We came. We saw. We conquered. In total, we walked 13 miles on the hottest day of September in NYC for years on our second day in NYC. 

BUTCHER'S DAUGHTER - 19 Kenmare St, New York, NY 10012

Their motto is to treat fruits and vegetables as a butcher would treat meat. They offer quite an array of freshly squeezed juices and smoothies, and their breakfast meals are PERFECT to start your day off on the right food. We both had smashed avocado toast and eggs along side our green juices. We sat on the sidewalk and loved people watching. 

COLUMBUS PARK - 67 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10013

Next, we landed in Little Italy and watched the restaurants prepare for the day. (P has never seen Little Italy at night, so that is a must see for next time!) From there we crossed Canal Street and ventured into another world in Chinatown. All of a sudden we came upon a little park with a large pagoda covered in vines, it was Columbus Park. Columbus Park was one of the first major public parks, and played a big part in reviving the park from squalor to the 'Replubic's most needed asset, the wealth of stout doormen who will work', according to Walt Whitman in 1842 in rebuttal to Charles Dickens scathing report on the decay and loathsomeness of the area. The park was buzzing with excitement and totally packed at 9:30 am, as if they never went to bed the night before.

Every single surface was being used as a game board, even benches, and everyone was so focused on each game that the young children gave up on any requests they might have had. Each picnic table had a crowd of onlookers, hooting and hollering about the latest move. Nearing lunchtime, moms and grandmas set out bowls of ramen on small sheets, fussing over the placement of each bowl. As we left, Chris said, “I’ve never been to China, but I feel like I was just there.” 

After Chinatown we headed over to the Brooklyn Bridge. 

Not one to be afraid of heights, I surprised myself by staying as close to the inside of the path as possible. Like an oxen in the dessert crazed by thirst, I was speeding towards the other side, craving solid ground. The throngs of people, all different ages and sizes, was encouraging though! 

Donut Plant - click here for locations

Next Stop: DONUT PLANT. Ever since I started training for a marathon, I have been craving donuts. Good donuts. So I started following DonutPlant on Instagram and added it to the list for our trip! It did not disappoint! They are known for their Creme Brûlée donut, which you MUST try!! The whole outside of the donut 'seed' is brûléed. Unbelievable. They also developed the technology to make a jelly-filled square donut, which was followed by the introduction of their Tres Leches filled cake donut (which is the white donut in the third picture! SO GOOD!). Definitely order a bunch of different kinds of donuts to share! 

WALL STREET

We exited the subway on Wall Street, which was buzzing with activity even though it was closed for the holiday. Still an interesting sight to see. 

GRAND CENTRAL STATION - 89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

Before our next destination, I had to stop in Grand Central Station. I don't have words to eloquently describe how beautiful it is, so you better go see it for yourself! Be sure to stop downstairs and see their renovations! This is one food court I think I would actually eat in, far from average, thats for sure! 

When you go downstairs, you can see the end/beginning lines of different subway lines. 

The Morgan Library and Museum - 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016

The best museum experience I have ever had. Originally Peirpont Morgan's private library, the museum was opened to the public by Peirpont's son J.P. Morgan in 1928. My favorite part was the actual library, with walls 30 feet high, lined with three tiers of bookcases. We saw handwritten compositions from Beethoven, Mahler, and Stravinsky. We saw The Gutenberg Bible which was the first book to be printed using movable type. I can barely wrap my head around Morgan's collections of clay tablets with cuneiform (the earliest known system of writing) and jewels from 300 - 1,000 AD. Morgan funded many archaeological digs and has quite the collection to show for it! YOU MUST VISIT! Every Christmas, they display the ORIGINAL manuscript of Charles Dickens', A Christmas Carol!!! How could you pass that up? 

Marta - 29 E 29th St, New York, NY 10016

After we stopped by the Morgan Library and Museum, we had a late lunch at Marta which is located in the Martha Washington hotel. Aside from the fact that this was one of the best meals we had on our trip, it was also one of the most beautiful places we ate in. There are pizza ovens in the back of the restaurant, covered in black shiny tile and surrounded by marble. The bar is beautiful too, check out those light fixtures! And then of course, the bathroom. (I don't usually take photos of bathrooms except for when I'm in New York City I guess!)

I found out about Marta by looking at the list of James Beard Award Nominees for 2015, Mart was nominated for Best Chef. The food at Marta rings back to rustic Roman pizzerias, with wood fire ovens that give the crackery-thin crust a smoky taste. Aside from their thin-crust pizzas, they offer local, seasonal vegetables cooked over embers, in line with Italian traditions. We had corn, with small bits of jalepeno pepper, basil shreds, olive oil, and lime juice. I'm still thinking about it to this day. We could have eaten every single one of their vegetable dishes! Be sure to check out the cocktail list while you're there, it is refreshingly interesting, I wish I could have tried four or five different drinks! They also offer quite an extensive list of local craft beers, which Chris really enjoyed! 

We hopped over to Gramercy Park after lunch, and were only lucky enough to peer through the fence. Gramercy Park is like a secret garden, tranquil, peaceful, and verdant. The fact that you need a key to enter, makes it even more desirable! 

The High Line - click here for a map of entry points

 From there, we walked through Chelsea to The High Line. The more I travel, the more I appreciate green space, especially when its in the middle of the city for all to enjoy. The High Line is an old railroad track originally designed to carry goods to and from New York City's largest industrial district, its last run was in 1980. The design of The High Line is exceptional, all of the plants are native, self seeded, drought tolerant, low maintenance, and were selected for their sustainability to thrive. Many of the plants currently growing there, grew wildly after the line stopped running. The plants provide food and shelter for native species and most importantly, native pollinators. As you walk along The Highline, you'll see green spaces being used for picnics and family gatherings, people reading books upon built-in wooden lawn chairs, and art from local artists. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip!  

We went to bed early on our second day, I guess 13 miles on the hottest day in September for years will wear a person out!

DAY 3  

Locanda Verde - 377 GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013 

On our last day in NYC, we had breakfast at Locanda Verde. We totally indulged. I had the hazelnut encrusted french toast with cherry compote and mint. I have never had french toast like this before. It was phenomenal! Chris had the whole-grain waffle, and was finished with it in seconds. Chef Andrew Carmellini, owner of, Loconda Verde has been a James Beard Award Nominee, Semi-Finalist, etc., a countless number of times the past couple of years. He also owns The Dutch which WE LOVE!! Do a name search for him on the James Beard Foundation website, only nine pages to go through....  http://www.jamesbeard.org/search/site/Andrew%2520Carmellini

9/11 Memorial - 180 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007

Then we went to see the 9/11 memorial, which was quite an emotional experience. We didn't get to tour the new museum, but will definitely be doing that next time we visit. The vastness of this area is sobering. 

The names of every person who died in the 2001 and 1993 WTC attacks are inscribed in bronze edging both memorial pools. There are kiosks around the plaza where people can enter the names of their loved ones to find where they are printed. The 9/11 attacks mark the greatest loss of rescue personnel in American History, to see all of their names in one area is grievous. One thing that bothered me was seeing tourists smiling and doing the peace sign and duck lips in front of the memorial pools. The groups that I saw spoke a different language, so I have to assume they are not from the United States. I felt like that was a really disrespectful action, and the duck lips, I just have no words. Not a modeling background. 

There you have it! Our trip to NYC! I cannot wait to go back! If you missed Day 1 you can read about it here. 

Here is a map of my favorite places in New York City, including a couple on my list for next time!

What are your favorite places to visit in New York City?? I'd love to hear about them! Leave me a comment below!