It’s Christmas day!! Happy birthday Jesus! <3
Isaiah 9:6 New International Version (NIV)
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Trying to make up for lost days, Ate went a little (ok maybe A LOT) cray & dragged us all over Brooklyn & Manhattan and back again. Naloka ang gaga, walang patawad. @_@ WARNING: THIS IS A VERY LONG READ! So get your snacks & bladder ready. 😛
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As early as 8am we were up & about. First order of the day was the Ground Zero 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center. The 2 girls are so praning.. “Mommy make sure you don’t smile when you take a pic at the memorial ha? Mommy make sure you don’t take a selfie, it’s so disrespectful to the dead”. Anubah, it’s been more than a decade. Ang dami ngang turista na nagpapa-peechur, ok lang kayo?!
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One of the most distinct memories in the mind of the Americans, and the world, come from the images of the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks on the United States, on September 11, 2001. The cleanup and recovery process at the World Trade Center site took eight months, during which the remains of the other buildings were demolished. The World Trade Center complex was rebuilt over more than a decade. The site was rebuilt with six new skyscrapers, while a memorial to those killed in the attacks, a new rapid transit hub, and an elevated park rose from the ashes. One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 1,776 feet (541 m), is the lead building for the new complex, having been completed in November 2014.
The original World Trade Center was a large complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan, NYC. It featured the landmark Twin Towers, which opened on April 4, 1973 and were destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. At the time of their completion, the Twin Towers – the original 1 World Trade Center, at 1,368 feet (417 m); and 2 World Trade Center, at 1,362 feet (415.1 m) were the tallest buildings in the world. Other buildings in the complex included the Marriott World Trade Center (3 WTC), 4 WTC, 5 WTC, 6 WTC, and 7 WTC. The complex was located in New York City’s Financial District and contained 13,400,000 square feet (1,240,000 m2) of office space.
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We did a LOT of selfies & camwhoring at the graffiti areas nearby..
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The Downtown ‘Mural Project‘ can be seen in and around the 2WTC and 3WTC construction lots. It all started with a casual conversation between a gallery owner/artist rep Doug Smith, and a chief marketing officer of a formidable new building, Dara McQuillan to cover the front of the large steel sheds with color and their signature work -bringing to this solemn site a message for a hopeful future. CLICK HERE to read more about the rise of the street art at WTC.
And so the project began ~ Graffiti in the Sky would become a collaboration of sixty well-known street artists painting 34,000 square feet on the 69th floor of 4 World Trade Center, overlooking the 9/11 Memorial, that would eventually be leased to Spotify.
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After paying our respects to the victims of 9/11, we proceeded to the Grand Central Terminal for the Whispering Gallery. I had SUPER fun there. Syempre pa, landian blues kami ni Kap my Kap. 😛
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The Whispering Gallery. Look for the low ceramic arches featuring Guastavino tiles next to the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant. The arches create an acoustical phenomenon allowing you talk to a friend standing at the opposite corner. We had lotsa fun testing this out. 😉 And yes, it works, by the way. A whispering gallery is constructed in the form of a circular wall that allows whispered communication from any part of the internal side of the circumference to any other connecting part. The sound is carried by waves, known as whispering-gallery waves, that travel around the circumference clinging to the walls.
(Left) Do you know? Each of the chandelier on the photo at the Vanderbilt Hall weighs 2,500 lbs & glows with 132 bulbs surrounded by carved oak leaves? It’s a majestic sight to behold. I have a fascination with chandeliers & I couldn’t stop admiring them. <3
The Grand Central Terminal, a historic NYC landmark, is not only a transportation hub—it’s also a shopping, dining, and cultural destination with 60 shops, 35 places to eat, and a full calendar of events. Don’t forget that Grand Central’s many activities are all under one magnificent roof, making it an easy visit rain or shine. Grand Central Terminal is open daily from 5:30am to 2:00am.
The Main Concourse Ceiling. The zodiac ceiling in the massive, cathedral-like Main Concourse features 12 constellations painted in gold leaf plus 2,500 stars -59 of them illuminated by LEDs! This zodiac was painted backwards. No one knows for sure how the mix-up occurred, but Grand Central’s founder and benefactor Cornelius Vanderbilt claimed that it was no accident. The zodiac was intended to be viewed from a divine perspective rather than a human one, inside his temple to transportation.
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The boys wanted to watch a Knicks basketball game, so we rode the bus to Madison Square Garden. Kaso nung malaman ni Kap na $150 PER PERSON ang tiket, aba biglang umurong yung mama. Sa TV nalang daw sila manunuod. Hay naku Kap, ewan ko ba sayo. Sayang naman ang opportunity. Kelan ka ba babalik ng NY, aber?
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Madison Square Garden, also known as The Garden or in initials as MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City. The Garden is used for professional basketball and ice hockey, as well as boxing, concerts, ice shows, circuses, professional wrestling and other forms of sports and entertainment. The New York Knicks were playing that day. The New York Knickerbockers is an American professional basketball team based in the borough of Manhattan.
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We actually had a whole Sabrett hotdog sandwich each before leaving the house, but because of all the walking & the cold weather, sobra kaming ginutom so we had a quick meryenda at Serendipity Cafe midway which served as our late lunch.
Can I tell you? So-Much-Happiness in one place ahuhu. It looked like a unicorn barfed Christmas in the Cafe with all the trimmings hehe.
