New York, New York

My trip to NY in December last year (now only about 3 months ago) was very different to my other trips there. Why? Using GBP rather than AUD, makes such a difference. I was in NY for about a week with Priscilla and her boyfriend Ernie (though they were there for about 4 days). We stayed near Union Square, and they day Ernie and Priscilla left, there was a stabbing at the markets in the afternoon, though i had safely moved myself to around 30th street.

It was exceptionally cold, but didn't rain. Pretty much what we did in NY was shop with our pounds, and I still cannot believe how cheap Benefit makeup was in NY!!!

Priscilla and I with the Empire State Building

I was really keen to see NY at Christmas, which is why I decided to go in December. The last time I was there is was summer, and amazingly hot. I can't believe the difference!

The streets were full of real Christmas decorations!

Crowds going into Macy's

Priscilla and me at the Rockefeller Centre's Christmas tree

Priscilla and me on top of the Rockerfeller Centre, with the Empire State building in the background. BTW, I recommend going up the Empire state building compared to the Rockerfeller Centre

We had dinner one night in Little Italy, but it has pretty much been taken over by Chinatown. We really struggled to find an Italian restaurant, as Billy Joel sings about...

But managed

Times Square and the Reese's shop

Priscilla and her Russian coat and NY hat in Time Square

The next goup of photos is all about a place I visited in NY more than any other. The toilet paper brand Charmin, had a special promotion in Times Square providing about 20 luxury toilets. So before you went in someone cleaned the bathroom for you and everything. Plus, because there were so many, you never had to wait too long.

PLUS! It was a total experience! There was a song played over and over again (I really felt for the people working there) plus a dance that went along with the song - that naturally Priscilla and I were happy to go along with.

Doing the dance!

Pricilla and me, and The Charmin bear

Doing the dance on the escalators!

The three of us also managed to catch a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden. It was so boring! In 2005, Mel and I saw the women's basket ball in MSG, the NY Liberty. It was so exciting that we went again on that trip! Plus it was very inexpensive. The men though.... gee they disappointed. As we can see from this picture of Priscilla, thoroughly enthralled....

I actually fell asleep too, but no photo (quelle dommage!)
Priscilla, prior to her nap

Me and Ernie at MSG

Skating in Central Park
American breakfasts... value for money?!?
At the Guggenhiem... though we didn't go in.... will have to make a special effort next time, although, all I really wanted to see was the inside of the building Will Smith runs up chasing the alien at the begining of Men in Black (first one), and you can see that without paying the USD15 entry fee, so....

OK... so the musical Wicked, is kind of a slight obsession with me at the moment. Just to briefly explain the musical is sort of a prequel to the Wizard of Oz and talks about the relationship between Elphaba (wicked witch of the west) and Glinda (good witch of the north). Briefly, Elphaba isn't actually all that wicked, and Glinda turns out to not be all that good.

I saw it for the first time in London with Mel just after it opened, and I have the CD (and know most of the words by hear) and have read the book. So, I was keen to see the NY production. Did slightly disappoint, Elphaba was the understudy's understudy, plus I had already seen it twice in London where with the original actress, who is amazing. (Remember I said I am slightly obsessed? I'm seeing it for the 4th time in April!)

Coming home from the theatre on the subway

We really did a lot of shopping. Thankfully after Priscilla and Ernie left I was totally shopped out

After P and E left, I managed to see 3 more plays musicals (turns out this is one thing that is really expensive in NY). I saw High Fidelity, a new musical based on the movie/book, which I really enjoyed and thought the lyrics were pretty funny, however, having checked on the internet, not many other people agreed and it closed about a month after it opened.

I also saw A Chorus Line, which was good, but long as there was no intermission. The set was just the stage with mirrors at the back that twisted around.

The last one I saw was called Grey Gardens, which was a musical about Jacqui Onasis's aunt and cousin who were part of high society before the war, but ended up destitute and with a house full of cats by the 1970s. I got the impression the story was quite infamous in America, but it was all new to me!


I also saw a NY Rangers game against Pittsburg Penguins, bizzarely, the last time I saw the NYR they were playing Pittsburg. This was pretty good, but the game I saw in Montreal was so much better, the atmosphere in Montreal was increadible in comparison.

The Christmas Tree from Quebec in Bryant park

I did some exploring around the East Village and the West Village (also know as Greenwich Village, where friends is set). I took this photo in Washington Square Park (which you often see in Friends) and yep... that is a purpose built dog pram... amazing!

View from the west side of Manhattan, I believe that makes it New Jersey!

To ensure I meet my food photo quota, here is my hotdog, before I visited the Museum of natural history.

And here is like the ONLY thing in the museum in relation to Australia. I can't believe this kookaburra sums up my home country in the museum (and yes, after I went to the museum, I saw the Ben Stiller movie)

"But between you and me and the Staten Island ferry...." (Just in case you don't recognise the line, it is from a Billy Joel song). YEP... finally got to catch the orange FREE staten island ferry. This is lower Manhattan from the ferry.

Also taken from the ferry

The M&M shop opened in Times Square while I was there too. The Hershey's shop across the road is so much better though!

The Imagine Mosaic in Central Park which is across the road from John Lennon's appartment. It was actually the anniversary of his death while I was there (though this was not the day).

I would love to go back to NY this year, BUT... my big news is that I have booked my ticket home for Christmas!!!! In which case, given this has cost a small fortune, I think I will have to wait for next year to return to NY!