See, eat, love…

Before I get into my long-awaited visit to New Jersey, which I’m sure you’re all eager to hear about, let me tell you about a little place called Rockefeller Centre (located on 51st Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue). Without any reservations, I can tell you that THE BEST VIEW of New York City, without a doubt, is from the Top of the Rock. It is so much better than the one from the Empire State Building for the following reasons:

a) There are less people;

b) It is better to take photos because there are no grate fencing obstructions; and

c) The Empire State Building is part of the view.

Here are a few sample photos:

And for the Gregory Peck fans out there, I was making my way up to the top and had to pass by a timeline exhibit outlining the history of Rockefeller Centre, and I saw the following:

Personally, I think it was really cool.

The next stop was New Jersey. I can hear many of you asking: “Why New Jersey?” And it’s because of this…

The Hoboken Terminal is located on the Hudson River, opposite Manhattan.

And this…

The view of Manhattan from Jersey City.

And this…

The Empire State Building from Jersey City.

It was also an excellent location to hop on a ferry to Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty is located. The trip to Liberty Island bypasses Ellis Island, which was home to the United States’s immigration processing centre. It is now part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, and a museum dedicated to its immigration history is the main attraction on the island.

The exterior of the ferry terminal in Jersey City.

The inside of the ferry terminal. There are numbered train tracks in the terminal - it obviously used to be a train station.

The Statue of Liberty

We had made a booking to have lunch at Serendipity3 (located on 60th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue) – the restaurant where John Cusack’s character and Kate Beckinsale’s character have their romantic pow-wow at in the film, Serendipity – but we missed the booking. Luckily we were able to reschedule for 5:30pm. And when we tried the food there, we were grateful for the time slot’s availability.

The decor at Serendipity3 is bric-a-brac/antique store meets Grandma’s house. It has this really homey, let’s-curl-up-in-front-of-the-fire kind of vibe going on. It has old light shades hanging over the tables and chairs that have a European cafe style to them. To go with this inviting atmosphere is a delectable menu.

Eating food at Serendipity3 is a religious experience. I ordered the Country Meatloaf on the recommendation of my lovely waiter (we tipped him well). What came out was so much better than I had expected. The meatloaf was tender and cooked just right – not too rare and not too well done – like Goldilock’s third bowl of porridge. It wasn’t even dry. This homecooked meal was accompanied with delightful mashed potato, which was crunchy on the outside, mushrooms and a gorgeous gravy – one that any meat eater could appreciate. I could have drank that gravy straight – that’s how delicious it was.

Mouth orgasm: meatloaf with mashed potatoes, mushrooms and gravy

W ordered the Spiced Chicken Flambe and it equalled the meatloaf in taste.

What was even more impressive than the dinner menu were the desserts. There are no words to describe how decadent they were – it is something that must be experienced.

The sundae special for the day

As are the drinks…

The famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate

Sit there and let your mouth water…until next time!