Saturday, November 14, 2009

East Side, West Side, All Around The Town!

On our last trip into New York City Jayden and I saw lots of sights, and that little guy really was a trooper, walking right by my side as we navigated through crowds, parades, and traffic, and he would even point out interesting things for me to snap pictures of!

We walked from the East side to the West side and back again, and we walked from midtown to downtown and back again!
We got off the bus near Radio City Music Hall on 6th Avenue (I'll post more about the Music Hall at another time as we'll be going there in early December for the Christmas Show) and we started making our way to 12th Avenue to see the Intrepid and the USS New York (previous post). We passed the controversial pedestrian mall area that is set up at Times Square now, and I actually like the idea of this area.



A few blocks later Jayden decided he was hungry, I spotted a diner with outdoor seating and Jayden said he wanted to eat outdoors, I thought that was a great idea and I figured we'd just pick him up a bagel, sit awhile and then he could walk and eat. Well, once we got inside he spotted someone eating pancakes and all of a sudden that is what he needed to eat most in the world. I told him he couldn't eat pancakes outside and he said, "That's okay, look they have lots of tables in here!" So we sat and waited for his pancakes to be served. He enjoyed both the pancakes and his chocolate milk very much (although he was a little skeptical of the powdered sugar on top of his hotcakes)!


We finally made our way down to the Pier and viewed both ships and then we started making our way back again. We were going to walk the parade route and head downtown to where Ray works, which is near Madison Square Park (where the parade starts). While walking I kept looking up and admiring the architecture of the old buildings and Jayden wanted to know what I was looking at and I told him pretty buildings. Then he started pointing to buildings asking if I liked this one and that one.
Well, I did like these buildings:




And I did like that one across the street:

(I love the old brownstones!)



So many of the brownstones have restaurants downstairs, and many have outdoor dining:


We passed many 'everything stores' as Jayden calls them, they have such unique things for sale.
This shop had some things that really caught Jayden's eye!







As we were making our way across town Jayden said he needed to rest. He spotted a bench in a bus stop shelter and planted himself! The only way I could get him to budge was to tell him that we were very close to Bryant Park, he asked if the park had a playground and I said no, the park with the playground was much further away, but this park had benches and chairs he could rest on and that enticed him.

(He looks like he's sleeping with his eyes open here! Poor kid! We did lots of walking!)

There was so much going on in Bryant Park! There were little make-shift shops set up and most were decorated for Christmas.



This shop with Star War Figures really got Jayden's attention!



And he was also very interested in the table-top games that were going on.



But mostly he was interested in sitting and resting awhile!
He loved these little single seats (I think they are a great idea and they come complete with cup holders!), I told him they reminded me of the old school desks that we used to have (does anyone else remember those desks with the old inkwells?).
Jayden decided he was going to 'play school' and here he sat looking very studious!


Then I made the mistake of asking him if that is how he posed in school and this is the face I got!
This kid is a character!

After he got a second wind we walked over to the ice skating pond and watched for awhile.


And then we were off again to find the parade. On our way out of the park we passed the Bryant Park Grill restaurant and I just thought it was so pretty, I loved the old building with all the ivy on the one side...



...and the other part of the restaurant looked like a bride to me with all the pretty white tulle!



We finally made it over to Fifth Avenue and the parade site, and as we walked the parade route toward Madison Square Park, Jayden spotted Lord & Taylor already decked out for Christmas:


And we got a quick little preview of the windows already decorated for Christmas too!
(Sorry for the quality of the pictures, there's glare, there's reflection, and they are blurry! I'll do better next time we go back!)

The smaller side windows were all decorated with birch branches and Swarovski Crystals.

The front windows were decorated in beautiful Victorian scenes.



Well, you know about the rest of our day from my previous posts. I hope you enjoyed walking along with us on the sidewalks of New York!

By the time we go downtown again the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center should be up!

14 comments:

  1. EILEEN-

    Oh how I loved walking with you and Jayden and "seeing" all the sights with you. I know I could never make such a walk so I really appreciate that you did and have shared it here. I am thrilled. I do love NYC and all its sounds and sights and smells and the diversity and culture -
    Jayden is adorble and a real trooper, indeed. Again say that you are the best "UMma" and that the memories, chapters you are creating for Jayden's story ar wonderful - so, so wonderful. I sigh with joy juust writing about it.

    Love to you
    Gail
    peace.....

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  2. 1:14 P.M (EST)
    Eileen...how blessed you are that you get to see the splendor of NYC. It is beautiful...and Jayden pointed out wonderful things to photograph! Good for him! I love things seen from the eyes of a child. I love seeing the photos of Jayden. You capture him very well!
    Great photographs, Eileen.
    Smiles from Jackie

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  3. Loved this trip to the Big Apple, Eileen. I adore that city... everything about it from the taxi drivers who love to scare tourists and residents alike to the beautiful store windows to Central Park to the hotdog vendors to the great people!

