Are you ready for another NY Downtown Adventure?
My husband Abraham, my friend Minette, and I stood in front of a busy intersection in Chinatown. We’re lost! We didn’t know which way to turn.
Abraham took out his cell phone and googled the direction from our location to Lombardi’s pizza in Little Italy, then he motioned us to follow him.
We walked a few blocks and came to a corner in Broome Street where I saw this colorful mural. At that time, I didn’t know that it was painted by Tristan Eaton. He is a Los Angeles-based street artist whose artwork can be found in various cities across the globe. Big City of Dreams – yes that’s New York!
People from different parts of the world moved to New York to start a new life and to reach for their dreams. One of these dreamers was Gennaro Lombardi. He was an Italian immigrant who opened the FIRST pizzeria in the United States in 1905.
YES! We finally arrived at Lombardi’s Pizza. The place was packed, and we waited for 30-minutes before we were seated in a basement level room. We ordered a large 16-inch white pizza. The thin, slightly charred, coal oven baked pizza was good! My only regret was I forgot to order additional toppings. I could have enjoyed it more with s bit of sweet Italian sausage!
I checked the time, and it was already 4:15 pm. We still need to visit the 9/11 Memorial, so we paid the bill and rushed out the door. As we walked down the street, I took one more photo of this vibrant neighborhood. Till next time Little Italy. Ciao!
We hopped on the bus at Broadway and hopped off at the bus stop near the 9/11 Memorial. The memorial is located at the site of the former World Trade Center complex. It is open daily from 7:30 am to 9:00 pm. Entrance to the memorial is free; you need to buy tickets for the museum.
The names of the victims are inscribed around the twin memorial pools. I felt sad thinking of all the lives that were lost during that tragic day in New York.
We wanted to go to the museum, but it was already 5:30 pm. We have to be at the Port Authority Bus Terminal by 6:00 PM for our trip back to Albany, NY. I sighed and told my husband that I really want to visit the museum someday. Abraham nodded and said, “we also need to go there!” He pointed at the new One World Trade Center.
The new One World Trade Center is one of the buildings of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex. It is now the tallest skyscraper in the United States! It took years for New York to rise from the ashes, but it did! Stronger than ever – it is still the Big City of Dreams!
There are more places to discover in NYC, and I can’t wait to go back! Have you been to New York? Where did you go? If not, are you planning to visit New York someday? Please share in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Life With Fritzie 
33 responses to “NY Minute: Downtown Adventure (Part 2)”
I love reading about your adventures. I really enjoy getting lost in New York. You definitely need to see the view. I went to top of the rock the last time I was there – amazing!
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It’s fun getting lost in New York! We’ve discovered a lot more places and it made our trip more exciting. Thanks for reading and sharing your experience with us. We will definitely check out the view from one of the skyscrapers next time.
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I just love all of your posts my friend! New York city is one of my favorite places to visit and I have not been there in a few years now. I would love to visit again at Christmastime.
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Thanks my friend! We went to Bryant Park and 5th Avenue last December. It was the first day of snow and New York looks like a wonderland.
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Nice Big City of Dreams mural!
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Yes, it’s a nice one. If you look closer you’ll find bridges, buildings, and king kong:)
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Nice, blessings!
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I love your adventures! Makes me want to go back to visit ASAP!
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Hi there😊 Thanks for reading. There’s still so much to see, we will be going back to check out more places. Where did you go the last time you were there? Any favorite sights?
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The last time I went the World Trade Centers we’re still standing! It was only a few months before 9/11. I want to see that memorial you saw in the worst way. That’s too on my list.
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There’s a lot of changes as they continue to rebuild the complex. We’re going back too to visit the museum and the new One World Trade Center next time.
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I’d love to see the new One World Trade Center! I’m going to start planting a seed and get the family interested in going… My husband has never been! You’ve got me excited… we live pretty close (we are in New Hampshire). It’s so crazy we haven’t been in so long!
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It would be a fun experience for the whole family to visit NYC. I’ve been to New Hampshire for my friend’s wedding in Loon Mountain. It was fall and the views are simply amazing!
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Great, post, Fritzie! NY!!! My fav city! Thanks for covering it. Can’t wait for Part 2! 🙂
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I meant Part 3. Hahaha…Sorry for the typo.
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Haha….. There’s so much to discover. I can’t do just one post for all the highlights. What’s your fave sights there?
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I used to like going to the Seaport area in downtown NY. I am not sure what it is like now. Yeah, there are just too many things to cover in one or even two posts. Great job picking out the highlights though…by the way…you and your hubby look so cute together in the pic! 🙂
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Aww thanks! You made us smile. My friend who used to live in NYC suggested we stop by the seaport, but we didn’t have time. We will definitely add that to our NYC must-see list. Thanks!😊
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Let me know how it is…if you get to go. I think it must have changed a lot since I last visited.
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Yes, I’ll take photos and include it in the highlights! 😊
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Well, you don’t have to…unless you like the place and wanna include it. 🙂 But…I have to say, it’s a nice place to visit with your hubby…it has a romantic vibe especially in the early evening hours. ;D
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Sounds like a very lovely place indeed. ❤️ My friend also told me that the Seaport is a really nice place to go. I’m excited to check it out!
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Downtown New York reminds me of Los Angels! Lots of street art and oldschool buildings. Oooh, the pizza looks DELICIOUS! Thin crusts are the best. It is great that you got to check out the memorial. Glad you enjoyed your time out there ♥
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
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So many creative artists in LA, I can only imagine how nice the murals are. Yes, thin crust pizza is the best! I’m glad we were able to go to the places we wanted to see in NY. Although, 8 hours is not enough. Thanks for reading and stopping by Nancy! 😊
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It doesn’t matter how many times I go to NY, I nearly always get myself slightly lost when I go downtown. I found the 9/11 memorial really overwhelming. The first time I visited NY wasn’t that long after and when we got there it was still this huge hole in the ground. It’s felt strange watching them rebuild over the years x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
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I’ve been there a few times and I still got lost. I haven’t seen ground zero before it was rebuilt, but I understand why it could be overwhelming. It was a moving experience walking through the memorial.
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So many things to see in New York – for us the 9/11 memorial was the one that left a mark in our hearts. You leave knowing that something like that can never happen again but also with a sense that we are all connected and how something as horrific as this often brings people together and how important community is.
On a lighter note , we were there over the Christmas period and we loved the Fifth Ave Christmas lights on Saks and the festive spirit❤️
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The memorial left a mark in our hearts too. I was moved to tears while looking at the pool. It was such a tragic event in human history. Anyway, thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.
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The memorial must be so impressive. I’d love to go to NY someday and this would definitely be a must-do visit in my opinion.
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Yes, it is a great idea to include it in your list. Wish we had more time to visit the museum and the new tower too.
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Your New York posts made me nostalgic! I went to NYU and walked by a lot of these places all the time. Lombardi’s is the best! Glad you were able to fit so much into a day.
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We passed by NYU when we had the bus tour. It’s near a lot of great places. There’s still so much to see, can’t wait to explore more of NY. Thanks for reading and following our adventures:)
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