Live-Dream-Create: May 2010

May 25, 2010

We brought the kids back necklaces that we had done by the pier near Battery Park in New York...inside the charm is a grain of rice with their name written on it.

Last day in NYC. So today we decided to do some shopping...Cory and Neil took a taxi while Greg and I decided to get one last ride out of our bus passes...so we took the down town bus tour to the financial district...we visited a 911 memorial at St. Paul's Chapel (The days following 9/11, nearby St Paul’s Chapel served as a refuge for rescue workers, a triage center for victims, and beacon of hope for the city. Many people left flowers, photos, notes and other mementos on an outside fence. Now furnished with a permanent memorial, the Chapel is a popular tourist destination and is located on Church Street between Fulton and Vesey Streets.)

At ground zero there is not much to see other than construction as they build One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower)

We also passed by the memorial Tiles for America outside of St. Vincent's Hospital.

Cory's sisters were here a few weeks ago and said that Century 21 was the place to go for some deals....but they warned that you need patience. Yah....you definitely need patience. I finally found a couple pairs of jeans but now to get to the change rooms on the 3rd level....through all the racks and people and people changing in the racks and clothes and shoes...the change rooms were rows and rows of rooms that were 2 feet by 2 feet with a flimsy curtain flung around them. Ladies were lined up with baskets and baskets of items to try on...it was overwhelming and I decided early on that I really didn't need anything. After shopping we walked around SOHO and stopped at a deli for lunch before heading back to the hotel and then on to the airport.

Inside Century 21

Last taxi ride...to the airport.

May 23, 2010

3rd day in NYC. We took the Uptown bus tour (which took us through Upper West Side, Morningside Heights, Harlem, Upper East Side and Midtown East)...took a quick tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, went to Central Park Zoo and caught the sea lion show, Greg tried out the piano at FAO Schwartz Toy Store, got caught in the parade (which we were told has the most police presence than any other parade), took a horse carriage ride around Central Park, walked down 5th Ave, browsed through a flee market in Times Square and bought sunglasses (2 for $10), ran through the wax museum so we could catch the Sponge Bob in 4D show and then went and got ready to meet Tamara and Michael for supper.

This is where John Lennon lived and was killed.

The churches were all so amazing...the detail and architecture was stunning.

The projects. We were told for $200 a month including utilities you could get a 1 bedroom apartment here.

Apollo Theatre

Brownstone apartments. In the 1980's the city was selling these for $1 a piece. Now they sell for around $100,000. Reminds me of Sesame Street...which happens to film on this same bus route but in a studio.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Central Park Zoo

I love sea animals and loved the sea lion show.

This guy was Greg's favourite...

The Salute to Israel Parade was ending as we finished up at the Zoo. When we took our carriage ride around Central Park the driver told us that this parade has the most police presence out of any other parade in the city. He said that the all the roads were blocked of by police cars and utility vehicles filled with salt blocks incase of a bomb. He also pointed out the snipers on the buildings around the parade.

Carriage ride around Central Park.

Police presence was everywhere...

At the FAO toy store.

Someone had to try out the big piano...

and back to Times Square

We met Tamara and Michael at the hotel and they took us on the Subway to get to the restaurant for supper.

Greg and I had decided quite awhile ago that we wanted Tamara and Cory to be god parents for the children. So when we found out about the contest and the opportunity to go to NYC and have both of them together we thought how perfect it would be if we could ask them together. We were super nervous to ask them but it went better than expected and we couldn't be happier with the choice we have made.

May 22, 2010

2nd day in NYC. We started off the day on a downtown bus tour (which took us to Midtown West, the Theatre District, Garment District, Chelsea, West Village, Greenwich Village, SOHO, Tribeca, Little Italy, Financial District, East Village and China Town), stopped at Battery Park for a hot dog, ventured off the tour and got lost in China Town, found our bus again, went to the Top of the Rock, took a rickshaw back to the hotel to rest and then get ready for our show.

Waiting in line to get on the tour bus.

The cost to place an ad for 30 days on this building is 2 million. They were in the process of replacing it as we drove by...they actually paint over the old add and repaint the new one.

Outside of City Hall, the fountain from the friends tv show.

At the Top of the Rockefeller...over looking Central Park.

We took a rickshaw back to the hotel to get ready for our show.

We gave ourselves 30 minutes to relax before getting ready for the show...the bed was so comfy...definitely need to get a pillow top for our bed at home now.