Day Trip #3 -- The Brooklyn Bridge and more of NYC

We had a busy Saturday!!!

We took the train from New Canaan to Grand Central.

Then took the subway to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Then we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and enjoyed the great skylines of both Manhattan and Brooklyn.

We went to a pizza place in Brooklyn called Grimaldi's (which was quite good) and then walked back across the bridge. (Adam and Madelyn napped in the stroller for the walk back).

Then we took the subway to the southern tip of Manhattan and took the Staten Island Ferry. It was a nice ride. We then walked through the financial district where we saw the stock exchange, federal hall, Trinity church, wall street and more.

We raced back to the subway to go to Grand Central and catch the 5:07 train home. It was a fun day. Our plan was to go home, eat dinner and watch National Treasure.


BUT, our plans didn't quite work out. As we walked into Grand Central to check the monitors to find out which track our train would be on, it became apparent that something was wrong. ALL of the trains on the New Haven line showed DELAYED on the board. I checked my email (because they send me updates) to find that all the wires at the Greenwhich station were ripped down and that the New Haven line is closed for repairs.

Apparently the heat had been so bad the previous week that it causes the wires to droop and one of the trains hooks had caught all of them.

We knew we had a long wait ahead, but we were quite frankly tired (we had easily walked 8 miles so far). We just needed somewhere to go and wait -- so we went to a movie "Despicable me.". That was just what we needed -- a cool place, with chairs, to sit and wait (and it didn't hurt that we could laugh a lot while we waited!).

When the movie was over, I had just gotten a notification that a limited shuttle train would be running. So we raced (literally) back to Grand Central where we found nothing but chaos. Trent was waiting in line to try and get information when he heard via a security guards walkie talkie that a diesel train (one that doesn't need the electrical wires) was pulling onto track 112 and would be leaving soon for Stamford. We ran to track 112. Got on and within 5 minutes the train pulled away. (Grand Central never even made an announcement about this train). We left at 8:45 p.m. But the train went excrutiatingly slow and it stopped in New Rochelle, where we had to get off and wait for another diesel train. (apparently 1 other train had left grand central about 40 minutes before us) and all the passengers from both trains were waiting on the platform in New Rochelle. Finally another train came and we CRAMMED on board and made our way to Stamford. We hopped off the Stamford train looking for the train to New Canaan (which normally would have left about 2 minutes previously) but we hoped that they would have the sense to wait for us (given that we were the first train load of people from NYC in 6 hours), but NO!!!!! the train left on time 2 minutes before we got there. Which meant we now had an hour to wait for the next train.

To say we were getting frustrated is an understatement.

It was now 10:30. The next train wasn't going to come until 11:00. The station employees (rather than doing their jobs) were just standing around. I finally couldn't stand it and complained a little to them. They were less than helpful. When we asked why they didn't have the New Canaan Train wait, they said that choice was up to the conductor on that train.

Finally the New Canaan train arrived. Trent let the conductor know that he should have waited. The conductor gave us this big long lecture about staying on time. He was less than helpful. BUT then in a shocking new developement, when he heard that the 3rd train from NYC was coming soon, he now decided to wait for them.

We got home a little after 1 am. We were tired. We were hungry. We may never ride the trains again. Usually they are so convenient and easy, but NOT THAT DAY!!!!!!!!

The second big adventure with Melissa

After recovering on Friday from our big city adventure on Thursday, we all (Trent, too!) headed back for more fun in the city on Saturday! This time is was blue skies (thankfully) but the high was only 25. IT WAS COLD! We bundled up and didn't let the temperature keep us down!

The only thing the pictures don't do justice too is how crowded and really unimpresive Rockefeller Center is. If we were to do that over, we probably would just skip it!

The American Museum of Natural History

We headed back into the city on Saturday to go to the American museum of Natural History. Every tour guide will tell you that this is a must see. And they were right, it was awesome. Here are just a few things that might interest you.

• There are over 34 million things on exhibit.
• It is the largest museum in the world and is housed in 25 buildings and 45 exhibition halls
• It is where Night at the Museum was filmed and many of the exhibits and items in the movie are found there (that was my kids favorite part -- finding the things in the movie)

We got there around 10 am and left at 3 pm and we saw tons. It is really a nicely kept museum -- everything seemed new and recently done. Definately worth doing!

A Day in the City with my Sister Carrie

The first day trip to NYC -- August 9, 2008

The License plate game

While stuck in traffic for about 25 minutes, I started taking pictures of license plates to see how many we could get. I missed several (including Texas), but there are certainly a lot of people vacationing in New York

The rest of the trip

I won't bore you all with the tons of other houses we saw. In summary, there are 2 houses that are "back up" plans. They are in upper saddle river New Jersey. They are both beautiful and big. The funniest thing we saw was a nice home with a bidet in the powder half-bath right off the entryway to the house. I guess they really want their guests to feel comfortable. (they also had one in the master bath -- but Wow, the half bath???? pretty crazy !) Here are the other highlights.

The First Day in the greater NY area!

Home for Rent

We will be renting our home for three years while we are in NY. Any takers?????