    And Jayden needs to be an actor. He is one cute little boy!

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  4. Well Eileen I think if you keep up with these little "Dates" with Jayden he will grow up to be the perfect gentleman! I loved your tour Eileen, made me wish I was there with you. And the Christmas windows made me want to bring my decorations out of the basement! Jayden is very handsomely cute! Love Di

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  5. What a wonderful tour you have taken us on! I really enjoyed seeing it all and the ship below, as well! Jayden is quite the little trooper, he is so handsome, those eyes are gorgeous!

    Katherine

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  6. Wow!!! What an absolutely fabulous day!!! I am so glad I got to tag along vicariously...but now, I have a very strong hankering to visit NYC...haven't been there in years...but there is nothing like the holidays in the city!!! Your photographs are simply gorgeous and "narrate" your day so wonderfully well!!! And yes! Jayden is certainly a character!!! No wonder you LOVE him!!! He is irresistible!! Love this post!!! Love you! Janine XO

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  7. What glorious pictures!!!! I am exhausted just considering the treking you did. Jayden truly is a trooper!!! Good job, Man!!!Cathy

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  8. After your grand tour Eileen, I feel if I ever visit New York City, I would know my way around...that was wonderful. Little Jayden did look half asleep in the bus stop shelter, but recuperated fast, was he maybe buttering you up for a (I imagine) very costly Star Wars Figure? His eyes alone say volumes Eileen!
    Loved seeing the buildings, the window displays, and the shops with everything, way too many beautiful things to spend one's money on though.

    Luv and Smiles,
    Wanda

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  9. I love New York and how you presented it...of course with Jayden's help....he is so cute and such great company for you. I almost feel like I have spent many days in NY looking at the sites and oh do I love those brownstones... thank you my friend for such a great time viewing your beautiful city...:-) Hugs to Jaden and and Mia and of course to you!

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  10. What a great tour guide you are. It did feel like I was walking along side you and Jayden. Yes I do very much remember those old school desks with the ink wells. I got one for my 3rd birthday and I kept it in my bedroom for years. Of course it was very old back when I was 3.
    New York is so historical. I've seen many pictures before but it seems much more personal with Jayden in the pictures.

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  11. What a sweet darling for walking all that way. But he got to see many sights (and sounds!). Thanks for visiting me whilst I have been away.

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  12. Thank you, ALL!
    Thank you for your comments here and on my previous posts, I'm sorry I haven't been commenting back much, we've been busy, and I've been out a lot, and we're trying to tackle cleaning out the basement, and I'm so tired lately too!
    But I do try to get to your blogs to comment on your posts, and I do appreciate you all visiting here too.
    The trip to the city was so many, many things to me, it was a happy time, it was a nice family time, and I'm so proud of our military, and seeing the ships brought so much sadness to my heart and yet so much encouragement.
    I'm sorry these last few posts have been so long with so many pictures (I guess that's why my battery ran out!).
    I'll try to keep the next few posts short (at least until the next trip into the city anyway), and this trip I had broken up into three posts, I guess I should have made it ten short ones! Maybe I'll do that next trip.

    I have to say that Jayden really is a good boy even though he drives me nuts sometimes, and really, he doesn't ask for a thing (except to eat at the most inopportune times), in fact, when we pass shops, he'll say to me, "Umma, you should buy that for yourself." He didn't ask me to buy him anything, AND, I even offered to buy him one of the tiny Star Wars figures in that shop and he said, "No, that's okay, I have a lot of Star Wars figures."
    And I didn't buy myself anything either! Not even one thing from the street vendors! I think that's a first for me!

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
    Love to you all!, Eileen

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  13. Good afternoon Eileen, What a wonderful day the two of you had. Your little Jayden is just so sweet and adorable! He warms my heart. I would love to go to New York City some day. There is so much to see and do. I love all of your pictures. Thanks so much for sharing. It's almost as if I were there with you. I hope you have a great evening.

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  14. Oh what a lovely post this is, Eileen. All the sights, and the decors. I loved the Victorian scenes... everything so Christmassy. I was in New York City in 2003. My sister and I stayed at the Times Square Westin Hotel. I saw a lot of scenic spots, the Statue of Liberty, the building on Ellis Island where the first immigrants came (Boy, did I read all the stories printed out all over the place!), went to Ground Zero, and the Empire State... Central Park, and had a tour of the UN building. I have a friend (we went to school together for twelve years) works at the UN. I also saw the house of Yoko Ono... well, other places, but I don't remember. I loved eating a foot long hot dog at a sidewalk diner.

    I do admire Jayden for his stamina. ANd you, dear Eileen have all the stamina in the world! Walking all day... how do you manage that?

    Love
    Lidj

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