The four of us were looking forward to the week vacation at the end of April. We had planned long ago to stay in New York City and Boston. Last year, we had already gone to NYC on the Easter week-end but it was a marathon. We kinda wanted to show the touristic attractions to the girls (the usual… Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, Times Square, M&Ms store, Broadway show, etc) so that, when we would come back, we could show them an alternative, off-the-beaten-path experience. I must say that Salah and I have been to NYC 10 times or so. The girls went a few times too but they were too young to remember so we kinda had to start with the basics in 2022.
This time around, considering that we were off-season, hotel prices were more reasonable than last year’s plus there was no traffic at the border which made the 6h30 drive down much smoother.
Breakfast with a view
Our hotel was located in Queens, 15 minutes from Manhattan by subway vs. last year’s 40-minute ride and on a shady line. Proximity was great.
We arrived in NYC on Saturday night and started off our adventure on Sunday morning with a very good brunch at the City Winery (close to Chelsea market) featuring the Ultimate Beatles tribute concert by the Strawberry Fields band. Salah is a big Beatles fan and Lana is following closely in his wake. It may sound cheesy but it was actually very nice. The band was in full costumes (they changed twice) and use the same equipment that the Beatles used such as guitars and amplifiers. They do a good interpretation and impersonation. And the food was home-made, tasty, and fresh. It was great teeing up of our vacation that way.
After the concert, we went to nearby Little Island, a quaint new public park on the Hudson River. Opened in 2021, it is standing close to Pier 54 whose old wooden piles can still be seen. The architecture of the island is dazzling as it appears to be floating above the water, sitting on concrete ‘tulip pot’ modules. Once entering the island, we are immersed in a world of nature far from the bustling city on paths winding through botanical gardens, boulders, leading up to a majestic wooden amphitheater overlooking the water.
Our next stop was the Highline, right across the street. This historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s west side was saved from demolition and turned into an urban park in 2009, a unique way to wander in NYC. It was pretty packed with Sunday afternoon strollers. We walked northward almost all the way to the end, getting off at Hudson Yards to head towards the Edge observation deck. We used last year’s tickets (couldn’t go as an elevator was down and the line-up was insane) to get up after a long, very long (did I mention long?) wait. The view and experience were totally worth it though, feeling as if suspended in mid-air.
Several cool facts about the outdoor cantilevered deck:
360 degree views on the city
382 tons or more than 60 elephants
345 meters high
manufactured in Italy
‘window’ floor peering straight down to the street 100 stories below
After soaking in the magnificent views on Manhattan and beyond at sunset, the Highline allowed us to get quickly back to Chelsea market for dinner at an Italian restaurant, and get artigianale gelato for dessert (well-deserved after walking 10 km that day).
On Monday, we headed towards the south of Central Park where we explored a couple of playgrounds and finally found a large rock outcrop by a lake, close the Ladies Pavilion, to settle for a picnic. The sun was out and shiny, temperatures were nice, this was the perfect day! I am not sure if that’s the weather, the views on skyscrapers, the sentiment of freedom - or all of the above - that filled me with gratefulness. I enjoy and cherish these blissful moments, never take them for granted because who knows what life has in store for us…
We spent the rest of the day wandering off in the park, gazing at blooming flowers, shades of green in the surrounding grass, bushes and trees - a huge contrast with monochromic Montreal at this time of year.
Later in the afternoon, we treated ourselves at the Plaza hotel for a fancy snack and champagne cocktail. My great-grand-father, Marcel Clavel, worked there in the 1910s. He came all the way from the centre of France (Ardèche), crossed the Channel and the ocean to make a life for himself in the U.S. Patriotic duty called him back to the Old Continent when World War I broke out. Although he died before I was born (not during the war though), I heard many stories about him through his daughter (my grand-mother) and my dad. Going to the Plaza hotel is a family pilgrimage to pay tribute to this ancestor’s courage and bravery, who treaded the same floor we did, in times when traveling abroad was a risky venture…
Tuesday’s big thing was the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or ‘the Met’) museum. Because it is considerably big, there was no way we could see everything (and this was not the goal anyway) so we picked and chose the galleries we had interest in - Ancient Egypt, Greek and Roman art, modern European paintings and sculptures (Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Manet, Sisley, Rodin, Degas), and art of the Arab lands. We had not gone to a museum in a couple of years but what amazes me every time is how much kids can appreciate beauty in art without any pre-requisites… The artist’s work simply emanates to create a spontaneous emotion within the soul laying eyes upon it.
Entrance of the Met
This little guy literally fills up the room with his presence
Afterwards, we popped by the Grand Central Terminal to show the Main Concourse’s celestial ceiling to the girls - majestic!
Then we split - Salah and Lana going vinyl record-hunting, Naema and me going to the SAB (School of American Ballet) behind the Juilliard school at Lincoln Center.
Lincoln Center
We met up at Momofuku’s restaurant in Columbus circle and feasted over buns only (to the surprise of our waiter). With pork belly, shiitake, or shrimp, buns are irresistible. Imagine that: Lana does not like mushrooms but shiitake buns are her favourite! Must be good, huh? Every time we are in a city with a Momofuku restaurant since we first tried it in Toronto, we gotta go.
This was another loooong walking day, logging 15 km but the girls haven’t lost their endurance at all. Pretty impressive girls we have!
