I’m currently writing from the stunning Ace Hotel in midtown Manhattan. We are enjoying an upgraded hotel room with a view of the Empire State Building. Did Megan and I recently come into a large sum of money? Good question. Actually no. Credit card miles have covered the whole trip. And as a bonus, we originally booked a small room with no view and (hopefully) a toilet. To our wonderful surprise, the first room’s heater was stuck on high-heat, full blast, so the manager offered us a king size room on a higher floor with a better view. I like this place.
Also, a Stumptown cafe is located in the building (one of two in NYC), which is a wonderful surprise. In case you’re unaware, Stumptown is a Pacific Northwest coffee, so it’s great to have a taste of home on Christmas, even so far away.
As a child, I watched Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and I’ve been dreaming of Christmas in the Big Apple ever since. Walking through snowy Central Park, eating a cheese pizza in a limousine, throwing a well-intentioned brick through the window of Duncan’s Toy Shop.
Okay, so maybe it’s not really snowing. And I won’t be getting into a limousine anytime soon. And Duncan’s Toy Shop doesn’t really exist.
But here’s what does exist.
- Broadway
- Rockefeller Center
- Central Park
- The Met
- Chelsea Market
- Artichoke Pizza
- Store display walking tour
- Shake Shack
Also, I get to do this fun trip with my wife. She is my amazing, travelling soul-passenger companion (that sounded more romantic in my head). I love her to death. I’ve discovered that getting lost is so much more fun when you can share it with the one you love.
Our goal is to hit everything on the (above) list.
That said, we want to take our time. This is our first real vacation since our honeymoon–which was almost five years ago! Sure, we took some trips this summer, but we often drove all night and slept in the car (staying in, what I call, the Walmart Heights). Or, we flew across the country to visit friends and family and got burned out by turnaround travel. Here, we’re actually on a couple’s vacation. We flew down. We’re in a hotel. We have three nights. We’re seeing Broadway.
The sky(scraper)’s the limit, damn it.
Here’s some of what we’ve done so far.
Chelsea Market
Artichoke Pizza
Macy’s Window Displays
Times Square and Toys R Us
This NYC trip is a graduation gift to ourselves. In May, I will be completing my two bachelor degrees from the University of Rochester. It’s been a long, strange, often cold, multi-state trip: we sold everything we owned, moved across the country, almost got rabies; we turned down better work, I got published and won a few awards.
What a weird time.
Yes, I’m looking forward to finishing this five-year academic purgatory. But I’m also awfully terrified of the unknown that lies before me. The Job Hunt. The cross country move. The…
I’m getting ahead of myself.
Right now, I just want to rest in the now. It’s an NYChristmas, you filthy animal. We miss family, sure, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime excursion. My beautiful wife and I walking the streets of Manhattan during Christmas time. Does it get much better?
Street meat for Christmas dinner, and
Merry Christmas, everyone!
What should we see in NYC? Tweet me @kevindanielblog
