Ella Goes To New York

My parents needed a break from Washington, so they decided to visit their favorite city in the world--New York City. The Tribeca Film Festival had it's opening the night we arrived with a Woody Allen Film called "Whatever Works". The weather was supposed to be in the 70s and 80s for the week. But, the first few days were very cold--a mere 42 degrees! We enjoyed ourselves every day. We were lucky enough to meet up with some of our friends N'Djamena (who lives in New York),  Hue Linh, Bernard, Tuyet Linh and Gabriel (whom all came down from Boston for the weekend). 

We were also fortunate in finding a nice hotel room right in the heart of Soho with a sweet view of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. Mommy and Daddy kept gushing over the view in the morning and in the evening before bedtime. 

I learned how to walk without holding onto anything about three days after my 10 month birthday, but I still hated wearing shoes. But, when I was taken to my first ever outdoor playground/park in Manhattan--I knew it was time for me to get used to wearing my shoes. I actually liked them because the support allowed me to walk without having my usual "spills" and tumbles. We visited three cool parks: Vesuvio (was my favorite and only a few blocks from our hotel), Downing Street Park and Bleeker Street Park. I had my first ride ever on a swing set at the Vesuvio Water Park and I also had my first time on a slide at the Downing Street Playground. Fun! Fun!

My parents took me to all their usual "staples" to wine and dine: Nobu, Jean George, Sushi Hana, the Time Warner Center and the Magnolia Bakery. And thanks to Bernard and Hue Linh, we were able to try a fantastic new eatery: Lan Japanese in the East Village. N'Djamena also gave us a new experience to share together: a pass to the Rooftop Terrace at the Hotel Gansevoort. It was very interesting because I was the only baby there amongst all these 20 something Jet Setters. Mommy, Daddy, Hue Linh and Bernard were by far the oldest people there, I'm sure. (giggle) We had a fantastic time together. 

Here are a few pictures of our week vacation in the Big Apple. Mommy took most of the pictures.