New York City Recap: Days 3 & 4

Final New York City Recap you guys!

I bet you’re really going to miss them when they’re gone.

If you read my last recap, then you know we started out our trip by eating all the food. And, surprise, that really was my favorite day.

Our second day, my friend Whitney and I went over to Central Park and just walked around for a while (and I had a good cry because I was missing Kit at that point).

We had the obligatory Shake Shack for lunch… obligatory, but delicious!

We tossed around the idea of going to Ellis Island, but ended up meeting up with our friend Steph and…

wait for it…

We did a double decker bus! It was so incredibly touristy, but it was so fun! Especially because it was fantastic for taking photos. We took it all around town and then got off near the Brooklyn Bridge where we met up with my sister.

We took a leisurely stroll across the bridge and found a cute little pizza place called Best Pizza in Brooklyn where we had dinner.

After dinner we headed back to Times Square and had drinks at the Sky Room in the Fairfield Inn & Suites. That was pretty fab folks. Wildly overpriced, but the view was stunning! Totally worth it.

Now we get to the point in the trip where it all kind of went wrong. So…

My sister had gone home early from the Sky Room and I was planning on staying the night with her. So we headed back to my friend Steph’s apartment where I gathered all of my stuff and then left to take the Subway up to Harlem where my sister lives. This was around 11:30 at night so I texted Kristin to let her know I’d be there around 12:30 or 1:00 depending on the trains.

Well…

The train I needed wasn’t running the full route that night. So the nice little route I had planned out came to a screeching halt (not literally).

Now before we go any further, I need to say that I am terrible with directions. I mean… for real. Ask David, ask any of my friends, they will tell you. I don’t know why, I just am.

So when I overheard a conversation next to me saying, “oh we’ll just take this train instead to get to Times Square” (which is where I needed to go to connect to the Harlem bound train), I just decided to take their word for it and followed suit.

Bad idea folks. I mean… terrible idea. I should have looked at a map to confirm, but I didn’t.

Rookie mistake.

I hopped on the train assuming I had found a neat little workaround to my problem and almost immediately realized the error of my ways.

The train I had gotten on was running as an express. The very first stop that it ended at was pretty darn close to Coney Island, which was in the exact opposite direction that I wanted to be in.

To make matters even worse, somewhere on that train ride my phone died.

ALL THE CURSE WORDS.

So I finally got off at some sketch station near Coney Island and I was kind of panicking.

First, because it’s close to 1:00 and I’m at least an hour away from Harlem. Second, I can’t call my sister to tell her what happened.

So I found a subway map, and I tried to make sure the train I thought I should get on was the right one, when a very wasted young man approached me.

The following conversation ensued:

Drunk man: “Do you know where I am?”

Me: “No, I’m not from around here, but I think we’re close to Coney Island.”

DM: “What?! That’s not where I want to be. How are we going to get home?”

Me: “I don’t know how you are, but I think I need to take this train to get to Harlem. I wish I could call my sister to confirm, but my phone died.”

DM: “OOH, OOH, use mine! Then you can ask her how I can get home!”

Me: “Okay… thanks! Although I’m not sure she can help you. Where are you trying to get to?”

DM: “That’s a really good question.”

Me: “Hmm… that is a good question!”

So he handed over his phone (bless him!) and I called Kristin to let her know I’m safe. Unfortunately, because I couldn’t tell her exactly where I was she couldn’t confirm I had the right train.

Fortunately, I already had my eyes on a kind looking older man who I had a feeling would be willing to help.

I handed the phone back to the drunk man:

Me: “Thank you so much!”

DM: “Did she tell you how I can get home??”

Poor, sloshed man. I led him over to the kind looking old man (who was, in fact, very kind) and asked for directions while also depositing said drunk man at the mercy of this elderly gent.

When it was all said and done, I got to my sister’s apartment around 3:00. I don’t think I’ve been up that late since college and I was actually physically shaking from exhaustion and adrenaline.

But you know what? I like to view these things as a learning experience… and a chance to tell a good story!

No harm, no foul right?!

As you can imagine, day three got off to a late start. Whitney and I took the ferry out to Ellis Island and we walked around the museum. Such a fun thing to do!

Afterwards we parted ways and I met up with my sister at the Guggenheim and then we had dinner at her place. Much more low key, but very much needed after the crazy day before! And that was the end of my trip!

We caught an early flight the next day and I cried when I saw Kit and David (because I really am such a homebody). Kit acted shy, but kept giving me hugs and kisses which really is the best thing in the entire world.

Oh and in case you were wondering, I definitely took an Uber from my sister’s place to Steph’s place.

Until next time,