"Let's Hear it for New York!" Part 3

We traveled by Metro North to Grand Central Station, where we met with Nana and Pops who had driven up from Florida to meet us for the next two weeks. We didn't waste a second in NYC, dashing around the city in a heat wave to see as many friends as possible in our 6 days there. We started the trip where it all began, visiting with Celia and Brian and enjoying Pio Pio together. 10 years ago when I was interviewing for graduate school, Pete and I stayed with Celia and Bryan in Sinai's grad school housing and they raved about this Peruvian chicken restaurant, Pio Pio. We waited hours for the delivery in a monsoon, but it was worth the wait! Pio Pio is one of those irreplaceable restaurants to us and we salivate over it all the time! Jude hit it off with the girls, with Eliza telling Jude she was 3 at the exact moment he was telling her the same. 

Maeve's first NYC metro ride

Maeve takes in the big city

With Eliza and Bernie

Well trained restaurant goers! 

Yum!

Heading to Central Park

We arrived later that evening in Hoboken at the home of my mom's cousin Susan. Susan, Brian, Tara and Jenny graciously hosted us for 6 consecutive nights (the longest stay of our trip, which consisted of 12 different accommodations over 30 nights- yikes!). Thank you!! 

Sunday, Pete had an all day NYS teacher's certificate training at Teachers College and Nana and Pops were off to the Jersey shore to visit friends for the day, so I arranged a playdate with my old book club gals. We had to start the day right with bagels though! 

We went to a Hoboken playground followed by a pizza lunch. The girls got to witness Jude falling asleep eating. Here he is seen passed out with a chunk of pizza in his mouth behind cute Poppy and Maeve!

With Colette, Poppy, Laura and Heather. No books and sadly no wine this time either. 

Jude was having an off day and enjoyed relaxing with Tara watching a Disney movie.

Pete returned and Lehanie, Dave and Iris arrived for a playdate. We last saw each other in Amsterdam when we were each pregnant, but didn't know it! So fun to introduce the girls! Iris was full on power walking so Maeve had a thing or two to learn from her! 

Mr. Frostie's was not to be missed! The views of the city were amazing!  

I asked a stranger to take a pic and she cut Jude and Iris out of the picture! Geeze Louise! 

On Monday, we had the morning to relax. I completed the fun task of being finger printed at the police station for state licensure. When Nana and Pops returned with their car, we took off for Croton-on-Hudson to visit Emily, Tim and Alice. Alice and Jude got along so well when we saw them last in Amsterdam so I was excited for them to play together again. We could hardly believe how big Alice has gotten! A too short visit (the theme of this trip) and then we were on the road again to get the kids home for bedtime. Nana and Pops took over so Pete and I could drive out to see Ryan and Erin. Sydney was supposed to be asleep, but must have known we really wanted to meet her so she was up when we arrived. Pete and Ryan geeked out the whole night on home brewing/ wine making. Ryan sent us home with a bottle of Viognier, which was really good! 

Alice teaching Jude magic tricks 

Two beer geeks and their supportive wives

Tuesday we took the epic public transit journey from Hoboken to our old stomping grounds in Park Slope. Emma and Tom were so sweet to each take the day off of work so they would get time to see us and the kids! The heat was out of control, but we cooled off in the shade at the playgrounds and in doors having delicious BBQ.

Let the journey begin!

Manspreading

Pete had never been in the new World Trade Center Metro Station

At what would have been our local Park Slope playgound

After lunch, clothing optional in the questionable sand pit in Prospect Park... 

Uncle Louie G's really hit the spot! 

Who misses waiting for the subway in the heat and humidity of NYC?? Not us! 

Back home, showered and with the kiddos sleeping soundly, Pete and I got a night on the town and got our first fix of good Mexican food before heading to Laura's for the best night sleep we've had in ages! Thank you Nana and Pops for staying with the kids and getting up early with them! What a luxury!

Wednesday we had a free day with Nana and Pops. We took the ferry to Manhattan and hit up Shake Shack for lunch. Maeve was a hit with the Asian tourists and their selfie sticks! They were trying so hard for her to smile and she was just so confused. While the kids slept, we walked south along the water to Battery City Park. We wanted Jude to see the Statue of Liberty when he woke up from his nap. It was impressed!

Glam Girl

One World Trade Center

NYC has some amazing playgrounds. This was not one of them :) 

It was Nana and Pops to the rescue again when they whisked the kids back to Hoboken on the ferry in the afternoon, giving Pete and I an afternoon of freedom in the city before a dinner out with his high school buddies in the West Village. We hardly knew what to do with ourselves! We did some shopping, visited the WTC memorial, I got a mani/pedi and Pete dealt with incompetent employees for an hour at T-mobile.

Pops and kids back in Hoboken

We last saw Jon and Chris in Amsterdam two years ago when they were in search of the perfect toastie. And now they are both with great ladies who we had the pleasure of meeting over dinner. After dinner we went to a trendy bar and it brought me way back to the young and care free nights in NYC in our 20s! We had another night of great sleep at Casa Laura and Josh!

Jon, Alejandra, Adam, Laura, Mikey, Chris and Krista

Thursday was our final day in NYC (until the end of the trip) and of course there were more people to see.  Heather and James left NYC with Grant in the fall to move to California and I didn't know when we'd ever see each other again. So I was so thrilled to find out they would be in NYC the same week as us for a wedding! One of many amazing coincidences on this trip! So we met in one of our favorite places, Central Park. It was another scorcher in his mid 90s and every day camp in sight was there playing in the water fountains. It was such a treat to meet Grant who I've been following like a celeb on Instagram. En route to the park, we passed a hot dog stand at Columbus Circle and Jude was pumped. We have "Good Night New York City" and this is one of the things in the book.

Everything about this pic is perfect except for Trump Tower in the background 

We took the tired, motley crew to Whole Foods to escape the heat. The kids were having none of this picture!

 

Grant was exhausted and not impressed with Maeve's level of excitement

Jude was exhausted, too (we all were!)

We returned to Central Park after lunch to let the kids sleep and then met up with Pete's cousins Jonah and Isaac who both messaged us separately to make sure they could see us while we were in town- so sweet! They both met Jude when he was a baby- coming to Brooklyn to visit! We found another awesome playground and let the guys get to know the kiddos better.

Back in Hoboken, Laura joined us at Susan and Brian's for a last family meal where we enjoyed Ryan's wine. Such a full, fun, hot and exhausting week in NYC! We wished that we had had more time to spend in Brooklyn so we made a point to return our final weekend in the states to have a more leisurely visit to our old stomping grounds.