Times Square, December 2012.

If you know me really well, then you know that New York is my city. We try to get there at least once a year and this will be Michael’s and my longest stay yet. Ten days in the Big Apple… tickets to 17 shows and lots of other exciting activities planned. We started booking our trip a couple months ago, looking for the best deals on rooms and show tickets.

This year, in addition to visiting friends that live in NYC, two of our friends from home will also be in New York– part of the time– and joining us on some of our excursions, adding a different dimension to our trip.

National September 11 Memorial & Museum My most anticipated event this trip is attending the  National September 11 Museum on the official opening day, May 21st. 2014. I’ve been to the memorial twice before but anticipate that the museum will be a heightened emotional experience. I’ve already contributed a few images to the museum’s Artists Registry and hope to add more after this visit.

Broadway & Off Broadway Shows I know it sounds insane, 17 shows in 10 days…. but this is what we do. We always try to get a mix of plays and musicals, throwing in a few Off Broadway shows as well, if our schedule permits. This year’s line up includes: A Gentleman’s Guide To Love & Murder, Of Mice and Men, Rocky, The Bridges of Madison Country, Under My Skin, The Cradle Will Rock, All the Way, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Casa Valentina, Phantom of the Opera, Bullets Over Broadway, If/Then, Act One, Mothers and Sons, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Violet, and Heathers the Musical.

Something Old, Something New Each time we come to New York, our main goal is to see lots of shows and I think a lot of our friends think that’s all we do. But, we always try to experience as much of this amazing city as possible– time and weather permitting. Of course, we have a few restaurants and neighborhood destinations (sights) we try to visit every year, like Central Park— but we always try to add at least one new destination each trip and mix new restaurants in with a few old favorites. This year, we’ll be visiting The High Line for the second time, and will be venturing to the far north reach of Manhattan to visit The Cloisters and  its surrounding Fort Tryon Park.

We’re also hoping to make it to this year’s edition of the annual Stars in the Alley concert, several street festivals and a (new to us) historical sight or two.

I hope to be blogging daily about our NY adventures– that is, if we’re not too busy out doing.

Lower Manhattan. December 2012.