New York City! The low-down on everything that went down...

So...I finally had a proper NYC trip last week. Before then, I had only been to NY for a day trip via NJ. I loved the big city. There's SO much going on and everything is concentrated on one island. Like I said in my previous post, I started the trip out completely clueless. I had only seen 5th ave, the Guggenheim, and some of Central Park during a prior trip...I had no idea what the other areas, like SoHo, Greenwich Village, and Chelsea were like...and frankly, the size of NYC scared me. During the span of 5 days, I learned the city, the subway system, and most of the areas/neighborhoods (I love maps). There was even a time when I was thinking of how cool it would be to live in New York. Through the course of the trip, however, I came to realise that my very own Chicago has everything I need to be a happy city girl. So here's the complete rundown of everything that went down in Manhattan. :)

Day 1, Saturday, August 2: See below
Day 2, Sunday, August 3: Dad's day.
-Franklin Square, NY, where my dad grew up.
-First we went to the house he grew up in. We even knocked on the door and the current resident talked to us and let us check out the backyard. This was especially cool for my dad, who recalled his father BBQing on the back patio. The house was in great shape and the neighborhood looked like good people lived there...everyone's house was maintained and cute.
-We stopped at my dad's grade school, church, grandparent's house, and ate lunch at a diner he used to frequent (best chicken parm open-faced sandwich ever!).
-Before heading back to the city we picked up some Italian pastries...mmm. AND a black & white cookie (Seinfield style)
-Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where my grandma grew up.
-Financial District.
-Pace University, where my dad went to college.
-City Hall
-Brooklyn Bridge
-Chinatown. Very busy streets! Lots of sidewalk vendors selling fake designer bags. Wonderful old Chinese lettering, signs, restaurants, and grocery stores. It was cool to see all the culture, but because of the amount of people...it wasn't my favorite spot.
-SoHo/NoLita. Loved SoHo!! So many cute, inexpensive boutiques. Young, hip area. Bought some cute earrings and a b-day gift for Olivia from a street vendor. Got a shirt for Tim at the The Market.
-Little Italy. Back to our roots. :) The smell of Italian food wafted through the air. We saw the apartment complex our grandpa grew up in. Very narrow streets. Looks like it would be fun at night. Lots of green and red lights.
-Greenwich Village. Checked out the NYU campus and Washington Square. Very hip, film student type of vibe. Washington Square Park was teeming with artists and college students. The Washington Square arch was under construction, but gave the area a European feel.
Day 3, Monday, August 4:
-Circle Line. Took a 3 hour cruise around the entire island. Great views of the Statue of Liberty! Also got up close with the new waterfalls under the bridges. Some foreigners behind us talked the whole time. My dad and I had to tell them to be quiet...it didn't really work.
-Times Square. Talk about over-whelming!! Ate some delicious BBQ. Walked over to 42nd Street and Macy's...did more shopping.
-Madison Square Garden/Garment District/Fashion Ave. Fabric everywhere! Looked for Mood, couldn't find it. Also...no Tim Gunn
-Bryant Park. No Tim Gunn or Heidi Klum. Big beautiful park. Looked like there was a film festival going on.
-NYC Public Library. Desperately needed some AC. Got to see the old fashioned green lamps. :)
-St. Patrick's Cathedral. Stunning! Lots of pics of that to come! Plus, this is where my mom's graduation ceremony was. She pointed out where she sat. :)
-30 Rock!/Radio City Music Hall. No sighting of Tina Fey.
Day 4, Tuesday, August 5:
-Seinfeld Restaurant, aka Tom's Restaurant. Had lunch at the famous Restaurant in Morningside Heights (Jerry's hood). The food was not great. The inside of the restaurant looked different than on the show.
-Central Park. Walked the entire east-side of Central Park from 110th to 60th. Was surprised at the terrain of the park. Had everything from lakes, to parks, to rocks, to English Gardens. Very cool.
-Museum of the City of New York. Dad checked it out while the rest of us continued walking.
-Guggenheim Museum. The big spiral building. Stopped in to get some AC. Bought a cool print from a street vendor.
-Metropolitan Museum of Art. Stopped in for more air. Beautiful ornate museum.
-Children's Zoo. Saw the polar bear from a distance. We were too tired to walk the zoo.
-Little Italy. Went back for dinner and a stroll down the main street.
-Lower East Side nightlife. Meet up with my friend Matt for some drinks. Got to check out the lower east side, NY's equivalent to Wicker Park. Checked out a cool rooftop bar (Fat Baby?), then hit up the Living Room.
Day 5, Wednesday, August 6:
-Strawberry Fields. Headed back to Central Park to explore some of the west-side. Saw Strawberry Fields and the hotel where Lennon was shot, The Dakota.
-Carnegie Hall.
-Rockefeller Center/NBC Tour. Got to go behind the scenes at MSNBC and the Today Show.
-New York Style Pizza. Had to get some before we left. So gooood! (I like deep-dish better)
Day 6, Thursday, August 7:
-Home sweet home.

For my next trip...I'd like to spend more time in Greenwich Village and SoHo. I would also like to check out Chelsea and the Meatpacking District...plus Williamsburg and more of Brooklyn.