midtown memories { nyc // day three }

Finally a sunny day in the city! Perfect timing for a busy itinerary in midtown. As Washingtonians, we weren't too slowed down by the rain the past two days, but it felt so great to not worry about getting poured on while trying to explore some of the quintesential NYC spots.

In order to have a true NYC day, one must start with a good breakfast before hustling and bustling to the New York minute. And we decided to pick Le Pain Quotidien, an adorable boulangerie chain.

I ordered a waffle with fresh berries and a soft-boiled eggs with English breakfast tea. It sounds simple, but it was so delicious and prepared so elegantly. I felt like I was in Paris!

Le Pain was located directly across from Bryant Park and less than a block from the New York Public Library, so we were ready to start our adventure right away.

The New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the U.S. (Library of Congress is the largest). It is known for the beautiful reading room, where you have to balance getting lost in a good book with getting lost in the museum-worthy framed ceiling artwork.

 

 

 

We goofed off a bit in the library and then headed several blocks east to peer into the iconic Grand Central Terminal on 42nd and Park Ave. Known to many as the world's loveliest station, Grand Central is the sixth most visited tourist attraction.

 

We soon headed north to the Rockefeller Plaza and reserved tickets to the Top of the Rock Observatory. We then headed south-east to Times Sqaure and waited for about an hour in the TKTS Booth to grab discount tickets to a Broadway show. We nabbed Phantom of the Opera tickets at 20% off, then headed back up to the Rockefeller.

I could try to concoct a  series of adjectives in an attempt to describe the NYC skyline from Top of the Rock, but I would fall dismally short. So instead, I'll just overwhelm you all with the photos and let them explain themselves.

See what I mean? Yeah, I thought so.

By now we were exhausted from miles of walking and our feet were paying the price. We headed back to our apartment, changed, and then headed to a nearby salon to get a pedicure and foot massage. This was definitely on my neatly-prepared itinerary, but I am so glad the girls were spontaneous and thought of the idea. It was definitely   much needed and appreciated. We ended up finding out that this was a salon that the Kardashians frequent on their trips to the city.

By now we were rested, dolled up, and ready for a show. It did not disappoint!  I have read the book, watched a high school  theater production, and watched the movie, so I thought I knew the story, but Phantom of the Opera on Broadway was a whole new experience. The actors were amazing, the choreography was so fluid and natural, I would forget that I was not being transported to the original Paris Opera House.

Since we were in Times Square for the show, we decided to grab a later dinner after the show and enjoy the City That Never Sleeps at its finest. What we were not prepared for, however, was how expensive all the restaurants were. We settled for a chain restaurant that we will go unnamed because we were all so embarrassed that we had to resort to a chain restaurant since it was now past midnight. But the appetizers were double what they are at home!

By the end of the night, we were exhausted, but we had an amazing day!