NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

A Little Bit of NYC at Christmastime

DenaDecember 15, 2014

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

Yesterday we had our big day in the city. It was perfect, everything that I’d been hoping for. With M. injured and me being the sole caretaker of him, Roman, the house, etc. most of my days are spent at home — but we’d been planning this outing for a bit and I am so grateful that it happened.

The first thing that I have to point out is how incredibly well-behaved Roman was. I’m not sure if most toddlers are as well-behaved as he is, or if I am just exceptionally lucky, but I’m just so grateful. Traveling about with him was such a pleasure. On top of that, we were doubly-blessed to have nice weather. It was a bit chilly & windy in the morning but it was milder by early afternoon and considering that it’s December in New York — we couldn’t have asked for more.

I described our plan for the day here: A NYC Walking Tour. Things didn’t go exactly as planned — this is real life! But they were just as well, we had the best time and checked off all of the important stuff from our list. If you look at the map of our planned walking tour, in actuality we made it to the midway point which was Bloomingdale’s/Le Train Bleu. By the time we sat down for lunch, my back was really starting to hurt. I’ve just moved into my third, and final, trimester of this pregnancy and I’ve been experiencing lower back & hip pain. It seems to be coming from the added weight/pressure on my sciatic nerve and it worsens with activity.

By the time we finished lunch, I realized that it would be foolish to push things any further so we hailed a cab to take us back to Port Authority to catch our bus. (It was a wise decision as last time I pushed things too far I was unable to walk for an entire night.) We still had an amazing time & saw everything that we really wanted to see the most. Here are a few snaps from our day along with some details of what we did.

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

It was Roman’s first time in NYC and his first time around skyscrapers and extra-large crowds. He just loves to look at new things & to people watch so he was mesmerized by the hustle & bustle of the city.

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.comWe almost decided to forgo Le Train Bleu in favor of Shake Shack, I’ve heard such good things about it & have been dying to try. Ultimately we stuck with our original plan & have no regrets. We’ll get you next time, Shake Shack!

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.comIt was virtually impossible to take many tourist-y photographs this trip. The throngs of people everywhere were crazy. This is to be expected on a Sunday, two weeks before Christmas, in NYC. We knew what we were getting ourselves into, but it’s especially important for first-timers to be aware of. If you’re looking for smaller crowds, go in on a weekday.

Despite the crowds, we enjoyed checking out the giant Christmas lights & baubles in Rockefeller Center and of course the beautiful, giant Christmas tree. It’s been years since I made the trip to see the tree and I was absolutely shocked by the enormity of it. You just can’t get a feel from pictures, but that thing is massive, really awe-inspiring.

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

Jacques Torres was next up on our list and we were dying to try the best hot chocolate in NYC. We looked around for a bit and weren’t able to find it. Someone pointed us to the shops in the concourse level which are below Rockefeller Plaza where the ice skating rink is located. We went down below & still didn’t see it. I was ready to give up, but my traveling companion decided to ask a concourse guard and sure enough she pointed us in the right direction. It’s a well-hidden little gem! But, it was totally worth the hunt. The hot chocolate was really out of this world, unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. It tasted more like melted chocolate than like a beverage, but it was smooth enough to be refreshing. We had “The Classic.” Even Roman had his own hot chocolate. They make a kids version of “The Classic” that is cooled down with milk. I put it in his sippy cup and he was in heaven, just like us.

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

After Rockefeller, we took the short walk over to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. Like everything else in the area, it was mobbed. We went inside, lit some candles in the front entryway, and headed back out. The interior, as well as parts of the exterior, are currently under renovation and it was interesting to see the giant cathedral filled up with scaffolding.

Our final stop before lunch was FAO Schwarz, perhaps my favourite stop of all. It was an absolute madhouse in there with a line just to get in the door, but it was so worth it to see Roman’s face light up at the magic of it all. He even got to take home his very own stuffed elephant. I didn’t get any pictures at FAO because it was just too hectic.

NYC Christmas | livelovesimple.com

Our final stop of the day was Bloomingdale’s, though we weren’t there to shop — we were there to eat! We headed straight up to the sixth floor and after winding through the various departments we found ourselves at the little, hidden train car! It really was something spectacular. A real train car modeled after the dining car of the The Calais-Mediterranée Express, a luxury French night express train. We were pleasantly surprised by the fact that there was no wait. The staff was incredibly helpful (the chef even popped out to say hello!) and the food was delicious. The bread was clearly freshly baked & warm. I had the crab cake which was served with a big bed of greens and pommes frites (french fries) and the most delicious remoulade sauce. Kristyn had a Swiss cheeseburger, and Roman had Penne with butter sauce. We were all exceptionally pleased and left happy & full.

It was an absolutely beautiful day & such a lovely way to ring in the Christmas holiday. I hope you enjoyed tagging along on our little Christmas city adventure.

Comments (2)

  • Suzy

    December 15, 2014 at 3:40 pm

    It truly does sound magical and perfect! And can’t believe how much you did, pregnant and with a toddler!

    I can’t wait to take Sam to NYC. We were actually talking about it yesterday: )

  • Andrew

    December 18, 2014 at 2:54 am

    Love it 🙂 Great photos of my (2nd) favourite city, brings back lots of fantastic memories. Hope you & your’s are doing well Dena & Matt is on the mend? Have a great xmas!

    Andrew

Leave a Comment

Prev Post

The End of Our Breastfeeding Journey

Next Post

Cultivate Your Own Happiness