NYC Girls Trip {Part 2}

If you haven't read about the first part of our NYC girls adventure, scroll on down and read part I.  You're back?  OK.  On Saturday, we woke up and took the 1 train all the way down to the financial district and the 9/11 memorial.  We spent some time looking at the memorial, the park, and the new world trade center buildings that are going up.  It's a really powerful place!

Since we were already downtown, we headed over to Chinatown and Little Italy.  I've been to both before, but it seemed more fun this time somehow.  We went in a bunch of little shops and markets (especially in Chinatown) just for fun.

We weren't expecting to have lunch in Chinatown, but we were there and we were hungry.  I did a quick Google search for "best dim sum in Chinatown", and I found a place called Jing Fong.  When we arrived, the lobby was PACKED with mostly Asian people, and there was a 20 minute wait for a table.  I knew then that we had found a winner.  It was this big, bustling place where they would call your number over a microphone.  Finally, we got called, and we ascended the escalator into this giant, noisy banquet room.

We were seated at a communal table with three other people and given some hot tea.  Then, the dim sum cart ladies descended upon us.  There were always about three ladies at our table holding up various dishes and bowls full of unknown dumplings, meats, and vegetables.  We kept asking "what's in that?" and they would answer, but we would still have NO idea what they said or what was in it.  Ha!  Finally, we just started guessing and taking things that looked good.  We only got one dish that we deemed inedible.  Everything else was truly delicious.  Our favorites were the shumai dumplings and fried taro.  Every time we got something off the cart, the lady would stamp our card.  We ate until we were full, and our total bill was just $28.  This was one of my most favorite things we did - so fun and unique!

After lunch, mom and Julia grabbed a green smoothie from a nearby shop.  Dessert, I guess?

Then we headed over to Times Square.  Our plan was to visit the half price TKTS booth and get tickets to a show for that night.  We had a few in mind but didn't really care which one we saw.

Here's mom standing in line at the TKTS booth.  The line was MUCH faster than I thought it would be!

We ended up getting tickets to Memphis!  Yes, $70 was indeed half of the original price.  Sheesh.

Before our show, we went to Grand Central Station and ate dinner at the Grand Central Oyster Bar, a restaurant mom specifically requested.  She went there with her parents years ago, she took us there as kids, and Brent and I went last summer, too.  It is such a cute and unique place underground in the terminal.  The atmosphere is just amazing, and the seafood is pretty good too!

Look how cute this place is!

Mom got what she had been dreaming of for years... oyster stew.  I got fried oysters & clams.

After having our fill of fried seafood, we headed over to the Shubert Theater for our show.  It was really a fun musical!  I'd recommend it!

Thanks, mom and Julia, for beginning my last two weeks of school in style.  I had the best time, and like mom said, "I will remember these memories FOREVER!"