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“A baseball club is part of the chemistry of the city. A game isn't just an athletic contest. It's a picnic, a kind of town meeting.”

New York Yankees President Michael Burke

We wanted to experience a baseball game while we were in New York and booked tickets to see the second day of the Yankees against the Minnesota Twins.

We were up in the nose bleed section but enjoyed the view.

One of the largest flags I have ever seen was unravelled during the pre-game festivities.
Blue fairy floss anyone?

Unfortunately the Yankees lost 4-1 but It was still great to experience the food and the atmosphere.

 

When we knew we were coming to New York for a month we asked mum and dad if they wanted to join us for a few weeks to celebrate mum's 70th birthday.
Waiting for the big arrival at the airport…….and waiting…….and waiting…….and waiting. Just when I thought something was wrong I luckily looked up and saw dad's bald head at the other end of the 'Arrival's hall.'
They seemed pleased to see me but were looking forward to their bed!
The next day we wandered into the flower district around Chelsea for an easy first morning.
We made time for a coffee stop at Joe coffee head quarters, one of our favourites in New York.
The excitement was obviously too much for mum and Nick who enjoyed a nanna nap back at the apartment.
Checking out the view on the roof terrace in the afternoon.
Dinner was at Peter Mc Manus, an Irish pub, just down the road where we introduced mum and dad to the hamburgers!
The next day we ventured a little further afield.
Having coffee at Culture, an Australian cafe with great choc chip cookies!
In Bryant Park ……
where you can find our favourite public toilets!
Complete with automatic seat covers!
The Chrysler Building, another favourite of mine.
First ride in a yellow cab!
Mum and I went to Mamma Mia as part of her birthday present in the afternoon.

The birthday bonanza had started well and we were looking forward to celebrating the big 70 the following day!

 

After a recommendation from Lynne and Les we booked the 'Village Sampler' tour with City Rovers for Sunday morning but unfortunately messed up the starting time and missed it by an hour. Deciding not to waste the morning we walked the full length of The High Line, America's first elevated park instead.
Max, the owner of the company was very understanding of our stuff up and kindly let us take the tour the next day.
Waiting for the tour start at the Chelsea market, across the road from the New York head quarters of Google. They take up the whole block and paid 1.8 billion for the building!
Inside the Chelsea market
Up on the 'High Line.'
Water section, very popular with children!
'Busted', one of the pop up art works currently on display on the High Line.
A Dive bar in the meat packing district where women are encouraged to leave their bra on their first visit!
Something that caught Nick's eye!
The tour ended down in Greenwich.

We forgot to photograph the many treats Max gave us to eat along the way including chocolate, cookies, scones and oreos. Max is an interesting young man who quit his wall street job to start this walking tour company and we really like what he stands for. The tour was fantastic and we would recommend it to anyone planning to visit New York.

 

'The 4th of July is a time for hotdogs, donning red, white and blue and for fireworks.'

www.babble.com

We celebrated with a walk down towards Times Square for the fourth of July holiday.
Walking past the Empire State building on the way.

Love it or hate it, the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Ave (better known as Times Square) is New York City's hyperactive heart; a restless, hypnotic torrent of glittering lights, bombastic billboards and raw urban energy. It's not hip, fashionable or in-the-know, and it couldn't care less. It's too busy pumping out iconic, mass-marketed NYC – yellow cabs, golden arches, soaring skyscrapers and razzle-dazzle Broadway marquees.

It seems we were not the only people with the same idea!

Can you spot the iPad tourist?!

I love Times Square! Where else can you see a naked cowboy playing his guitar in the middle of a traffic island?
My favourite thing I saw was a furless cat sitting on a rubbish bin wearing pink star shaped glasses. Unfortunately I did not get a photograph!
The atmosphere was certainly festive!
The mounted police were even getting into the holiday spirit by posing with their horses for photos.
In the evening we headed up to the roof terrace on the Penthouse level of the apartment block. We were very fortunate to see the Fourth of July fireworks from up there (along with what seemed like the rest of the building.)
The Empire state building celebrate in style with special red, white and blue lights!
The new 'Freedom tour' lights up in red, white and blue every night.
The view up town towards Times Square.

We had a great day, even if we only managed one of the three things suggested for the fourth of July.