New York, you’re looking gorgeous
The Chandras went back to New York City to celebrate my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary! Like everyone says about this city, it was a dream.
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We all had our bucket list of things we wanted to see in New York and we all had Freedom Tower on our lists. While we knew this building was built in honor of the World Trade Center, we still had no idea what to expect. As the elevator opened its doors to the 104th floor, we were graced with the most captivating panoramic view of all of New York and New Jersey overlooking the Hudson River.
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Freedom Tower, also known as One World Trade Center, is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. There aren’t enough words or pictures in the world to justify the view our eyes saw. We were stuck in that moment where we didn’t want to blink because there was so much to see. Afterwards, we walked over to the Ground Zero Memorial where we met the names of our fallen heroes.
Fun Fact: As my dad looked into the city, he pointed out the first place he and my mom lived in when they first moved to the United States in 1985.
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Can you believe that the cost of construction of the Brooklyn Bridge came to be around $15.5 million!?
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After walking almost two miles on the Brooklyn Bridge, we explored our way through the High Line. Later on, we biked through the green wonderland of Central Park. While we got dubbed by many New Yorkers for biking the wrong way, we still had a blast cruising through the nature of this city.
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When night fell, we entered the bustling bee hive of New York that is Times Square. As we held our tickets close to our hearts, we made our way to the entrance of Aladdin on Broadway. Needless to say, we were in a New York state of mind.
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Of course, New York graced us with its authentic food everywhere we went. We enjoyed street vendors like the mediterranean food, hot dogs and ice cream. While we enjoyed the street food (that really didn’t taste like street food at all), one meal stood out in our memory and that was brunch at Butter on our last day. Our DC girl, Nina, has certainly converted this family into brunch lovers.
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This meal was a sweet hug from the south. From the mouth-watering Bacon Mac and Cheese to the well crafted french fries to the enticing Eggs Benedict to the classic omelette to the Seared Florida Shrimp to the Strawberry Rhubarb Cinnamon French Toast, you’d think we were somehow below the Mason Dixon line, not Manhattan. Oh and the mimosas, we can’t forget those mimosas!
After doing the math, I realized that this was my 10th trip to New York but the thing about this place is that no matter how many times I visit this concrete jungle of dreams, I am still in complete awe. I am still that little girl who visited the Twin Towers in 2001, the summer before 9/11, and gazed at the brightness of Times Square, the vast beauty of Central Park and looked up at the city’s jaw-dropping skyline with wide open eyes.
While New York has not lost its magic, we still remember and honor those brave souls we lost 14 years ago on that September morning.
Meet my family
They are outspoken, crazy and strongly opinionated but you know what else? They are hard-working, kind, hilarious, independent and so brave. The bravery these people have executed in their lifetime makes me so proud to share our family name. If I had a spoonful of Nina’s courage, a dash of my dad’s patience and a pinch of my mum’s confidence, that would be an excellent life by me.
This is my team and I’d go to bat any day for them.
P.S. Happy 30 years of love and thanks for a magical time in the Big Apple, Mum & Dad!
Sita 