Thankfully, Deb and I were of the same mind…go with the flow and let New York City bring us where it wanted.

New York City is one of those cities that reveals a new layer every time you visit. You can go numerous times and feel you’ve done it all, and then go back years later only to realize that you’ve just scratched the surface. What you see and experience often depends on who you go with, your relationship with them and their expectations of the trip.

My first visit to New York was with a few single girl friends, which, as you can imagine was a blur of dinners, dancing, and shopping. I don’t remember visiting many of the attractions, other than Times Square, Central Park and, arguably, the Regis and Kelly show. We failed to get into the show, but did see Regis stroll down the sidewalk on his way to the show. “Hey Regis!” A quick wave and he was gone. I have pictures of me and my friends standing next to “Sex and the City” bill boards and kissing the cheeks of men we flirted with in clubs.

My second trip was focused on shopping – wholesale jewellery, sample clothing sales, and lots and lots of walking. I was with my sister-in-law and her two friends. We shared a tiny hotel room with two queen beds squeezed in. Unbeknownst to my sister-in-law at the time was that I was six weeks pregnant. I remember buying beautiful pieces of clothing and wondering how long I would reap the benefits of my sample sale purchases. I thought to myself, “At least I have my costume jewellery!”

My third trip was with my sister-in-law again, along with my mother-in-law, niece and 10-month daughter. One of the highlights of the trip was a carriage ride in Central Park. We had a lively driver who was talented in story telling and New York history. For me the trip was about getting away from the monotony of home. With both of my children I experienced significant anxiety and often stayed close to home. It helped keep the anxiety manageable but made me stir crazy! It was nice to still have my daughter close by me, but to have other people look over her. And the change of scenery was blissful!

My fourth trip was with my cousin (Van). We grew up together in St. John’s Newfoundland and somehow ended up living in the same Ontario city as adults. With a 1.5 year old and 3.5 year old at home I saw New York as an opportunity to let loose a bit, and to revert back to the person I might have been prior to being a wife and mom. Of course, that had it limits, but what it meant to me was dancing, shopping, eating, staying up past 9pm and not rushing to get from one place to another with naps, meal preparation, and laundry on the agenda.

We shopped, ate, danced, and walked…and walked. We saw Michael and Kelly, sat front row centre and experienced being in a “live” audience. We visited the 9-11 Memorial. Van is a firefighter so for her in particular it was a must see. The trip was a lot of fun. Van and I had a lot of great experiences as kids and the trip to New York made it clear that we still had a strong connection, melded by a sense of fun, adventure and potty-mouthed humor.

My most recent trip was with a high school friend who lives in Newfoundland. This is the sort of friend you may see once in a blue moon but whom you always have a certain camaraderie no matter how much times passes. We always take up where we leave off! This trip was initiated because of our love of the 2Cellos who were playing at Radio City Music Hall. Since Deb had never been to NYC I was completely open to tagging along for the ride and doing whatever else she desired on the trip.

It was a trip that combined the best of everything – from shopping, dinners, and concerts, to sight seeing key attractions and landmarks. It’s amazing what ground we covered and all for $1000 (flights included).

Here’s a glimpse into this layer of New York City – a four-day, three-night whirlwind!

Friday: A well-planned day that went off without a hitch

We both flew into La Guardia and as luck would have it, arrived around the same time – at lunchtime. We reserved a shuttle with GoAirlink NYC for $40 with smooth service right to our hotel, the Maxwell, located at Lexington and E 50th Street. Spotless, modern and close to everything like Broadway, Times Square, and Rockefeller, Deb and I shared a “cozy queen” which was surprisingly roomy for a room that was one level less than a standard. Of course, there were added fees on top of the price, to cover amenities and tourism taxes, but it still provided great value. The service was impeccable and “little extras” like a “I love NY” key chain and $30 voucher towards food and drinks each night made up for the additional costs.

When we arrived it was cold and rainy. Thankfully Debbie had brought her umbrella and we both, used to colder climates, packed winter hats. I remember being at home thinking, “It’s April – there’s no way I will use this!” But I threw it in my bag and was happy I did. Since neither of us had eaten the first thing we did was explore food options. We found Morningstar Diner at 2nd Avenue and E 50th Street. I loved the cozy feel and food was your typical diner fare. It hit the spot, as did the mini chocolate bar we got to take upon paying for our meal (I snuck two)!

Our first day was focused on the 9-11 Memorial and some shopping afterwards. We had purchased a City Pass for three attractions and this was our first. We strolled outside the Memorial, which always has you reflecting back to where you were when you saw the news – and then found the line for City Pass ticket holders. It took about 15 minutes – it moved quickly. This was my second time at the Memorial and I was as enthralled and emotional as I was the first time. 2.5 hours inside just flew by.

Afterwards, we dropped over to Century 21 where I bought my first Spanx (not because I need it, of course…) and a dress for my brother’s wedding. We ended off the night in Hell’s Kitchen area where we discovered the West End Bar & Grill. It featured great music and vibe, with good food and exceptional service with a $45 bill for tacos (with no alcohol). We sunk into bed well past midnight, completely exhausted, but excited for the next day.

