A Real Celebrity

Oh. My. Goodness. A real celebrity has been to my blog. Granted, it was after I stalked their blog and begged for a visit. Here's what happened.

Yesterday, I popped on over to beeboppin through the boroughs, one of my very fave blogs, to ask for some expert advice on where we should go on our trip to NYC. If you haven't had the chance to visit this way fun blog you should go there now and then come back to finish reading my post. It's fine. I don't mind. I'll wait.


Are you back? Okay, well what you probably found out is that it is a cute little blog about two fun young girls who go on walks throughout different parts of New York. Their names are Jill and Megan. And their blog gives you a chance to tour the city with them. The only bad part is not actually getting to taste any of the goodies that they indulge in.

When I started thinking about my trip to New York, I thought, who better to ask about what we should see. Then this afternoon, JILL actually replied on my blog. Here is a copy of what she said:

Hey Amanda - As requested, here are my must-do's in NYC (brace yourself, this is going to be lengthy):- Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and go for pizza at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn. It’s the best. I’m drooling just thinking about it.- See a broadway show. I've only seen a few, but loved them all. My most recent favorite is "Curtains" - David Hyde Pierce is fantastic. You can get cheaper same-day tickets at the TKTS booth in Times Square.- Skip the street vendor hotdogs and proceed directly to Gray’s Papaya for the best dog you’ll ever eat. You will see imitations throughout the city (Papaya Dog, Papaya King…), but I am partial to the upper west side location at 72nd and Amsterdam.- Pick a few of the big tourist attractions, but don’t try to fit all of them in. Some, like going to the Statue of Liberty or to the top of the Empire State Building, can take all day. So see the ones that are important to you, and skip the ones that aren’t – you’ll get to do a lot more. A great way to see Lady Lib is to take the Staten Island ferry across to SI and back. It’s free! I like to go at dusk, so you get the daylight view of the city/statue on the way out and a gorgeous lit-up nighttime view on the way back.- Check out some of the amazing museums. If you are on a budget, keep an eye out for museums with a “suggested” entrance fee (like the MET or the Natural History Museum). You don’t have to pay the full $15-$20 to get in, especially if you can only stay for an hour or so. Another tip – the MET and their sister museum, the Cloisters have dual admittance. If you go to one, you can get into the other for free on the same day.- Take some time to just wander the different neighborhoods. Walking is the best way to see the city. It is also the best way to work off all the goodies you will come across. Here are my very favorite NY treats:The Doughnut Plant tres leche doughnut (Grand St. bet. Essex & Norfolk – lower east side)Levain Bakery chocolate peanut butter cookie (74th & Amsterdam)Beard Papa cream puffs (locations throughout the city)Emack & Bolio’s ice cream (79th & Amsterdam)Cupcakes – from almost anywhere! My favorites are Crumbs, Magnolia Bakery and Buttercup Bakeshop- After your feet are aching from a long day of walking, and your stomach is full of baked goods, treat yourself to a mani/pedi (it is your birthday trip, after all). There’s a salon on practically every corner.- Go to Burger Joint. It is a hidden NY gem. You’ll find it behind a curtain inside the lobby of the swank Le Parker Meridien Hotel on 57th bet. 6th & 7th aves. Just follow your nose and the little neon sign to one of the best burgers in the city (avoid the lunchtime rush if you can).I hope you have an amazing trip! I’ll try to get Meg to chime in with her suggestions.Jill (the better half of the bee-boppin’ team)

Did you see there at the top where she said, ' Hey Amanda'? This means we are best friends, now. And did you see there at the end where she said, ' I'll try to get Meg to chime in with her suggestions.'? This means that my new best friend might be able to get her other best friend MEG, who is also a giant celebrity to come and visit my blog, too. Oh. My. This is just all too much. I just can't believe it. I need to go lie down.