I Want to Be a Part of It

When Jada tried out for and then performed in her school musical last spring, I was pleasantly surprised at how much she got into it.  It was then that I hatched the idea to take her to a Broadway play, so she could take in the whole experience at the highest level.  

This past Friday, I was able to take a day off of work and capitalize on her not having school, and we spent the day in Manhattan.  I'm not ashamed to say that one of the best things about Philadelphia is being able to go to New York City for the day.  Here's all we were able to fit in:

8a-10:30a MegaBus left late and hit some traffic but otherwise smooth sailing.  Jada is now tired of me saying, "Never drive to New York; the toll in is more than the bus fare!"



10:30a-1p We make our way to the northern tip of High Line Park, taking in Vessel on the way in.  It is crowded but still relaxing to walk the length of the park.  We come back to street level in the Meatpacking District and walk through Chelsea Market and Greenwich Village to Hudson River Greenway.  A beautiful day to walk along the river, but soon our stomachs are calling the shots, so I call off our intended route all the way to Battery Park, and instead we make a beeline for Chinatown.

1p-4p Dim sum and boba tea in Chinatown, followed by a stroll through Washington Square Park all the way to Empire State Building.  Because the weather is perfect, the views at the observatory level are immaculate.

4p-7:30p We take the subway to the northern end of Central Park and then meander our way through.  A short afternoon can't do justice to the place, so while we were able to hit Conservatory Garden, Belvedere Castle, and Sheep Meadow, many other sights went unseen.  We finally pop out on the south side, grab some truck food, and hit a frozen yogurt place to cool our legs before walking to Times Square and then heading to the theater.

7:30p-11p "Dear Evan Hansen" is playing at Music Box Theater.  The place is packed and the show was incredible.  Jada and I loved every minute, laughing and crying throughout.  After final bows, we struggle to get out of the place and down the street, since thousands of other people are doing the same thing we are.  We hoof it to the bus stop and get there with over 10 minutes to spare.

11p-2:30a Oops, our bus is delayed by 45 minutes.  And once we get on, the A/C is on full tilt and we are all in a deep chill.  Mercifully, the bus driver is able to turn the cold off and get us safely home.  We arrive at 30th Street Station a hair before 2:30a and take a Lyft home.  Asher will wake up in a few hours and Jada has to make choir practice later that morning, so we know we'll be zombies for another 24 hours.  No matter, we had a great time in the Big Apple!