New York, NY: It's a Helluva Town Day 3

This post has been a loooong time in the making. It's been haunting my drafts folder for over a year. And we are coming up on the two year anniversary of the trip itself, which we took in October of 2013 to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary (belatedly, our anniversary is actually in September). (The first two days of our trip I already posted about here and here.) I am itching to go back so it's been fun to go through all the pictures again and think about returning and how things will be different this time with the little. We don't have anything on the books, but ya never know.

This was my favorite day of the trip, visiting the Met and Central Park. I could spend weeks in the Met. I always loved the book From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and if I were going to run away, I would choose to go live here too.

I took so many pictures. If they need a volunteer to (re)photograph their entire collection, I think I'm the girl for the job.

In the morning we looked through several painting galleries until we reached masterpiece overload and had to go seek refreshment and fresh air.

We ate lunch in the court café then went for a stroll around Central Park.

The leaves throughout most of the park hadn't changed color yet, so the trees that had were really drawing crowds.

We saw one proposal go down (successfully), and though my memory has faded a little, I'm pretty sure we saw at least four or five wedding parties. Romance was in the air.

My favorite part of my favorite day in New York was cocktail hour at the Roof Garden Café back at the Met. When we were eating lunch, we just happened to notice a little sign on the table advertising the café (and Martini Bar, that's part of the name too). We hadn't really done a lot of research as far as drinking or eating options for this particular day, and with the mention of "panoramic views of Manhattan" we were sold. In checking the website it looks like now the café is open on the weekend from 10:00 to 8:15, but I believe when we visited they opened (or reopened) at 5:00. We were among the first there and in line for well, what else? martinis!   

The best part of it was the whole time, there were maybe only twenty five or thirty people there max, so you could walk around and take in the views freely at what felt more like a little private soirée than a major tourist destination. Of course, as mentioned above, this was nearly two years ago, so I can't speak to the popularity or atmosphere today. I have to admit that current me was pretty excited to see that kiddos are welcome today! :D 

After cocktails, we hit up the Classical galleries until closing time.

I remember meeting this gentleman in undergrad art history.

I just couldn't stop with the pictures even on the way out, and as it turns out, this was one of my faves I took all day.

And these (I thought I remembered them being Tiffany, and from his own place nonetheless), equally striking at night as during the day.

We had dinner at an Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side (I think here), then headed back down for a nightcap at a speakeasy in the East Vilage (hard to find, but when that knock was successfully answered, boy did we feel cool) called Angel's Share.

One of the BEST DAYS EVER. I ♥ NYC!!!