In mid-March we took a trip to New York City to visit some of our best friends that live there. It was an amazing trip, not only in the fact that I hung out with awesome people, ate awesome food and saw awesome art, but I also got some new scenery for a week which was much needed!

The first night we were there, we took the Chinatown bus to Boston. It is 1) very popular and 2) very cheap. The ride takes about 3.5-4 hours and really isn’t too bad at all.

We were only in Boston for about 36 hours to visit some people, but we did see some neat places in the city. This is the Old North Church from your 4th grade history class. Remember?

The church is in a historic district of Boston where the streets are narrow and the buildings are OLD.

We were in Boston the day before St. Patrick’s day and the town was already celebrating.

We also saw the New England Holocaust Memorial which was really something to see in person. There are six million numbers like these etched in 6 pillars of glass and are reminiscent of the tattoos that the Nazi’s gave their victims. It was powerful to see them up close…

But even MORE powerful to look up. Definitely a somber moment of the trip.

On a lighter note . . . returning back to New York the next day, we were able to catch the New York St. Patrick’s Day parade! Made me want to listen to some Dropkick Murphys.

Everyone was decked out in their finest green.

We took the Staten Island Ferry which gave us a great view of the NY skyline. Last time I took the ferry in 1998, there was a very different view.

Saw this old bird who looks great for 122 years old! A French tourist I met later on mentioned how tight the security is to get onto the island. I’d recommend the Staten Island Ferry; it’s free and low stress.

We did a ton of stuff on this trip that I didn’t get photos of. Remember, I was trying to get AWAY from work!! Some of those things included trip to Central Park, the Guggenheim, The MoMA, and Brooklyn. If you have the chance, check out Cai Guo-Qiang’s exhibition “I Want to Believe” at the Guggenheim. It is absolutely amazing.

We took a nice walk around SOHO and Chinatown one afternoon and saw the sights, sounds and smells.

They also had a TON of food for sale on the streets all over Manhattan. While I’m here, let me talk about food for just one minute . . . one of the highlights of the trip was the amazing food that we ate. For reference for my future self as well as others going to NYC soon, here’s a partial list:

1. Veggie Planet (Boston)
2. Curry Leaf – Indian
3. Quintessence – all vegan and raw food
4. Ozu – this place is AMAZING
5. Mama Mexico
6. Hampton Chutney – quick Indian
7. Kanoyama (sushi)
8. Yum Yum Bangkok – Thai
9. Failte Irish Whiskey Bar – beer
10. Verlaine – drink specials

Our good friend Allen took us to Ozu for lunch and then we went over with him and his son to the American Natural History Museum. Lots of dinos . . .

. . . and smiley turtles . . .

. . . and scary fish . . .

. . . and pretty rocks . . .

. . . and, of course, small pigs made out of coral, because in New York City, they have EVERYTHING. Thanks to Jane, John, Jason, Ryan, Jamie, Amir, Ann, Allen, Heather and Jenna for showing us the BEST time!!!

All photos: Designojek