New York, New York


At the beginning of the year, we had a unique opportunity to grab a NYC trip with the kiddos. Getting out there had been in the queue for a long while, so when fully-furnished, top floor digs overlooking Central Park landed in our lap, the deal was sealed. We quickly traded mid-eighty degree So Cal weather (in January!) for mid-twenties. And we couldn't have been happier...

holy view, batman

Almost everyone we knew out there was feeling affected by the brutal weather, but for whatever reason, the cold just didn't bother us. My Cali kids didn't complain even once. So either it's in their blood... or we packed really well. We also armed ourselves with Airborne each day and managed to fend off getting whatever was going around the whole time we were in town.

Since it was the kids' first real time to NYC (older babe did have a pre-memory infant visit), we padded it mostly with some good tried-and-true. Our five day trip was made all the more eventful by snow, sun, rain, hail, and freeze. We had it all. Oh, NYC in the winter. 

Where things took us...

swapped sand for snow in central park

indulged in frozen hot chocolates at serendipity

did a little ironing

took on midtown rain to see the empire state building

Brooklyn had really only taken off after I'd already moved out of NYC. I consider my good friend, Karla, to be one of the original bold voyagers (before it was cool) to seek out more space in the burrows (Atlantic Ave between 3rd and 4th, anyone?). The rest of us clung to Manhattan.

So on this trip, I was eager to go check out Williamsburg. We chose the snowiest day and made the trek out, soaking up some hipster neighborhood culture first and then hitting Bakeri, a spot I'd been swooning over for months from afar. This sweet little place just oozes charm, and with kids content going back and forth between sips of hot chocolate inside and snowballs out back, I seriously could have holed up there happily the entire rest of the day...


i'm moving in


On a different day, we ventured downtown for a huge group lunch with close pals followed by a little strolling around the icy West Village and Soho streets.

passed by buvette and stuck my head in.
hoping to grab a bite there next trip

hidden downstairs

old stomping ground glory

Other adventures included Museum of Natural History, multiple Shake Shacks pit stops, Matilda on Broadway, more dinners and hang time with family and friends, and a throw back breakfast at my old regular corner diner, Pier 72...

All in all, we managed to fit in quite a lot despite the added slow motion of kids on foot and major weather happening. We would have loved another couple of days for things like The High Line, which got the rain boot on our last day (sorry, hubby).


Back soon, NYC... 

top photo: our view on a sunny, clear (but freezing) day

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