Little Italy

Well, I think most of you know me and my love for Italian food. Pasta, seafood, pizza, wine, etc. Little Italy down Mulberry Street did not disappoint with its quaint, old city feel. The indoor/outdoor cafes and bistros were perfect with the beautiful weather.

^ This place had the most delicious homemade gnocchi, pesto, and marinara sauce.

HOLY CANNOLI, am I right?

Christmas in New York was any ornament and decoration enthusiasts dream store. Plenty of souvenir ornaments for the tree!

We ate at Café Napoli and had calamari with sangria. I highly recommend, but then again every single place we ate at there was delicious and unique.

Handmade Lobster Ravioli at Benito One. Amazing.

Cannoli World.

I couldn't go to Little Italy with out getting a cappuccino and a cannoli at Café Roma. Which, I most definitely had more than one. They even had red velvet ones!!

No Day Shall Erase You from the Memory of Time

September 11, 2001 effected so many people in so many ways and the World Trade Center Memorial Museum was on our bucket list to see in NYC. As soon as we approached the pools, I instantly had a flood of emotions rush over me.  Of course I remember that day and although I did not lose anyone close to me, I think every American holds the events of 9/11 in their hearts and still feels the loss our country suffered.

Freedom tower. 

Each square was handmade with watercolors and represents each victim. No shade of blue is the same because no victim was the same.

We also took a Circleline Sightseeing cruise to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We did not do the tour on the actual islands, but we took a ferry cruise past them. However, I was kind of surprised at the size of Lady Liberty. I expected her to be a lot bigger. On the ferry, we also got some great views of the skyline too. 

Both of these attractions are part of the New York CityPASS, which I highly suggest buying. Six sites to complete in a nine day span, so it gives you enough time to do everything. I will be sharing our experiences with the other sites later this week.

Welcome to New York

This past week my Mom and I traveled to New York City, New York for an extended Mother's Day weekend. I've been wanting to see NYC for some time and was finally able to cross many things off of my bucket list there. Not going to lie, I've been playing T. Swift's "Welcome to New York" on repeat for a while too. There is so much to do and see, I'm not sure how anyone could ever become bored. I'm going to be sharing our trip and some advice the next couple of days, if you are planning on traveling there in the future. 
First, transportation. If you do not want to be paying for cabs everywhere you go, I would suggest getting an unlimited Metra pass for $31.00 at designated machines or Hudson News stands within the airport. It will pay for itself with just a couple rides. It was a little confusing at first, but I got the hang of it. But believe me, you will still do A LOT of walking. And if you are coming from Laguardia, there is a free shuttle bus (M60) to the subway (N or Q) you need to get to Manhattan. However, if you take any buses you MUST go to one of the little blue machines at the stops and get a receipt (even if you have the unlimited) because if not, the police will come onto the bus periodically to check. If you do not have a receipt, its a $100.00 ticket!
From there, we took the 6 down to our hotel and were lucky enough that Grand Central Terminal was a frequent stop for many of our destinations. It was massive and absolutely stunning. 

Its really interesting that this beautiful station is connected to the dirty subway though. But, I was able to snap my very own Serena Van der Woodsen moment. lol.

From Grand Central, we went to Times Square (take the 6 train to the 7) and whoa is all I have to say! The screens are gigantic and light up the entire area. Even when its dark, you feel like its daytime. 

I think that everyone needs to experience Times Square once, but it is very crowded and that crowd can be quite.... well... interesting. I felt like I was in Vegas at times with the hecklers in costumes (or lack there of) trying to take pictures with you for tips. It is great for people watching because people come from all walks of life.  There were so many stores and one of the great things we discovered is that most of them are international chain stores, so there isn't any tax on purchases up to $110.00-$150.00.  My cousin met us there the last night too.

More tomorrow from our trip!

I'm Chuck Bass...

The other three words every girl wants to hear... "I'm Chuck Bass."  At first, I didn't know whether to love or hate Charles Bartholomew Bass, but he won me over quickly. He is the lady's man, the master schemer, and overly flamboyant in style, Mr. Bass. 

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There's just something about him... Maybe it's his billions of dollars or the way he captured our hearts with his undying love for Queen B, Blair Waldorf. Their love kind of reminds me of a Taylor Swift song. All consuming love, that no matter "where they are or what they do, it will always pulls them in." They are perfect for eachother in every messy, dysfunctional way. 

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I love his ability to push the envelope with his wardrobe. The bright colors and bold prints show that he cares about his appearance, but is confident enough to create his own trends. Chuck Bass is a leader and paves his own way in fashion and in the corporate world through Bass Industries.

 

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DISCLAIMER: DO NOT READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE SHOW.
I rooted for Chair (Chuck and Blair. Blair and Chuck) every step of the way. Although unconventional, their wedding was magical at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. Nothing like your closest friends and family putting together a wedding so you are protected by marriage in case of a criminal investigation.

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Thanks for following my very own Gossip Girl week. NYC is calling my name, but for now I'll enjoy the weekend packing and preparing to site-see, shop, and indulge in the Big Apple. ;) So, I will leave you with this...