Christmas in New York
Typically I am the one in the family that never wants to travel for Christmas. I like to stick to traditions. My mom cooks and brings majority of the food by my aunt, we do family kris kringle, eat, drink, and end the night with the good ole fashion game of UNO or Taboo. But after visiting my great aunt in September at her apartment in New York, I convinced the family that we should spend Christmas with her. Most of my family agreed and I planned the trip from there.
We flew through one of my favorite airlines, Delta and the tickets weren’t as outrageous as I thought they would be. We got to the Louis Armstrong airport at 5:00am on Friday. The airport has had a major face lift. I’m glad we are getting with the program of nice airports.
It was my little brother’s birthday so I booked us dinner reservations at Sons of Essex . What he didn’t know is that I booked him the birthday parade. Which included champagne, sparklers, a birthday sign, and a large sundae big enough to feed 6! The food was mediocre but the vibe, music, and customer services was amazing. I heard they had a bomb brunch so I definitely will be visiting again.
On Saturday I linked up with Shaq my photographer to get a few photos. He’s from New York and when I found out he would be there while I was there I was excited!! We got some great photos near Rockefeller Center. The Saks Fifth Avenue is dreamy.
Next we were hungry. I suggested my old faithful Chocolat in Harlem. It’s a black-owned restaurant with Red Velvet pancakes that will make you slap yo momma. I’m not that brave but you get the point. My cousin challenged me in a mimosa drinking challenge and ya’ll already know how that went down…”The Champ is Here”! The restaurant has bottomless for $20…don’t forget to drink your minimum of 6 to get your money’s worth…haha!
We explored Harlem a little more by shopping, going to see the Apollo theater, and visiting Black Ink. That was also our last day taking an uber. Ubers are very expensive especially when you have a large group. It was time to thug it out with the Subways. It wasn’t so much the condition of the Subways I was worried about…it was the getting lost aspect but with my maps app I was able to conquer the world! *inserts evil villain laugh*
Sunday we caught the train to Black Tap in Soho. They are known for their delicious burgers and over the top milkshakes! I ordered the Texan Burger which was a prime burger with bacon, aged cheddar, a crispy onion ring, sweet baby rays bbq, and mayo. It was one of the best burgers I ever had. For dessert I got the Oreo Milkshake! Add this one to your list of places to visit!
Monday was the day I looked forward to the most! Museum of Ice Cream time!!! When we first arrived there was a line and coat check. I was extra happy to see the coat check. The staff had the perfectly bubbly personalities. When you arrive to the very first station, you are instructed to create your own ice cream name. There is also a wall of inspiration to help you out. I was Caramel Delight! They take about 15 people at a time into a room to explain the process and get you pumped up. The first room featured ice cream called Churro Churro. Omg ya’ll is was so good…my god-baby almost ate the cup too..haha. We went on for more ice cream tastings, cake pops, and a host of photo opportunities. I even slid down a slide to get to the next floor. Don’t worry there are elevators for the less adventurous people. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, however it was waaayyy too many people, especially kids lol. Considering we went a week after the opening that was expected. It’s definitely something kid friendly that you can do in New York.
The sprinkle pit was super cute but don’t you dare jump in because they are hard. lol
After the museum we went to America’s first pizzeria, Lombardi’s. The pizza was delicious, however it’s hella expensive. $30 for a pizza the size of a small. Oh and they only take cash, definitely old school.
My mom, brother, and I went on to Times Square where we saw the lights, watched street performers and my brother made me eat a hot dog off the street with him...he said “if I die…you die too”!
On Christmas Eve we returned back to Rockefeller Center for the Christmas Tree viewing and Ice Skating. My cousin and her daughter were the only two to ice skate as I am too old to be breaking these bones. I did get a few giggles watching others fall though. It was super fun but very crowded with tourist and cold.
On Christmas Day we visited Morton’s Steak House. This was my first time eating out at a restaurant on Christmas. I started with the Lobster Bisque, then ordered the special which was the Filet Mignon topped with Lobster Meat. The sides were Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus, and Creamed Spinach. Also I couldn’t leave without dessert. Their New York Style Cheesecake is the bomb! It was nice to just show up and not have to do anything. I did however feel a little bad for the people who had to work on Christmas. The good thing is, the restaurant didn’t open until 2pm so hopefully the staff got to spend the morning with their families. The food was delicious and service was exceptional. They even followed up the day after to see how our experience was.
It was definitely a great idea to end the year with a family vacation for Christmas. How was your Christmas? Let me know in the comments below!