Whether one visits the Big Apple in spring, in summer, in fall or in winter, one can never be wrong with a trip to the beautiful city! It is not without reason called “the city that never sleeps”. And although I walked a lot the last couple of days (more than ever before in my life) and I am really tired, I just can not stay in my hostel room. There is still so much left to see and to do. Lucky me, last Sunday, the weather was gloriously. Do not think it snowed because that would have been the most perfect gift for Christmas this year! No, but the sun was shining in all its splendor and the sky was as blue as it can be- a perfect day to visit the Top of the Rock and to get an overview of the city. Therefore, I started my day with a Blueberry Cheesecake in the dining court of the Grand Central 
Station. I did some research before and found out that the “Magnolia Bakery” is known for its great cupcakes, cheesecakes and other cakes. You have to know that I usually do not like any creamy desserts like Tiramisu or cakes with yogurt in it, but this cheesecake really tasted like paradise!! And if I, myself, say so, it must be true- believe me! After that world-changing discovery, I made my way to the Rockefeller Center, passing some lovely streets and nice shops and also the New York Palace, which I happen to know from the series “Gossip Girl”. Arriving on the 5th street, vis-à-vis of the Rockefeller Center, I was shocked at first: I knew that a lot of people are in New York all year round, but I have never seen THAT many people. Somehow, I managed to find a path through the crowd and ended up at the end of the line for the “Top of the Rock”. Estimated waiting time: 60 minutes. Since I had all the time in the world, I did not mind waiting, but while standing in line, the thought crossed my mind that I could also buy a ticket online…maybe I am lucky and could get in earlier. Turned out to be true: instead of waiting one hour, I only waited 20 minutes. Of course, I could have bought the ticket days before already, but I was not sure at what time I would visit the Rockefeller Center, since it also depended on the weather. They took a picture of the visitors in front of a green-screen, so that in the end it would look like the photograph “Lunch atop a Skyscraper”. Many tourist attractions offer this green-screen-fun. Finally, I found myself in the elevator to the top. It took us to the “lower” level, from where we could take the escalator and stairs to the very top. 
Once I arrived there, I was amazed! I could see the five boroughs of NY, reaching from the Bronx, Queens and Manhattan to Brooklyn and Staten Island. Furthermore, I also found the ball-drop, the Empire State Building of course, saw the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazzano-Narrow-Bridge in the distance and had a great look out over the Central Park.
In 2014, when I was in NYC with my family, we went up the Empire State Building but now that I experienced the Rockefeller Center, I have to admit that this one is more worth a visit. I spent more than one hour there, before going down with the elevator again. Through the crowd, I made my way, to the Central Park, walking up the 5th Avenue again, seeing all those great brands e.g.: Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, etc. around me. My original plan was to go into the Plaza Hotel, because I always saw it in various movies and wanted to experience it myself, but unfortunately, one has to be a resident to enter it. And I also did not have my dad’s credit card to pay for a room, like Kevin did in “Home Alone 2” *wink*.
Anyways, I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around in Central Park, also exploring the “Shakespeare Garden”, since I am a huge admirer of him (or them…depending on one’s point of view). Instead of describing the gorgeous views and the beautiful nature surrounding oneself, here are some pictures:
And that was my perfect Sunday.
On the next day, I normally would celebrate Christmas with my family back in my country- yes, we in Austria celebrate it on December 24th- but since I am not at home, I had different plans. I talked a lot with my roommate and then I took the Subway to the Trinity Church for a Christmas Service.
Another fact about me: Until now, I have never missed church on the 24th of December (the only day of the year I actually go to church), which is why it was important to me to continue the tradition, even though in a different country. It was just so great. The people told the story of Mary and Joseph using giant puppets, the youth choir was singing, I met lovely people and exchanged some facts about the religions in Austria with them. 
The process in the church was similar to the one we have, although the communion was a bit different, because we do not get to take a sip of the vine. I felt fulfilled afterwards and was ready for Christmas Eve.
So with this blog, I wish you Merry Christmas and peaceful and reflective holidays!!
My next adventure will be San Francisco. Make sure to stay tuned for this.
Let the memories begin 