Ten under ten

New York City is infamous for being expensive, but with a little time and effort you can have your fair share of cheap thrills.

1. Walking along the High Line is free and provides views not only of the Hudson River, but public artwork, scenery, and is a great place to stroll for an hour or two or enjoy a picnic lunch.

Great architecture along the High Line.

Cookie brilliance

Do you ever have those moments when you see a clever idea and say to yourself, "why didn't I ever think of that?" While dining at The Meatball Shop we had one of those experiences. Aside from the menu being a series of boxes to check off with a whip off marker (to ensure proper ordering) something else caught our attention. It is not often I am swayed to order dessert when dining out, but the waitress made it known the ice cream sandwiches were well worth the indulgence. Once the dessert menu appeared it offered the same boxes to check, so our waitress suggested we get a different top and bottom cookie. Brilliant! I have never had a mismatching ice cream sandwich and it is safe to say I will never go back. This particular evening I enjoyed vanilla ice cream sandwiched between a peanut butter cookie and a double chocolate cookie. Divine and such a clever little idea I would have never thought of on my own.

Have you ever tried a mismatching top and bottom cookie on your ice cream sandwich? If so, could you ever go back to matching cookies?

Shopping find: C Wonder

Anyone who regularly sees me knows how much I enjoy color. I do not shy away from bold colors and I typically feel happier and more confident in something bright and cheery. I love the 'anything goes' approach currently sweeping the fashion industry and I secretly wish it would stay forever. While I was in New York I stumbled across C Wonder. This brand is new to me, but is the brainchild of Chris Burch.

How do you feel about wearing bright colors? Do you like to stand out or would you rather blend in?

Cheap thrill

If you enjoy great views, a free ride and don't mind freezing your buns off than a ride on the Staten Island Ferry is your ticket. It is easy to board, you don't need a ticket and since you walk on it is easy to ride over and catch the return ride back. Living in a region where there are a lot of ferries and they can be pricy, it is hard to believe that such a great ride is 100% free.

They made us to do it

One of the most iconic buildings in New York City is the Empire State Building. Although we decided to forgo going up to the top on Valentine's Day, we made certain to visit it while we were in New York. It was busy at the top, but by no means crowded. We watched as the sun began to set and the city began to transform into a sea of twinkly lights. 

While up at the top I decided to ask one of the employees to take our photograph. Little did I know they were not suppose to take photos (because of liability...ie. dropping someone's camera) but he said he would do it nonetheless. As he went to take our photograph he told us to kiss and then proceeded to wait until we did. Oh, how awkward this feels when you are put on the spot with strangers watching from the sidelines. So eventually we realized there was no way around this and we kissed. Then he happily obliged to take another photo of us smiling. Looking back I am glad he made us kiss because I love the photo and more importantly the memory of kissing my love atop the Empire State Building.

The city in sepia

There is such a barrage of color in NYC, I thought it would be fun to capture it in monochrome to notice the lines and the detail rather than the display of colors.

A day set aside for LOVE

There is no denying it, a whole lot of people live in New York City. I found this little card tucked all over Grand Central Station on Valentine's Day and I deemed it cute enough to snag. Inside was a simple request for love stories of all kind.  

Living in Seattle I would not deem it a very festive place to reside on Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day could come and go and you might never be the wiser, but in New York City they do it right. Every corner you come around there are delivery men balancing enormous bouquets of red roses, flowers for sale on every corner, or people walking down the street with fresh flowers in hand. Since New York City is such a pedestrian friendly place, everyday life is played out in a more public sense. In Seattle most people I know jump in their car whenever they want to go somewhere, so all these little moments are missed.

To market to market and a little pre Valentine celebration

There is so much exploring to do outside of all the touristy attractions in Midtown and Times Square. Chelsea has to be one of my favorite areas because that is where Chelsea Market and the High Line are. Chelsea Market opened in 2006 is an urban food market, shopping mall and office buildings. Most the products are made locally and if food is your thing you could spend an entire day there. This building used to be the National Biscuit Company and is where the Oreo cookie was invented and produced. For those of you who have been to San Francisco, this place reminds me of the Ferry Building. 

Taxis, drizzle and snow

Day two we were greeted with rain, which was most helpful in eliminating all the leftover snow. Cameron worked during the day, while I roamed around the city snapping photographs and feeling happy to be there again. It had been ten years since I last visited NYC, so it was high time to come back for another visit. After work, Cameron and I met up for a delicious dinner at The Meatball Shop and an evening stroll through Times Square.

You can purchase a week long unlimited Metrocard for $29, it saves your legs and at $2.50 per ride it easily pays for itself in no time.

Day One: NYC

After the 9/11 memorial, we enjoyed a delicious brunch at Sarabeth's and then winded our way down Battery Park to go on a cruise around the Statue of Liberty and then walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. We enjoyed the sunset on the bay as we headed toward Grimaldi's for pizza. Once there we lucked out with no lines and for once we happened to have cash on hand. Such a relief since we had walked all that way!

9/11 memorial

A little rainbow formed in the mist of the cascading waterfall.

On our first night in the city we looked down to see a construction zone, a dark void and one tall tower from our hotel window. Could we really be staring down at the World Trade Center? This notion simultaneously felt eery and amazing, making us both self reflective and awestruck. Seeing something on television is very different than witnessing it first hand.

Our first morning in New York we bundled up and walked across the street to see the 9/11 memorial. It was a clear, chilly day with the thermometer hovering in the teens. Just walking onto the grounds was enough to make me feel overcome with emotion. The loss, the tragedy, the families forever changed. I felt as though I could keep it together and then I came across a name followed by "and her unborn child". In that moment, it brought tears to my eyes. In one moment all of a man's hopes, dreams, and possibly his entire future were decimated. Walking around the perimeter of the Twin Tower's footprint reading name after name was a very powerful experience.

Living with a void

To the best of my ability I can finally say "I get it". Since I was not closely associated with any of the victims, nor had I ever even traveled to New York City prior to September 11th, I will never fully be able to "get it", but stepping on the hallow grounds of the 9/11 memorial was truly impactful. For most of us September 11th was a tragic day we will never forget, but I can honestly say it is not something I constantly think about. I am reminded of it particularly when I travel through the extra security measures, but my life does not typically consist of metal detectors or x-ray machines.

Spending a significant amount of time walking around the streets of New York City, I was able to observe and really studying the people of New York. Up until now, my travels to the big apple were brief interludes as I hopped from one tourist attraction to the next, but this time it was the "concrete jungle" and me. I navigated the subway, walked more in the past nine days than I have in a long time, was reminded of the importance of a good pair of shoes, and felt an added appreciation for a healthy body. For a person who yearns to be outdoors amongst nature, it was a different week for me to be among glass, concrete and steel and quite frankly the city took hold of my heart.

I finally understand why people in New York City are so proud to call it home. I understand what it means to live with heartache, lost dreams and still continue to push onward, rebuild your life and despite all odds even flourish. New York can be a rough and tough place, but as I walked the streets and my feet hit the pavement, I felt a connection to this human existence of heartache, trial and triumphant.