Like everyone else, I was desperately missing live music. It also happened to be my birthday weekend.. and I can’t think of a better way to spend my 32nd birthday than seeing Bruce Springsteen on Broadway, am I right?!
This was my third trip to the big apple. I stayed at Made Hotel, located in the NoMad neighborhood. I loved the vibe and was stoked about the insanely gorgeous bath tub. Literally booked this spot because they had travel size Davines shampoo/conditioner LOL.
My first stop was the Empire State Building which was way cooler than I expected it to be. A couple things I learned during my visit:
- the Empire State Building has its own zip code (10118)…. that’s how big this baby is.
- There are 102 floors
- The antenna gets struck by lightning nearly 25 times a year
- Construction was completed in 410 days.. THAT’S INSANE! The building opened in May of 1931.
My favorite travel findings usually involve libraries, spiral staircases and waterfalls- the three things that truly excite me! For this reason, the Morgan Library and Museum as well as the New York Public Library (Main Branch) were a must see. Mr. Morgans Library left me speechless!
The Rose Reading Room inside the New York Public Library is open to the public for research and studying, however, if you just want to check it out, you’ll need to do a guided tour. The tour is free but you must go with the group. The room is incredible. The ceiling is painted with clouds above.
Although I didn’t purchase anything, I enjoyed popping into Flight Club to check out their sneaker selection. There are two gigantic rooms with walls covered in shoes. Definitely didn’t disappoint.
Now the real anticipation…the John Wick building!! The movies actually used two different buildings to create The Continental. Exterior shots of the building were taken at The Beaver Building (1 Wall St Court). The interior was filmed within Delmonico’s (56 Beaver St).
I really wanted to see the DUMBO (Down Under The Manhattan Bridge Overpass) neighborhood as I heard good things. Cobblestone streets, murals on the buildings, cute and tiny restaurants etc. It had a good vibe. People from all over flock to the intersection of Water Street and Washington Street for a photo op with the Manhattan Bridge in the background. It really is a great photo but TONS of people are there with the same motive. So if you want a picture without the crowd, venture down closer to the bridge.
I’ll end with my first Bruce Springsteen experience! The boss opened up with “Growin’ Up”- one of my FAVORITES! He talks just as much as he plays but his stories are interesting and tie together throughout the show. I would love to see him with a full band. I left the show on a high and went to bed with a belly full of Joe’s Pizza. Now that is a good night!
