Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of...

One of the newest additions to my "songs I love at the moment" list is Jay-Z and Alecia Keys' "Empire State of Mind"

Usually I don't get excited about hip hop songs.... but I think this one was different because I have such a special place in my heart for NYC. Before I moved to DC, I had never visited the Big Apple... since moving here in 2006, I have been there nearly a dozen times. It seems a little overindulgent, but it is easily my second-favorite U.S. city (behind my home city of DC, of course!)

Top 5 Reasons I *heart* NYC
1) Yankees Stadium- going to a game with my Dad and watching them beat Boston was one of the greatest moments of my life. It was a lifelong dream of his and it was really special to be there with him when he witnessed the greatness of the Cathedral for the 1st time. I went to several other games before they closed the original stadium and each game has unique memories for me.

2) Central Park- I love it the most in the fall, but no matter the season, there will be a part of the Park that you can love. Whether it's the Castle, the Great Lawn, the Zoo, Tavern on the Green, or watching the horse drawn carriages go by... it's a wonderful place to walk in and take in nature, NYC style.

3) Canal Street- My dear friend Nathan is good enough to humor me with trips to the cheap shopping mecca... I do enjoy a good haggle for a knockoff bag. It's always funny to get off the subway and instantly be surrounded by men and women whose only English words are "Gucci, Chanel, Prada"

4) Food!- Every time I go to NYC, I have great meals. Whether it's a bagel and cream cheese, NY style pizza, or delicacies from Chinatown... we always eat well. Nathan and I make a point to never eat the same place twice when I visit. Which makes me sad sometimes because we've discovered some real culinary treasures on some of my trips to the City! If you're ever making a trip up and you'd like a suggestion that might be off the beaten path... I'd love to recommend a few places!

5) People- there's no doubt that some of the finest people watching has happened while in NYC. This weekend I saw 2 men wearing wedge heels and skinny jeans. I've seen interesting hairdos, hats, swimwear, tattoos, and all sorts of people modeling them... in a city of over 8.2 million people, there will obviously be some avant-garde. I love it!

Here are some of my favorite NYC photos- of all the time I've spent in NYC, probably my favorite trip was the mother-daughter outing last year at Christmas to see the Rockettes' Christmas special. My first trip was also very memorable because we went to see Wicked and after the show got out, we discovered it had started to snow... it was a winter wonderland! Such wonderful memories with my precious friends... life is sweet!