We took a trip to New York City to visit my brother and his new baby. We had a great time seeing them and touring the city. They have a nice apartment in Astoria and they were kind enough to let us stay with them for the week.
In addition to meeting my new niece, we also took the opportunity to get legally married. Colorado has separate-but-equal civil unions, but with DOMA struck down, we needed to get married in a state where it is truly legal for the federal government to treat us as married.
We also wanted to go to New York to visit a haunted house called Blackout. Unlike most haunted houses, at Blackout you go through the experience alone, the actors can touch you, you have to sign a waiver, and there is even a safe word. They call themselves a “haunted experience” and I wasn’t really as scared as I was disturbed.
I’ve posted pictures of our sight-seeing here: Gallery.
We spent two weekends at my brother’s apartment. They took us to see MoMA PS1 and to eat at the restaurant there. There was a new exhibit at PS1 and it was very crowded – but the people were fun to watch and the food at the restaurant was good. They also took us to a tasty ramen restaurant and for a walk around their neighborhood.
During the week we toured on our own. We saw a lot of the standard sights: Statue of Liberty, 9/11 memorial, Rockefeller center, Empire state building, Brooklyn bridge, Central park, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim.
We also went to the Society of Illustrators, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, Grand Central, the central library, Zuccotti park, the Museum of American Finance (where we saw a solid gold, gem encrusted Monopoly set), Flushing meadows, and a couple of game stores.
Another highlight of the trip was our visit to wd~50. This is the first restaurant that we have been to that has as Michelin star. It is known for its use of molecular gastronomy to enhance its dishes. It was the most interesting meal that I have ever eaten (and the most expensive).