Saturday: A day that did not go as planned

We woke up 8am Saturday morning and in a flurry of morning routine ironed out our plans for the day. We were aiming for an orderly, well-planned day of coffee, Empire State Building, lunch and the Highline (and maybe Chelsea Market), followed by a light snack and wine in our hotel room while we got ready for the 2Cellos, and dinner after the show. Of course, the day didn’t go as we planned with unexpected detours caused by false information and subway mishaps. Thankfully, Deb and I were of the same mind…go with the flow and let New York City bring us where it wanted.

With coffee in hand (most expensive coffee I ever had!) and as we were heading into the Empire State Building a gentleman from Top View (Hop on Hop off bus) stopped us and explained how the pass worked. We were given a “reduced” price (nice sales tactic!) and provided with enough information to entice us to purchase tickets. But things are not always what they seem, which unfortunately is often unveiled with hindsight. We bought the tickets because we were told we could have free bikes for Central Park and also a free ticket for Liberty Tours, which would bring us around Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty, along with the benefit of hopping on and off at different spots in the city. I felt like we had asked enough questions to satisfy we were getting enough value for our money. More on this later!

The Empire State Building – the famous 102-story skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. Wow. We lucked into a beautiful sunny day and grabbed some amazing pictures of the city. Because it was still relatively early we got in with no wait times. Plus we had our City Pass ticket (attraction #2 of 3). With that experience under our belt, we walked to the corner to hop on the Top View bus. This was our one and only time on the bus. We had to wait in line to get on and there were no seats available on the top of the bus. We really didn’t want to sit inside on a beautiful sunny day! We stayed on until Little Italy and from that point on walked everywhere else.

Next stop was Liberty Cruise. Unfortunately, we didn’t get on. Apparently we were supposed to reserve a spot? This was not communicated to us. It turns out omission of information can be as upsetting as incorrect information! The cruise time was also longer than was communicated to us. We didn’t have time to wait for the next one and made a quick decision to opt out and go on with our day. This time to Highline. Since the weather was so phenomenal it was packed! A nice walk, but I have to admit my feet were killing me! I had to find a shoe store to buy a different pair of sneakers (yes, any excuse for new shoes!) By this point it was late afternoon and we still had to grab some food and get ready for our evening.

Auugghh! The E-train line was down. We found a different route that took us about eight blocks north of our hotel. We grabbed bagels and walked. With no time to spare we freshened up at the hotel, speed walked to Radio City Music Hall and eagerly waited for Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser of the 2Cellos to make their entrance.

I can’t say enough about this show! If you ever have the opportunity do not miss seeing them. Besides the fact that these guys are sexy as heck, they are entertaining, passionate, extremely talented musicians who put on a fantastic show! Check out their version of U2s “With or Without You”, or ACDCs “Thunderstruck”.

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After the show we headed to Times Square where we purchased very expensive Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and sat on the main steps to get a good view of the Square and all the activity that was happening. Once back at the hotel, Deb and I crawled into bed and like two teenage girls, we oohed and awed over the videos she had captured at the concert. Then with sore feet and backs, and some Advil to help, we settled in for a good night’s sleep.

Sunday – A leisurely day

Another beautiful sunny April day in New York City. We decided we would grab some bikes and enjoy Central Park, have a picnic and people watch. When we arrived at the bike rental store we learned we had to pay for the first hour (which wasn’t that much, but again, omission of information by the Top View rep). (FYI- Another alternative for a good bike price is to grab one on Groupon.)

With bikes in hand, we hopped on and spent an hour zig-zagging around other bikes and runners in the park, which was jammed and a hive of activity. My god it felt good to be on a bike again! If you aspire to live in the present moment then it’s worth trying to do it in Central Park. At one point, when Deb and I were taking a little break I closed my eyes to take it all in. Music, people laughing, birds, wind, horses trotting, with the intermingling smells of honey roasted nuts. It was good to be alive! After our ride, we dropped off the bikes, grabbed a light lunch and went back to the park. We found a nice spot in a field, surrounded by couples and families and lone strangers, to enjoy our wraps and people watch. It was hard to leave the park; it has a wonderful vibe and energy. Plus, where else can you watch people ice skating in t-shirts!

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We ended off the day on Broadway where we had tickets for “Chicago”. After the show we made a last minute decision to use the final entry on our City Pass, at the Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Centre). We had walked by this attraction numerous times during our visit and taken pictures of the skating rink (I was thinking John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale in Serendipity!), but hadn’t been inside. We made a quick reservation online and headed over to take pictures of the New York City sky line. No wait time. Awesome.

Monday – Time to go home

We had hoped to do some last minute shopping but decided to head back to the diner for a leisurely breakfast. Did some more walking and then said goodbye. We hugged each other. I wasn’t sure when I’d seen Debbie again. She made a perfect travel companion! We had a chance to talk about life as mothers and wives, to laugh, bitch, reminisce and create some amazing memories.

As with any quick trip in a world famous city like New York City – it was a whirlwind! You walk, you shop, you eat, you see, you experience…and before you know it, you’re heading back home. As a cultural, media and financial powerhouse, New York City has influence on commerce, art, fashion, entertainment, politics, and tourism. But what I like most about it is the energy, which has its own brand and feel.

When I got home I did a really quick review of the hotel and in that process I had to answer questions on other places I had visited on my trip. That’s when I saw there was still so much more to do! I’m sure the next time I go another layer will be peeled and my experience different once again.

New York City is definitely more an onion than an apple!

Unfolding Tip:

The best plans are sometimes best not laid.