New York day 6 and 7 (this is long!)

Saturday was a very busy day for us since we shoved in a couple extra things. We headed out bright and early to go to the Statue of Liberty (NYP). We go there just as they were opening up so the lines went quickly and we were soon on the ferry and to the island.
It was very chilly and we all wished for jackets, but it was an amazing place to be.

As you can see in the first picture, there was still a lot of construction going on to repair the island from Hurricane Sandy. We also really wanted to go to the crown, but to do so you have to reserve a spot and get a background check months before and because of the island closure after Sandy they weren't taking any reservations.
It was probably a good thing we didn't go since just the stairs to the bottom of the statue winded us and I hear it's a very tight climb. My claustrophobia was glad it didn't have to go through that.

We didn't have much time on the island since we had to book it back to central park for a tour. It was still very chilly, but we tried to ignore it the best we could and enjoy our Central Park Movie Tour (NYP). I really liked this tour better than the other one. You actually stopped at every location and the park is just so pretty to walk through.
We learned that if you happen to be in the background of a movie you don't have to be paid and they're allowed to use your image without your permission so if that bothers you, stay out of Central Park on filming days. Central Park was also a really scary place to be for many years, it's only recently that's it's been cleaned up and safe.
Movie wise it was cool to see the exact spots where things were filmed and the whole time I wanted to sing , "How does she knoooooowwwwww you looooovvvve heeeeerr?" I didn't want to show up Amy Adams so I kept it in my head. I'm sure a lot of these spots will look familiar to you too.

Mary has a picture of us standing in front of this fountain and somehow I didn't get it from her...hint, hint, Sister!

The last one is obviously not a movie site, but a guy covered in mirrors. This type of thing is a common site in New York, people taking advantage of tourists for money.

After the tour we headed back to the apartment to grab some lunch and our jackets and head to our next tour, Inside Broadway (NYP). Unlike the title suggests, we didn't actually go inside any of the theaters, but I did love the tour and our guide. I learned so much about the theaters, the life style, how things have changed and how things are now with an occasional song and dance from our guide. Not too many pictures of the actual tour, but we did meet in Time Square again so here's more of that for the 100th time.

The tour made us long for a New York trip where every night could be spent in a theater, but we're not millionaires so the next best thing was an impulse buy for tickets to Phantom of the Opera. We rushed for dinner after the tour so we could make it to the show and even though I frown on wearing jeans to the theater I let it pass this time.
It was an amazing show, but I can see why our tickets were 60% off. The seats were under the balcony so the upper part of the stage was cut off and we missed some cool things. It was still a beautiful show and gave me no doubt to why it's been the longest running show on Broadway. I also watched for some bloopers that our tour guide told us sometimes happens during the show, but it looked like it went seamlessly.
After the show we were tired and we needed to head to bed to be up early again for the next day.

Sunday was our Coney Island day. It takes an hour to get there from the middle of Manhattan by subway, but it wasn't a bad trip at all. If our public transit was as efficient and convenient as New York I'd take it a lot more. We left about 8:30ish and got to Coney Island before the shops had even opened yet. It was quiet and peaceful on the island that Sunday morning.

The aquarium opened at 10am so we didn't have to wait long on the deserted boardwalk. It was also hit by Hurricane Sandy and closed for a while so I was happy to hear of it opening before our trip. I will say that I was disappointed that the shark and jelly fish exhibit was closed for remodeling because it made the aquarium very small. I'm not sure if it was worth the $9 it cost to get in, but it was a nice time passer while we waited for the amusement parks to open. I'm sure it will be better when the new shark exhibit opens next year, it looked awesome in the pictures. My favorite part was watching an employee feed the cute penguins and the sea lion show.

After the aquarium we hit up some shops. It's my new goal to get a vintage, cool state (or city) shirt in every state we go to. I did buy the typical I ❤ New York shirt, but I wanted something more.We found Lola Star's boutique and there were so many I had a hard time narrowing it down. I finally settled on the tattooed hot dog, he's just the cutest!

While paying I was told that Leonardo DiCaprio was in the shop a few days before us and he bought this shirt too (in gray) so Leo and I are practically BFFs now.
Later I looked at Lola's online shop, I didn't realize that I was shopping at the Savior of Coney Island's store. She has done so much for the little boardwalk and I'm grateful. It's the cutest place in New York!

We then waited around for Luna Park to open and bought our ride tickets. It was so weird how it was set up since another amusement park sits in the middle of it and its also intersected by streets. You have to go in and out and chain link gates to get to other sections. Some rides were pretty original and some reminded us of Lagoon back home.

 Doesn't Mary look excited to be riding some extreme rides?

 We rode a ride that reminded me of a mash up of The Spider and Wild Mouse at Lagoon, here's our view from the top before we started lurching back and forth....see pictures below. The ferris wheel to the right is part of another theme park that separates Luna park, it looked like mostly kiddy rides and since we all hate ferris wheels we weren't sad to not ride it.

 I must be getting old since I no longer can ride spin rides like I use too, I get motion sickness bad, so I let John and Mary take this one on their own. There's a plane ride just like this at Lagoon and I knew my tummy wouldn't be happy with me if I rode it.

 My sister is so cute! I love her guts! We bought matching sunglasses on the boardwalk since mine broke in half in my purse and she had left hers at the apartment. Here we are riding the swings.

