Treat of the Day: 10 Below Ice Cream in Chinatown

When I heard about the new ice cream place called 10 Below in Chinatown, where they made the ice cream in front of you in two minutes, I knew we had to go. Soon! I saw these pictures of ice cream rolls with cute toppings and it was a done deal. So I told my kids that we were going into the city to get ice cream, and they thought I was nuts. Sure, we eat ice cream. A fair amount of ice cream. But planning a trip to New York City just to eat ice cream? Well, we added in a few other things on the itinerary too, but planned to get there on the early side (and on a weekday before school started) to avoid the lines.

10below1
Don’t come to 10 Below if you’re in a hurry. You’ll have to wait no matter what time you come.

Continue reading “Treat of the Day: 10 Below Ice Cream in Chinatown”

Helpful Tips for First-Time New York Travelers

This post is written and brought to you by Estapermits.org, a professional U.S. consular service provider.

People from around the world visit New York for so many different reasons—and all reasons are valid because NYC is indeed a place worth visiting at least once in a lifetime.

If you are travelling to the Big Apple for the first time, you’re in for what may be one of the best travel experiences you’ll ever have, so make sure that you make the most out of your stay.

There will be a few challenges though, because New York City is huge. Manhattan itself is large, and throwing the other four boroughs into your itinerary would require at least a few years to get in their nooks.  Continue reading “Helpful Tips for First-Time New York Travelers”

Review: One World Observatory

To be honest, I was a little nervous to go to the top of One World Trade Center. I wasn’t in the East Coast on September 11, 2001 but it’s impossible not to think about what a target this building is, and how high I would be, trapped if something similar happened. Okay, getting the creepy feelings out of the way early!

One World Observatory opened to the public in late May, 2015. The building opened to tenants the previous November.

world trade center 2
Looking up the One World Trade Center building. Photo by Deborah Abrams Kaplan

The entrance to One World Observatory is on Continue reading “Review: One World Observatory”

Review: Something Rotten – appropriate for kids?

You don’t have to be a Broadway junkie or know Shakespeare’s plays by heart to enjoy Something Rotten, but you’ll get more out of it if you do.

Something Rotten on Broadway
Something Rotten on Broadway

Is Something Rotten appropriate for kids? More on that later. First, a little background. This musical comedy is based in the Renaissance, where one of Shakespeare’s playwriting contemporaries is trying to come up a show that will make him famous and well paid. With the help of a “friend” he creates the world’s first musical. Hilarity ensues.

Actually hilarity runs throughout the entire production. Continue reading “Review: Something Rotten – appropriate for kids?”

Review: It’s Only a Play – Appropriate for Kids?

My daughter and I continued our Superbowl Sunday tradition – of going to a Broadway show. This year it was It’s Only a Play, and I fretted a little over whether it was going to be appropriate for my 13 year old. My Zumba, instructor who saw it the weekend before (but after I got tickets) shook her head no and said, “language!” Well if that was it, then I was hopefully okay. More on that later.

its only a play

The plot: A group involved with a Broadway play production gather at the producer’s house for an opening night party, awaiting reviews. The group includes the wealthy producer, the playwright, the playwright’s male best friend who turned down the lead role, the female lead, the director, a critic and the hired coat boy. The play is set in the producer’s upstairs bedroom, while the party goes on behind the scenes.

While you don’t have to be a frequent theater goer to enjoy the play, it really helps a lot if Continue reading “Review: It’s Only a Play – Appropriate for Kids?”

Red Carpet Screening: All Hail King Julien

Last minute! I have two family packs of tickets to give away to the red carpet screKJN_HERO_KA_1s_w4.0ening of All Hail King Julien, Netflix’s newest original series. I need to pick two families tonight to give them to. If you’re interested, leave me a comment below with the number of people in your family, and let me know how to contact you. If you don’t want to leave your email address in the comment, you can email me at [email protected], but please do put the comment down first.

At the screening, you’ll see the first five episodes of All Hail King Julien. Madagascar’s King Julien scored his own series! King Julien will take on the jungle’s craziest adventures in the new comedy series, along with his loyal sidekicks Maurice and Mort plus a whole new cast of colorful animals.

Details about the screening (you need to be on the list to go, so don’t show up unless I tell you to!)

When: Friday, December 19 from 7-9 p.m.

Where: SVA Theater – 333 W. 23rd Street

Luggage storage in New York City

**Post updated November 2022**

We spent a few days in New York City over Thanksgiving. On our last day, we would be finishing up in the Times Square area, taking either the bus or the train back to New Jersey. It made no sense to leave our luggage at the borrowed apartment across town. We weren’t going to lug it around with us all day, and we didn’t think a hotel (given all the security issues these days) would randomly take someone’s luggage for the day, if they’re not a guest.

I did some research and it turns out there are plenty of luggage storage options outside of hotels, in the New York City area. My sister pointed me to Penn Station, where she usually keeps her bags when going into the city for fun time, before heading to the airport. And that’s where we went.

Amtrak has a luggage storage area. Prior to the opening of Moynihan Train Hall, it was in the main waiting area between gates 5 and 6, but now you should check with the Amtrak customer service in the train hall. Technically the luggage storage is for Amtrak customers only, but in the past (pre-Moynnihan Train Hall), they didn’t ask me for a ticket or proof that I was going on Amtrak, nor did they ask my sister the four times she stashed luggage there. Continue reading “Luggage storage in New York City”

New York City Holiday Windows – Lord & Taylor

This is part of a series on New York City holiday windows for 2014. You can also see posts for Barney’s windows, Macy’s windows, Sak’s windows, Bergdorf-Goodman’s windows and Bloomingdale’s windows.

See the 2015 Lord & Taylor windows here.

For Lord & Taylor’s 2014 holiday windows, they chose a journey through the imagination, and mansions filled with creatures like mice, cardinals and other animals – plus an enchanted fairytale garden. Check it out.

IMG_6092
The birds are actually moving in the scene.

Continue reading “New York City Holiday Windows – Lord & Taylor”