Snapshot Sunday | NYC by Night

The laundry room in my building was out of commission for a week, and as soon as it was back in action I stayed up late to wash my clothes. What does this have to do with the photo, you ask? Well, the laundry room is on the top floor of my building, and there is a balcony with amazing views of the city. I couldn't help but snap a picture of the Empire State Building lit up. I'll always think the skyline is gorgeous, and I'll miss this view when I move out of this building. 

Snapshot Sunday | NYC + USA

I took this photograph of the Empire State Building while I was on 18th Street and 5th Avenue. I loved how blue the sky was at the time, and how the American flag was waving perfectly in the foreground. I think it's a perfect shot of NYC and USA together! 

Lesson 4: It's Okay to be a Tourist Sometimes

Yesterday was a great day here in New York City. The weather was bright and sunny, and a warm 70 degrees. My boss gave me the day off to enjoy the day and explore the city, and that's exactly what I did! I usually don't like to make myself stand out as a tourist, mainly for safety reasons, but sometimes it's great to experience the city as one. My housemate Jason and I started off the day at the Empire State Building Observatory. For $21 you can go up the 86th floor, which has an outside observation deck, unlike the 102nd floor that costs $15 more. Besides being a bit cold and really windy, it was great! Jason even paid for the audio tour, so he was able to point out some cool landmarks for us to look at. Here are some of the many pictures I took. The city looked amazing!

That brown building is where I work! 

If you look closely you can see the Statue of Liberty in the distance! 

 

After the Empire State Building, we shopped a little in the Macy's at Herald Square. I've been here a number of times since it's just a few blocks from where I work, but this was an exciting visit because we saw Clinton Kelly from What Not to Wear! He was busy filming, so we weren't able to meet him, but I snapped a couple pictures of the back of his head. 

Next we headed off to some of the fancy shops on Fifth Avenue. The only thing I purchased was a shirt at Armani Exchange (for only $13.88 might I add), but I enjoyed the area. We saw some landmarks along the way as well. Here are pictures of the Trump Tower and the hotel from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (one of my favorite movies!). 

The last big adventure of the day was a trip to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Jason and I met up with my friend Bri from school, who happened to be in the city for a week-long externship. I had been to this museum before during a visit with my dance class back in high school, but it's always something to check out. It is a little pricey (I paid $35 with a student discount of $3), but it includes a cool showing of The Wizard of Oz in 4D, complete with smell-o-vision and bubbles. Plus, there have been many additions to the museum since I've been last. The figures are also rotated every 2-3 months, so you have the chance to see different ones every time you go. I was just happy to see that *NSYNC was still there! Here are some of my favorite pictures:

Kim Kardashian

Bri and I with the Spice Girls

My favorite boys, *NSYNC

Lady Gaga

Lesson 4: While it's usually good to blend into the crowd while New York City, going to tourist destinations and whipping our your camera can be a lot of fun. Just remember to stay safe and be aware of your surroundings.