Travelling to New York

I'm going to New York next week! I've been doing all sorts of research over the past month on New York City - mainly revolving around a few activities we've prioritized and cheap places to eat and drink.

Things to see and experience

MOMA & Tim Burton Exhibit

I was just poking around the interactive site on the exhibit, and I'm so excited to see it all in person! We've bought our tickets for Friday, and are going to try to squeeze in watching a couple of his movies before we leave, namely Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands.

Brooklyn Flea Market

Martha Stewart blogged about this a while ago, and I've been dying to check it out ever since. It will even be outdoors by the time we get there!

Central Park

I'm hoping for daily walks, with stops at nearby coffee shops.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

New York Times just posted a charming video today about The Met. A longtime hot dog vendor outside The Met is given a tour and asked for his thoughts on the works inside.

In the Heights

I've been wanting to see this play ever since I watched the Tony awards when it won for best musical. We might try catch one other play by visiting the half-price ticket booths.

Places to Eat and Drink

• Coffee: The New York Times recently had a good article on coffee shops . I'm thinking we'll try to hit a few of these. I kind of want to go to Cafe Grumpy just for the name!
• Drinks: Located in Rockefeller Plaza, I read the Rainbow Room was a good spot for a drink and a good view of the city.
• Bakeries: I've found a bunch that sound good including Cupcake Cafe.
• Barbecue: I definitely want to check out the Brooklyn Ice House.
• I've tried to list a lot of the places that sound good in a Google Map.

Places to Shop

I really only have one place I'd like to check out, which is Purl Soho. I've been following their blog on knitting and sewing for a long time, and I'd love to see the store. Plus, they'll have just opened in a new, bigger space!

Packing/Flying

• This woman posted her list of travel necessities. It's handy, and pretty comprehensive.
• Also, not martha just linked to this excellent list of flying tips. I think I'll download the free white noise app. I also have Where the Wild Things are on rental from iTunes, so I'll put that on my iPhone.
• I've found iPhones to be immensely helpful while travelling. I've downloaded a few free New York apps that, let's hope, come in handy!

Last, it's apparently been unseasonably warm in New York. Which adds a new element to my thoughts on clothes to pack. Jezebel addressed the challenge today. I just checked the weather and it looks like it will be closer to high 60s while we're there, so normal spring attire should be fine.

P.S. Michael Jackson is singing about New York in the song Human Nature, right? He says: If this town is just an apple, then let me take a bite.

P.P.S. Isn't John Mayer's version nice?