New York City Birthday Day 1

I had a SPECTACULAR 40th birthday! My mom and I went to New York City and crammed in as much tourist sites as possible. The weather was chilly but not unbearable which I am very grateful for. One of my coldest moments happened in New York City on New Years in 2001, in the middle of Time Square. This visit was a bit warmer.

Last time I went to NYC, it was December 2001, three months after 9/11. The city was still in shambles, there was debris in the streets and a thin layer of ash coated some of the city. The parking meters were melted and broken and ground zero looked like a construction site haunted by a solemn spirit. One of the first places my mom and I visited was the Memorial. It was breath taking. Absolutely.

Freedom Tower

Skylight of the World Trade Center

Freedom Tower

Our first day was spent on a hop-on hop-off bus tour. I highly recommend utilizing these tours in any city. You get to see a lot and learn about it and someone else does the driving.

  Here is the Wall Street Bull, aka Charging Bull. It's a little hard to see through the bus rails.

Trinity Church

It's near the 9/11 Memorial. The first time I saw Ground Zero, I had to stand in a line that wrapped through the streets and passed by this church. It has an old Gothic cemetery on the grounds.

 The Washington Bridge

 Macy's

 Smith and Wollensky Steakhouse

 Flags at Rockefeller Center

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 Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center pre-lighting ceremony

Madison Square Garden

 NO SOUP FOR YOU!

 LDS Temple

 The Apollo

 The Metropolitan. Can you just see Blair eating yogurt on the steps?

 Carnegie Hall

Susan "Concrete Jungle" B.