 Said swings we rode. They went up pretty high!

 Our view from the swings into Brooklyn and to the left if the Wild Mouse/Spider ride.

Another happy Mary face! This ride you rode horses like a jockey (better seen below in the picture with John) as its careened on the roller coaster track. We loved it and rode it twice.

Mary and I both sat out on this spinner because just looking at it made our stomachs turn. John enjoyed every twirling second of it.

We did take a break from our amusement park madness to grab some lunch at Nathan's, where else would you go at Coney Island?

I'm not going to lie, it really wasn't that great :) Just like In & Out, Culver's and Jack In The Box, all the hype isn't very truthful. But hey, we came, we saw, we conquered!

After our lunch is was back to Luna Park where we spent another hour or so. We went on what's called the Luna 360.

 

A ride that spins and swings, it was fun and John was screaming to go again. I had to give my equilibrium a break so we did some toned down rides first and then came back. I should have never rode it again, I was so very sick afterwards. That's what ended Luna Park for us, but we got our money's worth. 

Before we left Coney we hit up an ice cream parlor for a tasty treat and headed back on the subway home. 

  

We were all pooped from our long couple of days, I even fell asleep on the train which I'm sure isn't very safe, so John and I took a nap when we got back. I have no clue what Mary did since I was sleeping :).

Then it was time to get ready for our Broadway show, Book of Mormon. It was my favorite show of the trip, but that could be because South Park is one of my favorite shows. It does make fun of Mormons a little and if you're really uptight about the religion you probably won't like it, but we all laughed until our funny bones hurt.
The theater is really small so no seat is a bad seat so pay for the cheaper seats (still over $200 a pop) and save your money for something else. I'd go see this show over and over and over again! There is some foul language (again, it's from the creators of South Park) and some adult talk so young children should be left at home. I promise it'll be one of the funniest things you see in a long time if you put your prudishness aside and take in the show!

Then if was back home and back to bed for our last full day in NYC!

New York Day 4 and 5

Thursday morning we headed to the Lincoln Center for our tour of their performing arts (NYP). We arrived early so we people watched and took some photos.

 

We went into the David H. Koch building and got to see a surprise ballet practice, I wish we were staying one day longer so we could have seen Swan Lake.

We also went into the Metropolitan Opera House lobby, Samuel B. and David Rose Theater, Walter Reed Theater and the Avery Fisher Hall. We hoped to go into Alice Tully Hall since John's company did the wood work and John went to install 4 years ago, but they were moving panels and such so we weren't allowed in. We tried to speak with some people to get in another day, but it just wasn't in the cards. Just means we'll have to go back to New York again to see it! :) 

I really recommend the tour, we learned so much and the tour guide really knew her stuff.

After the Lincoln Center we went to our Uptown Movie tour (NYP), I will say it was probably my least favorite tour we went on. We were on a bus and sped by a lot of the sites while the tour guide tried to keep up with the movie clips. Not too many pictures because of being on a bus and all...

 

but here's the restaurant that inspired Monk's from Seinfeld.

After we went to the pub that inspired McLaren's called McGee's. P.S. it looks nothing like McLaren's but they had a drink menu that made us How I Met Your Mother fans chuckle.

We then went back to the apartment to eat dinner and hit the hay early for our next day.

Our Friday the 13th was unlucky. On our way to our shopping tour (NYP) the subway's electricity went out with no news of when it would be back on. We decided to try to get a taxi which is suppose to be easy in New York. I'd say it took us 15 minutes, that's a long time when you're in a hurry. When we finally got one he decided to take us through Time Square(WHAT??!!) and made us a half hour late to the tour. 

I tried to call the company to explain and they told us the first few stores the tour was going to, but it was no good. We hit every store, but they had no clue what I was even talking about. Needless to say we were bummed, but we tried to make the best of it and went shopping anyway. 

I don't think Mary and I have ever tried on that many clothes in our lives and we all bought some great stuff.

Little Italy's San Gennaro Street Fair was also going on so we took a stroll and bought some cannolis. Most of the other booths were games hosted by those annoying types so after we walked up and down the streets we headed out. 

Our luck then pooped out again when we tried to go to the Statue of Liberty since all the ferry boats were sold out for the day. 

Since we were in the area anyway we decided to go to the 9/11 Tribute Center (NYP) and to see some of the memorial sites around the Twin Tower buildings.

 The Tribute Center was one of the most humbling places I've ever been. It was basically silent the whole time and so moving. John, Mary and I all split up, but not intentionally, I think we all just wanted to experience it on our own.
I was brought to tears many times and I loved how respectful everyone was. The walls of faces lost really hit me hard.

 

There was also origami paper cranes folded by children hanging the the stairwell that I thought was beautiful.

We also went to the church across the street that survived the falling towers. It became the home to the volunteers and searchers during the days following the towers fall. It was nicely set up to help in remembrance and a peaceful place to be.

By then our tummies were rumbling so we hit up the pizza place from our food on foot tour and got ready for our evenings adventures .

We took a city lights night cruise on a large sail boat (NYP) in the evening. It was really chilly out on the water, but it was a good time (minus the drunk bachelorette party on board). Mary and I were super giggly the whole time, poor John :)

We got home late and had to drop our bones into bed since we had a very busy day planned for Saturday!