It’s really my kind of place. Hindi na umangal si Kap nung umorder ako ng Frozen Hot Chocolate. #YOLO – bahala na yung insulin sa blood sugar ko. 😛
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A trip to Serendipity was a most pleasant surprise. <3 Ate really did a good job with our US itinerary, she’s the perfect travel companion (well, that is if you don’t mind the possible loss of a limb, or an amputation of one foot -or both, lol)!
Serendipity’s OUTRAGEOUS Ice Cream Sundae ($24.95) is TO DIE FOR, literally. Extremely sweet, must be shared! On our table: Classic Nachos $13.95 & Chicken Basket $20.95
Serendipity 3, often written Serendipity III, is a restaurant located at 225 East 60th Street, between Second and Third avenues in New York City, founded by Stephen Bruce in 1954.
The restaurant has been the scene of several films, including the 2001 romantic comedy Serendipity.
Serendipity was named after the three legendary princes of the island once known as Serendip (now Sri Lanka).
“In ancient times there existed in the country of Serendippo, in the Far East, a great and powerful king by the name of Giaffer. He had three sons who were very dear to him.
And being a good father and very concerned about their education, he decided that he had to leave them endowed not only with great power, but also with all kinds of virtues of which princes are particularly in need.”
To read more about this legendary fairy tale, CLICK HERE.
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When I saw the Roosevelt Island Tramway on the web while I was looking for things to do in New York, I immediately asked Ate to make it a part of our itinerary. I know it’s a means of transportation to the native New Yorkers, BUT of course, walang ganyan sa ‘Pinas kaya I told the kids I just GOTTA get on the cable car kahit once man lang. Pinagbigyan naman nila ang promdi nilang ina hehe.
The 4 minute ride, which offers spectacular views to its passengers, costs a mere $2.25 each way ($4 for a round trip) and students with tram permits ride free.
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Hindi pa nagkasya si Linda Blair a.k.a. The Exorcist sa mga pinaggagagawa namin buong araw, dumerecho pa kami sa Central Park kahit na sarado yung museum.
Btw, I also requested a visit to the museum kasi nung napanood namin yung Night of the Museum, I didn’t know it was IN Central Park. Kaya the last time we were in NYC (9-10 years back), when Kap asked if I wanted to visit the park, I said no dahil nga maliliit pa yung mga bata.
Hirap lang ang aabutin namin. Anyway, since it was closed, we just went around the park (ang laki pala sobra, walanghya!) and headed to the Zoo to see the lion from Madagascar the movie.
My baby girl is such a dalaga now. I’ll love you forever Bae, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living my baby you’ll be. <3
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Kaso mo, may entrance fee pala ang pagpasok sa Zoo. Eh alam nyo namang allergic si Kap sa mga bayaran. Kaya biglang about-face kami, zomg. Ang layo ng inikot namin para lang umabot sa Zoo, tapos nganga lang pala. Kalurkey.
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Central Park is an urban park in Manhattan, New York City. It is the most visited urban park in the United States with 40 million visitors in 2013, and one of the most filmed locations in the world. In terms of area, Central Park is the fifth largest park in New York City, covering 843 acres (341 ha). The Central Park Zoo is a small 6.5-acre zoo located in Central Park.
Hindi man kami naka pasok sa Zoo, at hindi man namin nasilayan ang dakilang lion ng Madagascar, may malaking isda naman kaming namataan! 😉 Kap was happy to have a photo op taken with Jon Favreau! <3
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Bisitahin nalang nga si Miss Liberty! However, fully booked na pala hanggang January ang tours, kaya nagkasya nalang kami sa glimpse from afar. We just took the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty kahit malayuan man lang.
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The Staten Island Ferry operates between the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island and the Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan. The trip is about 25 minutes long. The Ferry ride is free. The boats run 24 hours a day. There’s always a crowd of tourists on deck taking photos as the boat passes the Statue of Liberty.
The last time we were in New York was 10 years ago. Would’ve been nice to say “HI” again to Ms. Liberty, but alas, it just wasn’t in the cards this trip. Maybe next time -after another 10 years. 😉
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Super pagoda na by the time we made the round trip ferry ride. Then ran to the bus like crazy to get dinner at Chinatown kasi alam nyo na, chinese food for the main man at baka mag-hurumentado pag burger at hotdog na naman ang pagkain. ;P
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Went home tired but belly happy, lalo na si Ate, kasi nga we were able to recover the lost days, hay. She will be the death of me yet! @_@
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Knock out ang pamilya GOppets on the subway ride home. At tatawa-tawa pa itong si Linda. Tuwang tuwa na pinagod kaming lahat! @_@
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Tomorrow, the day is reserved strictly for retail therapy daw. Kap & I gave the kids pocket money as Birthday & Christmas gifts & they are itching to spend it. Abangan ang madugong kabanata! Feel ko lalagnatin si Kap my Kap bukas. Asan ang tempra?
2 Comments
Love your travel posts. I was following these on your IG but the detailed ones on your blog are the best. Can’t wait for the SFO “misadventure”. I dread going to the city.
I am also a big fan of Jana’s organized travel itineraries❤️ Ang galing. Makes the trip super sulit!!!
April 11, 2019 at 1:03 pmThank you so much for appreciating, Nancy. <3 Yes, Jana makes the best itineraries haha.
April 11, 2019 at 1:14 pm