My Friday Adventure

The other thing about our trip is that we did not have the "eyes of a tourist" we had the eyes of a family of 7 who needs to find a place to live. I think that makes a big difference in a trip. Things that were shiny and glitzy are fun to see when on vacation but when househunting it kind of leaves you looking for something more. So on Friday morning, Trent went into the office and I headed out. First, I walked to the Gershwin Theater and got there at 9 am. I wanted to see if there were any tickets available for wicked. The box office did not open until 10 so I walked around and called and checked on the kids. I was first in line and was told that the only seats left that night were single tickets for 125 dollars. No, thank you. 250 bucks and we don't even sit by eachother???? But I did notice the sign about the ticket lottery. It said that 2 1/2 hours before each show, you may enter into a lottery for 28 front row tickets for $26.25 each. Then I went and got a subway map, took the Q line to 42nd street and the 7 to grand central, bought a round trip ticket on the metro north rails 10:35 local and headed to Stamford CT.

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At the stamford station (1 hour and 15 minutes later) (the express train is quicker, only 46 minutes), I picked up this beauty of a rental car. I also got a garmin GPS navigational system and headed out. I drove to the 2 church buildings (Stamford and New Canaan) and the neighborhoods around each and to all of the schools that were ranked 10 out of 10 on greatschools.net in New Canaan, Darien, Stamford and Wilton). Things are VERY, VERY different there than I am used to in Texas. First, if there are any fences they are rock and look like they have been there for a hundred years. Second there is no sense of a neighborhood like I am used to. No central parks, green belts, bike trails, no sidewalks for that matter. The majority of houses are old, old, old. Here are 2 that I thought were cute. One is very, very tiny, but I probably could afford and one is huge and I can't afford it.

But the vast majority of homes, I did not care much for. Here are some other interesting things.

1. The ground is mostly rock (thus the rock fences). But it means that they don't have water lines, sewer lines, or gas lines. Each home is its own little island. In reality that means each home is on well water, each home has a septic tank (which I have learned means you CANNOT have a garbage disposal), and each home has a heating oil tank of 300-400 gallons that must be filled by a oil delivery man after you have negotiated a contract and rate.

2. The current price for heating oil is $3.57 a gallon (excluding delivery charges) and the 2 families of 4 kids we spoke with have their 400 gallon tanks filled every 2 weeks in the winter 7 months and once a month in the spring summer and fall. The delivery charges range, but they said each delivery was about 200 bucks. OUCH!!!!!! So, for all of you Houstonians complaining about your 300-400 dollar summer electric bill, just keep in mind that in New England people can pay 1500 dollars a month or more on Heating. CRAZY huh?

3. Since we are looking at rentals, I have figured we can afford a home that is about 2400 square feet. (mind you, it is well, well, more a month -- nearly double our current mortgage on a 4000 square foot home. )

4. The schools in the suburbs are good, really good.

5. Since each home is on an acre or more, the driveways are long. Most people have them plowed in the winter, because if you are a commuter racing to the train to catch the 5:55 am express to grand central you don't want to shovel a 1/4 mile driveway of snow starting at 4 am. Some landlords include snow removal in the rent, but if they don't it is about $45 each time.

6. A monthly train pass is about $260-300 depending on what station you go to.

My little excursion out to the suburbs was EYE-OPENING! How people live there, I don't really understand. It seems kind of antiquated and yet, the people love it. The families we met were awesome.

Our little adventure there is for only 3 years and I am sure we will learn a ton and meet so many new people, but I think I will be glad to come back to Houston.

All this info made us start to wonder about just living in an apartment on Manhattan -- so we have been gathering info about that too. I'll share it with you another day.

I caught the train back in to Grand Central, and met up with Trent and we went and tried the Wicked ticket lottery. We did not get picked. So we had dinner, wandered, explored, breathed in more 2nd hand smoke than our entire previous lifetime combined, and headed back to hotel around 11pm exhausted.

Times Square

Trent and I went to New York for an office visit / exploratory trip this past weekend. Trent had never been before, and although I went for a couple of days when I was 18 I don't remember how to get anywhere and things have changed a lot in 14 years. So we were New York rookies. The Ernst and Young office is located in the heart of times square. In case you can't find the address, the huge Neon lights that say "Ernst & Young" can help you find your way to work. We stayed at a hotel in Times square and had many opportunities to walk through it and all I can say is WOW! Where do all the people come from? Wow, could you put any more electric screens and billboards anywhere?

This picture was taken in the early morning so you will notice the throngs of people are not there. But let me guarantee you that by 7 pm well past midnight it is standing room only. So many street vendors, so many people, so many, so many, so many . . . you just have to see it to believe it. (Oh and as far as I could tell, Thursday night was just as busy as Friday or Saturday night. There are so many things to see that you cannot even notice every sign, like this for example. . .

Why did it take us 2 days to notice the coldstone creamery directly across from our hotel entrance? Ice cream . . . that is something I usually notice any time, any where . . . but not in times square.

New York, New York

Start spreading the news
We leave in July (probably)
We want to be a part of it,
New York, New York
This family of almost 7
Is longing to stray
And make a brand new start of it
New York, New York
We want to sleep through the night in the city that never sleeps
To find we're king of the hill, top of the heap

These little town blues (cuz you know how small Houston is)
Are melting away
We'll make a brand new start of it
In old New York
If we can make it there
We'll make it anywhere
It's up to you, New York, New York.