We started off our day with breakfast at Kaffe 1668.
I had a latte and a fried egg grilled cheese. It was a cozy spot for morning fuel.
A couple of blocks away, we entered the One World Observatory at One World Trade Center – the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, with a 360 view of the city.
My favorite part of the view was the island just north of lower Manhattan (with the boats zooming by). My family used to live on Governors Island in the 1980’s when my dad was stationed there with the Coast Guard. Although we were far away, I could pick out a few landmarks from my childhood that still remain.
Since you can’t really tell how tall the building was from the inside, here’s a shot of me that Brian took of the outside for a little scale. So impressive!!
After the Observatory, we headed over to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. To say it was moving and emotional would not do it justice. It is a beautiful tribute to such a horrific series of events. The voice recordings and memorabilia from the day were particularly haunting. When you visit, leave yourself at least two hours to take in the exhibits.
After lunch at Chelsea Market, we headed for a walk on the High Line. It was a beautiful day and there were a ton of people out enjoying the sunshine. I managed to sneak in this shot when no one was blocking the view.
We had started Chef’s Table (Season 3) right before we left. So, I couldn’t resist taking everyone on a field trip to Episode 1’s star, Milk Bar. I had the birthday cake, Brian had the Crack Pie, and Brian’s parents both had a milkshake. All were super delicious!
After quick naps and changing our clothes at the hotel, we headed to dinner at Orso. (I know, we just ate dessert!) Brian and I split this awesome salad.
And I had these amazing artichokes, lightly pan fried in butter with romano cheese, lemon, and hot pepper.
And then (I know, can you believe this was all smooshed into one day?), we headed to the Music Box Theater to see the Tony Award winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen. This was Brian’s official birthday present as he and his parents had never seen a musical on Broadway before. The show was a hit and everyone enjoyed it.
To end our epic day, and to preserve my family tradition of cheesecake after a show, we headed to Junior’s for these amazing slices of heaven. You just can’t beat fresh New York-style cheesecake in New York. I had the fresh strawberry and it was perfect.
