Apple State Building

For the remaining time we had in New York, we stayed in a hotel in Manhattan to be closer to the "action."  But apparently, "action" doesn't bode well when you have two children in tow. We learned the hard way what people in the city probably already knew; that New York City isn't the most kid-friendly town to visit.  In fact, small things, like an accessible elevator for the stroller, or a clean high chair at restaurants, were an issue in a city that caters to the fast-paced, young-adult lifestyle, something clearly, we were no longer a part of. Even a cab ride was a logistical nightmare as we debated whether we would lug our car seat or ride with Maddie in our laps.  Cab rides were worse enough. Now try holding your baby in your lap as the cab speeds through the stop-and-go maze of city traffic.  Not pretty.


Yet despite it all, we wanted to do as much sight-seeing as possible for the girls' sake.  Unfortunately, we only managed to make it to one real attraction, The Empire State Building.  We made the trip at night, which turned out to be a good choice since there were no lines to the top of the building.  Uncle Henry and Auntie Christine came along. As we moved from floor to floor, we walked pass what seemed like miles of velvet rope, intended to guide long lines of people towards the upper deck elevator.  It was almost comical to see the weaving ropes that, if followed, turned a 50 foot walk into a 5 mile ordeal. And then there was the endless commercialism, the advertisements for package tours, pictures, gifts, souvenirs - anything at all, you name it, they tried to sell it to you - effectively turning what should have been a trip to marvel at the architectural wonders of the building into a capitalistic tourist trap.  And this was all before we made it to the elevators!  Once at the elevators, we reluctantly forked over $20 per head and were placed in gold-lined elevators that zipped us to the upper observation deck.  No doubt our  money went towards the upkeep of those gold-lined elevators, I grumbled to myself. 


Up top, the wind was cold and gusty. A heavy mist of rain began to fall. But one look at the view of the city skyline made me instantaneously breathless.  The spectacular city lights sparkled in the darkness of night. Even through the mist of rain you could see for miles.  Jin and I were captivated.  Unfortunately, to Bella things were not quite so exciting, so 10 minutes after arriving, Bella announced she was bored. I mentally tallied in my head whether our brief excursion was worth the $80 we paid for admission and concluded that it was. So indoors we went towards the main elevators to take us downstairs.  Or so we thought...

Yeah, yeah. Great views. Big deal.

At least Maddie seemed to like the views of the cityscape

All the tourists were trapped at the top, with only one way down.  Now what tourist trap would be complete without a surprise mandatory detour through the overpriced gift shop?  So in we reluctantly walked. As overpriced as it seemed, there was something almost magical about the gifts on display. Each one represented history; the building as it was captured on the silver screen in countless Hollywood movies, represented the romantic meeting point for two lovers, or the landmark building in King Kong. Soon I succumbed to the tourist trap and bought Bella an apple-shaped snow-globe with the historic building and city skyline inside.  And that night, with that purchase, we made our own personal history for our family.  I told Bella, so that we would remember each family vacation, for every new city we visited, we would buy a snow-globe and label it with the year and place of our family trip. Bella agreed and to this day, although she probably has no recollection of what she saw atop the observation deck, she fondly recalls the "Apple" State Building when we visited New York City.

Our Family History at the "Apple" State Building
(photo taken free of charge - Score!)

Our final days in New York were ironically spent back in the 'burbs in Great Neck where Jin's cousin, Chris and his very-pregnant wife, Vivian, hosted a family BBQ.  It was a great chance for us to get reacquainted with cousins and other family members I had never met.  Jin's cousins, Chris and Eugene, Esther and Grace, and Eliot, Daniel, and Sue all grew up in the NY area and most returned to the area after going to school elsewhere. Again, Jin and I paused a moment to reflect on the prospect of moving to New York.  And speaking of family, my brother Henry and wife Christine live in the city just 30 miles or so away.  Hmmm... And speaking of family, three weeks later, Vivian and Chris met the newest addition to the clan: Baby Adelyn Choi, born July 3rd, weighing 8 lbs 11 oz!  Congratulations, Chris and Vivian!

My, what kissable cheeks you have, Miss Adelyn!

Here's a final picture of Bella with Uncle Henry and Aunt Christine when we visited them in their Manhattan apartment.  This was the first time she'd ever been in an apartment so you can imagine Bella's surprise when she found only one adjoining bedroom.  She even exclaimed after taking her own self-guided tour of the facility, "Where's the rest of the place?"

Bella showcases items she pirated from Christine's bedroom