Concrete Jungle

And on our second weekend in Virginia… We went to NEW YORK! 

Once Dalton and I decided we were "doin this Virginia thing", our seemingly everlasting relationship with Google Maps was birthed. We would jump on Google Maps every day to research new places we could travel to back east, and seeing how far we were from New York was the first thing we looked up. Four hours. It was so easy! So attainable! 

Let it not go unmentioned how incredible Dalton's parents are. They had a tripped planned to New York, and invited us to crash on their hotel room floor! The heavens were aligning. Bus tickets were purchased, bags were packed and off we were! (Not without barely catching the bus by our chinny-chin-chins..Never underestimate the displeasure of DC traffic. Picture me standing outside a bus full of impatient people telling the driver, "he'll be here any second, I promise" as Dalton sprints across traffic with our bags in tow, sweating profusely, cars honking, our car abandoned in a sketchy parking lot…but that's just a side story and I should move on with this post already!) 

The second we got to New York I was instantly overwhelmed with the unrestricted life of the city. The lights! The people! The noises! The smell… Not my favorite part. 

We got there late and expected dinner at McDonalds would be our only option, but the city was still pulsing and we got to explore Times Square and eat at Juniors, which was fun. 

SATURDAY//

We got up early in anticipation for an eventful day. We walked to Central Park with Patti and Kelly after breakfast. 

I was so intrigued with the way the city just stops at the edges of the park. You're allowed a bit of peaceful quiet in the hectic city.

We walked through the park to get to the Met. It's hard to explain the excitement I was feeling. 

Claude Monet

I felt so torn between my desire to go through every room of the museum and to see the rest of the city. I saw a few amazing pieces by Monet, van Gogh, Degas, Seurat, and a few of the more famous artists. 

And of course, Picasso. Sigh. I'll leave it at that to prevent this post from becoming a small novel on my devotion to Pablo. 

I, of course, drug Dalton to the forsaken Modern Art gallery in the farthest corner in the basement, because that stuff is my jam-and mine only apparently. 

Georges Braque

Dan Graham created the most beautiful rooftop gardens on the roof of the Met with the best view of the city.

After our adventures at the Met and the Upper East Side, we ventured to SoHo to grab some gelato, shop and explore the city. I really liked SoHo. I loved the contrast of old brick buildings with modern store signs and crisp interiors. 

We devoured carbs of all genres in Little Italy for dinner, stopped in Greenwich to see what it was all about, grabbed a treat from Magnolia Bakery and headed back to the hotel with full stomachs, blistered feet, and happy hearts. 

SUNDAY//

No sleep till Brooklyn! We loaded our MetroCards and ventured across the East River to see Dalton's side of NY. The subway ride was a compilation of Dalton pointing out everything of importance in his Brooklyn world. He was a bundle of excitement. 

We got off the Subway and Dalton was back. 

Dalton took us to one of his favorite branches in Brooklyn. The church was merely one floor in a Hasidic Jewish building. The back of the building was covered in graffiti, and the only signifier was a small plaque next to the door that said Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was such a special experience for me to see Dalton interacting with his old mission friends. They all embraced him with huge hugs and the ladies exclaimed, "My Son! My son is back!", they were so surprised and ecstatic to see him. 

It's a beautiful thing to take a few steps inside the foreign world that is your husbands mission. It's like, you've listened to all the things he has to say about it, but you don't really know it, not really. It was an experience I will not soon forget. 

After church we headed to the Brooklyn Bridge. Dodging angry cyclists and bad picture after bad picture. That was our experience at the Brooklyn Bridge. 

I love that American flag waving at the peak of the bridge. 

We tried to get fancy and grab some Arvo shots..Once again, not photographers.

Is any trip to the Brooklyn Bridge complete without a trip to Grimaldi's? They tell me it is not. The pizza did not disappoint! 

If you wish to be considered a New Yorker, there is a specific approach to eating your thin crust pie. A precise maneuver of folding the piece in half and going at it like a taco. Here is my attempt at that.

Our time in Brooklyn was limited and we left with promises to come back. My last request was a black and white cookie from William Greenberg in the East Side. YUM! 

We left NY the same way we left DC, sprinting to catch our bus. This time rain was involved. 

It was a wonderful weekend. I heart NY.