For our wedding anniversary we went to New York City. Even though it was early March, on the night of our arrival the temperature outside dropped to 12 degrees Fahrenheit. We went to dinner and after braving the cold  for 15 minutes I told my husband that I can’t stand it anymore and I want to go back to the hotel.

We stayed at Park Central, literally few blocks away from Times Square and a block away from Central Park. The rooms are very spacious for New York City, modern and comfortable. We liked that the room had a fairly large flat screen TV and my husband’s only complaint was that the room was not equipped with a coffee maker.

The weather gradually warmed up over the next couple of days of our stay in New York. On the morning of our departure it was supposed to get into the low 50s. I got to see the snow, which I haven’t seen for over 6 years, I got to feel the freezing temperature and high winds. One thing I wish is that I wore a warmer jacket. Otherwise it was perfect!

We did the tour of NBC, which I really liked. We were taken into an actual news broadcasting studio. Then we went inside of a fake studio, where we got to witness how the news are actually filmed. We got to see the set of the Saturday Night Live. Very cool, even though we weren’t allowed inside, we saw the sets of all of the three stages through the glass wall. Definitely recommend.

Tour of Rockefeller Center was part of the deal. We had a guide who walked us through the Rockefeller Center Plaza focusing on different buildings, telling us their stories and their significance in the history of the Center. Honestly, I could take it or leave it. As soon as it was over, I could hardly remember anything. I guess it’s just not my cup of tea.

On a following day we did a 3-hour cruise around Manhattan island. Very cool, you get to see Manhattan from a completely different perspective. Believe it or not, Manhattan actually has some areas that look completely untouched. Trees, grass, rocks, no people, pretty wild. I was also amazed at how hilly the island is. As we were cruising along Hudson and Harlem rivers, we got to check out other areas of the city, like Brooklyn and Bronx.

The New York experience is not complete without a Broadway show. We went to see Phantom Of The Opera. It was awesome, the best Broadway show I’ve ever seen! Highly recommend it! The best place to get tickets is TKTS, right in the middle of Times Square. If you don’t mind buying tickets on the day of the show, you get them half price. Also, at night the line is probably 8 times shorter than during the day. (As a side note, we went in early March, which is off season. During high season, like the summer, the story might be completely different.)

Central park is pretty uneventful in early March. Bare trees, yellow grass, dirt and snow. The key words are bare and empty.

And how can I not mention the newyorkers. What an interesting and intriguing group. They are on the constant run. They do everything fast, they appear to be in the hurry at all times. No time to rest, no time to take a breather, no time to smell the roses (or overpriced steak of the nearby restaurant in their case). I get tired just by looking at them. But I’m sure their impression of us is completely opposite. I’m sure it’s something like “Could they be any slower? Why does it take over 1 minute to make up your mind on what sandwich to get? C’mon man, it’s not Florida!” lol. Yea, yea, we’re from Florida and we’re slow!

But in any case, I really do enjoy getting out to New York City. I lived in a big city as a kid and a teenager. Part of me misses it. The crowds, the rush, the smell of the subway, the pastry stands.

On that note, I’ll be back!!