where dreams are made of

 
A few weeks ago, I jetted to New York to visit my friend Kathryn. She and I go way back to my DC days when she interned at the non-profit I worked with. We maintain our friendship by making sure to get on a plane to see each other at least once a year. Washington, DC has become our meet up place but this year I decided that it was time to see her new home in New Jersey. We had a fabulous weekend full of long chats, watching Bones and exploring New York City.

 

Once I arrived, we had a hearty breakfast and hopped on the bus to venture into the city. Our first stop was to popbar, a delectable gelateria located on Carmine Street at 6th Avenue. They make gelato fresh daily and use only the best ingredients. During the winter, popbar features the most amazing hot chocolate. You choose your type of chocolate (milk, dark or white) and then something heavenly occurs in your cup. You are given a bar of chocolate in freshly steamed milk. Then the swirling begins to slowly melt your chocolate bar. Did I mention that this was heavenly?

Armed with deliciousness in our hands, we strolled to Chelsea Market taking in unique things on the street and popping in to some stores along the way. I especially enjoyed this beautiful 9/11 Memorial on a fence, lined with ceramics from across the country.

After taking in the streets, we wandered through Chelsea Market. Literally, I could probably live inside this place because it is filled with all of my favorite things.. Anthropologie, wine, cupcakes, olive oil & balsamic vinegar filling station, fresh seafood market, and coffee shop. We explored every inch of the market, enjoying all of the unique treasures we found and people around us.

One of my absolute favorite things about a city is that people are out. Not just out running errands but out engaged in conversations with friends, tucked away in a book or enjoying a bite to eat. When I lived in DC I always felt comforted by being surrounded by people. There are no tacky strip malls or a dozen chain restaurants on every corner. Cities have unique characters in their people and places that just warm me up.

After getting our fill of exploring we decided to ventured into Colicchio & Sons to watch the sunset and toast our weekend together. This setting also created the stage for a special moment for me when Kath asked if I would be one of her bridesmaids. She has remained one of my closest friends for so many years and I cannot wait to share in her special day right there beside her.

We capped the evening by eating pizza with friends and watching football. Of course, some late night Bones watching occurred as well. In the morning, we slept in, quite late I might add, and took off to the city again. We ate scrumptious burgers at 5 Napkin Burger and split a peanut butter shake at the Shake Shack. After freezing our tails off walking around Times Square, we escaped indoors and caught a movie.

Kathryn scored us tickets at the Upright Citizen Brigade Theater. If you are in NYC, this is an absolute must! We had so much fun at the theater. People stand in line for hours because it is just that good, no lie.

Rent is BACK!!

We spent my last night in NYC strolling the streets and enjoying the excitement in Times Square. On Monday morning, we awoke early to grab a bite at Turning Point in Hoboken before I caught my flight. We had a delicious breakfast right on the waterfront overlooking the NYC skyline. I had an amazing caramel latte and a great reflective chat (that gave way to the dating series) with Kath. The trip was just perfect, packed with quality time with one of my best girls.