NYC SOLO (MOSTLY)...

A business trip came up for The Hubs in New York City recently, and I had the opportunity to go, even though I would be on my own most of the time.  I jumped at the chance, since it had been 9 years since I'd been there.  I have to say I had a little apprehension, but all went well and this is one time I have to admit I love technology!  I used TripAdvisor, Mapquest, Uber and Google Maps a lot!

 I did a lot of things, but my favorite thing was the Original Greenwich Village Food Tour.  Not only did we stop in a lot of shops/restaurants to taste different foods, but we also learned a lot of history about the neighborhood.  Our guide was funny and knowledgeable and the three hours flew by!  He also had our names memorized before the tour began and was really good at engaging the group and encouraging friendships among us.  I only wish I had done this tour the first day so I could have gone back and eaten lunch or dinner at some of the places!

Another thing that was special was meeting a friend's daughter for lunch!  She has lived up there for 3 years, part of that time earning her Master's degree.  We had a good visit and she recommended a free exhibit at the Fashion Museum that I went to after lunch.

There's an area called Chelsea Market that is a great old Nabisco factory turned into a little mall of specialty shops, food booths, and restaurants.  I walked through once with The Hubs and decided a return trip was needed.  One morning I went and I was buying something and started visiting with what turned out to be the owner.  She was so sweet and said, "I have a gift for you!" She proceeded to give me furniture oil and butcher block oil from the same maker of the notecards I bought.  She said it wouldn't sell because their customers were all young people with IKEA furniture - Ha!  Anyway, I accepted the gift and managed to get home with it by checking it in my luggage.  Who says New Yorkers are unfriendly?  Wasn't my experience!

I also visited the Guggenheim, took the wrong subway to get there, so had to call Uber to rescue me!  That was a wasted 30 minutes and $33!  The Tenement Museum was a great hands-on history lesson but I think I would have enjoyed it more had I gone in the morning.  I was pretty worn out by the time I got there (had to go at 3 p.m. due to early tickets being sold out).  Live and learn!

With our love of outdoors, we managed to do several things together that were fun and great exercise too - walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, walk the High Line, and bike along the Hudson River to Battery Park.  The bridge walk was really crowded but the other things were great!

Being solo was a little out of my comfort zone for exploring NYC, but I do feel like I have a new confidence in myself.  It's always good to stretch yourself!  What better place to do it?