I'm taking The Bean to New York City Friday.
She's excited, too. She's asked me every night, "Mama, are we going to New York tonight?" and "Are we going to stay in a hotel?"
Not yet, darling, and nope, with a friend in Brooklyn. She's an artist, like you.
It's hard to plan a trip for a 4-year-old. She is, in her own way, incredibly sophisticated. But she's also 4. And 4-year-olds only have so much capacity and patience for anything, even things they love and about which they're incredibly excited. So with the help of H and my friend TheArtist (our hostess), we've devised a Fashiony-Christmasy-Pizza-Filled-Take-on-New-York.
Here's our plan. We obviously reserve the right to amend it based on whim and whining.
Friday morning train, on which we'll study a map of the city and maybe pictures of the things we'll see. We will also have sketchbooks and colored pencils, cameras, and a lunchbox full of lunch.
After a subway ride over to Brooklyn to say a long-overdue hello to TheArtist and her family and deposit our things, we'll hop back on the subway to Chelsea for Daphne Guinness at The Museum at FIT. We will sketch and take notes and drool and ooh and ahh.
Then I think we'll wander the neighborhood a bit, stopping where we like, and absolutely finding a place for a treat or an early dinner - or both. The Doughnut Plant, though fairly far down, is a tempting option. If I hear back from my hometown friend, who happens to be the Godfather of Hipsters (so says the Times), we may try the original Somer outpost, Freemans. Or pizza. She loves pizza.
After our night in Brooklyn (yes, I've already started playing the Beastie Boys' anthem for her) during which I expect lots of Catching Up After 15 Years Gabbing and much wine, we'll hop back on the subway and do Midtown. We'll go to Rockefeller Center for the tree, and skate, if we can. We'll see the Saks and Bergdorf Goodman and Barney's Christmas windows. We'll lunch at one of the Fancy Restaurants in the Fancy Stores. We'll go to The Met to see their Christmas tree and creche, and maybe another exhibit, if we can manage it.
Subway back to Brooklyn.
TheArtist promises a top secret pizza place in her hood for dinner. Which we will gleefully do, and have the lovely warm craziness that comes from 2 little ones at a restaurant. We parents will have wine.
Sunday, TheArtist suggested a lovely, lovely plan. Brunch or lunch in their 'hood, then Brooklyn Bridge Park. Views (for my budding photographer and her very own camera) and running around in easy Sunday morning fashion. We may sneak in a trip to TheArtist's studio for The Bean, if there's time.
And from there, we'll have to subway back to Penn Station to come home. And we will be sad. But we will have pictures - lots and lots of pictures. And we will go again. Soon. Grandmom and I are already plotting our trip to The Met's Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada exhibit in 2012.
If you follow DC Celine on twitter, I will be tweeting throughout the weekend, hashtag #BeanintheBigApple
3 comments:
Have fun! I love NYC! Was just there...ran the NYC marathon. Fun way to see all five boroughs. Well, maybe not fun...interesting though. Tell your friend that the best crowds/onlookers/people cheering were in Brooklyn.
I will tell her!
I'm so excited, I'm going to burst! Counting down. She asked me again this morning "are we going to New York today?"
Not yet, but you are going to the National Aquarium on a field trip. Does that count? ;-)
I might take a similar journey with my older boy-flavored beans at the end of the month, so I look forward to following your travels. I think our trip will be less fashiony and artsy and more about arms and armor at the Met and top of the Empire State Building. (I have a budding architect on my hands.)But some parent-child traveling advice crosses age and gender, so I will be taking notes!
Post a Comment