Bright lights, big city

We had a fantastic weekend in New York City. We used up all my dad's Hilton points to stay at 52nd and 6th in Midtown between MOMA and Times Square, a walkable distance to Central Park and the Theater District.
 

View from the 22nd floor toward Central Park

Cora, Mom and I arrived by car on Friday afternoon, driving through a 4-hour deluge that thankfully cleared by the time we hit the Lincoln Tunnel. Dad flew in from Burlington in time to meet us at Ruby Foos in Times Square for dinner.

Yo, Mom, check out that Buddha!

Cora really loved Ruby Foos - the restaurant was mostly dark with huge red and orange Chinese lanterns and metal Buddha statues, and it was LOUD. She got a kick out of shouting along with all the other diners, eating asian chicken wraps, playing with chopsticks, and making friends with the exceptionally friendly and accommodating staff. Actually, before that dinner I'd been nervous about how many meals we'd be eating in restaurants in the city, but strangers and waitstaff everywhere in the city were incredibly helpful and sweet to Cora the entire weekend.

That night, my parents went to see Wicked on Broadway while I stayed in the hotel with sleeping Cora. My friend, Lauren Ohtake, brought over a bottle of pinot noir to share. She arrived a few minutes too late to meet Cora that night, but we met up the next day, too.

In the morning, Nate arrived on a bus from Ithaca. We met up with him in Times Square.

Welcome to NYC, Dadda!

Cora shows her support of Big Bird, who has been in the news during the election season

Friday we spent walking around Times Square, napping at the hotel, trying on fancy hats, eating a huge and delicious Italian lunch at Patsy's (it's famous... or at least lots of famous people go there judging by the hundreds of autographed head shots of everyone from George Clooney to Martha Stewart to Bon Jovi and beyond)... Later, we played in the grass and playground at Central Park, where Cora got to meet some new, old friends: Ohtake and our Peace Corps buddy Sara and her husband Greg. Cora mostly wanted to eat acorns there.

On the acorn hunt

On Friday evening, Cora was pooped out by 5pm, so Gigi and Babu took her back to the hotel. Nate and I hightailed it to Hell's Kitchen with Ohtake, Greg, and Sara for a couple beers and fried pickles before our own viewing (minus S&G) of Wicked. "Defying gravity" gave me goosebumps. So good.

On Sunday, we had time for Cora's first subway ride and a late breakfast (almost the quintessential NYC brunch) in Greenwich Village. On the way back, we were briefly separated by too-quickly closing subway doors, so Nate, Cora and I stopped for a walk through Rockefeller Center before heading to the hotel.

 

Is this the center of the universe?

Then we packed up the car and began the trip home. It was a wonderful birthday weekend.