Catch Ya Later New York

In the previous post I revealed that I accidentally missed my flight back to London, so I had an extra few days to spend in New York. 

Mum, Alicia, Carlos and I travelled from Long Island into Manhattan. We checked out the New York Public Library, which was exhibiting the original toys that inspired A. A. Milne’s Winnie The Pooh. 

The first time I tried to visit this particular library a few years ago it was the festive season, but I arrived a little just before closing time, so had to admire the building from the outside. 

It was nice to actually go inside at Christmas time. They’d decked out a tree. 

Here are Alicia and I standing in front of it just for size comparison. 

There was even a section dedicated to festive, literary treasures. 

The architecture is quite stunning. 

Did I mention that exploring the building is a completely free activity? I ain’t lion. 

After our literary excursion Mum and I farewelled Alicia and Carlos until the next time we cross paths. 

Grand Central Terminal was the next port of call for Mum and I. 

Mum had a little sulk in the corner. 

Just kidding. There’s a part of the station where you can stand at opposite corners of an atrium, whisper into the wall and the other person can hear you. 

The station is also home to one of the Magnolia Bakery stores. 

I convinced Mum to try one of the best cupcakes ever not because I wanted some, but because... Oh, let’s be real. Cupcakes are one of my favourite foods.

We decided on Starbucks for dinner. While we sat in the upstairs section, a male staff member starting going around to everyone yelling about the section being closed. I braced myself for the unwelcome aggression. He approached our table, then politely said, “We are closed, but you can have five more minutes.” He must’ve still been slightly affected by the Christmas spirit. 

With my extra time in the great state of New York I decided it would be a good opportunity to visit fellow former Walt Disney World Pizza Planeteer, Drew. I set off on a coach to Albany. 

We met at his university. 

We caught up on the previous few years while we made our way through the tunnel system.

After a little drive around town we found ourselves at the Empire State Plaza. We explored the New York State Capitol. 

It was filled with staircases, and slightly creepy, intricate carvings of political figures. 

We also found the Hall of Governors, and felt a little underdressed compared to the men in suits. Roaming the halls, we could’ve stumbled into official government business at any moment. 

The Hall of New York featured artistic representations of New York through time. 

After our self guided tour we saw the Egg. 

It’s an egg-ceptional centre for the performing arts. 

I fought against the intense winds and freezing January temperature to capture a terrible photo of the Hudson River that I can’t seem to find. 

We then moved on to a location with milder weather conditions - Crossgates Mall. After sussing out the weird and wonderful products advertised on television Drew needed a little rest. 

Dinner was served at The Standard.

A restaurant with a cool vibe, swing music, and tasty food.

After dinner Drew dropped me back at the coach stop, we said, “See ya real soon”, and I was on my way back to Manhattan. 

Early the next morning Mum saw me off at JFK Airport. I arrived back in Windsor, England with a few days to pack, and throw away or donate my belongings before I set off for training at my new job as a Bluecoat dancer for Pontins. 

New York Public Library

https://www.nypl.org

Grand Central Terminal

https://www.grandcentralterminal.com

Magnolia Bakery

https://www.magnoliabakery.com

New York State Capitol

https://www.albany.org/listing/new-york-state-capitol/893/

The Standard

http://www.standardalbany.com

The Best of Times (Square)

I wouldn’t normally call myself a fan of stairs, but the red ones in Times Square are pretty cool. 

Yeah, there’s literally a flight of steps that lead to nowhere in the middle of New York City. 

These steps are a fab spot to take photos for any blogs you might have.   

They also offer a pretty sweet view of the city. 

After admiring the bright city lights Mum and I met up with Alicia to be captivated by the enchanting Anastasia. 

A stunning, romantic musical set against a riveting backdrop of Russian revolution. Christy Altomare as the beautiful Anya, Derek Klena as the charming Dmitry, and Caroline O’Connor as the comedic Countess Lily led an incredible cast. The lavish costumes, and grand, rotating sets added value to an already sublime production. 

I’d never been to the stage door of a musical before. I loved Anastasia so much I thought, “Who cares if I freeze my fingers off while I’m waiting. It’ll be worth it just to see one of the cast members.”

I didn’t get to see one of the cast members... I got to see three of them, and as a bonus none of my fingers froze off. 

First Grams made her way to the waiting crowd. I say Grams, not because that was her name in the show or even in real life. But because I first came across Mary Beth Peil who played Dowager Empress in Anastasia when she played Grams in Dawson’s Creek. The ‘90s child inside me was pretty stoked to receive her autograph in my Playbill. 

Then came the expressive and genuinely lovely Christy Altomare. 

Finally I got to meet Derek Klena. Alicia and I even got a picture with him. 

I tried to say, “You were phenomenal.” But I was a little tongue tied and it came out more like, “You were phen-phenen-phenomenal.” Next time I think I’d just go for “great”. 

Alicia asked the security guard if Australian musical theatre legend, Caroline O’Connor would be appearing at the stage door. He told us she wouldn’t be making an appearance, so Alicia asked him to tell her we were from Australia, and impressed by her performance. Ms O’Connor, if you’ve accidentally stumbled into this blog and for some bizarre reason you’ve read this far, just know you have two adoring, Aussie fans. 

We went for a late dinner at a place chosen by Alicia. 

Initially Carmine’s seemed expensive, but the portions were huge, and thankfully delicious. 

The chocolate bread pudding was the biggest, ugliest dessert I’d ever seen, 

but it was also incredibly delectable. You should never judge a dessert by its cover. I think that’s how that saying goes. 

The next day my scheduled flight back to England was cancelled due to a bomb cyclone. Nothing had exploded; it was just a frightening name for an intense blizzard. I spent the day on lockdown in my hotel with my mum. 

Activities included watching tv, eating, writing postcards, and watching the blizzard through the window, which included seeing someone attempt to drive followed by quickly giving up. 

I also filmed a little Snapchat video that left me feeling a little famous after it received 11,500 views. 

Yes, I’m the girl who put on a mermaid tail, and sang the line, “I want to be where the people are.” 

I’d like to thank my mum for indulging my request to film such a strange clip. 

I had rebooked my flight for two days later... or so I thought...

The next day I went to check in for my new flight when I realised I should’ve already been on the flight. Somehow I’d misread the date. I explained my situation to the airline who kindly searched for a new flight. Would I be flying back the 6th? No. The 7th? No. It turned out the next available flight to London was on January 9. It was the perfect opportunity to make the best of times, which you can read about in the next post. 

Anastasia 

https://anastasiathemusical.com

Carmine’s

https://www.carminesnyc.com