and running again, this time to Radio City Music Hall to see the legendary Rockettes! It had been ~10 – 12 years since I had seen them in New York, and that was too long! I can’t wait to go again. The dancing, the music, the sets and the costumes are on point. This was an amazing show, I would suggest hitting the 9 am show (I know it’s very early), but it allows you to explore Radio City Music Hall with other people leaving. We even had our picture taken with a Rockette (pricy, but hey, it’s Christmas!)

Then we were off to Rockerfeller Center to see the tree. A couple of crucial pointers: 1) Do NOT go on the weekend! The line to get into the re-opened FAO Schwartz was around the block, which led to a very unhappy child when we did not wait and 2) If you want to skate, make a beeline to Wollman Rink in Central Park. Don’t waste your time and money skating in Rockerfeller Center, it is way too crowded and you only get a finite amount of time to skate.

From there, it was a quick visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to light a candle and then up 5th Avenue to see the store fronts. Cartier, wrapped as a present, is always a favorite, Tiffany missed the mark this year with their techno vibe and the Sak’s windows always wow! Louis Vuitton also had an amazing Christmas tree in their window. Look up at 57th Street and marvel at the UNICEF Crystal Star, which sparkles in the sun!

Lunch was at Serendipity 3. Reservations are a MUST! Even with a reservation, it took them about 20 minutes to sandwich us into our table. You must have the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate! This iconic restaurant has been in existence since 1945 and has attracted celebrities, since the beginning of time and has even been the backdrop for three movies (and counting)!

Leaving lunch full was the perfect time to hit Dylan’s Candy Bar. We were less tempted to buy the whole store out, but we did buy Candy Cane Pop Rocks to get into the season!

Not to leave the candy theme of the afternoon, it was off to Candytopia, which is described as an outrageously interactive candy wonderland! I felt like I was Charlie at Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory! We came, we “trick-or-treated”, we jumped and played in the marshmallow pit and made snow angels. It was definitely a unique pop-up museum, not like anything I’d ever been to before!

After our 19 hour day yesterday and an early morning/busy day today, we decided an early night was in order. We made a quick return to our hotel in Chelsea. We stayed at the Holiday Inn on 26th Street. It was located on a quieter street, close to a subway, and the prices were significantly more affordable than the Times Square area at Christmas. But beware, while newly renovated, the rooms are small, very small, but the staff was nice and helpful. A quick 5 – minute walk down the block brought us to Rare Bar & Grill Chelsea for a great french fry flight for part of our dinner! While located in the Hilton hotel, it doesn’t feel like a hotel restaurant, seating was plentiful, prices were good for NYC and did I mention that they had a French Fry flight?

Day 2 in NYC was another success! Highlights were the “New York at Christmas” vignette, having lunch with two of my three college besties, while sipping Frrrozen hot chocolate with my daughter and playing in a marshmallow pit! How many people can say that? Stay tuned for Day 3 as we head south of Canal Street.