I was blessed with the opportunity to visit New York City for the first time this year. A good portion of my trip was for business, but I still had ample opportunity for some pleasure as well. 
I was blessed with the opportunity to visit New York City for the first time this year. A good portion of my trip was for business, but I still had ample opportunity for some pleasure as well.
My first stroke of luck was to have a room that was more like a studio apartment: a full sized bed, a full kitchen, and a living / work area. Upon discovering my kitchen (as viewed to the right), I put on some comfortable shoes and headed out to a corner market. There I grabbed coffee, milk, yogurt and some fruit. This small luxury gave me several perks: a budget savings, the ability to stick to my diet, and the opportunity to stick with my morning routine of eating prior to getting dressed.
My hotel was located near the New York University hospital. Within the closest blocks, there was a movie theatre, a book store, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, a sports club, and two markets. I was just a few short blocks from the Empire State building (as seen in the top left photo). And only a few dozen blocks to Times Square. I learned something that first night: I really didn't need a car and I COULD walk to just about everything I wanted or needed.
A side note about the market: even if you don't have a kitchen or fridge in your hotel room, take a moment to visit one of the markets in New York City. If you're like me - a southern girl that only sees huge grocery stores - you'll be impressed with the variety of items squeezed into the small spaces! They're great! I was facinated, too, in the way that businesses and homes weren't segregated from one-another. On the block was the hotel, a learning center, a church, a doctor's office, and some small apartments.
My second day in the city was the best day! I worked in the morning, but had the entire afternoon and evening free. My first goal was to go to the big Toys R Us downtown. I visited a large portion of what I would consider to be the heart of New York City: around Times Square, over to Rockerfellar Plaza, and down Broadway.
I visited the NBC Studios and peeked in the window at Barbara Walters on the set of ABC's 20/20. I watched people ice skate. I visited St. Patrick's Cathedral and Macy's on 34th Street. I had left my hotel at 12:30 in the afternoon and didn't return until after at 7:00 PM. My final stops before going into the hotel was a liquor store for a bottle of wine and a market for fruit, crackers and brie.
My third day is likely of little interest: I had a 7 AM make-up call and was working all day. But the evening is worth discussing. I visited a little Broadway area restaraunt named "Chez Josephine" and had a lovely conversation with a gentleman at the bar (who assured me that our bartender was the best) and a wonderful time talking with the couple at an adjacent table when I was seated for my dinner. I wasn't brave enough to face the ten-degree night air, though - and finally took a Taxi that night back to my hotel, where I relaxed in my room.
I learned a lot about myself on my trip to New York City. I love staying in a hotel. 
It's always nice to be home, but it's great to have a change. Big Cities are nothing to be afraid of if you look upon it as an adventure. Although I'm used to getting around in my car at home, it's great to act more like the natives and use my legs for transportation. I'm ok traveling alone. I've gone through stages in my life where I was terribly unsure of what to do with myself if my children weren't around. But now, I'm comfortable with myself. And at the times when I long for a little company, it's as close as the phone - or a person at a nearby table.
I look forward to visiting New York again. I never made it to Central Park or the Financial District. And I'd love to go to a Broadway Show. I'd be happy to make another trip alone - or with some of my family. I know my oldest daughter would enjoy the sights and I'd love to have a mother-daughter weekend to see the sights and enjoy the atmosphere of the City.
Photos (from Top to Bottom - Left to Right)
*Empire State Building
*Kitchen in Deb's Hotel Room
*A Corner Market
*An apartment (or two) next door to a doctor's office
*Times Square at Night
*Deb at Work in NYC (at Silvercup Studio)
*Deb's Hotel Room