We were leaving NYC on Wednesday but not before visiting the United Nations Headquarters on Manhattan’s east side. We missed the beginning of the tour because I hadn’t anticipated the lengthy check-in process. I must say that the last UN tour I had been on was more than 20 years ago so things have changed ;-)
We caught up with our group and got the rundown on all the good things that the UN and its 193 Member States do in the areas of peace and security, development and human rights. We walked through the Trusteeship council and General Assembly Hall while meetings were on-going (as such, pictures were not allowed). However, we were able to sit in the Economical Development Hall and take pictures there, which was nice. Our tour guide explained the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the 17 goals, adopted in 2015 by all United Nations Member States. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
Read more: https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Given that a meeting was taking place at the Security Council on Haiti gangs and Sudan humanitarian crisis, we couldn’t walk through for confidentiality reasons I guess. On my previous tour in 2002, I had been able to see the Security Council Hall so it really depends on the day you go.
The UN Golden rule: Do unto other as you would have them do unto you
And that put an end to our NYC journey. On this high note, we left Manhattan, picked up the car at the hotel and drove out of the city and on to our next adventure: Boston.
A few more random NYC pics
Driving to Boston was not fun, lots of traffic and a series of interstates which required our full attention listening to the GPS not to miss a turn…
Once settled in our room in Somerville, the first stop was the hotel pool. Lana was impatient to try it and was looking forward to it since the beginning of the trip. The water was cold, and the room was air conditioned (seems like heresy to me) but the girls had a lot of fun, well-deserved after an uninteresting 4-hour drive.
State House and its golden dome
On Thursday, we headed off towards the Boston Common and booked a guided tour of the first Freedom Trail mile or so. That’s a must to grasp the role of the city in the American Revolution. That’s where it all started with the Tea party in the Boston Harbour!!
So in a nutshell, Boston was founded in 1630 (22 years after Quebec City). The Boston Common is the oldest park in the U.S. (1634) and home of the Great Elm hanging tree. According to our tour guide, the term ‘dire’ was coined after Mary Dyer, a Quaker, was hanged there for repeatedly defying a Puritan law banning Quakers from the colony.
After swinging by the magnificent and imposing State House with its instantly recognizable golden dome, we walked through the Granary Burying Ground where prominent revolutionary figures are buried - Paul Revere, James Otis, Samuel Adams, Robert Treat Paine, John Hancock (the latter 3 being signers of the Declaration of Independence) - along with the 4 victims of the Boston Massacre, and Benjamin Franklin’s parents (yes Ben Franklin was born in Boston, buried in Philly).
Next stops were:
Boston Latin School (1635), the oldest school in America, that Ben Franklin attended
Old South Meeting House (1729), known as the organizing point for the Boston Tea party on December 16, 1773
Old South Meeting House (in the background)
Old State House (1713), where the so-called Boston Massacre occurred in 1770, and where the Declaration of Independence was read in 1776 (from the balcony we see on the picture below)
Fun fact: The city of Boston was ready to demolish the Old State House, but the city of Chicago offered to buy it and have it moved there. That triggered a reaction amongst the Bostonians who mobilized to preserve the building on Boston grounds. And that’s why we are lucky to still see the building today, dwarfed by the slender, modern buildings in its surroundings.
Faneuil Hall (1742), and Quincy Market (1826), former public market houses
By the time we finished the tour, it was raining, cold and windy so we rode the subway back to the hotel to dry up.
And then we drove to Cambridge, and the Harvard university campus. We wanted to show the girls where they could study… no pressure! haha! The campus is beautiful, featuring crimson-red brick buildings, manicured green lawn, and the pristine white church steeple. I also love the atmosphere, teeming with students, abounding with creativity, shows, etc…
The first time I was there in April 2001, I fell in love with the place, I really wanted Salah and the girls to see the campus in Spring. We walked in the small downtown, found a pub to quench our (beer) thirst and IV a burger. On the way back to the car, we stumbled upon a fashion show featuring outfits made from trash commonly found in oceans. The creations were stunning! After the judges granted the awards, we went back home for a good night sleep.
Fun fact: Harvard is the oldest university in the US, founded in 1636.
Our last full day in Boston was sunny and warm, which was a nice contrast from the day before. We enjoyed walking on the waterfront and ended back at the Vittoria Caffè close to Paul Revere’s house. In Little Italy, most of the shops and cafés only take cash. In times of credit cards taps, it feels outdated besides the ‘possible’ tax evasion… but the coffee, cannoli and gelati were delicious!
We walked through a public market and bought 2 pints of organic raspberries for a cheap $5 (compared to prices in Montreal) and made it our afternoon snack. We found a great playground near the City Hall with thrilling vertical slides, fun for the kids. Afterwards, we visited the New England Holocaust Memorial across the street, consisting of six glass towers with steam rising up through metal grates, and under which visitors may walk. Engraved on the outside walls of each tower are groups of numbers representing the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust. It is a very poignant memorial and we took the opportunity to educate the girls about this part of History. To lighten things up before dinner, we went vinyl record-hunting (they make great souvenirs) in Beacon Hill, before ending up at the famous and touristy Oyster House for lobster rolls and much-obliged clam chowders.
Saturday morning was cloudy and wet. Before driving back to Montreal, we went back to the Harvard Square for a coffee, and then drove along the Charles River and on our way back home. The drive was, like the drive down, very smooth without traffic. Drizzle started about halfway up and continued on until we pulled in our driveway.
Last coffee on Harvard Square
Our getaway was over, and we were full of fond memories but also excited to be back home.
Thanks for reading!
Coralie
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