New York, New York

Hello lovelies!  Here is PART II of my NYC tour!  {You may also recall this post from a Megan's Get Outta Town series on her blog, A Suitcase and Stilettos too.}

If you happened to miss the last post ,  I was here talking about one of the world's greatest cities and the city I live the closest to ... New York City.   New York City is one of my favorite places to travel to!  I love being a quick train ride away.  There is so much to do and so many things to see! This time around,  I'm going to share my favorite restaurants, hotels, shopping spots, and a few things in between ;)  

GRABBING A QUICK BITE TO EAT:

Gray's Papaya is a famous hot-dog restaurant in New York City that is open 24 hours a day all-year round.  They are known for in-expensive high-quality.   You may recall the reference of "Gray's Papaya" in the movie, Fools Rush In with Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek.

There are tons of street vendors on every street and at every street corner!  You can grab a hot pretzel, a dirty water dog (or hot dog), grilled kebabs, roasted nuts, and more!

You can also grab a delicious New York bagel or slice of pizza! 

And if you are a coffee lover, there are Starbucks practically on every corner!

CRAVING A SWEET TREAT:

**This is for you Meg at O is Me!**
Crumbs Bake Shop is a bakeshop in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., and a few other east coast states.  They have the most amazing cupcakes!

These delicious treats comes in three different slices of heaven ... I mean sizes!
They have a cupcakes for each holiday and a cupcake of the month!

[Star Spangled (for the 4th of July) and Chocolate Sundae (June's cupcake of the month)]

They also have cute little collections like "The Picnic Basket Collection"

[ apple cobbler / chocolate sundae / piña colada / pink lemonade / s'mores / watermelon]

You can check out all the other flavors here.  I'm sorry if I left you drooling!  If you don't have a Crumbs Bake Shop nearby,  don't worry ... you can order some here!

RESTAURANTS:

 

 

 

SPENDING THE NIGHT:

There are tons and tons of amazing hotels in New York City.  Whenever I have spent the night, I stayed at the Renaissance Marriott in Times Square.  It is a gorgeous, affordably priced hotel in the best part of the city.

Other hotels include:

and many many more!

SHOPPING:

There are tons of souvenir shops in NYC! They are all over the place!  Even as a New Yorker, I'm always buying souvenirs! 

In Times Square,  there is a Toys R Us (one of the largest and has a ferris wheel), Hershey's and M&M World, and my personal favorite, Forever 21.

Other popular spots in New York City for shopping include Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, SoHo, Greenwich Village... where you will find all of the hottest designers.

OTHER FAVORITES:

And last but not least a personal favorite . . .

I still have not gone yet! Who wants to go? Michelle? Jesslyn? :)

[You can find more information here.] 

{Photos via 1, 2, 3}

Hope you enjoyed this photo tour this NYC!  I've really enjoyed sharing my favorite things about NYC with you!  NYC is a great place to travel to!  Have you ever been?  Are you looking to travel to NYC? If you have any questions or would like to share anything about your experiences in NYC, comment here or e-mail me! xo

The Big Apple!

Hello lovelies!  You may recall this post from a Megan's Get Outta Town series on her blog, A Suitcase and Stilettos.  I decided to share it on my blog because I know a few bloggers who are planning trips to NYC and I thought it may be helpful! :)

I live on Long Island about 45 miles away from one of the world's greatest cities, NEW YORK CITY.  I love being a train ride away and I'm happy to have the chance to share some of my favorite things about NYC with all of you today.

Popular Attractions

--Times Square is the center of New York City and the busiest area.  It is known for its many Broadway theaters, billboards, restaurants, and hotels.  Other notable landmarks in Times Square include: Times Square Studios (Home of ABC's Good Morning America), One Astor Plaza (Home of MTV), Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, and my personal favorite, Forever 21.  Many of you probably know Times Square as the site of the annual New Year's Eve ball drop.  {I've neverrr been to see the ball drop. Can you believe it?!  It's on my bucket list though ;)}

--The GE Building in Rockefeller Plaza is home to NBC and many late-night shows including Late Night with David Letterman and Conan O'Brien and Saturday Night Live.  Rockefeller Center is also known for its ice-skating rink and annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony featuring the famous dancing Rockettes, who are seen perform at the Radio City Music Hall. 

--Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark Art Deco Skyscraper and is currently the third tallest skyscraper in the United States.  The observation deck offers impressive 360 degree views of New York City.  The New York Skyride is a motion simulator located within the Empire State Building.

--Central Park is a beautiful park containing several natural-looking lakes and ponds, walking tracks, two ice-skating rinks, the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Conservatory Garden (a wildlife sanctuary), a large area of natural woods, a running track and an outdoor amphitheater for summer festivals.

--Ellis Island was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States.  The Ellis Island Immigration Museum is now considered part of the Statue of Liberty National Moment. The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor is one of New York's most popular landmarks and is visited by many tourists each year.

Other Popular Attractions

A few New York professional sports teams play in the New York City area.  The Knicks and Rangers play at Madison Square Garden,  the Mets play at Citi Field and my Yankees play at Yankee Stadium {can you tell I'm a huge Yankee fan?! ;)}

These are just a few of many many many places that you can visit in New York City!  Hope you enjoyed this picture tour through NYC's attractions.  I will be back with another post to share my favorite NYC restaurants, hotels, and of course, popular shopping spots!

Hope you have a great day! xo

Pin-teresting Wednesday -- Travel Edition

Hello lovelies!  I'm joining one of my blogging besties, Michelle at The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinterest-ing Wednesdays!  Are you a pinterest addict? Join us!  All you have to do is share your favorite pins for the week!  Fun, right?! :)

I have TRAVEL on the brain!

 [Florence / Venice / Paris / London / Rome]

I'm also loving Cartography too!

Globe ice cream and cake pops!  How cute are these?!

And my FAVORITE PIN OF THE WEEK:

How stinkin cute is this?! ADORABLE! <3

What are some of your favorite "pins" this week?  Link up over at Michelle's blog! 

{all images via}

You can find me on pinterest here. 

If you need an invite to join, comment here with your e-mail address and I'll send you one! :) 

Happy Wednesday! xo

A Surprise Trip!

I love surprises!  Who doesn't?!   Yesterday,  my mom surprised my sister and I with a trip to Orlando!  For 6 years, my mom, my sister, and I went on mother-daughter vacations each year to Orlando. {Can you tell we love Orlando?!}  Unfortunately, we haven't gone since 2008 due to our crazy, hectic schedules.  Well we've been saying we need to find a way to go ... and my mom found one!  We are going Columbus Day weekend and I can't wait!  We are staying at Universal Studios / Islands of Adventure ... my favorite place!   My sister loves Harry Potter so we will also be visiting the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter park too!  

[pictures for our last mother-daughter trip -- august 2008]

Some pictures of one of my favorite places . . .

[images via 1 / 2]

I LOVE ROLLERCOASTERS!  I LOVE TO TRAVEL!  And most importantly, I LOVE MY MOM AND SISTER!

Have you been to Orlando?  What are you favorite things to do there? xo

Roadtrips and Barbecues

Hello pretty ladies!  It's Tuesday . . . which means time for Tastes & Travels!  Today,  I will only give you a sneak peek into our next adventure, as T & T will resume next week when July begins!

That's right . . . we will be taking a (virtual) road trip around the great U.S.A!

Hope that you will join us to see where we visit along the way! :)

[SPECIAL THANKS to Megan at A Suitcase and Stilettos and Jessica at Pearls and Pink Polka Dots for linking up last week! You both are awesome!  Hope everyone will check out their fun Mexican travels! :)]

Now for Tasty Tuesday!  Are you heading to a barbecue and need something to bring?

How cute are these cupcakes?!  [via]

 How about a CREAMY BACON TOMATO AVOCADO PASTA SALAD?  Doesn't it look AMAZINGGGGGG?! I can't wait to make it for the 4th of July!

Creamy Bacon Tomato Avocado Pasta Salad

[recipe & photo via]

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, chopped into one inch pieces

1/2 pound dried rotini pasta

1/2 cup mayonnaise

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon dried dill

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 avocado pitted and sliced

Directions:

Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain. Run cold water over the top until the pasta is cooled.

While your bacon and pasta are cooking, whisk mayonnaise, lemon, salt, garlic powder, pepper and dill together in a bowl.

Stir cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado and reserved bacon into the dressing. Toss to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Serve.  [This recipe serves 4 people.]

[join the linky party]

Enjoy! xo
[images via 1 / 2]