New York - Day 6

Friday morning I woke up feeling kinda crummy; I don't know if it was a cold or allergies but I had a sore throat. No bueno. But it did not stop me. I didn't really have any plans for that day, so I went with Jess to a cathedral that is right around the corner from their apartment.

We walked around for about 45 minutes. It was really cool inside; all the stone carvings everywhere and the ceilings reminded me of what I'd learned in Humanities classes but couldn't remember the style. Fail.

Anyway, we went home and then Melissa joined us to go to the Cloisters up in Washington Heights (where In the Heights took place). The Cloisters are these really cool ruin-like things I guess. We never found them, I think we walked the wrong way. But they are in this huge park that was absolutely beautiful, and it was along the Hudson river (I think) and had a really cool view of the George Washington Bridge.

We went back to the apartment and Hayley got home around 4 from work. We watched an episode of Sex and the City, and then went to a pizza place by their house for the BIGGEST slice of pizza I've ever eaten.

Do you agree? I ate the whole thing :)

We then got ready for Romeo and Juliet, put on by the American Ballet Theater.

I really enjoyed it; Mercutio's choreography was fantastic, Romeo's was a little disappointing. The music is amazingly beautiful, though, so all in all, success.

My throat was hurting really bad (remember, sicky me) so I decided I wanted frozen yogurt again. Hayley and I went home and changed shoes (heels – bad, flip flops – good). There were a couple people from the ward there so they came with us to Pink Berry and we sat and talked and the froyo felt really good on my sore throat. Met this kid Jake, who, it turns out, is a fellow Chiefs fan, which was awesome! Jake, Hayley and I watched Friday Night Lights (the most current episode in NY) and then by that time it was almost 230 so Jake went home and then we went to bed.

New York: Day 5

Still obnoxiously hot. I have got to figure out how to break my heat curse. Anyway, every Thursday during the summer, Bryant Park (down the street from Times Square) does Broadway in the Park...

...where they feature 4 or 5 musicals that are currently running.

(Do I look sick in this picture? I totally got a cold in NY. Major suck-o.)

My lineup? Nunsicle; Promises, Promises; Stomp; and In the Heights.

Nunsicle; funny, and seems like it could have a funny story line, and the music probably goes along with the story line, but what I heard I enjoyed.

Promises, Promises: currently starring Kristin Chenoweth, so I was SUPER excited to see her live.

Well, of course she doesn't come, an understudy sings her parts. Which was okay, because the girl that did sing was fantastic. I wish I could remember her name.

Anyway, the storyline for Promises Promises is nothing I've heard of before, and I've heard only good things about it, so I will see it my next trip to New York. Oh yeah, I decided Monday morning that I was coming back for another trip. Maybe in the spring, not the middle of summer/heatwave season.

Stomp: well of course, I've seen clips before. But live? AMAZING. There is a video of it on my facebook, for some reason blogger isn't letting me upload it.

In the Heights: Hayley raved about this show and how good it is, and after hearing some of the songs and learning about the story line, I really wanted to see it. Got to about a month later in L.A. after my cousin's wedding, but more on that later.

Anyway, I left Bryant Park and decided to do some souvenir shopping for myself. Found some fun stuff and took more pictures.

cool cathedral thing
NBC Studios
Another one for you, Rachel. Seriously, I loved the show and loved the movie. Want to see the show again.

Haha, neat.

Then I headed over to 5^th Avenue to scope out the shopping situation. Found H&M (great prices) and shopped there for a couple hours. I was starving after I finally left the store, so I stopped at one of the street vendor things and bought a hot dog, then went back to the apartment to read. Hayley got home around 5:30. We hung out and watched 16 Candles (hilarious, John Hughes was a genius) and then left with her roommates to go to Shake Shack at Madison Square Park for burgers and shakes.

Sorry New Yorkers, but I still like In-n-Out better. We met up with someone from their ward, who actually knows the guys that live next door to me, so that was fun. Mormon world is oh so small, even when you are 3000 miles away from where you live. Love it.

After Shake Shack we went home and went to bed. By this point I was getting really really sad that my trip was halfway over. I honestly considered staying...

New York: Day 4

I was on my own...

Scary, I know. But I was actually really kind of excited to see how I would do. I decided I would go to the Met that day to look at all the exhibits.

I went to the post office to get stamps for the postcards my mom requested, and then tried to get on the subway. But the downtown line was under construction... mini freak out for a moment. But then I remembered that Hayley and I had walked to Central Park the day before and gotten on a different line, so I walked and got on that line and found my way to the Met.

I got there probably around 11 and wandered around until 3 or 3:30.

That's against the honor code... ouch.

cool boat/ship thing

this reminded me of Jungle Cruise :)

cool modern art.

It was supposed to be a planter for outside. I really like it, and kind of really want to make one! Is that copyright infringement or anything?

represents something to the effect of the wounds that people sustained during WWII. I wish I could remember exactly. But I thought it was really cool.

This picture does not do the painting justice. I will have a room in my home one day centered around this painting. So if anyone finds a nice big print of it, send it my way...

And another room will be multi-colored themed. This exhibit spanned a 30 foot wall, those blocks are about 5 feet tall. It reminds me of those toddler xylophone things

American Art: The Rocky's. I was maybe a little home-sick but this view cured it and I was ready to go for the rest of the week.

(Did I just say home-sick associated with the Rocky Mountains? Ohhh boy...)

Yeah I don't know why these were so cool, but they totally were.

I decided to walk through Central Park instead of taking the bus to the subway station (the way I came) and I didn't get lost! Then I was waiting for the uptown subway, and I helped some fellow tourists find their way to the downtown subway! So proud... so proud. And I got them in the right direction :)

one of the south entrances to Central Park. Side note: Central Park is now my third favorite place on earth. 1st is Disneyland, 2nd is Lake Powell. And they are all really close. Well, Disneyland is pretty high up, but Powell and CP are a really close 2nd and 3rd.

Around 4:30 Hayley texted me directions on where to meet her for dinner (a really great sushi restaurant) and then we headed over to Times Square...

(this is the ball that drops on New Year's)

to go see...

WICKED!

Well, we were a little early, so we walked around and I started souvenir shopping for my family. Times Square: busy packed, and once you get over the initial wow factor, really not somewhere I would want to hang out all the time. But cool to be there and now to watch movies and say, “I've been there!”. I love saying that :)

Wicked review: PHENOMINAL! Seriously, everyone should see it if they get the chance. I'd been listening to the soundtrack for at least 2 months in preparation, but there were so many things that aren't alluded to in the soundtrack, so I was completely surprised and loved it! I probably looked like a 5 year old watching Disney princesses sing all their songs (okay honestly I'd probably be excited about that too). I was wide-eyed and extremely impressed with the singing, acting and choreography/staging. It ended all too soon. I will see it again.

After Wicked we went and got... drumroll please... cheesecake! Who's proud? I ate most of it (over the course of a few days). Normally I don't like cheesecake, but when a New Yorker tells you it's the best cheesecake in the city, you eat it. And enjoy it in my case. Again I ask, who's proud? It was delish. When we got home her roommates were watching the first night of So You Think You Can Dance so we watched a little of that and went to bed.

Rachel, this picture is for you: