Travel: New York City - Upper West Side

Itinerary:

• Day 1: LAX >> SFO >> JFK. I arrived in New York City before C did. I didn't know at first that the Empire Hotel had a super trendy bar on top, and so I didn't understand why there was a long line of beautiful people standing outside in the cold waiting to get into the hotel. It turns out that the TV show Gossip Girl also takes place there, thereby increasing the hotel's popularity. Seeing as how I arrived at about 11PM to the room, I took the time to walk around and buy necessary supplies (water, food, etc.) before C joined me. As I was looking through the room's mini bar, I noticed that they provided a travel-sized sex kit. I'd never seen a hotel offer anything like it and was amused by the condoms and manual vibrator they offered inside it. C later arrived several hours later, having gotten lost on the subway, thereby forcing him to take a taxi. We later figured out that he got disoriented because the hotel turns off its enormous, red sign after a certain late hour. We spent the rest of the evening/early morning catching up.
• Day 2: After breakfast at a nearby Starbucks, because of our proximity to Central Park, we decided to see the skating rink, the Mall and Literary Walk, the lake, the Great Lawn, and the Bethesda fountain and terrace. We then went to see the Frick Collection followed by a late lunch in Lenox Hill. It was Halloween that evening and we went downtown to see the parade via Grand Central Station. Unfortunately, it started to rain and the crowds became mob-like. We escaped to the Blue Water Grill in Union Square and had drinks instead.
• Day 3: We woke up to go to Battery Park, Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island the next morning. That evening, we had dinner in Times Square and went see Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre. After the show, we decided to see what all the fuss was about with regard to the hotel's rooftop bar. Not only was it the most expensive bar of the trip, it was also the warmest :).

• Day 4: C had to work in the daytime, so, I decided to explore the northern part of Central Park including Belvedere Castle, Ramble Stone Arch, and the reservoir. I met up with C after his work and we had dinner in Greenwich at the Grand Trattoria. We checked out the Washington Square Arch and surrounding area, ultimately having drinks near NYU before heading back.
• Day 5: Flew back JFK >> LAX, in time for my photography class.