Note: This is Part 2 of a two-part post about visiting New York City. Part 1 is about how to do a one-day trip to New York City, and Part 2 is about my experiences going into New York City for the day.
As I approached this one-day adventure into New York City, I knew I had to be selective when tasting the Big Apple. I can’t possibly eat or digest the whole Big Apple in one day, and not even over the course of decades.
So I decided to taste some of the more common locations: Central Park, the High Line and the Brooklyn Bridge. I haven’t seen a lot of New York City, and I had only been in Central Park before out of those three locations. Was my visit a delightful fresh treat or store-packaged day old produce? Continue onward to discover my results!
Arriving in New York City and Heading to Central Park
I arrived by train in New York City late in the morning at Grand Central Station, excited to be in New York City for the first time in several years. As I approached Central Park, this statue honoring General Sherman greeted me at the southeast entrance to the park.
Sherman served as general in the Union Army during the Civil War (1861-1865), but he also lived in New York after the Civil War. The statue recently received a renovation, including a new gold leaf coating, in 2015.
I didn’t spend a long time in Central Park for a few reasons. One–the park is more than 800 acres, stretching from 59th Street to 110th Street. Two–it started to rain, so that put a damper on walking in the park. Three–lunchtime came quickly, so after deliberating for several minutes, I headed over to an Italian pizzeria and restaurant close to the park.
Lunch at Serafina Always
Arriving at Serafina Always, I noticed it was quite packed, which is a good sign that its customers like the food. The letters “L-O-V-E” spanned several feet across one of the side brick walls. The restaurant is not particularly spacious, but it’s certainly decorative.
I ordered this pizza, the Primavera I believe, which contains several seasonal vegetables (+1 for health!), including zucchini, onions, olives and diced tomatoes.
The size was just right for lunch. What I enjoyed the most about the meal was the cappuccino. So delicious!
Taking the High Road to the High Line
After lunch, I strolled to the High Line, a park redeveloped on an old elevated rail line on the Lower West Side of Manhattan. It is certainly the tourist attraction, as I encountered dozens of people walking the green-laden boardwalk.
I was surprised, though, that there weren’t more flowers on the High Line. Certainly, the trees, grasses and green plants make their presence known in large numbers, but I thought there would be more colorful plants.
Despite these misplaced expectations, I enjoyed certain parts of the High Line, including the “Love” garden, and this tree-laden terrace patio.
This area was a great place to rest, enjoy the tree presence, and sit upon terraced benches watching street traffic.
I entered the High Line on the Spur entrance at 30th St. and 10th Avenue. This intricately-detailed monumental art greets you upon climbing the stairs to the area dubbed the “Plinth.”
I didn’t know the layout of the High Line quite that well when I first entered the elevated park. So I found myself wandering about and almost retraced my steps back to the Plinth, thinking I was traversing a new part of the High Line. Whoops!
Another highlight of the High Line are the three “Love” sculptures, with the word “Love” standing in Spanish, English, and Hebrew.
It started to rain about halfway through my walk on the High Line. Fortunately I was under cover where several art, food, and drink shops stand for tourists in need of a respite. Once the rain stopped, I proceeded to the end of the High Line next to the Whitney Museum of American Art.
The Brooklyn “Bae” Bridge & Lady Liberty 😘
After finishing my trek on the High Line, and walking aimlessly around Lower Manhattan, I reached the climax of my New York City visit: walking the Brooklyn Bridge. Yes, the Brooklyn “Bae” Bridge is my new-found love.
The views on the Brooklyn Bridge were A-mazing. I loved taking pictures and here are some of my results below.
Brooklyn View 
Manhattan Skyline 
Manhattan Bridge 
Manhattan View 
Ellis Island and
Lady Liberty
One World Trade Center
The Brooklyn Bridge made me feel brand new as I journeyed a mile over the East River. Excitement flooded my veins and joy grew in my heart. If you were following my Instagram stories (@trippingthrutheusa), you may have noticed an uptick in energy. While I can’t play “Gangnam Style” over this video on WordPress, imagine it as you watch this Instagram story.
Sushi at Grand Central and
The Taste Test Assessment
After that thrilling Brooklyn Bridge promenade, I took the Express train to Grand Central Station and ate dinner. I devoured delicious sushi at Shiro of Japan (Shiro is my hero!), snagged a bagel from Zaro’s Family Bakery and headed home.
What a wonderful whirlwind tour of some major sights in New York City! I’m so glad I got to adventure into the city! I’m thankful for the time I got to explore, learn how to navigate the subway, and see such amazing views.
As for my taste test assessment, this one-day tasting of the Big Apple was ripe, delightful to eat, and life-giving!
Let’s hear it for New York, New York!
In my next post, I write about tasting Korean BBQ for the first time with a college friend.